PM-01: Senator John J. Marchi Papers

John J. Marchi, the son of Louis and Alina Marchi, was born on May 20, 1921, in Staten Island, New York. He graduated from Manhattan College with first honors in 1942, later receiving a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law and Doctor of Judicial Science from Brooklyn Law School in 1953. He engaged in the general practice of law with offices on Staten Island and has lectured extensively to Italian jurists at the request of the State Department. Marchi served in the Coast Guard and Navy during World War II and was on combat duty in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of war. Marchi also served as a Commander in the Active Reserve after the war, retiring from the service in 1982. John J. Marchi was first elected to the New York State Senate in the 1956 General Election. As a Senator,he quickly rose to influential Senate positions through the chairmanship of many standing and joint committees, including Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on the City of New York. In 1966, he was elected as a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention and chaired the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Issues. That same year, Senator Marchi was named Chairman of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Interstate Cooperation, the oldest joint legislative committee in the Legislature. Other senior state government leadership positions followed, and this focus on state government relations and the City of New York permeated Senator Marchi’s career for the next few decades. In 1969, Marchi decided to challenge John V. Lindsay’s reelection campaign, announcing that he would run a primary campaign to obtain the Republican Party’s endorsement that would allow him to run for Mayor in the General Election of that year. Senator Marchi ran on a platform of fighting crime, reducing welfare rolls, court reform, and a general clean-up of New York City – positions that were in keeping with those of the Conservative Party, on whose party line he also ran, as well as conservative members of the Republican Party. However, liberals also credited him with running an intelligent, non-rancorous campaign. He won the Republican primary and went on to challenge Lindsay once more in the General Election. This time, Marchi was defeated, but he returned in 1973 to once more conduct a mayoral campaign. Losing again in the General Election, Marchi resumed his work in the New York State Senate,where he served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee and a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Throughout the 1970s, Senator Marchi was at the forefront of issues such as reform of the New York City School system, educational change, transportation improvement, and crime prevention. His position as Chairman of the Finance Committee made him instrumental in dealing with New York City’s midseventies fiscal crisis, and he provided leadership in the establishment of the Emergency Financial Control Board and the Municipal Assistance Corporation. The chairman’s position also provided him with the ability to channel funds to many arts and cultural institutions on Staten Island, in particular the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. He also played a critical role in securing funds for mental health programs on the Island, and joined his fellow Island legislators in the nascent movement to deal with local environmental problems. The Senate Finance Committee also brought about important change under Senator Marchi’s leadership. Marchi sponsored the bill that modernized New York State’s reporting and bookkeeping practices. The Finance Committee also gained greater power to review and assess the Executive budget and ancillary programs and introduced better methods of economic forecasting. Overall, these changes allowed for more clear and accurate views of the state’s financial picture, and gave the Legislature more power in the budget process. In the 1980s, one issue dominated the agenda of Marchi and his constituents: the secession movement. In 1983, a lawsuit challenged the legality of New York City’s Board of Estimate as violating the “one-man one vote” democratic principle. The successful challenge left Staten Island and its 350,000 population with much reduced representation in city government. Marchi decided immediately to promote changing Staten Island from a borough of New York City to a separate county or city. For the next decade and a half,Senator Marchi led legal challenges, built a popular movement, succeeded in persuading the State of New York to approve and fund a Charter Commission for Staten Island, and forced New York City to hold a special referendum for Island residents on secession. The secession movement and the Charter Commission for Staten Island gained considerable momentum, and though it was ultimately defeated,Marchi’s reputation as a thoughtful, deliberate, erudite leader only grew. Marchi also continued his work to improve public education in the 1980’s. Marchi was appointed as Chairman of the Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance in 1989. Thiscommission conducted a two-year study on the control and governance in New York City schools and provided recommendations to the New York State Legislature on improving administration and public participation in the school system. Senator Marchi also provided assistance to the College of Staten Island so that the school could obtain the land of the former Willowbrook State School for a campus. In the 1990s, Senator Marchi succeeded in raising the profile of the Island’s environmental issues and securing funds to resolve them. Of particular note was Marchi’s legislation (1996) to close the Fresh Kills landfill by January 1, 2002. More recently, Senator Marchi was also appointed to head the Senate Task Force on World Trade Center Recovery after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Marchi was named Assistant Majority Whip in 2003 and continues to serve on several standing committees including Corporations,Authorities and Commissions (which he previously chaired); Cities; Environmental Conservation; Finance;Investigations and Government Operations; Judiciary and Rules. Senator Marchi was also recognized by the National Conference of State Legislatures as being the longest serving legislator in America at any level of government. Senator Marchi died April 25th, 2009. He and his wife, the former Maria Luisa Davini of Lucca,Italy, have two daughters, Aline and Joan, two granddaughters, Stefania and Francesca and a greatgrandson, Giuseppe.

