170th New York State Legislature

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170th New York State Legislature
←169th 171st→
The facade of the New York State Capitol building in bright daylight
New York State Capitol (2009)
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1, 1955 – December 31, 1956
Senate
Members58
PresidentLt. Gov. George B. DeLuca (D)
Temporary PresidentWalter J. Mahoney (R)
Party controlRepublican
(1955: 34–24)
(1956: 35–23)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerOswald D. Heck (R)
Party controlRepublican
(90–60)
Sessions
1stJanuary 5 – April 2, 1955
2ndJanuary 4 – March 23, 1956

The 170th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5, 1955, to March 23, 1956, during the first and second years of W. Averell Harriman's governorship, in Albany.

Background[]

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1953, 58 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were Kings (nine districts), New York (six), Queens (five), Bronx (four), Erie (three), Nassau (three), Westchester (three), Monroe (two) and Onondaga (two). The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county (except Hamilton Co.), or of contiguous area within one county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Liberal Party, the American Labor Party, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Socialist Labor Party (running under the name of "Industrial Government Party") also nominated tickets.

Elections[]

The New York state election, 1954, was held on November 2. Ambassador W. Averell Harriman was elected Governor, and D.A. of Bronx County George B. DeLuca was elected Lieutenant Governor, both Democrats with Liberal endorsement. The elections of the other six statewide elective offices resulted in a Democratic State Comptroller with Liberal endorsement, a Republican Attorney General, a Democratic Chief Judge with Liberal and Republican endorsement, a Democratic Court of Appeals judge with Liberal and Republican endorsement, a Democratic Court of Appeals judge with Liberal endorsement, and a Republican Court of Appeals judge with Democratic endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor/Lieutenant Governor, was: Republicans 2,550,000; Democrats 2,297,000; Liberals 264,000; American Labor 47,000; Socialist Workers 2,600; and Industrial Government 1,700.

Five of the seven women members of the previous legislature—Assemblywomen Mary A. Gillen (Dem.), of Brooklyn; Janet Hill Gordon (Rep.), a lawyer of Norwich; Frances K. Marlatt (Rep.), a lawyer of Mount Vernon; Genesta M. Strong (Rep.), of Plandome Heights; and Mildred F. Taylor (Rep.), a coal dealer of Lyons—were re-elected. Bessie A. Buchanan (Dem.), a retired musical actress and dancer of Harlem, was also elected to the Assembly.

The New York state election, 1955, was held on November 8. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Three vacancies in the State Senate and three vacancies in the Assembly were filled.

Sessions[]

The Legislature met for the first regular session (the 178th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1955;[1] and adjourned on April 2.[2]

Oswald D. Heck (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker.

Walter J. Mahoney (Rep.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.

The Legislature met for the second regular session (the 179th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1956;[3] and adjourned on March 23.[4]

State Senate[]

Districts[]

  • 1st District: Suffolk County
  • 2nd, 3rd and 4th District: Parts of Nassau County
  • 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens
  • 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn
  • 19th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island)
  • 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan
  • 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx
  • 30th, 31st and 32nd District: Parts of Westchester County
  • 33rd District: Orange and Rockland counties
  • 34th District: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties
  • 35th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties
  • 36th District: Albany County
  • 37th District: Rensselaer and Washington counties
  • 38th District: Schenectady and Schoharie counties
  • 39th District: Essex, Saratoga and Warren counties
  • 40th District: Clinton, Franklin and St. Lawrence counties
  • 41st District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Montgomery counties
  • 42nd District: Oneida County
  • 43rd District: Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego
  • 44th and 45th District: Parts of Onondaga County
  • 46th District: Chenango, Cortland, Madison and Otsego counties
  • 47th District: Broome County
  • 48th District: Cayuga, Tioga and Tompkins counties
  • 49th District: Chemung and Steuben counties
  • 50th District: Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties
  • 51st and 52nd District: Parts of Monroe County
  • 53rd District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties
  • 54th District: Niagara County
  • 55th, 56th and 57th District: Parts of Erie County
  • 58th District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties

Senators[]

