Mario Cuomo

Mario Matthew Cuomo (June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He served as the 52nd Governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994, Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1979 to 1982; and Secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978.

Cuomo was known for his liberal views and public speeches, particularly his keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention where he criticized Ronald Reagan's policies. The speech brought him to national attention, and he was widely considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination for President in both 1988 and 1992, but he declined to seek the nomination in both instances. His legacy as a reluctant standard-bearer for the Democrats in presidential elections led to him being dubbed "Hamlet on the Hudson".

Cuomo was defeated for a fourth term as Governor by George Pataki in the Republican Revolution of 1994, and he subsequently retired from politics. He was the father of five, including Andrew Cuomo, the current Governor of New York and journalist Chris Cuomo, currently at CNN.

Early life and education

Cuomo was born in the Briarwood section of the New York City borough of Queens to a family of Italian origin. His father, Andrea Cuomo, was from Nocera Inferiore, Italy, and his mother, Immaculata (née Giordano), was from Tramonti. The family owned a store in South Jamaica, Queens in New York City.

Cuomo attended New York City P.S. 50 and St. John's Preparatory School. Cuomo was a baseball player, and while attending St. John's University in 1952 he signed as an outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a $2,000 bonus, which he eventually used to help purchase the engagement ring for his wife, Matilda. He played for the Brunswick Pirates until he was struck in the back of the head by a pitch. (At the time batting helmets were not required equipment.)

After his injury Cuomo gave up playing baseball and returned to St. John's, earning his bachelor's degree in 1953. Deciding on a legal career, Cuomo attended St. John's University School of Law, from which he graduated tied for first in his class in 1956. Cuomo clerked for Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York Court of Appeals. Despite having been a top student, when he applied to law firms, the ethnic prejudice of the time led to his rejection by more than 50 before he was hired by a small but established office in Brooklyn. In addition to practicing law, Cuomo was an adjunct professor at St. John's Law School.

Early political career

Cuomo first became widely known in New York City in the late 1960s when he represented "The Corona Fighting 69", a group of 69 home-owners from the Queens neighborhood of Corona, who were threatened with displacement by the city's plan to build a new high school. He later represented another Queens residents group, the Kew Gardens-Forest Hills Committee on Urban Scale, who opposed Samuel LeFrak's housing proposal adjacent to Willow Lake in Queens. In 1972, Cuomo became more well-known across and beyond New York City when Mayor John Lindsay appointed him to conduct an inquiry and mediate a dispute over low-income public housing slated for the upper-middle-class neighborhood of Forest Hills. Cuomo described his experience in that dispute in the book Forest Hills Diary, and the story was retold by sociologist Richard Sennett in The Fall of Public Man.

New York Secretary of State

In 1974, he ran for Lieutenant Governor of New York on a ticket headed by gubernatorial candidate Howard J. Samuels, and both won the designation of the Democratic State Committee at the party convention. But their entire ticket, including the nominees for attorney general and U.S. Senator, was defeated in the Democratic primary election: Samuels by Rep. Hugh Carey of Brooklyn, and Cuomo by State Senator Mary Anne Krupsak, the first woman to be nominated for statewide office in New York. After Carey and Krupsak were elected, the new governor appointed Cuomo Secretary of State of New York in January 1975.

New York City Mayoral Election

Two years later, Cuomo ran for Mayor of New York City at Carey's urging. Incumbent Mayor Abraham Beame was very unpopular and Cuomo was one of five major challengers to Beame in the Democratic primary. In a close and highly fractured election, U.S. Representative Ed Koch finished first with 19.81% of the vote and Cuomo came second with 18.74%. As no candidate cleared 40% of the vote, Koch and Cuomo advanced to a runoff. Koch emerged victorious with 54.94% of the vote to Cuomo's 45.06%. Cuomo had received the nomination of the Liberal Party several months previously and was urged to drop out of the race but he contested the general election against Koch and token Republican opposition.

During the mayoral campaign, placards appeared saying: "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo" in reference to rumours about Koch's sexuality. Cuomo denied responsibility for this, but Koch never forgave him "as he made clear with a pointedly disparaging reference to Mr. Cuomo in a recorded interview with The New York Times that was not to be made public until Mr. Koch's death." Cuomo ran on his opposition to the death penalty, which backfired amongst New Yorkers as crime was very high. Cuomo then went negative with ads that likened Koch to unpopular former mayor John Lindsay. Meanwhile, Koch backers accused Cuomo of anti-Semitism and pelted Cuomo campaign cars with eggs. Cuomo was also defeated by Koch in the general election, taking 40.97% to Koch's 49.99%. The race is talked about in Jonathan Mahler's book Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning.

