Leave it to the Columbus Day Parade to bring together two rivals of Italian heritage.

Even if it was just a brief handshake, it was a break from the negativity that has defined the governor’s race thus far.

"I just said hello. I think that’s the extent of the conversation he feels comfortable having," said Marc Molinaro, the Republican candidate for governor.

Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday stuck to the topic of ethnic pride. The parade this year honored Cuomo's mother, Matilda, and sister, Margaret, an Italian language education advocate.

"Today we celebrate the Italian-Americans," Cuomo said. "I have the special Italian-American cufflinks on today."

It was Molinaro on the attack Monday, releasing an ad on the release from prison of police officer killer Herman Bell.

"Governor Cuomo and his parole board set this cold-blooded killer free. Then, Governor Cuomo gave him the right to vote," the ad says.

But Molinaro may not be on the airwaves much from here on out. New filings show him with barely $200,000 in campaign cash on hand. Cuomo, meanwhile, is sitting on $9.2 million. 

"We're running against an individual who has really taken advantage of every campaign finance loophole and has raised an obscene amount of money," Molinaro said.

That prompted the Cuomo campaign to respond, in part, "We know Marc is having another bad day – but this is getting pathetic and desperate even by his flailing campaign's standards."

Others marching up Fifth Avenue included attorney general candidate Letitia James, who made no effort to hide her close political alliance with Cuomo, though she said she was there in her capacity as the city's public advocate.

"This is not a political parade, by no means. This is a day to honor Italians," James said.

Speaking of honoring Italians, Cuomo's announcement that the Columbus statue had been added to the State Register of Historic Places struck a contrast with Mayor de Blasio's monuments commission that considered the possibility of removing the statue. De Blasio also marched Monday, but did not cross paths with the governor.