Guy Molinari#Patricia Feerick

Gaetano Kenneth Molinari, "who changed his middle name as a teenager to Victor"{{cite news

|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-guy-molinari/guy-molinari-republican-voice-in-democratic-new-york-dead-at-89-idUSKBN1KF26J

|quote=because "Guy K. Molinari just didn’t roll off the tongue easily"

|title=Guy Molinari, Republican voice in Democratic New York, dead at 89

|author=Peter Szekely |newspaper=Reuters

|date=July 25, 2018}} was born on Manhattan's Lower East Side. His father was S. Robert Molinari (1897–1957), "the first Italian immigrant to serve in the New York state Assembly,"{{cite news

|newspaper=Staten Island Advance

|title=Obituary: Guy Molinari, 89, a giant who transformed Staten Island's civic and political landscape

|url=https://www.SIlive.com/news/2018/07/obituary.html

|date=July 25, 2018}}{{Dubious|date=June 2020|reason=father's article includes this quote but also says he was born in New York (and thus wouldn't be an "immigrant")}} representing the 2nd District of Richmond County in the New York State Assembly from 1943 to 1944. After changing from a Republican to a Democrat, Molinari's father was not reelected. His mother, Elizabeth Margaret (Majoros), was of Czechoslovak descent.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M8YGAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Elizabeth+Margaret+Majoros%22 |title=The New York Red Book |date=2008-12-08 |access-date=2016-11-27}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rrxmAAAAMAAJ&q=Elizabeth+Majores+Molinari |title=Who's Who in American Politics|date=2008-06-09 |isbn=9780835230124|access-date=2016-11-27|last1=Theis|first1=Paul Anthony|last2=Henshaw|first2=Edmund Lee|publisher=R.R. Bowker. }}

Molinari attended private schools growing up and graduated from New Dorp High School in Staten Island in 1945. He attained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Staten Island's Wagner College in 1949 and his law degree from New York Law School in 1951. He served in the United States Marine Corps (attaining the rank of sergeant), from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War. He was admitted to the New York State Bar following his discharge from the military in 1953 and commenced practice in Staten Island.{{cite web

|url=https://www.martindale.com/attorney/guy-victor-molinari-557380

|quote=Year of First Admission: 1953 ... Richmond County Bar Association

|title=Guy Victor Molinari Lawyer Profile}}{{cite book |page=1601

|title=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

|author1=Andrew R. Dodge |author2=Betty K. Koed |year=2005}}

File:Reagan Contact Sheet C20492 (cropped).jpg with President Ronald Reagan in 1984]]

File:Bush Contact Sheet P01187 (cropped).jpg in 1989]]

Molinari was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly from 1975 to 1980, sitting in the 181st, 182nd and 183rd New York State Legislatures. He was a delegate to the New York State Republican conventions in 1979 and the Republican National Convention in both 1980 and 1984.

In 1980, he was elected to the House of Representatives, unseating nine-term Democrat John M. Murphy. The district included all of Staten Island and most of Lower Manhattan. In 1982, his district lost its share of Manhattan, and was instead merged with a Brooklyn-based district that was held by four-term Democrat Leo Zeferetti. Molinari defeated Zeferetti won with 57%. He was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses with minimal opposition and served from January 3, 1981, until his resignation December 31, 1989, to become Borough President of Staten Island. He was succeeded in the House by his daughter, Susan, who also served on the New York City Council. He served as Borough President from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2001.

In 1994, a week before the statewide elections, Molinari announced his view that Karen Burstein, the Democratic nominee for New York Attorney General, was not qualified to serve as attorney general because she was a lesbian. The combination of Molinari's remarks, a strong national Republican showing, and the win of George Pataki in the governor's race, led to Republican Dennis Vacco's narrowly defeating Burstein.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/10/17/one-candidates-lifestyle-becomes-others-ax-to-grind/ |title=One Candidate's Lifestyle Becomes Other's Ax To Grind - tribunedigital-chicagotribune |publisher=Articles.chicagotribune.com |date=1994-10-17 |access-date=2016-11-27}} The New York Times called his remarks "gutter politics".{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/12/opinion/guy-molinari-from-the-gutter.html |title=Guy Molinari, From the Gutter |location=New York State |work=The New York Times |date=1994-10-12 |access-date=2016-11-27}}

In 1995, Molinari ran for Richmond County District Attorney. He lost the race to Democratic incumbent, William L. Murphy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=126234|title = Our Campaigns - Richmond County District Attorney Race - Nov 07, 1995}}

Molinari co-authored his autobiography A Life of Service{{cite book|first1=Guy V. |last1=Molinari |first2=Patricia |last2=Feerick-Kossman |title=A Life of Service |year=2016|publisher=Page Publishing, Incorporated |isbn=978-1684091683}} with former NYC Police Lt. {{visible anchor|Patricia Feerick}}-Kossman, a "highly decorated cop, who is also a lawyer and a registered nurse."{{cite news|author=Mike Pearl|date=October 4, 1994|title=Top Female Cop gets 2 years on 'Terror' Rap|page=16|newspaper=The New York Post}} Feerick, after five years of appeals,{{cite news|author=Michael Cooper|date=October 27, 1999|title=Ex-Officer, Convicted in Illegal Raid, Is Freed by Governor|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/27/nyregion/ex-officer-convicted-in-illegal-raid-is-freed-by-governor.html}} began to serve her sentence for having illegally searched for a stolen police radio. With a search warrant still pending, she launched a technically legal "random .. door-to-door" search that, in being carried out, went beyond legal bounds.{{cite news|author=Tom Hays|date=April 16, 1995|title=NYPD Bad Cop's Illegal Search Mars Career|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-16-mn-55166-story.html}} Feerick-Kossman, a mother with husband Joseph Kossman of two sons, the second seven