Senator Marchi was a member of several religious, veterans, professional and civic associations, including Richmond County and American Bar Associations and American Judicature Society.

1921 Born on Staten Island, son of Louis and Alina Marchi, on May 20. 1942 Graduated from Manhattan College with first honors and received the Cardinal Hayes Award for scholastic achievement and campus leadership. World War II Served in United States Coast Guard and saw action in the North Atlantic and Okinawa. 1948 Married Maria Luisa Davini in her home town of Lucca, Italy, November 14. 1949 Graduated from St. John’s Law School, Juris Doctor. 1952 Narrowly lost bid for Republican nomination for the State Assembly to Edward Amann in county committee. 1953 Graduated from Brooklyn Law School, Doctor of Juridical Science. Served in Albany as counsel to John Macdonald, senator from Staten Island, for two years. 1956 Elected to the State Senate in his first run for elective office (total vote: 81,001): Marchi Rep. 44,159 (54.5%) Edward V. Curry Dem. 36,842 1958 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 66,375): Marchi Rep. 35,505 United Taxpayers 918 Total 36,423 (54.9%) Edmund J. Murphy Dem. 28,298 George Maki Lib. 1,645 1960 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 87,186): Marchi Rep. 49,716 (57%) Ralph DiIorio Dem. 34,604 George Maki Lib. 2,866 Named chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee formed to study the state’s liquor laws. 1961 As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Navigation, proposed and was named chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on New York City Docks in February; resigned in July, citing his race for borough president and his desire to keep the investigation “out of the realm of partisan politics.” Lost race for borough president to incumbent Albert V. Maniscalco (total vote 73,161): Marchi Rep. 35,632 (48.7%) Maniscalco Dem. 31,264 Lib. 4,508 Brotherhood 1,757 Total 37,529 1962 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 72,987): Marchi Rep. 42,659 (58.4%) Aldo R. Benedetto Dem. 27,485 Lib. 2,843 Total 30,328 1963 Became Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on the City of New York. 1964 David Jaffe became Senator Marchi’s counsel; his first project was the investigation of the Mobilization for Youth, an anti-poverty program, for mismanagement and communist influence. As chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee investigating the Alcoholic Beverages Control Law, Marchi blocked the measure supported by Governor Rockefeller, resulting in a special session which passed a compromise bill. Re-elected to the Senate, receiving the Conservative Party (founded 1962)endorsement for the first time (total vote 88,952): Marchi Rep. 42,912 Cons. 5,986 Total 48,898 (55%) Joseph J. Holzka Dem. 38,219 Lib. 1,835 Total 40,054 Democrats took the State Senate in the Johnson landslide, the only time Marchi was in the minority in Albany. 1965 Became a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Governors of the Council of State Governments. Following implementation of a new court-ordered reapportionment plan, all legislators had to run again. The Republicans regained control of the State Senate after one year of a Democratic majority. Marchi was easily reelected (total vote 84,567): Marchi Rep. 41,140 Con. 11,110 Total 55,250 (65.3%) Vito Titone Dem. 25,933 Ferdinand Cubas Lib. 3,384 1966 Became Chairman of Joint Legislative Committee on Interstate Cooperation. Elected delegate to the 1967 state constitutional convention; chaired Senate Judiciary Sub-Committee on Constitutional Issues for research and issue development for the convention. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 75,780): Marchi Rep. 37,221 Cons. 13,784 Total 50,905 (67.2%) Vito T. Titone Dem. 21,296 Pearse O’Callaghan Lib. 3,579 1967 Served as delegate to the state constitutional convention. 1968 Received Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy from the Italian President and Prime Minister, the highest award given to non-citizens. