Mario Cuomo, Former New York Governor, Dies At 82
Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo has died at the age of 82, NY1 and the New York Daily News report. Cuomo passed away just six hours after his son Andrew was formally sworn in to a second term as governor of the Empire State. Cuomo's swearing in was initially set to take place in Albany, but the governor relocated the ceremony at the last minute in order to spend New Year's Eve with his father, according to Newsday.
"He couldn't be here physically today ... but my father is in this room," Andrew Cuomo said in his inaugural address Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.
"He's in the heart and mind of every person who is here. His inspiration and his legacy and his spirit is what has brought this day to this point," Cuomo added.
When Mario Cuomo was hospitalized in late 2014 with a heart condition, a spokesman said he was "in good spirits," and CNN's Chris Cuomo -- the former governor other son -- tweeted that his father was "doing well enough." (In addition to Andrew and Chris, Mario Cuomo had three daughters -- Maria, Margaret and Madeline.)
First elected to the post in 1982, Cuomo served three terms as governor of the Empire State, making him the longest serving Democratic governor in state history.
Cuomo was born in 1932 in Queens, New York, the youngest of three children. Both his parents were of Italian descent: his father, Andrea, was born in Brooklyn, but his family returned to Nocera Superiore, Italy, shortly after his birth. Cuomo's mother, Immaculata, grew up in nearby Tramonti, Italy. The couple married in 1925 and moved to the United States soon after. (Andrea made the trip over before his wife joined him.) The Cuomos ran a small grocery store in Jamaica, Queens.
Cuomo described his early life at the store in a 2013 New York Magazine feature:
My parents were allowed to live behind the grocery store—there was an upstairs, which they weren’t allowed to use at first. But the back of the grocery store had a toilet and a big black stone tub that was large enough to clean clothes in, or for my mother to take me by the back of the head, pin me between her two legs, put my head into the tub, and scrub my hair. Later, as my bald spot grew, I said, “Ma, that was you. You did that to me.
Bright and studious, Cuomo attended St. John's Prep for high school and later matriculated at St. John's University, where he studied English, philosophy and law in addition to playing baseball. In 1952, he managed to catch the eye of a Pittsburgh Pirates scout, who signed Cuomo to a contract with the team -- including a $2,000 signing bonus. Cuomo played centerfield that summer for the Pirates' Class D farm team in Brunswick, Georgia, batting .244 in 81 games. His pro-ball career was cut short when he was hit in the head by a pitched ball, sending him to the hospital with a blood clot on his brain.
"The residual effects of that hematoma drove me into politics," Cuomo told Jay Leno in 1993.
"If he had stayed with the game, he might have been as successful on the diamond as he is in Albany,'' former Brunswick teammate Fred Green told Sports Illustrated in 1988.
Cuomo returned to college, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1953. Three years later, he graduated at the top of his class from St. John's School of Law.
While attending law school, Cuomo married his girlfriend, Matilda Raffa, whom he met in college. (Cuomo used his Pirates signing bonus to buy the engagement ring.) The couple remained in New York as Cuomo served as a law clerk for Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York State Court of Appeals. The couple gave birth to their first child, Margaret, in 1956; their eldest son, future governor Andrew, was born in 1957.
In 1958, Cuomo entered private practice as an attorney with the Brooklyn-based firm Weisbrod, Froeb & Charles, where he quickly gained a reputation as a skilled litigator. As The Atlantic detailed in a 1990 profile, it was at this firm that Cuomo first got a taste for politics. In one high-profile fight, Cuomo stopped famed urban planner Robert Moses from redeveloping a Queens junkyard.
"Fighting politicians, he learned that government had a lot of power," Fabian Palomino, Cuomo's friend from their days at the appeals court, told The Atlantic. "It could do a little bit of good."
In 1974, Cuomo took his political ambitions to the next level, running for the Democratic nomination for New York lieutenant governor at the coaxing of party bosses who thought the Italian-American would help shore up the so-called "white ethnic" vote. He fell short of that goal, losing to Polish-American state Sen. Mary Anne Krupsak. However, Cuomo's longtime acquaintance and fellow St. John's alumnus Gov. Hugh Carey had taken notice of ambition and the next year, Carey appointed Cuomo as New York's Secretary of State, thus beginning the lawyer's long career in Albany.
