Mario Cuomo

Mario Cuomo
Cuomo in 1987
52nd Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1983 – December 31, 1994
LieutenantAlfred DelBello
Warren Anderson (acting)
Stan Lundine
Preceded byHugh Carey
Succeeded byGeorge Pataki
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1979 – December 31, 1982
GovernorHugh Carey
Preceded byMary Anne Krupsak
Succeeded byAlfred DelBello
57th Secretary of State of New York
In office
January 1, 1975 – December 31, 1978
GovernorHugh Carey
Preceded byJohn Ghezzi
Succeeded byBasil Paterson
Personal details
Born
Mario Matthew Cuomo

(1932-06-15)June 15, 1932
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 1, 2015(2015-01-01) (aged 82)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeSt. John Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Liberal Party of New York
Spouse
(m. 1954)
Children5, including Andrew, Margaret, and Christopher
EducationSt. John's University (BA, LLB)
Signature

Mario Matthew Cuomo (/ˈkwm/ KWOH-moh, Italian: [ˈmaːrjo ˈkwɔːmo]; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as the lieutenant governor of New York from 1979 to 1982 and the secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978. He was the father of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and NewsNation anchor Christopher Cuomo.

Cuomo was known for his liberal views and public speeches, particularly his keynote speech address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in which he sharply criticized the policies of the Reagan administration, saying, "Mr. President, you ought to know that this nation is more a 'Tale of Two Cities' than it is just a shining 'city on a hill.'"[2] He was widely considered a potential front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president in both 1988 and 1992, though he declined to seek the nomination in both instances. His legacy as a reluctant standard-bearer for the Democrats in presidential elections led to his being dubbed "Hamlet on the Hudson".[3][4]

Cuomo was defeated for a fourth term as governor by George Pataki in the Republican Revolution of 1994. He subsequently retired from politics and joined the New York City law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.[5]

  1. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections.
  2. ^ Eidenmuller, Michael E. "American Rhetoric: Mario Cuomo - Keynote Address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention". www.americanrhetoric.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2006. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  3. ^ Plante, Bill (August 22, 2012). "Best and worst convention addresses: How will Gov. Chris Christie measure up?". CBS News. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  4. ^ Kornacki, Steve (April 10, 2011). "The Mario Effect: Last time a group of presidential challengers was this unimpressive, there was a reason". Politico. p. all. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Sack, Kevin (February 5, 1995). "For Citizen Cuomo, a Law Job and a Book Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2018.