Mario Cuomo, a 3-time governor of New York and father of the current governor, Andrew Cuomo, passed away on January 1, 2015 at his home in Manhattan just hours after his son was sworn in for a 2nd term.
The former governor, who was in office from 1983 to 1994, was a gifted orator and a renowned liberal Democrat who had twice turned down the opportunity to contest for the US Presidency.
Cuomo’s death was announced by the governor’s office in a statement which said that he had died of ‘natural causes due to heart failure at home with his loving family at his side.’
Another of his sons, Chris Cuomo, of CNN’s ‘New Day‘, also confirmed his father’s death to the network.
United States President, Barack Obama paid tribute to the former governor in a statement in which he said that Cuomo was ‘an unflinching voice for tolerance, inclusiveness, fairness, dignity and opportunity.’
Mario Cuomo is survived by his wife, Matilda, two sons, Andrew and Chris; and three daughters, Margaret, Maria and Madeline.