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 98,050): Marchi Rep. 41,855 Cons. 14,820 Total 56,675 (57.8%) Daniel D. Leddy Dem. 38,696 Herman Zukowsky Lib. 2,679 1969 Defeated incumbent John Lindsay by 6,000 votes in the primary to win the Republican nomination for mayor (113,698 – 107,366). Mario Procaccino was the Democratic nominee, winning the primary over Robert Wagner, Herman Badillo, James Scheuer, and Norman Mailer with less than a third of the vote. In November Lindsay won re-election running on the Liberal line. Marchi Rep./Cons. 542,411 (22%) Procaccino Dem. 831,772 (36%) John V. Lindsay Lib./Ind. 1,012,633 (42%) 1970 Robert Straniere became counsel to Senator Marchi, serving until he was elected to the Assembly in 1980. Straniere had first worked for the Senator in 1963. After briefly considering a run against Republican Senator Charles Goodell, Marchi supported Conservative James Buckley, in part because of Goodell’s opposition to the war in Vietnam. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 93,441): Marchi Rep. 46,366 Cons. 22,209 Total 68,575 (73.4%) Edward T. Pulaski Dem. 20,381 Norma E. Casey Lib. 4,485 1971 Spoke out publicly against Joseph A. Colombo and the Italian-American Civil Rights League and their claim that the Mafia was a fiction. Received Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from St. John’s University on May 28. Kate Rooney began working for Senator Marchi as an intern; she later became his counsel, following Straniere. 1972 On February 28 Marchi announced that he had introduced legislation to create the New South Richmond Development Corporation for the development of more than 10,000 acres in the southern part of Staten Island; 12 new communities to be developed by the Rouse Corporation for 400,000 residents; the 20-year plan called for $6.5 billion in public and private funds, including $530 million commitment from the city for infrastructure; it was not introduced into the Assembly due to opposition from SI Republicans Edward Amann and Lucio Russo. About 300 “Friends of John Marchi” gathered at the Shalimar in New Dorp for a dinner in his honor on April 7th. William F. Buckley was the featured speaker,and his brother, United States Senator James Buckley, also attended. Dan Master and members of the Conservative Party protested outside. Appointed by President Nixon in October to National Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse Prevention (the only state legislator appointed). Because of the South Richmond plan, realtor Daniel Master, vice chairman of the Conservative Party on Staten Island, ran against Marchi; endorsed by New York Times, the Advance, and Sen. James Buckley, Marchi was easily re-elected (total vote 107,057; highest turnout for any of his re-elections): Marchi Rep. 56,960 (53.2%) Pasquale Bifulco Dem. 28,544 Daniel Master Cons. 18,573 Norma Cossey Lib. 2,980 1973 Became chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in January, succeeding Warren Anderson, who succeeded Earl Brydges as Majority Leader. The Sout Richmond bill passed the State Senate but was again defeated in the Assembly Marchi announced he would not re-introduce the measure. Received degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from Manhattan College.Republican nominee for mayor; in a 4-way race Democrat Abe Beame defeated Marchi, Liberal Al Blumenthal, and Conservative Mario Biaggi. The Conservatives denied Marchi their endorsement because of the South Richmond plan, and he received only nominal support from Governor Rockefeller. Marchi Rep. 276,575 (16%) Abe Beame Dem. 961,130 (56%) Mario Biaggi Cons. 189,986 (11%) Al Blumenthal Lib. 265,297 (15%) 1974 Received degree of Doctor of Laws from Wagner College. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 78,564): Marchi Rep. 32,759 Cons. 11,727 Total 44,486 (56.6%) Pasquale P. Caiazza Dem. 34,078 1975 As chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Marchi played a key role in writing and passing the legislation which created the Emergency Financial Control Board and the Municipal Assistance Corporation, which saved the city from bankruptcy. 