Guy Molinari

Gaetano Victor "Guy" Molinari (November 23, 1928 – July 25, 2018) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. Representative and borough president of Staten Island, New York.[2]

Guy Molinari
13th Borough President of Staten Island
In office January 1, 1990 – December 31, 2001
Preceded by	Ralph J. Lamberti
Succeeded by	James Molinaro
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office January 3, 1981 – December 31, 1989
Preceded by	John M. Murphy
Succeeded by	Susan Molinari
Constituency	17th district (1981–83) 14th district (1983–89)
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 60th district
In office January 1, 1975 – December 31, 1980
Preceded by	Lucio F. Russo
Succeeded by	Robert Straniere
Personal details
Born	Gaetano Kenneth Molinari November 23, 1928 Lower East Side (New York City, U.S.)
Died	July 25, 2018 (aged 89) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Marguerite Wing ​ ​ (m. 1956⁠–⁠2008)​ (her death)[1]
Children	Susan Molinari
Mother	Elizabeth Margaret (Majoros)
Father	S. Robert Molinari
Alma mater	Wagner College (BA) New York Law School (LLB)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1951–1953
Rank	Sergeant
Battles/wars	Korean War

Education and military service

Gaetano Kenneth Molinari, "who changed his middle name as a teenager to Victor"[3] was born on Manhattan's Lower East Side. His father was S. Robert Molinari (1897–1957), "the first Italian immigrant to serve in the New York state Assembly,"[4] representing the 2nd District of Richmond County in the New York State Assembly from 1943 to 1944, and after changing from a Republican to a Democrat wasn't reelected. His mother, Elizabeth Margaret (Majoros), was of Czechoslovakian descent.[3][5][6]

Molinari attended private schools growing up and graduated from New Dorp High School in Staten Island in 1945. He attained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Staten Island's Wagner College in 1949 and his law degree from New York Law School in 1951. He served in the United States Marine Corps (attaining the rank of sergeant), from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War. He was admitted to the New York State Bar following his discharge from the military in 1953 and commenced practice in Staten Island.[7][8]

Political career

Molinari was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly from 1975 to 1980, sitting in the 181st, 182nd and 183rd New York State Legislatures. He was a delegate to the New York State Republican conventions in 1979 and the Republican National Convention in both 1980 and 1984.

In 1980, he was elected to the House of Representatives, unseating nine-term Democrat John M. Murphy. In 1982, his district was merged with that of four-term Democrat Leo Zeferetti, and he won with 57%. He was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses with minimal opposition and served from January 3, 1981, until his resignation December 31, 1989, to become Borough President of Staten Island. He was succeeded in the House by his daughter, Susan, who also served on the New York City Council. He served as Borough President from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2001.

In 1994, a week before the statewide elections, Molinari announced his view that Karen Burstein, the Democratic nominee for New York Attorney General, was not qualified to serve as attorney general because she was a lesbian. The combination of Molinari's remarks, a strong national Republican showing, and the win of George Pataki in the governor's race, led to Republican Dennis Vacco's narrowly defeating Burstein.[9] The New York Times called his remarks "gutter politics".[10]

Family and personal

Guy Molinari's daughter Susan succeeded him as a member of Congress. She is married to Bill Paxon, a former United States House Representative from Buffalo.[11]

A Life of Service (book)

Molinaro co-authored his autobiography A Life of Service [12] with former NYC Police Lt. Patricia Feerick-Kossman, a "highly decorated cop, who is also a lawyer and a registered nurse."[13] Feerick, after five years of appeals,[14] began to serve her sentence for having illegally searched for a stolen police radio. With a search warrant still pending, she launched a technically legal "random .. door-to-door" search that, in being carried out, went beyond legal bounds.[15] Feerick-Kossman, a mother with husband Joseph Kossman of two sons, the second seven weeks old,[16] entered Rikers Island jail. Molinari successfully "lobbied Gov. George Pataki to commute her sentence"[17] and she was released a month later. Her law license was returned in 2000.[18]