weeks old,{{cite news|author=Steve Dunleavy|date=September 19, 1999|title=A mom goes to jail as justice weeps|newspaper=The New York Post|url=https://nypost.com/1999/09/19/a-cop-mom-goes-to-jail-as-justice-weeps}} entered Rikers Island jail. Molinari successfully "lobbied Gov. George Pataki to commute her sentence"{{cite news|author=Rachel Shapiro|date=November 28, 2016|title=Guy Molinari on his book|newspaper=Staten Island Advance|url=https://www.SIlive.com/news/2016/11/guy_molinari_on_his_book_some.html}} and she was released a month later. Her law license was returned in 2000.{{cite news|author=Murray Weiss|date=December 22, 2000|title=Ex-Cop Feerick gets early gift: her law license|newspaper=The New York Post|url=https://nypost.com/2000/12/22/ex-cop-feerick-gets-early-gift-her-law-license}}

The book, whose start can be traced to Feerick's pushing,{{cite news|author=Rachel Shapiro|date=December 3, 2016|title=Guy Molinari's proteges make book-signing a reunion|newspaper=Staten Island Advance|url=https://www.silive.com/news/2016/12/guy_molinaris_proteges_make_bo.html}} discusses Molinari's success{{cite news|title=A sneak peek: Guy Molinari's tell-all book (part 1)|newspaper=Staten Island Advance|url=https://www.SIlive.com/opinion/2016/07/molinari_1_1.html}} at convincing a then age 44 Rudy Giuliani to run for mayor of NYC, Giuliani's push for Molinari to run for Staten Island's Boro President, and the (2001) closing of Fresh Kills Landfill, "the largest .. in the world."{{cite web|date=May 2017|title=To read Council Member Borelli's full report|url=http://council.nyc.gov/joseph-borelli/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2017/05/Landfill-Report-FINAL.pdf}}

Guy Molinari's daughter Susan succeeded him as a member of Congress. She is married to Bill Paxon, a former United States House Representative from Buffalo.{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Carrie |last2=Beckel |first2=Michael |date=February 23, 2017 |title=Billionaires, Corporations Helped Fund Trump Transition |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/billionaires-corporations-helped-fund-trump-transition-n724826 |work=NBCNews.com |location=New York, NY |access-date=July 26, 2018}}

After spending his final years in his home in Bay Terrace, Guy Molinari died of pneumonia on July 25, 2018, at the age of 89.{{Cite news|last=McFadden|first=Robert D.|date=2018-07-25|title=Guy V. Molinari, Power Broker in New York and Beyond, Is Dead at 89 (Published 2018)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/obituaries/guy-v-molinari-staten-island-power-broker-is-dead-at-89.html|access-date=2020-12-26|issn=0362-4331}}

In September 2003, a new Staten Island Ferry boat was built and was christened the Guy V. Molinari;{{cite news|newspaper=Staten Island Advance |url=https://www.SIlive.com/news/2012/08/first_a_staten_island_ferry_no.html |title=First a Staten Island Ferry, now a spaceship? Guy Molinari's name travels far |author=John M. Annese |date=August 13, 2012}} it joined the New York City Department of Transportation fleet in September 2004, a year later.{{cite web |url=https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/252-04/mayor-michael-bloomberg-welcomes-i-guy-v-molinari-i-staten-island-ferry-fleet |title=Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Welcomes the Guy V. Molinari to Staten Island Ferry Fleet |date=September 27, 2004 |access-date=July 25, 2018 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623061552/https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/252-04/mayor-michael-bloomberg-welcomes-i-guy-v-molinari-i-staten-island-ferry-fleet |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/19/nyregion/staten-island-via-wisconsin-first-ferry-built-since-1986-set-be-christened.html |title=To Staten Island, via Wisconsin; First Ferry Built Since 1986 |date=September 19, 2003}} The boat continues to transport commuters and tourists between Staten Island and Manhattan.

James S. A. Corey's novel Leviathan Wakes and its television adaptation, The Expanse, featured a spaceship named for Molinari.

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{{succession box | before = Lucio F. Russo | title = Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 60th district | years = 1975–1980 | after = Robert Straniere}}

{{s-par|us-hs}}

{{US House succession box | state = New York | district = 17 | before = John M. Murphy | after = Ted Weiss | years = 1981–1983}}

{{US House succession box | state = New York | district = 14 | before = Frederick W. Richmond | after = Susan Molinari | years = 1983–1989}}

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{{succession box | before = Ralph J. Lamberti | title = Borough President of Staten Island | years = 1990–2001 | after = James Molinaro}}

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{{succession box | title = Republican nominee for District Attorney of Richmond County | before = Anthony M. Vittorioso | after = Catherine M. DiDomenico | years = 1995}}

{{s-end}}

{{Staten Island Borough President}}

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Category:1928 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:Staten Island borough presidents

Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War

Category:United States Marines

Category:New York Law School alumni

Category:Military personnel from New York City

Category:Wagner College alumni

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)

Category:Politicians from Staten Island

Category:New Dorp High School alumni

Category:Politicians from Manhattan

Category:American people of Czechoslovak descent

Category:Deaths from pneumonia in New York City

Category:Members of Congress who became lobbyists

Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives