Salvatore R. Martoche

Martoche was born in Buffalo, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science from Canisius College in 1962{{cite news |title=346 to Step Forward Sunday for Canisius College Degrees |work=The Buffalo Evening News |issue=page 63 – Section IV |date=6 June 1962}} and his Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1967.

He was a public defender before going into private practice from 1969 to 1982. He served as assistant counsel to the majority for the New York State Senate from 1974 to 1982 and administrator for the Erie County Bar Association of the Pre-Trial Services Agency, Inc. from 1972 to 1981.

Hide in Plain Sight, the 1980 movie starring James Caan, is based on one of Martoche's cases.{{cite news |last1=Buckham |first1=Tom |title=Leonhard Relives Pain of Past |work=The Buffalo Evening News |issue=page 66 – Section IV |date=18 December 1979}} He is credited with reforms in the United States Federal Witness Protection Program.

Martoche was United States Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1982 to 1986, and was a member of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee from 1983 to 1986, serving as vice chairman in 1984 and chairman in 1985.

He was assistant secretary of labor (enforcement) under President Ronald Reagan from May 1986 to 1988.{{cite web |title=Nomination of Salvatore R. Martoche To Be an Assistant Secretary of Labor |url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/nominations-appointments-march-11-1986 |website=Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum |access-date=27 February 2022 |archive-date=27 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227033053/https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/nominations-appointments-march-11-1986 |url-status=live }}

In the Spring of 1988, Martoche turned down an offer from Attorney General Edwin Meese to replace William Weld as head of the criminal division of the Department of Justice. Weld and Deputy Attorney General Arnold Burns had resigned in protest of Meese's leadership in the Justice Department. Martoche told colleagues that he did not want to be publicly associated with Meese. Messe subsequently resigned over his involvement in the Wedtech scandal.{{cite news |last1=Shenon |first1=Philip |title=Former Head of Bar Picked for No. 2 Justice Post |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/06/us/former-head-of-bar-picked-for-no-2-justice-post.html |access-date=26 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=6 April 1988 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226182340/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/06/us/former-head-of-bar-picked-for-no-2-justice-post.html |url-status=live }}

On April 19, 1988, President Reagan announced his intention to nominate Martoche to be a member of the National Mediation Board for the term expiring July 1, 1991.{{cite web |title=Nomination of Salvatore R. Martoche To Be a Member of the National Mediation Board |url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/nomination-salvatore-r-martoche-be-member-national-mediation-boar |website=Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226162219/https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/nomination-salvatore-r-martoche-be-member-national-mediation-boar |url-status=live }} From 1988 to 1990, he served as an assistant secretary of the treasury, overseeing law enforcement operations under President Reagan and President George H. W. Bush. Before leaving federal service, Martoche was a key official involved in the response to the savings and loan crisis, serving as the acting director of the Office of Thrift Supervision.{{cite news |last1=Metzler Lavin |first1=Rosemary |title=A Buffalo lawyer gets top S&L job |work=New York Daily News |issue=188 |date=7 March 1990}}

In the 1990s, Martoche was in private practice in Buffalo and served as one of six commissioners of the state Commission of Investigation, which investigates organized crime and public corruption statewide.

Martoche served as a New York State Supreme Court justice for 13 years from January 2000 until his retirement. He was designated to serve on the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Fourth Department on May 3, 2004, by Governor George Pataki.

In August 2013 Judge Martoche retired from the bench and joined a Buffalo law firm as head of its Alternative dispute resolution practice group.{{cite news|title=Martoche to retire as State Supreme Court Justice|author=McCarthy, Robert J.|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=August 27, 2013|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/state-supreme-court/martoche-to-leave-bench-for-hodgson-russ-law-firm-20130827|access-date=September 26, 2013|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927184910/http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/state-supreme-court/martoche-to-leave-bench-for-hodgson-russ-law-firm-20130827|url-status=live}}

Martoche married attorney Mary Dee Benesh in 1967.{{cite web |last1=Radder |first1=Joseph H. |title=Mary Dee Martoche North Dakota's Loss, Buffalo's Gain |url=http://livingprimetime.com/ForeverYoung/martoche.htm |website=Living Prime Time |publisher=Jerry Flaschner |access-date=10 April 2022 |archive-date=21 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521024123/http://livingprimetime.com/ForeverYoung/martoche.htm |url-status=usurped }}

• Buffalo State College alumni association Criminal Justice award 1983{{cite news |title=Criminal Justice Alumni to Honor Martoche, Moot, Koteras at Dinner |work=The Buffalo News |issue=page C-11 |date=19 April 1983}}
• Ellis Island Medal of Honor 1992
• US Treasury Alexander Hamilton Award
• The Buffalo News Citizen of the Year 1988{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Past Citizen of the Year Winners |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/past-citizen-of-the-year-winners/article_bb2fa7c2-c261-59fd-b7af-8be6cd90e96e.html |access-date=25 February 2022 |work=The Buffalo News |date=27 February 1994 |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225193901/https://buffalonews.com/news/past-citizen-of-the-year-winners/article_bb2fa7c2-c261-59fd-b7af-8be6cd90e96e.html |url-status=live }}
• Canisius College Lasalle Medal 1979
• Canisius College Distinguished Alumni Award 1986

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1988/070888f.htm Nomination of Salvatore R. Martoche To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury] – Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
• [http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1988/041988b.htm Nomination of Salvatore R. Martoche To Be a Member of the National Mediation Board] – Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

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Category:1940 births

Category:Living people

Category:Canisius University alumni

Category:United States attorneys for the Western District of New York

Category:Judges of the New York Court of Appeals

Category:University of North Dakota alumni

Category:New York (state) Republicans

Category:Lawyers from Buffalo, New York

Category:Public defenders