New York Lieutenant Governor

In 1978, incumbent Lieutenant Governor Krupsak declined to seek re-election. She had previously committed to doing so but became upset with how Governor Carey treated her in office and felt she was not given enough to do. She withdrew from the ticket and unsuccessfully challenged Carey in the gubernatorial primary, accusing him of incompetence. Cuomo easily won the primary for Lieutenant Governor and was elected alongside Carey in the general election.

Governor of New York

Elections

In 1982, Carey declined to run for re-election and Cuomo declared his candidacy. He once again faced Ed Koch in the Democratic primary. This time, Koch's support for the death penalty backfired and he alienated many voters from outside New York City when, in an interview with Playboy magazine, he described the lifestyle of both suburbia and upstate New York as "sterile" and lamented the thought of having to live in "the small town" of Albany as Governor, saying it was "a city without a good Chinese restaurant". Cuomo won the primary by ten points and faced Republican nominee businessman Lewis Lehrman in the general election. With the recession aiding Democratic candidates, Cuomo beat Lehrman 50.91% to 47.48%.

Cuomo actively campaigned for Walter Mondale in the 1984 presidential election, and was named on Mondale's list of vice presidential candidates. Geraldine Ferraro was ultimately nominated as his running mate, but Cuomo was chosen to give the keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. He vigorously attacked Ronald Reagan's record and policies in a speech that brought him to national attention, most memorably saying: "There is despair, Mr. President, in the faces that you don't see, in the places that you don't visit, in your shining city."[14][15] He was immediately considered to be one of the frontrunners for the Democratic nomination for President in 1988 and 1992.

Cuomo was re-elected in a landslide in 1986 against Republican nominee Andrew P. O'Rourke by 64.3% to 31.77%. He consistently ruled out the possibility of running in the 1988 presidential election, announcing on February 19, 1987, that he would not run and then going on to publicly decline draft movements in the wake of Gary Hart's withdrawal following the Donna Rice affair.

In the 1990 gubernatorial election, Cuomo was re-elected with 53.17% of the vote to Republican Pierre Andrew Rinfret's 21.35% and Conservative Herbert London's 20.40%.

When Cuomo was asked if he was planning to run for President in 1992, he would say: "I have no plans and no plans to make plans", but he refused to rule it out. In October 1991, news broke that he was interested in running and was taking advice from consultant Bob Shrum. At the same time, he began working on a budget with the New York State Legislature, and promised not to make any announcements about a presidential run until he had reached an agreement with the Republican-controlled State Senate and the Democratic-controlled State Assembly. Two polls taken in November of the New Hampshire Democratic primary showed him leading the field by at least twenty points, and a poll in December showed him trailing President George H. W. Bush 48% to 43%, having been behind by 28% two months previously.

The filing deadline for the New Hampshire primary was on December 20, 1991 and Cuomo was expected to wait until the deadline before filing and declaring his candidacy. In the days before the deadline, Cuomo couldn't come to an agreement with Republicans in the Legislature and on deadline day, he was required to hand in a ballot application in person, so he kept an airplane waiting on the tarmac as he decided whether to fly to New Hampshire to enter the race. Democratic party leaders asked him to run and he prepared two statements, one in case he ran and one in case he didn't. He tried to come to a final agreement over the budget but couldn't, and he made an announcement at 3:30pm that day:

"It is my responsibility as governor to deal with this extraordinarily severe problem. Were it not, I would travel to New Hampshire today and file my name as a candidate in this presidential primary. That was my hope and I prepared for it. But it seemed to me that I cannot turn my attention to New Hampshire while this threat hangs over the head of the New Yorkers I have sworn to put first."

Cuomo's supporters launched a draft movement and encouraged people to write-in his name in the Democratic primary, which was held on February 18, 1992. Cuomo did not discourage it, which many saw as implicit endorsement of the campaign. Cuomo went on to receive 6,577 votes in the primary, 3.92% of the total cast and subsequently asked the draft committee to close down, saying, "I am flattered by their support and impressed by their commitment, but I am also convinced that in fairness to themselves they ought now to end their effort." The group closed down, but Cuomo refused to rule out joining the primaries later in the year, stating, "I have said more than once that the nomination should go to someone willing and able to campaign for it. I am willing, but because New York's budget has not been settled I am not able to campaign for it." Ultimately, Cuomo did not enter the race and Bill Clinton went on to win the Democratic nomination and the general elecion.

Because of Cuomo's refusal to take up the party's banner for national office despite his popularity within the liberal wing of the Democratic party during the 1980s and 1990s, his name has in some circles become a metaphor for a reluctant political leader, the "Hamlet on the Hudson".

