Deaths on January 1

Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (b. 1932)

Mario Matthew Cuomo (, Italian: [ˈkwɔːmo]; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd Governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1979 to 1982 and Secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978. He was the father of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and former CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo.

Cuomo was known for his liberal views and public speeches, particularly his keynote speech address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in which he sharply criticized the policies of the Reagan administration, saying, "Mr. President, you ought to know that this nation is more a 'Tale of Two Cities' than it is just a shining 'city on a hill.'" He was widely considered a potential front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president in both 1988 and 1992, though he declined to seek the nomination in both instances. His legacy as a reluctant standard-bearer for the Democrats in presidential elections led to his being dubbed "Hamlet on the Hudson".Cuomo was defeated for a fourth term as governor by George Pataki in the Republican Revolution of 1994. His loss was mainly caused by his lack of support outside New York City, where he carried only one county, however, local legend is that the proximate cause of Cuomo's defeat was because people were ready for a change. He subsequently retired from politics and joined the New York law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.