The book, whose start can be traced to Feerick's pushing,[19] discusses Molinari's success[20] at convincing a then age 44 Rudy Giuliani to run for mayor of NYC, Giuliani's push for Molinari to run for Staten Island's Boro President, and the (2001) closing of Fresh Kills Landfill, "the largest .. in the world."[21]

Death and legacy

After spending his final years in his home in Bay Terrace, Guy Molinari died of pneumonia on July 25, 2018, at the age of 89.[22]

In September 2003[23] a new Staten Island Ferry boat was built and was christened the Guy V. Molinari;[24] it joined the New York City Department of Transportation fleet in September 2004, a year later.[25] The boat continues to transport commuters and tourists between Staten Island and Manhattan.

References

1. "Guy V. Molinari, Power Broker in New York and Beyond, is Dead at 89". The New York Times. July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
2. "Former SI Borough President Guy Molinari dies at age 89". July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
3. Peter Szekely (July 25, 2018). "Guy Molinari, Republican voice in Democratic New York, dead at 89". because "Guy K. Molinari just didn’t roll off the tongue easily"
4. "Obituary: Guy Molinari, 89, a giant who transformed Staten Island's civic and political landscape". Staten Island Advance. July 25, 2018.
5. "The New York Red Book". December 8, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
6. Who's Who in American Politics. June 9, 2008. ISBN 9780835230124. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
7. "Guy Victor Molinari Lawyer Profile". Year of First Admission: 1953 ... Richmond County Bar Association
8. Andrew R. Dodge; Betty K. Koed (2005). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. p. 1601.
9. "One Candidate's Lifestyle Becomes Other's Ax To Grind - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. October 17, 1994. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
10. "Guy Molinari, From the Gutter". New York State: NYTimes.com. October 12, 1994. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
11. Levine, Carrie; Beckel, Michael (February 23, 2017). "Billionaires, Corporations Helped Fund Trump Transition". NBCNews.com. New York, NY. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
12. Guy V. Molinari; Patricia Feerick-Kossman (2016). A Life of Service. ISBN 978-1684091683.
13. Mike Pearl (October 4, 1994). "Top Female Cop gets 2 years on 'Terror' Rap". The New York Post. p. 16.
14. Michael Cooper (October 27, 1999). "Ex-Officer, Convicted in Illegal Raid, Is Freed by Governor". The New York Times.
15. Tom Hays (April 16, 1995). "NYPD Bad Cop's Illegal Search Mars Career". Los Angeles Times.
16. Steve Dunleavy (September 19, 1999). "A mom goes to jail as justice weeps". The New York Post.
17. Rachel Shapiro (November 28, 2016). "Guy Molinari on his book". Staten Island Advance.
18. Murray Weiss (December 22, 2000). "Ex-Cop Feerick gets early gift: her law license". The New York Post.
19. Rachel Shapiro (December 3, 2016). "Guy Molinari's proteges make book-signing a reunion". Staten Island Advance.
20. "A sneak peek: Guy Molinari's tell-all book (part 1)". Staten Island Advance.
21. "To read Council Member Borelli's full report" (PDF). May 2017.
22. McFadden, Robert D. (July 25, 2018). "Guy V. Molinari, Power Broker in New York and Beyond, Is Dead at 89 (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
23. James S. A. Corey's Leviathan Wakes, p. 384, and its television adaptation, The Expanse. John M. Annese (August 13, 2012). "First a Staten Island Ferry, now a spaceship? Guy Molinari's name travels far". Staten Island Advance.
24. "To Staten Island, via Wisconsin; First Ferry Built Since 1986". The New York Times. September 19, 2003.
25. "Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Welcomes the Guy V. Molinari to Staten Island Ferry Fleet". September 27, 2004. Retrieved July 25, 2018.

External links

• United States Congress. "Guy Molinari (id: M000842)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Appearances on C-SPAN