Retired New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has had a tough year. He tried to mount a political comeback, running for New York City mayor. But he lost to Zohran Mamdani twice — first in the Democratic primary, then again in the general election, which he entered as an independent. Finally, his neighbors snitched on his illegally parked Bronco, landing him a ticket.

Who knew retired Gov. Cuomo was a car guy? He calls his 1996 Ford Bronco his “good luck truck.” Some have criticized it because it’s the same generation (1992–96 i.e. Aeronose) and color (white) as the 1994 Bronco from O.J. Simpson’s infamous police chase. But that seems unfair — it’s a cool SUV from a cool generation. It’s almost as cool as Gov. Tim Walz’s International Harvester Scout. The two should really go off-roading together (although neither could keep up with Vermont Gov. Phil Scott).

You know what’s not cool? When a multimillionaire living in downtown Manhattan parks a vintage Bronco in a construction zone. Maybe Cuomo thought no one would notice. Maybe he didn’t care that he was in construction workers’ way. Maybe he just didn’t think about it at all. But his neighbors did.

‘Construction guys trying to not hit it’

One neighbor walked by, saw the construction, and saw the “truck loading only” sign. Blocking the spot was a familiar white Bronco. A witness said, “There were construction guys trying to not hit it and maneuvering around it.”

This anonymous do-gooder added, “I walk down to the river past his apartment building a couple of times a week, and I hadn’t seen it before, but I had seen it in the news, so I knew exactly what it was.”

They were a bit star-struck. “At first I thought it was funny, but then I knew it was illegal parking — no one’s allowed to park there. I wanted to report it.”

Luckily, New York City makes it easy to snitch. The tipster opened NYC’s 311 app and reported the parking infraction. Just 17 minutes later, the NYPD notified them about a summons for illegal parking.

When your ‘good luck truck’ fails

Cuomo failed to win the Democratic primary for New York mayor in 2002. But in 2010 he earned the nod and took 60% of the vote in the general election. Despite steering the state through the COVID-19 pandemic, he resigned in 2021 during an impeachment investigation and 11 sexual harassment allegations.

With $13.3 million from a single donor, Cuomo was able to spend $65 per vote in the 2025 NYC mayoral election but ended up with just 41.6% of the popular vote, losing again. This parking violation report just adds insult to injury, illustrating how popular opinion has turned against him.

The publication Hell Gate NYC reached out to Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, for comment. Azzopardi has had nearly as tough a year as his boss and sounds equally over it. He said of the parking story: “If true, the ticket will be paid and I wish you all the luck in the world once this piece gets submitted for Pulitzer consideration.”

One things for sure: It might be time for Cuomo to change his truck’s nickname.