Ralph J. Marino
Ralph John Marino (
January 2,
1928 -
April 6,
2002) was
majority leader of the
New York State Senate from
1988 until
1994. He was ousted during the
Thanksgiving holiday in
1994 by allies of then Governor-elect
George Pataki and replaced by
Joseph Bruno.
Marino was born in
Rochester, New York. He served in the army from
1946 to
1947. He received a
bachelor's degree from
Syracuse University in
1951 and a
J.D. degree from
Fordham University School of Law in
1954. He met his wife at Syracuse when they shared a political science class. He later settled with her, after their marriage in 1954, in her hometown of
Oyster Bay on
Long Island.
Generally considered a
Rockefeller Republican, he was first elected to the Senate in
1968 and became known for protecting Long Island's interests in Albany. He replaced
Warren M. Anderson of
Binghamton as Majority Leader in 1988.
Marino was a
Long Island member of the
Republican Party. He was one of the very few
downstate politicians to hold the Senate Majority Leader position. Marino frequently sparred with former
Governor Mario Cuomo on the budget. The budget grew under his tenure as majority leader by some 50%, which perhaps made his loss to Bruno in 1994 easier.
He opposed George Pataki's nomination for governor in 1994. Upon becoming governor, Pataki became
de facto party leader, and easily overthrew Marino with the aid of much more conservative Republicans from
Upstate and
Western New York. In Marino's place, Republicans elected
Joseph Bruno, a conservative from the
Capital District.
He resigned from the legislature, effective
February 8,
1995, having been stripped of all of his leadership positions.
He died, at the age of 74, of tongue cancer at Mercy Medical Center in
Rockville Centre, New York. His wife Ethel died
May 10,
2004.
# McFadden, Robert D. "Ralph J. Marino, Former State Senate Leader, Dies at 74."
The New York Times (Section 1; Column 3; Metropolitan Desk; Pg. 34), April 7, 2002.#
ibid# Baker, Al. "And That's 20: Albany Budget Is Late Again."
The New York Times (Section A; Column 1; Metropolitan Desk; Pg. 1; GRIDLOCK IN ALBANY: OVERVIEW), April 1, 2004. # "Paid Notice: Deaths MARINO, ETHEL (NEE BERNSTEIN)."
The New York Times (Section A; Column 3; Classified; Pg. 21), May 12, 2004
