Catherine M. Abate (December 8, 1947 – May 17, 2014) was a New York State Senator.[1] She was also a former commissioner of New York City's Correction Department.
Catherine M. Abate | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New York State Senate from the 27th district | |
| In office 1995–1998 | |
| Preceded by | Manfred Ohrenstein |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Duane |
| Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction | |
| In office 1992–1995 | |
| Appointed by | David Dinkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 8, 1947 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 2014 (aged 66) Kips Bay, Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Ron Kliegerman |
| Education | Vassar College Boston University School of Law (JD) |
Abate was of Italian ancestry.[2] Her father was Joseph Abate, a longtime member of the Lucchese crime family. She was born on December 8, 1947, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[3] She received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College in 1969 and her law degree from Boston University School of Law in 1972. After graduating, she first attracted attention for her work as a young lawyer at New York City's Legal Aid Society.[4]
New York Governor Mario Cuomo appointed her as the executive deputy commissioner of the State Division of Human Rights.[4] In 1988, she was appointed to head the state's Crime Victim's Board. She was an attorney in New York City and was director of training in the criminal defense division.[5] She also on the Governor's Task Force on Rape and Sexual Assault.[6] In 1992, then-New York City Mayor David Dinkins appointed Abate as City Commissioner for the Department of Corrections.[7] The New Jersey-born Democrat served two terms (1995–1999), representing a district in Manhattan. In 1998, she gave up her seat to run for New York State Attorney General. Abate lost the Democratic primary to Eliot Spitzer. After leaving politics, she spent fifteen years working as President/CEO of the Community Healthcare Network.[8]
Death edit
Abate died on May 17, 2014, aged 66, in Bellevue Hospital from uterine cancer.[8]
References edit
- ^ "State Senator Enters Race For Attorney General" Archived 2016-03-07 at the Wayback Machine, New York Times, March 12, 1998; accessed May 18, 2014.
- ^ Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "A to Abbot". The Political Graveyard. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ LaGumina, Salvatore J.; Cavaioli, Frank J.; Primeggia, Salvatore; Varacalli, Joseph A. (2003-09-02). The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-58332-3.
- ^ a b Santora, Marc (2014-05-23). "Catherine M. Abate, 66, a State Senator and Corrections Chief, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- ^ "Community Healthcare Network-Executive Management-Catherine Abate". Archived from the original on 2014-05-19. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
- ^ "Former Correction Commissioner Catherine M. Abate In Memoriam Page". www.correctionhistory.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- ^ "State Senate Seat Is Sought by Abate" Archived 2016-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, New York Times, June 21, 1994; accessed May 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Notice of death of former NY State Senator Catherine Abate Archived 2014-05-19 at the Wayback Machine, ny1.com; accessed May 18, 2014.
External links edit
- Our Campaigns: Catherine M. Abate profile; accessed May 18, 2014.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Catherine M. Abate collected news and commentary at The New York Times
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