Jan. 02--Mario Cuomo, the former three-term governor of New York and a fierce champion of liberal causes, has died, according to his son. He was 82.
Cuomo died at home Thursday night with his family at his side, according to a statement from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The cause was natural causes related to heart failure, his family said.
Mario Cuomo, born in 1932 in Queens, N.Y., was New York's governor from 1983 to 1994 and one of the Democratic Party's most iconic voices for addressing economic inequality.
In his most famous speech, at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco in 1984, Cuomo criticized then-President Reagan's likening of America to a "shining city on a hill," comparing America instead to a "Tale of Two Cities."
"An Italian Catholic kid from Queens, born to immigrant parents, Mario paired his faith in God and faith in America to live a life of public service -- and we are all better for it," President Obama said in a statement Thursday night. "He rose to be chief executive of the state he loved, a determined champion of progressive values, and an unflinching voice for tolerance, inclusiveness, fairness, dignity and opportunity."
Cuomo's eldest son, Andrew, was sworn in Thursday for a second term as governor, and in his inaugural address he mentioned that his father was "at home and he is not well enough to come" to the ceremony at One World Trade Center in New York City.
Andrew Cuomo said he had spent New Year's Eve with his father and they went through his inaugural speech together. "He said it was good, especially for a second-termer," Cuomo said, according to a transcript of his remarks.
Cuomo added that even though his father couldn't attend, "He is in the heart and mind of every person who is here. He is here and he is here, and his inspiration and his legacy and his experience are what has brought this state to this point."
Tributes began pouring in Thursday night.
"New York has lost a giant," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "Mario Cuomo was a man of unwavering principle who possessed a compassion for humankind without equal."
De Blasio ordered all flags in New York City to be lowered to half-staff for 30 days "as a mark of respect."
Former Republican New York Gov. George E. Pataki -- who defeated Mario Cuomo in 1994 in Cuomo's bid for a fourth term as governor -- called Cuomo "a proud son of immigrants, possessed of a soaring intellect, and a great New Yorker."
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hailed Cuomo not just as a political giant, but as an Italian American who was "a role model for future generations that anything was possible through hard work and education."
Former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called Cuomo "one of America's most eloquent voices for liberalism and one of the most important figures in modern New York politics."
"Mario Cuomo inspired millions of people around the country with his vision for a more compassionate and just society, and during difficult times for our city and state, he brought principled and ethical leadership to Albany," Bloomberg said in a statement.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Cuomo rose from "the hard streets of Queens" to "the very pinnacle of political power in New York because he believed in his bones in the greatness of this state, the greatness of America and the unique potential of every individual."
The Rev. Al Sharpton called Cuomo "the last liberal giant of New York politics" and reminisced over the pair's debates and disagreements.
"It seems ironic he died on his son's inauguration address day," Sharpton said in a statement. "He would have wanted to pass the torch on a day that we were all paying attention. Rest well, Governor. Mario, you have earned it and your place in history is secure."
Mario Matthew Cuomo was the fourth child of Italian immigrant parents, Immaculata and Andrew, who ran a small grocery store in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens.
Cuomo went to public schools, St. John's Prep and graduated summa cum laude from St. John's University, and he tied for the top of his class at St. John's law school.
He went on to play baseball for a Pittsburgh Pirates farm club, where, according to a 1986 Los Angeles Times profile of Cuomo, a scout described the future governor as aggressive, intelligent, not easy to get close to -- someone who "will run over you if you get in his way."
After helping settle a housing controversy in Forest Hills, N.Y., in 1972, Cuomo was appointed secretary of state in 1975 and, after losing a bitter New York mayoral primary to Mayor Edward I. Koch, he was elected lieutenant governor in 1978.
Cuomo ascended to the New York governor's office in 1983, and Democrats soon treated him as a perennial presidential hopeful at a time when Republicans held the nation's highest office. But Cuomo never went through with a presidential run, although he famously -- and publicly -- agonized about it.
"Let's be perfectly open about it," Cuomo told The Times in 1986. "What is the alternative position? That I will never think about the presidency? It's not an intelligent position. ... Hey, look, I don't think it's going to happen. I am not planning for it to happen. I won't expect it to happen. The only reason I'm not going to close the door entirely is that's not intelligent."
Cuomo's many causes while in office included fights against the death penalty, poverty and acid rain. Outside of office, he also taught and practiced law.
Cuomo is survived by his wife of 60 years, Matilda Raffa Cuomo, and by five children: Margaret, Andrew, Maria, Madeline and Chris, who hosts a CNN show.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said funeral arrangements would be announced shortly.
UPDATES
7:40 p.m.: The story was updated with comments from President Obama and more information on Cuomo's career.
6:52 p.m.: The story was updated with reactions from political figures.
6:10 p.m.: The story was updated with comments from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
This article was originally published at 5:43 p.m.
