Former New York State Governor And Liberal Lion Mario Cuomo Passes Away At Age 82 - Created Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Too

Sad news.

Image From NY Daily News Front Page

The NY Times reports:

Mario M. Cuomo, the three-term governor of New York who commanded the attention of the country with a compelling public presence, a forceful defense of liberalism and his exhaustive ruminations about whether to run for president, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 82.

His family confirmed the death, which occurred only hours after Mr. Cuomo’s son Andrew M. Cuomo was inaugurated in Manhattan for a second term as governor. The cause was heart failure.

Mario Cuomo led New York during a turbulent time, 1983 through 1994. His ambitions for an activist government were thwarted by recession. He found himself struggling with the State Legislature not over what the government should do but over what programs should be cut, and what taxes should be raised, simply to balance the budget....

Click here for the full NY Times article.

The Office Of Governor Andrew Cuomo issued this statement on January 1:

MARIO M. CUOMO

(June 15, 1932- January 1, 2015)

The family of former Governor Mario M. Cuomo announced that the Governor passed away from natural causes due to heart failure this evening at home with his loving family at his side.
He was 82 years of age.

The Fifty Second Governor of New York State, Governor Mario Cuomo served as New York’s Chief Executive from 1983 through 1994. He was credited with simultaneously improving the business environment of New York and the quality of life for its citizens, despite a national recession at the time.

Governor Cuomo presented eleven consecutive balanced budgets, reduced taxes, and implemented comprehensive governmental ethics and fiscal reforms. From the time Cuomo took office, New York experienced an increase of hundreds of thousands of jobs and tens of thousands of businesses.

Proclaiming the Decade of the Child, Mario Cuomo ushered in a multi-faceted effort to improve the lives of all New York’s children. His administration became the first in the country to develop an Energy Plan and to sign into law controls on acid rain among many undertakings.

Prior to his election as governor in 1983, Governor Cuomo served in the public and private practice of law for 18 years, simultaneously teaching as an adjunct professor for more than ten years at The St. John’s School of Law.

Mario Cuomo first gained public recognition for his resolution of the Forest Hills housing controversy in 1972. He was appointed to serve as the Secretary of State of New York in 1975 and in 1978 he was elected as Lieutenant Governor. He later received national attention for his 1984 Keynote Address at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.

2014 marked 60 years of marriage to first lady Matilda Raffa Cuomo, a graduate of The St. John’s University Teacher’s College. The Governor is survived by his children, Margaret (Howard Maier), Andrew (Sandra Lee), Maria (Kenneth Cole), Madeline (Brian O'Donoghue), Christopher (Cristina Cuomo), as well as 14 grandchildren: Christina Cuomo Perpignano,
Marianna Cuomo Maier, Cara Kennedy Cuomo, Mariah Kennedy Cuomo, Michaela Kennedy Cuomo, Emily Cole, Amanda Cole, Katherine Cole, Samantha O'Donoghue, Kristin O'Donoghue, Tess O'Donoghue, Bella Cuomo, Mario Cuomo, and Carolina Regina Cuomo.

Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.

and on January 2:

The Cuomo family today announced details of the wake and funeral arrangements for former Governor Mario M. Cuomo.

On Monday, January 5th, calling hours will be held between 1:00PM-5:00PM and 7:00PM-10:00PM at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, located at 1076 Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

On Tuesday, January 6th at 11:00 AM, funeral services will be held at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, located at 980 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The service will be private.

CBS News New York remembers Governor Mario Cuomo.



Here's an excerpt from Governor Mario Cuomo's 1984 Democratic Party Convention Keynote Speech



and the full speech is here.

Also,

In 1984, under Governor Mario Cuomo's direction, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) was created as a state public benefit corporation, succeeding UDC in operating and developing the island.

The NY Times has more on the life and career of Governor Mario Cuomo.

Rest in peace Governor Mario Cuomo.