After Bill Clinton won the Democratic nomination for President in 1992, Cuomo was a candidate for vice president but he refused to be considered and did not make Clinton's final shortlist. He was also spoken of as a candidate for nomination to the United States Supreme Court, but when President Clinton was considering nominees during his first term to replace the retiring Byron White, Cuomo stated he was not interested in the office. George Stephanopoulos wrote in 1999 that Clinton came within 15 minutes of nominating Cuomo before the latter pre-emptively rejected the post.

In 1994, Cuomo ran for a fourth term. In this election, Republicans attacked him for the weak economic recovery within the state since the early 1990s recession and the resulting high unemployment as well as his opposition to the death penalty by highlighting the case of Arthur Shawcross, a multiple murderer convicted of manslaughter who was paroled from New York in 1987 and on release became a serial killer. Republicans were able to associate Shawcross with Cuomo much like Willie Horton with Michael Dukakis six years earlier. Cuomo was defeated by George Pataki in the 1994 Republican landslide, taking 45.4% of the vote to Pataki's 48.8%. Cuomo and fellow Democrat Ann Richards, the Governor of Texas who had been defeated in her re-election campaign by George W. Bush, appeared in a series of humorous television commercials for the snack food Doritos shortly afterwards, in which they discussed the "sweeping changes" occurring. The changes they were discussing turned out to be the new Doritos packaging.

Accomplishments

In Cuomo's first term as Governor of New York State, he produced a balanced budget and earned the highest credit rating over the long term for the State in one decade. His philosophy in leading the State was one of "progressive pragmatism." Cuomo was successful in stopping former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's administration from eliminating "federal income tax deductibility of state, local and property taxes."

During Cuomo's second term as Governor, Cuomo was successful in seeing that historically sweeping fiscal reforms for the State were enacted. Comprehensive reform measures were also enacted in governmental ethics for New York State under Cuomo's leadership. Cuomo extended New York State's economic reach in business, globally, contributing to both strengthening and developing it.

Cuomo is also known for beginning the "Decade of the Child," an effort that included multiple health care and educational strategies to better the lives of children in New York State. Further, in 1988, the "Rebuild NY" Transportation Bond Act was an initiative under Cuomo that was a continuance of efforts to rebuild bridges and roads throughout the State. Cuomo increased assistance to local law enforcement agencies in order to help reduce or eliminate crime; and prison expansion in the State was continued. Under Cuomo, New York State was also the first in the nation to enact seat belt laws.

Healthcare was also an area that Cuomo improved as Governor, implementing initiatives that succeeded in reducing costs of prescription medications. This endeavor assisted senior citizens in making the medications more affordable. Under Cuomo's leadership, a public health plan that tackled the AIDS epidemic was the most intense in the nation.

Overseeing programs for environmental preservation and conservation, Cuomo implemented aggressive initiatives in these areas. Under Cuomo's leadership, New York State was the first in the United States to integrate both environmental protection and energy conservation goals.

Cuomo's progressivism was also evident in his appointments of judges to the New York State Court of Appeals. Cuomo appointed all of the judges to the State Appeals Court, including the first two female judges, as well as both the first African-American and Hispanic judges.

Political views

Cuomo was notable for his liberal political views, particularly his steadfast opposition to the death penalty, an opinion that was unpopular in New York during the high-crime era of the 1980s and early 1990s. While governor, he vetoed several bills that would have re-established capital punishment in New York State. The death penalty was reinstated by Governor Pataki the year after he defeated Cuomo in the 1994 election, although it was never put into effect and the statute was declared unconstitutional by the New York Court of Appeals in 2004.

Cuomo, a Roman Catholic, was personally opposed to abortion, but he was pro-choice on the issue, believing that the State does not have the right to ban it. In a speech at the University of Notre Dame on September 13, 1984, he used the statements of the American Catholic hierarchy to make an argument: What is ideally desirable isn't always feasible,...there can be different political approaches to abortion besides unyielding adherence to an absolute prohibition."

For this political position, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor considered excommunicating him.

He was also outspoken on what he perceived to be the unfair stereotyping of Italian Americans. Cuomo opposed the move of the National Football League's New York Giants and New York Jets to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, choosing instead to attend the home games of the Buffalo Bills while serving as governor, referring to the Bills as "New York State's only team."

Work and memberships

From 1995 to 2015, Cuomo worked as an of counsel at the New York law firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

From 1996 to 2015, Cuomo served on the board of Medallion Financial Corp., a lender to purchasers of taxi medallions in leading cities across the U.S. He was named to the board through his personal and business relationship with Andrew M. Murstein, president of Medallion.

Cuomo also sat on the Advisory Council of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

Authorships

Cuomo was the author of Why Lincoln Matters, published in 2004. He was a co-editor of Lincoln on Democracy, an anthology of Abraham Lincoln's speeches.

In 1996, Cuomo wrote Reason to Believe. He also wrote a narrative essay entitled "Achieving the American Dream" about his parents' struggles in coming to America and how they prospered.