At Carey's encouragement, Cuomo left his post in Albany and ran for mayor of New York City in 1977. The contentious Democratic primary pitted Cuomo against then-Rep. Ed Koch, who went on to win the race. In one of the campaign's ugliest moments, posters appeared around the city urging New Yorkers to "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo" -- alluding to rumors about Koch's sexuality. Cuomo denied all responsibility for the homophobic signs, but in a 2007 interview with the New York Times , Koch said he "always held it against him," even decades later.
“Even though social relationships, where we meet in public are good,” Koch said, “underneath, he knows, I know, what I’m really thinking: ‘You prick.'"
"We had to pay for something we never did," Cuomo said after the former mayor's death in 2013. "Why? Because Ed did insist on blaming us for years. He knew—because he was very intelligent—that I wasn’t dumb enough to do something that stupid even if I was mad enough, which I wasn’t. I always thought of that as an Ed Koch thing."
Cuomo ran again for lieutenant governor again in 1978 and won. Although he reportedly found the role frustrating and lacking responsibility, it positioned him well to run for governor in 1982 (a race he said would be his last if he lost). In what the New York Times described as a "stunning upset," Cuomo defeated Koch for the Democratic nomination and went on to beat Republican businessman Lewis Lehrman in the general election.
Cuomo took a turn on the national political stage during the 1984 presidential campaign, during which he campaigned for Democratic nominee Walter Mondale. Cuomo was floated as a potential vice presidential pick, but Mondale ultimately settled on Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to appear on a major party ticket. Cuomo nevertheless got his chance in the spotlight at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, where he delivered a widely-praised keynote address that sharply criticized President Ronald Reagan's championship of trickle down economics and social Darwinism and deflating his portrait of America as a "shining city on a hill."
"There is despair, Mr. President, in the faces that you don't see, in the places that you don't visit in your shining city," he said. "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."
Cuomo's keynote address instantly made him a Democratic sensation, stirring speculation that he would run for president himself in 1988. But Cuomo eventually declined to jump in the race, instead running for re-election as governor in 1986 -- a race he won by a landslide. He successfully ran for a third term in 1990, again sitting out of the presidential race in 1992 after flirting with the idea for some time. Cuomo’s vacillations on whether or not to run for president earned him the nickname nickname “Hamlet on the Hudson.”
As governor, Cuomo at times tacked to the right fiscally, proposing tax cuts and cutting spending in efforts to balance the state budget. He also fought against many of Reagan’s proposed budget cuts, and pushed for funding for housing, schools and environmental protection.
Cuomo rejected political labels, which he saw as useless, and described himself as a “progressive pragmatist.”
''The very success of Mario Cuomo is that he is neither 'liberal' nor 'conservative,' '' Cuomo adviser Meyer S. Frucher told the New York Times in 1988. ''He does not fit any of the labels. That does not make him disingenuous. That makes him a good governor, the leader of a government that spends on social programs but does not get carried away, that has not just a heart, but a head.''
In 1993, Cuomo was offered a chance at an open Supreme Court seat by President Bill Clinton, but removed himself from consideration. He later said he had no regrets about his decision.
''To be a justice of the Supreme Court, to sit there and listen, to study, to conclude and write and not have to worry about the polls, nothing would have been more perfect,'' he said. ''But on the other side, I think I have probably been in a better position to speak out on the issues.''
One of Cuomo’s most liberal positions -- his opposition to the death penalty -- became a central issue in his 1994 re-election campaign. For the first time since 1982, Cuomo found himself facing a formidable opponent in the race for the governorship. Republican State Sen. George Pataki, initially considered an underdog with little statewide name recognition, steadily closed in on Cuomo as the campaign wore on. Pataki focused his campaign on two key issues: tax cuts and restoring the death penalty. The latter may have been critical to Pataki’s ultimate, albeit narrow, victory over Cuomo: as the New York Times reported after the election, 60 percent of voters said they supported restoring capital punishment. Those voters went 2 to 1 in favor of Pataki.
