Do Socialists Need Food
Segment #976
John Catsimatidis
prominent billionaire owner and CEO of the Gristedes and D'Agostino grocery chains in New York City.
Early Life & The American Dream
John Catsimatidis was born on September 7, 1948, on the small Greek island of Nisyros. In 1949, when he was just six months old, his parents immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. The family settled in a tenement apartment in West Harlem, New York City. His father, who had been a lighthouse operator in Greece, found work as a busboy to support the family.
Catsimatidis graduated from the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School in 1966. He received a congressional nomination to West Point but chose to study electrical engineering at New York University (NYU) instead. While attending college, he took a job as a grocery clerk working for a friend’s uncle in a small supermarket on 137th Street. Sensing a massive business opportunity, Catsimatidis chose to drop out of NYU just eight credits short of his degree to buy a piece of the grocery store where he worked.
Building a Supermarket and Real Estate Empire
By 1969, Catsimatidis opened his first independent grocery store. Operating under the name Red Apple, his business expanded aggressively; by the time he was 25 years old, he owned 10 stores across the city.
Over the decades, his holding company, the Red Apple Group, evolved into a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate with massive portfolios spanning several key sectors:
Supermarkets: Catsimatidis cemented his status as a New York icon by acquiring the Gristedes and D'Agostino grocery chains, making him the dominant force in Manhattan’s everyday retail grocery market.
Energy & Oil: In 1986, Red Apple acquired United Refining Company out of bankruptcy. Today, United Refining operates a major oil refinery in Warren, Pennsylvania, alongside more than 400 Kwik Fill, Country Fair, and Keystone gas stations across Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.
Real Estate: Red Apple Group owns billions in real estate assets, heavily visible through major luxury residential developments in New York and Florida, including the skyline-defining Residences at 400 Central luxury condo project in downtown St. Petersburg.
As of 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth to be approximately $4.8 billion, cementing him as one of the wealthiest individuals in the United States.
Media Ventures & Political Landscape
Catsimatidis is a vocal and highly influential player in New York politics and media. A longtime ally of Donald Trump, Catsimatidis ran a high-profile bid for the Republican nomination for Mayor of New York City in 2013, losing the primary to Joe Lhota. He has remained heavily involved in local and national conservative politics, frequently providing sharp commentary on standard business and economic platforms.
In 2020, he expanded into the media landscape by purchasing the iconic New York radio station 77 WABC AM under Red Apple Media. He hosts his own syndicated radio program, The Cats Roundtable, where he interviews major corporate executives, politicians, and culture figures. In mid-2026, Catsimatidis announced a major media expansion, launching a syndicated "Worldwide News Network" audio service utilizing broadcast journalists to offer an independent global news alternative across domestic and international affiliates.
Personal Life
Catsimatidis is married to Margo Catsimatidis, and the couple resides in Manhattan. They have two adult children, Andrea and John Jr., both of whom are heavily involved in executive roles within the family's Red Apple Group empire and political organizations.
Catsimatidis is deeply involved in Greek-American philanthropic causes, including supporting the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and various New York law enforcement and children's charities.
Over the years, his grocery empire has experienced down-scaling. While his operations previously included numerous locations under the Red Apple Group umbrella (at one point nearing 80+ properties across his various acquisitions and holdings), real estate costs, high crime rates, and shrinkage have significantly consolidated the actual number of traditional brick-and-mortar grocery stores down to under 30 remaining storefronts.
Why He Is Threatening to Leave New York
Catsimatidis issued a public warning that he will completely close, sell, or franchise his remaining grocery locations and relocate his corporate headquarters to Florida.
His decision is driven by New York City's political shift, specifically the election of democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Catsimatidis is fiercely opposing Mamdani’s proposed government-run, tax-exempt grocery initiative.
The Core of the Conflict
Unfair Competition: The incoming city administration plans to launch a pilot program of publicly funded grocery stores designed to lower food prices in underserved areas. Because these city-run operations would pay no commercial rent tax or property taxes, Catsimatidis argues it is impossible for private enterprise to compete.
Market Friction: He stated that his grocery division has already been operating without viable profit margins for the last two years due to rampant shoplifting, which forces his remaining stores to lock up merchandise, driving down sales.
The Exit Plan: Rather than trying to fight city hall, Catsimatidis has openly stated he is actively diversifying his Red Apple Group capital into states with friendlier tax and business climates, viewing Florida as his ultimate landing pad.