Former NY Gov. Mario Cuomo Dies At 82
Ever-eloquent Mario Cuomo, a son of Queens who rode his rhetorical gifts to three terms as New York governor and tantalized Democrats by flirting with a run for President, died Thursday, two sources close to the family said. He was 82. Cuomo passed away six hours after his oldest son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was formally sworn-in to a second term in Manhattan. The elder Cuomo was too ill with a serious heart condition to attend. "He couldn't be here physically today ... but my father is in this room," Andrew Cuomo said in his inaugural address. "He's in the heart and mind of every person who is here. His inspiration and his legacy and his spirit is what has brought this day to this point." As governor, Mario Cuomo wrestled with two recessions and presided over a massive expansion of the state prison system. A liberal, he bucked the political winds by wielding his veto pen year after year to block the restoration of the state death penalty. It was his oratory, however, that made Mario Cuomo a national figure.Condolences are pouring onto Twitter from major politicos of both parties.
Labels: Democrats, Mario Cuomo, New York state, obituary
