Charles Poletti

Charles Poletti
United States War Department photo of Poletti as governor in 1942
46th Governor of New York
In office
December 3, 1942 – December 31, 1942
LieutenantJoe R. Hanley (acting)
Preceded byHerbert H. Lehman
Succeeded byThomas E. Dewey
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1939 – December 3, 1942
GovernorHerbert H. Lehman
Preceded byM. William Bray
Succeeded byJoe R. Hanley (acting)
Justice of the New York Supreme Court
In office
1937–1938
Preceded byJohn V. McAvoy
Succeeded byFelix C. Benevenga
Personal details
Born(1903-07-02)July 2, 1903
Barre, Vermont, US
DiedAugust 8, 2002(2002-08-08) (aged 99)
Marco Island, Florida, US
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Jean Knox Ellis Poletti
  • Elizabeth Munn Vanderloo
EducationHarvard University (AB, LLB)
ProfessionAttorney
Civilian awardsOrder of the Star of Jordan
Order of Saint Agatha (Grand Officer) (San Marino)
Signature
Military service
AllegianceUnited States of America
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1943–1945
Rank Colonel
UnitAllied Military Government for Occupied Territories
CommandsMilitary Governor of Sicily
Military Governor of Naples
Military Governor of Rome
Military Governor of Milan
Military Governor of Lombardy
Battles/warsWorld War II
Military awardsLegion of Merit
Order of Saint Gregory the Great
Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy
Order of the British Empire (Officer)

Charles Poletti (July 2, 1903 – August 8, 2002) was an American lawyer and politician. He became the 46th governor of New York in December 1942, and was the first person entirely of Italian-American ancestry to become the governor of a U.S. state.[1]

Born in Barre, Vermont to Italian immigrants, Poletti graduated from Barre's Spaulding High School, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School, and became an attorney in New York City. He became active in the Democratic Party, and served as counsel to the Democratic National Committee, counsel to Governor Herbert H. Lehman, and a justice of the New York State Supreme Court.

Poletti served as lieutenant governor of New York from 1939 to 1942. He lost his bid for reelection in 1942, as did gubernatorial nominee John J. Bennett Jr. In December, Lehman resigned as governor in order to accept an appointment with the United States Department of State; Poletti succeeded to the governorship and served the final month of Lehman's term. After leaving office, Poletti served in World War II, initially as a special assistant to the Secretary of War, and then in the United States Army as a Civil Affairs officer responsible for rebuilding and restoring democracy in Italy following its liberation by the Allies.

After the war, Poletti practiced law, served as a member of the New York State Power Authority, and was an executive responsible for planning and overseeing execution of foreign exhibits at the 1964 New York World's Fair. After retiring, he resided in Florida and Elizabethtown, New York. He died in Florida at age 99, and was buried in Elizabethtown. At the time of his death, he was the earliest-serving living former governor of a U.S. state.

  1. ^ Amster, Linda; McClain, Dylan Loeb, eds. (2002). Kill Duck Before Serving: Red Faces at The New York Times. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-3122-8427-5 – via Google Books.