LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION celebrating the remarkable life and achievements
of the Honorable Mario Matthew Cuomo, 52nd Governor of the State of New
York, and expressing our profound sorrow upon his passing

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those individuals of distinguished purpose whose lives have been
committed to the pursuit of excellence and to the care and advancement
of all people, and whose character and conduct have bestowed honor upon
our great Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Mario M. Cuomo passed away on Thursday, January 1, 2015, in
Manhattan, at the age of 82; and
WHEREAS, Born in Queens on June 15, 1932, Mario Matthew Cuomo was the
fourth child of Italian immigrants from the province of Salerno, Andrea
and Immaculata Cuomo, who came to the United States in pursuit of oppor-
tunity and the realization of the American Dream; and
WHEREAS, Mario M. Cuomo grew up in the Queens neighborhood of South
Jamaica imbued by his parents with a powerful love of family, a deep and
abiding faith in God, a firm belief in the dignity of work and of the
willingness to sacrifice, and an unflinching respect for self and for
his responsibility to family and to his community; and
WHEREAS, In 1949, after graduating from St. John's Preparatory School
in Queens, Mario M. Cuomo pursued his love of baseball, and at the age
of 19, signed a contract to play centerfield for the Class D Brunswick
Pirates in the Georgia-Florida League; after suffering an injury, he
gave up his dream of playing professional baseball and attended St.
John's University where he majored in Latin American studies, English
and Philosophy, and graduated summa cum laude in 1953; and
WHEREAS, The recipient of a scholarship, Mario M. Cuomo enrolled in
St. John's Law School where he was editor of the ST. JOHN'S LAW REVIEW,
a founding editor of THE CATHOLIC LAWYER, and ultimately graduated cum
laude in 1956, tied for first in his class; and
WHEREAS, Mario M. Cuomo began his legal career serving as law clerk to
Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York State Court of Appeals, and in
1963, entered private practice joining the Brooklyn law firm of Corner,
Weisbrod, Froeb & Charles, where he earned a reputation as a skilled
debater and arbitrator while helping families save their homes and
settling heated neighborhood disputes, and highly publicized court
victories which made him an instant choice for political office; and
WHEREAS, In 1974, Mario M. Cuomo ran for the office of Lieutenant
Governor, losing a three-way Democratic primary, and the following year,
Governor Hugh Carey appointed him Secretary of State; in this capacity,
he intervened in numerous statewide crises including a Mohawk Indian
lands claim dispute, nursing home practice issues, and rent strikes; and
WHEREAS, Four years later, Hugh L. Carey was reelected Governor of the
State of New York, and Mario M. Cuomo was elected as Lieutenant Gover-
nor; and
WHEREAS, On November 2, 1982, at age 50, Mario M. Cuomo was elected
the 52nd Governor of New York, defeating businessman Lewis E. Lehrman by
approximately 180,000 votes; he would go on to win three terms as the
State's Chief Executive; and
WHEREAS, A resolute leader known for his oratory, Governor Mario M.
Cuomo was asked to deliver the keynote address at the 1984 Democratic
National Convention; he described America as a "tale of two cities," and
electrified the nation, making him a Democratic contender for the Presi-
dency of the United States; and
WHEREAS, In September of 1984, Governor Mario M. Cuomo delivered the
now famous speech entitled "Religious Belief and Public Morality: A

Catholic Governor's Perspective" at Notre Dame, which remains, in the
words of Anna Quindlen, "one of the defining statements on the necessary
distinctions between personal morality and public policy"; and
WHEREAS, Choosing not to run for the White House, Governor Mario M.
Cuomo focused on strengthening his beloved State of New York, and
together with the Legislature, guided the Empire State through two
national recessions, investing to revitalize education and infrastruc-
ture, creating a large homeless assistance program, establishing
programs to build high-tech research and development facilities, creat-
ing programs to serve the mentally ill and to address the burgeoning
AIDS crisis, enacting the largest tax cut in state history at that time,
and the first seat belt law; and
WHEREAS, Governor Mario M. Cuomo initiated the first major ethics law
for public officials and appointed all of the judges to the New York
State Court of Appeals including the first African American, the first
Hispanic, and the first two women judges, including the first woman to
serve as Chief Judge, The Honorable Judith Kaye; and
WHEREAS, Governor Mario M. Cuomo proclaimed 1988 the beginning of the
Decade of the Child, 1989 the Year to Fight Drug Abuse, and when he won
his third term as Governor in 1990, the Year of the Environment, advanc-
ing groundbreaking programs in support of each; and
WHEREAS, Following his extraordinary career in public office, Mario M.
Cuomo returned to practice law in Manhattan where he worked for the law
firm of Willkie & Farr Gallagher, while continuing to author books and
deliver speeches; and
WHEREAS, Mario M. Cuomo is survived by his wife of 60 years, Matilda
N. Cuomo, and by his five children, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Dr.
Margaret I. Cuomo, Maria Cuomo Cole, Madeline Cuomo O'Donohue, and
Christopher Cuomo, as well as 14 grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, The Family of New York has most certainly benefited from the
love, compassion and humanist spirit Mario M. Cuomo brought to his work
as our Governor, one of New York State's greatest leaders, but at heart,
a man of profound faith who never lost touch with the values of his
immigrant upbringing; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations in a
moment of silent tribute to Mario M. Cuomo, whose generous and thought-
ful concern for the welfare of others enhanced the lives of those so
fortunate to have called him family, colleague, mentor and friend, and
to express its deepest condolences to his family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
.SO DOC A R9 RESO TEXT 2015
smitted to the family of Mario M. Cuomo.