1976 New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars bestowed on him the Silver Commendation medal for “Legislative service to veterans and all New Yorkers.” Appointed by Governor Carey to the newly created State Public Authorities Control Board, established to protect public authorities during the fiscal crisis. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 101,231): Marchi Rep. 43,507 Cons. 10,076 Total 53,583 (52.9%) Ralph J. Lamberti Dem. 45,679 Ernest A. Kaarsberg Lib. 1,969 1977 In November the State Court of Appeals declared all but one portion of the state’s death penalty law unconstitutional. Legislation to restore and expand capital punishment was passed, but vetoed by Governor Carey. Carey vetoed similar legislation in each successive year of his administration. John Marchi opposed capital punishment, and voted to uphold the veto. 1978 Received B’nai B’rith Public Service Award. Re-elected to the Senate in his closest campaign; his opposition to the death penalty nearly cost him the election (total vote 74,777): Marchi Rep. 30,687 Cons. 7,891 Total 38,578 (51.6%) Robert J. Gigante Dem. 34,675 Carl F. Grillo Lib. 1,524 1980 In January Mayor Koch announced that he would support John Marchi for reelection and secured the Democratic Party endorsement for him. Marchi was the only Republican in either the Senate or the Assembly to uphold Gov. Carey’s veto of the death penalty. Received the degree of Juris Doctor from St. John’s School of Law. Re-elected to the Senate with the Democratic nomination for the first time (total vote 99,296):

Marchi Rep. 40,227 Dem. 38,687 Cons. 9,512 RTL 5,000 Total 93,426 (94.1%) Carl F. Grillo Lib. 5,870 1981 Though personally opposed to abortion, Senator Marchi voted against a bill that would have banned the use of Medicaid funds for abortions because it would have limited the options of the poor while having no effect on those with the means to pay. Marita Messenheimer, Senator Marchi’s dedicated secretary, retired; she first met Marchi in 1953 when he was counsel to Senator Macdonald, and became his secretary when he began his first term in January 1957. 1982 Appointed first permanent member of the Executive Committee of the Council of State Governments. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 63,095): Marchi Rep./Dem./Cons. 58,338 (92.5%) Joseph F. Sully Lib. 1,515 Barbara Bollaert RTL 3,242 1983 Retired from the active reserve of the Coast Guard with the rank of Commander. Received Citation from Association of Colleges and Universities of the State of New York for efforts on behalf of higher education in the state. 1984 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 100,756): Marchi Rep. 52,789 Dem. 34,119 Cons. 8,638 Total 95,546 (94.8%) Joseph F. Sully Lib. 2,259 Barbara Bollaert RTL 2,951 1985 Secured $7 million in state dollars for design of the new campus of the College of Staten Island (a merger of Richmond College and Staten Island Community College) at the former State institution at Willowbrook. Senator Marchi and Assemblyman Kremer were unsuccessful in their defense of Vito Castellano, head of the State Guard, and their effort to obtain a better pension for him in recognition of his long service. A strong supporter of the Navy’s proposed Homeport on Staten Island, Senator Marchi, with his counsel Kate Rooney, prepared legal briefs which successfully blocked a city-wide referendum on the issue. The Homeport opened in 1989 and closed in 1994. 1986 Re-elected to the Senate, taking the Liberal line at the request of his old friend Pearse O’Callaghan (total vote 56,607, lowest turnout until 2002): Marchi Rep. 22,438 Dem. 25,214 Lib. 1,581 Total 49,233 (87%) Michael V. Ajello Cons. 5,545 Barbara Bollaert RTL 1,829 1987 Received Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Wagner College. Underwent first angioplasty procedure. 