Mario Cuomo

Mario Matthew Cuomo ( KWOH-moh, Italian: [ˈkwɔːmo]; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the 52nd Governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994, Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1979 to 1982, and Secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978.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.'" The speech brought him to national attention, and he was widely considered a 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".Cuomo was defeated for a fourth term as governor by George Pataki in the "Republican Revolution" of 1994. He subsequently retired from politics and served as counsel at the New York City law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher. He was the father of five, including Governor Andrew Cuomo and journalist Chris Cuomo, an anchorman for CNN..