After his defeat, Cuomo returned to private practice, this time at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, a New York City-based firm. He continued to give speeches on public affairs, and returned to the political world when his eldest son, Andrew, ran for governor, and began to fan the flames of his son’s presidential aspirations before he even took office.
Ice Cube Premieres ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Biopic Trailer
It doesn’t hit theaters until August 2015, but the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton got its first trailer premiered during a concert in Sydney, Australia.
It’s not the greatest quality, but a few fans captured the trailer and uploaded it to YouTube for the rest of the world to see.
“Let me tell you what I see here: A lot of raw talent, swagger, bravado. People are scared of you guys, they think you’re dangerous, but you have a unique voice. The world needs to hear it,” says Paul Giamatti, who stars as Jerry Heller, N.W.A.’s manager and the co-founder of Ruthless Records.
Straight Outta Compton was directed by F. Gary Gray and stars Jason Mitchell as Eazy E, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube’s own son O’Shea Jackson Jr. as his father.
Since N.W.A.’s own Ice Cube & Dre are both involved, we don’t have to worry about and Lifetime-esque foolishness.
Get into the trailer:
Thoughts?
Uh Oh The Atlanta Housewives have been put ON NOTICE from BRAVO! And they’re STRICT ORDERS, "NO VIOLENCE" During Reunion Taping!
Because RHOA fans are still talking about season 6's hair-pulling reunion taping, which landed Porsha Williams' her first mugshot, BRAVO execs have allegedly issued some strict guidelines to keep the ladies in line. A series inside spoke to Radar Online about the expectations that were passed onto the ladies,
“Producers have drawn a very hard line in the sand, and have reached out to each of the ladies making it very clear, there will be no violence tolerated. There will extra security on hand, prepared to deal with any potential problems.”
“The cast members will be required to sit in their assigned seats, and not allowed to get up until there is a break, or unless given permission. Any deviation will result in immediately being removed from the filming, no questions asked.”
Hmm...we also suspect at some point the ladies were reminded that all "props" have been been banned from tapings as well.
OK Navy You’ve been Put on NOTICE! Rihanna READS Fan For INSULTING Teyana Taylor's Dead Grandparents, Says CHILL With The F*ck Sh*t
Rihanna and Teyana Taylor have a complicated relationship. At one point in time, they were cool (while RiRi dated Tey's homie Chris Brown) but then they had a nasty fight on Twitter a while back that went viral. Unfortunately, the celebs may pick up the pieces and move on with their lives, but the stans stay in their feelings.
Some time ago, a Navy stan made some disparaging comments (that have been deleted) about Teyana's grandparents (whom are deceased). When Rihanna got a whiff of the comments, she DM'ed her stan and put her in check. The fan posted about it while reminiscing about 2014:
OOOPS!
New Year, New You? Chris Brown Debuts a New Look!
Chris Brown took to Instagram last night to announce that he and Tyga are planning to release a joint ‘Fan of a Fan‘ album in 2015.
With the announcement, Breezy dropped a few promo photos and we had to do a double take to make sure it was really him!
As you can see in the photo above, Breezy’s now rocking short faux locs and no facial hair.
It’s different…but we dig it. What do you think of his look?
Solange Knowles Ferguson Fabulously Celebrates New Year's Eve In The Desert With Husband Alan & Friends
In Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino County, California, Solange and Alan made their glamping (glam camping) vacay with The Shelter Co. look like a print ad straight out of an American Eagle, Gap or Urban Outfitters catalog. And we love it!
Mr. & Mrs. Ferguson decided to ring in the new year with friends and a bit of luxury meets nature. Solange said:
Good friends, mountain valleys, kombucha cocktails, Carl Thomas jams, desert hikes, "have I never ever" fails, crop tops, Spanish food and so many, many tings . Trip filled with laughs, pop lock and drop its, peaceful reflections, but best of all .......love! Thanks @shelterco for setting up Camp "Turn Up Tipi"..... !
Hope you paid those Taxes!!!
Faith Evans Says Tupac Asked For Oral After Recording Session
Vlad TV has released an interview of Faith Evans where she states that after a recording session was over she went into Tupac’s hotels to obtain her check and was propositioned by the Death Row artist. Click More for details.
During the interview Faith states…
“I went to the studio and saw a lot of Death Row people. I played it off and played it cool even though I didn’t think that was a good look, just because of the fact of the Suge and Puff situation.”
She goes on the say that she was owed 25,000 and went to Pac’s hotel room to retrieve her funds when he made the request.
“In a very surprising, and offensive way, for sure,” Evans says in the interview. “By that time I think it was pretty clear to me that that was kind of like a plan. Like, ‘You’ve been got.’ I allowed myself to be played and get into this situation, because this is totally not how I operate. That ain’t how I do business and that was not up for discussion. I was in LA to make my money. I’m very much about the coins.”
WATCH:
Faith is also gearing up to release her long awaited duet project with her deceased husband The Notorious BIG by the name of The King & I.
Is Usher Engaged to Grace Miguel?!
Could it be that R&B superstar Usher is officially off the market? We’re not sure but it seems that he and manager/girlfriend Grace Miguel may have gotten engaged over the Christmas holiday!
Here are the details. There may be wedding bells in the future for global superstar Usher Raymond and his girlfriend-slash-manager Grace Miguel! According to entertainment blogger B. Scott, the pair are indeed engaged…..allegedly. The “Good Kisser” singer and his lady had spent a significant amount of time together in Miami after the end of the first leg of his “The UR Experience” tour. Also, it looks like Usher also spent time with Miguel’s family and friends as well over the holidays.
Sources reportedly tell B. Scott that the couple would like to have a “lowkey wedding ceremony.” At this time, no official word has come from Usher or any of his reps. However, if this impending union is true, then congratulations to the happy couple are in order!
At The Fights: Beyoncé & Jay Z Watch Muay Thai Boxing in Thailand
Jay Z & Beyoncé were spotted enjoying a Muay Thai fight at the Patong Boxing Stadium in Phuket on Monday.
They seemed to be really into the fight as they sat ringside. Jay even got up close and personal with one of the fighters.
Rich Homie Quan Addresses Gay Rumors
Vlad TV has been cranking out the interviews lately. This time we have Rich Homie Quan being very direct about the rumors when it come to his sexuality. Click more to see his response.
When the question of his sexuality was brought up Quan had this to say…
“Don’t try me at no fight, fuck-boy,” he said after detailing a scuffle at an Adrien Broner boxing match earlier this year. “I ain’t never been no fuck-nigga. Go head on with that bullshit. I’m from Atlanta. I’m from the slum bro. I come from that. And I stand for everything I got ’cause I ain’t falling for anything. Don’t think he gon’ sneak me, it’s not over with. I fought with Cincinnati a long way. No disrespect to Cincinnati, I offered to swing on a nigga in a crowd ’cause he called me gay. I ain’t with none of that gay shit bro. Just ’cause I wear tight pants don’t mean I’m gay, bro. I will fuck your ho and then beat your ass and send a video of me fucking your ho, bro. Don’t try me like that, bro. Nah, for real Vlad. I see every comment that come to me bro. That shit be funny to me. I’m here with you, I’m giving it to you how it is, bro. These niggas know I ain’t gay. These niggas know I’m fucking they ho…Ain’t nothing changed but my address, bro ’cause they put me out my old spot.”
Next Up! Shanice Returns with Video for ‘Gotta Blame Me!’
90s pop/R&B vocalist Shanice triumphantly returns to the music scene with the release of her song “Gotta Blame Me!” Shanice and her husband, comedian and actor Flex Alexander, have both returned to the limelight with their reality television series on OWN called “Flex and Shanice.” The show chronicles their daily life and both their struggles to get back on top of their individual careers as well as balancing their family and marital obligations.
It has been noted that the couple certainly faced much financial hardship due to the lack of success in their careers in recent years. However, it’s great to see that Flex and Shanice have managed to stay and fight together through the hard times. We look forward to more new music from Shanice and wish Flex well in his comedic and acting career!
Check out the video here:
And share your thoughts on the song and video
Sony Hack Was Likely An Inside Job, Not North Korea
North Korea wasn’t behind the Sony hacks. Experts believe that it was likely the work of disgruntled ex employees
Reports the New York Post:
One leading cybersecurity firm, Norse Corp., said Monday it has narrowed its list of suspects to a group of six people — including at least one Sony veteran with the necessary technical background to carry out the attack, according to reports.
The investigation of the Sony hacking by the private companies stands in stark contrast to the finding of the FBI, which said Dec. 19 its probe traced the hacking — which ended up foiling the planned wide release of the Hollywood studio’s “The Interview” — to North Korea.
Kurt Stammberger, senior vice president at Norse, said he used Sony’s leaked human-resources documents and cross-referenced the data with communications on hacker chat rooms and its own network of Web sensors to determine it was not North Korea behind the hack.
“When the FBI made this announcement, just a few days after the attack was made public, it raised eyebrows in the community because it’s hard to do that kind of an attribution that quickly — it’s almost unheard of,” Stammberger told Bloomberg News in a telephone interview from San Francisco.
“All the leads that we did turn up that had a Korean connection turned out to be dead ends,” he said.
The FBI and the State Department is sticking with their version of events. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke told reporters, “The United States government has concluded that the North Korean government is responsible for this attack. And we stand by that conclusion.”
North Korea denied involvement in the hacks from the beginning.
Emily B Confirms She's PREGNANT, Shows Off Baby Bump!
Former "Love & Hip Hop" star Emily B is expecting another baby! Folks were tripped off about her bundle of joy when Emily posted a Happy New Year message on Instagram with the caption, "Looking forward to the New Year.... And my new blessing. Happy New Year!!"
The new baby will be welcomed into the world by big sister Taina and big brother Johan.
This will be the second child for Emily & Fabolous after little Johan arrived 6 years ago. And since Johan stars on the cover of his dad's latest cd, The Young OG Project, we suspect the new baby might pop up in some of Fab's future projects as well.
Congrats!
Long Hair Don’t Hardly Care! Kenya Moore Shows Off Her Long Luscious Tresses To Promote 'Moore Hair Care' Products
It’s a new year and one “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star is kicking her business ventures into gear with her new hair care line.
Kenya Moore is launching Moore Hair Care Products in which the company's main goal is to help strengthen and nourish your real hair. And to prove her products are the real deal, she posted a video of her real hair results after using her products:
WATCH:
WATCH:
She announced, "Hello #2015 to all my ladies who are frustrated with the health or length of their hair #moorehaircare products can help you achieve your hair goals. I now have waist length hair by using my own hair care products to strengthen and nourish your real hair so that it's stronger and can grow longer. Sign up at kenyamoore.com to receive samples when they ship next month. #moorehaircare available March 2015! #longhairjourney #naturalhair #noweave #realhair #allhairtypes #luxuryhaircare".
The former Pantene spokeswoman has always been known for her fabulous unrelaxed hair, so we're totally here for her products.
A few months ago...
The former Miss USA beauty queen posted an update on her hair growth journey. Kenya's hair is gorgeous and we're pretty much sold on the products (she's can blow a bunch of hot air into many things but that hair isnt one.), But we're not totally sold on the hair products being the SOLE reason her hair grows to long lengths and looks so healthy. Genetics definitely plays a role. But everyone should have a good hair care routine regardless.
Her products should be hitting shelves (or online) March 2015. You feelin' it?
I thought this was OVER? Chingy & Trans Woman Sidney Starr Clash Over Smashing Rumors!
Chingy has been dogged by rumors that he dated and smashed off trans woman Sidney Starr, which the St. Louis rapper has denied recently as this year. Despite Starr admitting she made the whole relationship with the “Right Thurr” rapper up, Chingy is still checking people online.