1988 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 95,250): Marchi Rep. 44,247 Dem. 35,676 Lib. 1,616 Total 81,539 (85.6%) Albert P. DeLillo Cons. 11,603 Barbara Bollaert RTL 2,108 With Warren Anderson retiring, the Republicans selected Ralph Marino as majority leader on December 1989 For not supporting Marino’s bid for majority leader, Marchi lost the chairmanship of the Finance Committee and was replaced by Tarky Lombardi, Jr. of Syracuse. He was appointed Vice President Pro Tempore of the State Senate. State of New York Charter Commission for Staten Island formed, with John Marchi as chairman. Underwent prostate surgery on July 12. The 11-member Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance held its organizational meeting and elected John Marchi chairman and Assemblyman Jose Serrano of the Bronx vice chairman. 1990 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 57,749): Marchi Rep./Dem./Lib. 47,250 (81.8%) George Boncoraglio Cons. 7,471 Barbara Bollaert RTL 3,028 Staten Islanders voted to study secession by a 4 to 1 margin. 1991 Named Chairman of the 13-member Staten Island Charter Commission in March after voters approved secession measure on the ballot the previous November. Temporary State Commission on New York City School Governance, known as the Marchi Commission, issued its final report on April 4, recommending an increased number of school districts and other reforms. Underwent his second angioplasty procedure in June. 1992 Received the Filippo Mazzei Award from the Italian government for strengthening ties between Italy and the United States. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 91,029): Marchi Rep. 46,284 Dem. 36,744 Lib. 2,070 Total 85,098 (93.5%) Barbara Bollaert RTL 5,931 1993 Staten Islanders approved proposed charter for City of Staten Island by two to one margin on November 2. 1994 Challenged in a Democratic primary for the first time by Eugene Prisco, a drug counselor and education activist: Marchi: 7,687 (77%), Prisco 2,338 (23%). Reelected to the Senate in the general election (total vote 75,550): Marchi Rep. 37,667 Dem. 28,248 Lib. 1,369 Total 67,284 (89.1%) Ralph J. Rubinek Cons. 5,713 Barbara Bollaert RTL 2,553 On November 25 Majority Leader Ralph Marino stepped down under pressure and the Republicans selected Joseph Bruno. Marchi stood behind Marino. 1995 After standing with Marino, Marchi lost his position as Vice President Pro Tempore; named Chairman of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions and Deputy Majority Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs. 1996 Pushed for and saw signed into law legislation mandating the closure of the Fresh Kills Landfill by January 1, 2002. This came more than 40 years after the legislature passed Senator Marchi’s bill to close Fresh Kills, only to have it vetoed by Governor W. Averell Harriman. Measure to create the City of Staten Island passed the Senate, but Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to permit a vote until he received a home rule message from the city, effectively blocking further movement on secession. Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 79,199): Marchi Rep./Dem./Lib. 70,870 (89.5%) Ralph J. Rubinek Cons./RTL 6,547 Janet Rispoli Independence 1,782 1998 Re-elected to the Senate (total vote 63,090): Marchi Rep./Dem./Cons. 60,842 (96.4%) Maria D. Colon Independence 1,321 Jody Magnasco Lib. 927 1999 Introduced legislation with Assemblywoman Elizabeth Connelly to permit “right on red” on Staten Island; Senate counsel determined that legislation would require approval of City Council. 2000 Introduced legislation to address the rising cost of prescription drugs. The archive at the College of Staten Island, the repository for Senator Marchi’s papers, was officially dedicated on October 5. Ran for reelection to the Senate as the nation’s longest serving state legislator (total vote 94,352): Marchi Rep./Dem./Cons. 91,110 (96.2%) Henry Bardel Green 3,242 (3.8%) Working Families Independence 2002 For the first time since 1980 Marchi did not receive the nomination of the Democratic Party, but was easily reelected nonetheless (total vote 53,240). Marchi Rep. 34,864 Cons. 4,624 Total 39,488 (74%) Michael J. Cocozza Dem. 12,784 Working Fam 597 Veterans 371 Total 13,752