“It was Mario Cuomo’s great gift and our good fortune that he was both a sterling orator and a passionate public servant. His life was a blessing,” - President Bill Clinton
Mario Cuomo was a three-term governor of New York who commanded national attention with his remarkable oratory skill. From 1983 to 1994, he led New York with a passion for problem solving and unyielding empathy for his constituents, garnering nationwide admiration. He exemplified the ideal of politicians being informed, instructive, and intellectual without condescension. A tenacious debater with a spellbinding public presence, he came to personify the liberal wing of his national party.
Cuomo was born to Andrea and Immaculata Cuomo on June 15th, 1932, in Queens, New York. His parents were Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States with no resources or local connections. They went on to open a grocery store in South Jamaica, Queens, where Cuomo worked as a child. While earning his Bachelor’s degree, Cuomo signed a contract to play center field for the Brunswick Pirates baseball team, but eventually returned to St. John’s University and graduated summa cum laude. He then attended St. John’s School of Law and graduated at the top of his class in 1956.
Cuomo’s first job in the legal profession was as an assistant to Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York State Court of Appeals - a body Cuomo would go on to reshape by appointing all seven members, including the first woman to serve as chief judge. After entering private practice, Cuomo gained prominence defending local property owners from government seizures, and negotiating city-neighborhood disputes. He entered public life in 1974 as New York’s Secretary of State, before serving two terms as Lieutenant Governor under Governor Hugh Carey.
Cuomo with wife Matilda after Cuomo won the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Cuomo was elected Governor of New York in 1982, and became known for his tireless work ethic and powerful, plain speaking oratory skill. In an era when liberal thought was increasingly discredited, Cuomo celebrated it, challenging Ronald Reagan at the height of his presidency with an affirmative view of government and a message of compassion. He held several positions that went against the grain of public opinion, most prominent being his opposition to the death penalty. His annual veto of the death penalty became a rite, and he invoked it as a testimony to his character and principles.
In his tenure, Cuomo improved roads, revitalized education and infrastructure in New York City, created a large homeless assistance program, invested in high tech facilities, and initiated programs to support those with AIDS and mental illnesses. He appointed the Empire State’s first two female appellate judges; including the first Hispanic judge on the tribunal.
Cuomo delivers his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984.
Cuomo’s keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention eclipsed the party’s presidential nominee and established him as a national political figure. He regularly travelled across the nation, and was considered a spokesman for liberal politics. In 1986 and 1990 Cuomo won the highest margin ever for re-election to a second and third term.
Cuomo was married to his wife, Matilda, for more than six decades. They had five children, including current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mario Cuomo passed away at the age of 82 on January 1st, 2015.
The Common Good was honored to host Mario Cuomo in May of 2011:Manhattan Society: The Common Good Hosts Screening for “Living for 32”. He served as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.
Selected Media:
Cuomo nominating Bill Clinton for president at the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York.
Mario Cuomo (1932-2015) Syracuse Post Standard, 2015
Mario Cuomo, Ex-New York Governor and Liberal Beacon, Dies at 82 New York Times, 2015
What Is Mario Cuomo's Legacy? New Yorker, 2015
Achievement New York TImes, 2011
Books:
Lincoln Lessons: Reflections on America's Greatest Leader. Williams, & Pederson (Eds)., Contributor Cuomo and 14 others, 2009.
C is for Ciao: An Italy Alphabet. Cuomo with Elissa Grodin, illustrated by Marco Ventura, 2008.
As They Saw It: A Half-Century of Conversations from the Open Mind. Cuomo with Richard Heffner and Marc Jaffe, 2004.
Lincoln on Democracy. Abraham Lincoln, Edited by Cuomo, & Harold Holzer, 2004.
Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever. Cuomo, 2004.
The Blue Spruce. Cuomo,1999.
Reason to Believe: A Keen Assessment of Who We Are and an Inspiring Vision of What We Could Be. Cuomo, 1996.
More Than Words: The Speeches of Mario Cuomo. Cuomo, 1993
Diaries of M. Cuomo: The Campaign for Governor. Cuomo, 1984.
Forest Hills Diary: The Crisis of Low-income Housing. Cuomo, M. 1975.