Cuomo also wrote and delivered numerous speeches and remarks.

Selected works

• Cuomo, M. (2012). Greatest speeches of the 20th century: Keynote address for the democratic convention. Various Artists. (MP3).
• Cuomo, M. (2011). Inspirational Speeches, Volume 3: Mario Cuomo - 1984. Orange Leisure. (MP3).
• Williams, F.J., & Pederson, W.D. (Eds)., with Cuomo, M. (Contributor) and 14 other contributors (2009). Lincoln lessons: Reflections on America's greatest leader. Southern Illinois University Press.
• Grodin, E.D., Cuomo, M., & Ventura, M. (2008). C is for ciao: An Italy alphabet. Sleeping Bear Press.
• Bennett, T., Sullivan, R., Cuomo, M., & Albom, M. (2007). Tony Bennett in the studio: A life of art & music. Sterling.
• Heffner, R.D., Jaffe, M., & Cuomo, M.M. (2004). As they saw it: A half-century of conversations from the open mind. Carrol & Graf
• Forsythe, D.W., & Cuomo, M. (2004). Memos to the governor: An introduction to state budgeting, 2nd edition. Georgetown University Press.
• Cuomo, M., & Holzer, H. (Eds.) (2004). Lincoln on democracy. Fordham University Press.
• Cuomo, M.M. (2004). Why Lincoln matters: Today more than ever. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Cuomo, M. (1999). The Blue Spruce. Sleeping Bear Press.
• Hoobler, D., Hoobler, T., & Cuomo, M.M. (1998). The Italian American family album. USA: Oxford University Press.
• Cuomo, M. (1996). Reason to believe: A keen assessment of who we are and an inspiring vision of what we could be. Touchstone.
• Cuomo, M.M. (1993). More than words: The speeches of Mario Cuomo. St. Martin's Press.
• Thomas, C., Cuomo, M., & Jorling (1992). New York State: A land of forests, people and trees, partners in time. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
• Cuomo, M. (1984). Diaries of M. Cuomo: The campaign for governor. Random House.

Honors and awards

At its 1983 commencement ceremonies, Barnard College awarded Cuomo its highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

Family and personal life

Cuomo was married for more than fifty years to his wife, Matilda (née Raffa). She is a graduate of St. John's University's Teachers College. They have five adult children, including Andrew (b. 1957), Maria, Margaret, Madeline, and Christopher (b. 1970).

Cuomo's oldest son, Andrew, married Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel, on June 9, 1990. They have three daughters, twins Cara Ethel Cuomo and Mariah Matilda Cuomo, born on January 11, 1995; and Michaela Andrea Cuomo, born on August 26, 1997. Kennedy and Cuomo divorced in 2005 during Cuomo's term as New York State Attorney General. He served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. In an attempt to succeed his father, he ran as Democratic candidate for New York Governor in 2002, but withdrew before the primary. He withdrew after criticizing Republican incumbent George Pataki's leadership following the terrorist attacks on the city on September 11 the previous year. In November 2006, Andrew was elected New York State Attorney General; and on November 2, 2010, he was elected governor of New York, being inaugurated on January 1, 2011 and subsequently re-elected and sworn in on January 1, 2015.

Cuomo's youngest son, Chris, was a journalist on the ABC Network newsmagazine Primetime. He anchored news segments and served as co-host on Good Morning America, but moved to CNN in 2013. He was picked as one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1997.

Cuomo's daughter, Maria, is married to Kenneth Cole, a well known New York fashion designer. She is Chair of the Board of HELP USA, a charitable foundation that is also associated with the organization her mother founded, Mentoring USA.

Cuomo's daughter, Margaret, a physician, is married to Howard Maier. She "is a board certified radiologist, teaching professional, and national advocate for the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes." She is the author of A World Without Cancer: The Making of a New World and the Real Promise of Prevention (2013), and she serves on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit organization, LessCancer. She has been featured on such TV shows as Good Morning America, Good Day New York, Morning Joe, and Inside Edition. In 2011, she was awarded the Commendation of the Order of the Star by the president and prime minister of Italy.

Cuomo was an avid player of fantasy baseball. He always had an Italian player on his team, regardless of how many Italian players are available or how well they are doing. In 1994, he was featured several times on the Ken Burns PBS series Baseball where he shared personal memories of his life in baseball before he entered politics.

Cuomo was the first guest on the long-running CNN talk show Larry King Live that began in 1985 and ended in 2010.

Neal Conan described Cuomo as both the most intelligent and wittiest politician he has ever interviewed.

Death

Cuomo died on January 1, 2015, in his home in Manhattan, New York of heart failure, only hours after his son Andrew was sworn-in to a second term as Governor of New York State. He had a recent history of heart condition problems, which contributed to his death at the age of 82.