As we reported back in April, Chingy was a guest on VladTV where he went into detail about the rumor he and Starr had a fling. A known thirst bucket, Starr has named other rappers in the past in a twisted bid for fame or some other unknown reason. The rumors aren’t dying off and on Chingy’s Instagram page, he was found correcting a fan about the situation. That latest response prompted Starr to hop on Instagram and offer her two cents on the matter.
“Lil lady that will never be a fortay of mine and you should be ashamed of yourself for feeding into it,” wrote Chingy to the fan on his page. The fan was disappointed by the news, believing fully what was said. The rapper reminded the fan of Starr’s later confession which got the response from Starr.
Chingy says that Starr’s meddling cost him a record deal. Keep in mind Chingy had a good thing going in the early 2000s wth two platinum-selling albuns, but was it Starr or the quality of his music?
WELL?
New Years Roundup! How the Celebs spent New Years Eve!
2014 went out with a bang! And celebs partied hard to bring in 2015. And thanks to TheYBF We can shoe you a few.
New mom Kelly Rowland posed it up in her 2015 glasses in front of a portrait of legendary singer Sade. Cute.
Bad gal Rihanna trekked it back to the Caribbean islands for New Years after spending the Christmas holiday in NYC.
She and her friends linked up for some fun at a NYE party.
The Pop princess had so much fun she sweated her bun down.
At the White House....President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama got kissy under the mistletoe.
LaLa Anthony got glam to ring it the new year with International superstar Pitbull for a special televised show at the Thompson Miami Beach Hotel in Miami.
Pitbull is gunning for the top NYE party spot, coming after the traditional NYC festivities.
He told Rolling Stone, "We're taking it from the Big Apple to the Pineapple. We're starting the year by making history. We're bringing New Year's Eve down to Miami and giving New York a run for its money. Dick Clark created such an amazing platform – that's someone that I've idolized, and someone that we will never outdo, but it's an honor to be able to compete with him. That in itself is making history."
The fabulous Taraji P. Henson stopped by Pitbull's NYE to chop it up with Rocsi Diaz.
Before stepping out for the night, the upcoming "Empire" star slipped into a black vintage Dolce & Gabbana runway dress, René Caovilla t-strap pumps and One Jewelry jewels.
Hot! She caught up with director Lee Daniels before heading out for the NYE festivities.
After the show, comes the afterparty. LaLa and Rocsi changed outfits to party it up at Club Dream in Miami.
Meanwhile....Over in Dubai, Supermodel Chanel Iman brought in the New Year watching fireworks.
She also spent some time on the beach with singer Selena Gomez, Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing and model Gigi Hadid.
Fun times.
Mariah Carey was her usual glam self as she prepared dinner for friends to celebrate the New Year. She captioned, "Cooking for friends and family on New Year's Eve!!"
Mommy Ciara spent her New Years Eve with her baby boy Future Jr. and friends.
In NYC....Terry Crews hosted the Times Square Ball Drop with Chrissy Teigen, Carson Daly and Ken Marino. We hear Terry was cutting up, going shirtless in the cold NYC weather. Ha!
Actress Kat Graham got dressed in a ball gown before partying up in Times Square for the Ball Drop. She got silly with Cosmopolitan editor in chief Joanna Coles on the carpet before bringing in the new year.
Looks like they had fun.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, his wife Chirlane and kids Chiara and Dante rung in 2015 in Times Square.
New wig alert! "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes brought in the New Year with a brand new wig. And we're loving it.
Remy Ma spent her first New Years Eve outside of prison after a 6-year stint. She got plenty of love from her husband Papoose.
"Atlanta Exes" star Tameka Raymondd showed off her toned abs as she celebrated 2015 AND her 44th birthday. Happy Birthday Tameka!
New York Jets QB Michael Vick and his wife Kijafa Vick hosted a NYE party last night. Former reality star Meeka Claxton and radio personality Kendra G was in attendance:
Fun times.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘HAPPY NEW YEAR!’
In 2015, all shopping in Walmart will be done on bicycles. 2016? Hoverboards. We hope you all nice got nice and toasted last night with your best buds!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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