Mario Matthew Cuomo (1932–2015) was an American politician and lawyer of Italian-American heritage, best known as the 52nd Governor of New York, serving three terms from 1983 to 1994. Born in Queens, New York, to immigrant parents Andrea Cuomo and Immaculata Giordano, who operated a grocery store during the Great Depression, Cuomo grew up in South Jamaica and attended local schools before briefly pursuing a professional baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm team, which ended due to injury. He earned a law degree, overcame ethnic discrimination to build a legal career representing tenants and mediating urban disputes, such as the 1972 Forest Hills housing controversy, and taught law as an adjunct professor. Entering politics, he served as New York's Secretary of State (1975–1978) and Lieutenant Governor (1979–1982) before his governorship, during which he achieved fiscal reforms, balanced budgets, infrastructure improvements like Rebuild NY, AIDS initiatives, environmental protections, and diverse judicial appointments. A prominent Democrat and devout Roman Catholic, Cuomo delivered the iconic 1984 Democratic National Convention keynote 'A Tale of Two Cities' and was a leading contender for the 1988 and 1992 presidential nominations but declined. He navigated tensions between his faith and progressive stances, notably supporting legal abortion and opposing the death penalty, which drew controversies including criticisms during his failed 1982 NYC mayoral bid and 1994 gubernatorial loss. Married to Matilda Raffa since 1954, they raised five children, including former Governor Andrew Cuomo and broadcaster Chris Cuomo. After leaving office, Cuomo practiced law, hosted a radio show, and authored books like Forest Hills Diary (1975) and Reason to Believe (1996). He died of heart failure on January 1, 2015, at his Manhattan home.