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Searles G. Shultz changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblyman Frank J. Pino was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Senator Party Notes
1st S. Wentworth Horton* Republican
2nd Edward P. Larkin* Republican resigned on September 16, 1955, to run for
Presiding Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead[5]
Daniel G. Albert Republican on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy
3rd William S. Hults, Jr.* Republican
4th Edward J. Speno Republican
5th Walter G. McGahan Republican
6th James J. Crisona Dem./Lib.
7th Dem./Lib.
8th Frank D. O'Connor Dem./Lib. on November 8, 1955, elected D.A. of Queens County
Bernard Tompkins Republican on February 7, 1956, elected to fill vacancy[6]
9th Thomas J. Mackell Democrat
10th Herbert I. Sorin* Dem./Lib.
11th Walter E. Cooke Dem./Lib.
12th Fred G. Moritt* Dem./Lib.
13th Thomas J. Cuite* Dem./Lib.
14th John F. Furey* Dem./Lib.
15th Louis L. Friedman* Dem./Lib. on October 5, 1955, appointed to the NY Supreme Court[7]
Frank J. Pino* Dem./Lib. on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy
16th William Rosenblatt* Dem./Lib.
17th Samuel L. Greenberg* Dem./Lib.
18th Harry Gittleson* Dem./Lib.
19th Edward V. Curry Democrat
20th MacNeil Mitchell* Republican
21st James Lopez Watson Dem./Lib.
22nd Alfred E. Santangelo* Dem./Lib. on November 6, 1956, elected to the 85th U.S. Congress
23rd Joseph Zaretzki* Dem./Lib.
24th Joseph R. Marro* Dem./Lib.
25th Francis J. Mahoney* Dem./Lib. Minority Leader; died on December 23, 1956
26th John J. Donovan, Jr.* Democrat died on March 12, 1955
Harry Kraf Democrat on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy
27th Jacob H. Gilbert Democrat
28th Nathaniel T. Helman* Democrat
29th Francis J. McCaffrey* Democrat
30th Frank S. McCullough* Republican
31st Pliny W. Williamson* Republican Chairman of Judiciary
32nd William F. Condon* Republican
33rd Thomas C. Desmond* Republican
34th Arthur H. Wicks* Republican
35th Ernest I. Hatfield* Republican
36th Peter J. Dalessandro* Dem./Lib.
37th Henry Neddo* Republican
38th Thomas F. Campbell* Republican
39th Gilbert T. Seelye* Republican
40th Robert C. McEwen* Republican
41st Walter Van Wiggeren* Republican
42nd Fred J. Rath* Republican
43rd Henry A. Wise* Republican
44th Searles G. Shultz* Republican
45th John H. Hughes* Republican
46th Wheeler Milmoe* Rep./Dem.
47th Warren M. Anderson* Republican
48th George R. Metcalf* Republican
49th Harry K. Morton* Republican
50th Dutton S. Peterson* Republican
51st Frank E. Van Lare* Republican
52nd George T. Manning* Republican died on December 1, 1956
53rd Austin W. Erwin* Republican Chairman of Finance
54th Earl W. Brydges* Republican
55th Walter J. Mahoney* Republican re-elected Temporary President
56th Stanley J. Bauer* Republican
57th John H. Cooke* Republican
58th George H. Pierce* Republican

Employees[]

  • Secretary:

State Assembly[]

Assemblymen[]

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Edwin Corning Jr. Dem./Lib.
2nd * Dem./Lib.
Allegany William H. MacKenzie* Republican Chairman of Ways and Means
Bronx 1st Bernard C. McDonnell* Democrat
2nd * Democrat
3rd Morris Mohr* Democrat died on September 21, 1956
4th Felipe N. Torres* Democrat
5th Melville E. Abrams Democrat
6th Walter H. Gladwin* Democrat
7th John T. Satriale* Democrat
8th * Democrat
9th * Democrat
10th Democrat
11th Enzo Gaspari Democrat
12th Democrat
Broome 1st Republican
2nd George L. Ingalls* Republican
Cattaraugus * Republican
Cayuga * Republican
Chautauqua E. Herman Magnuson* Republican died on July 15, 1955
Republican on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy
Chemung * Republican
Chenango Janet Hill Gordon* Republican
Clinton James A. FitzPatrick* Rep./Dem.
Columbia Willard C. Drumm* Republican
Cortland Louis H. Folmer* Republican
Delaware Edwyn E. Mason* Republican
Dutchess Robert Watson Pomeroy* Republican
Erie 1st Thomas J. Runfola* Republican
2nd Justin C. Morgan* Republican Chairman of Judiciary
3rd * Republican
4th * Dem./Lib.
5th John B. Lis* Dem./Lib.
6th George F. Dannebrock* Republican
7th Julius Volker* Republican
8th * Republican
Essex Grant W. Johnson* Republican
Franklin * Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Joseph R. Younglove* Republican
Genesee * Republican
Greene William E. Brady* Republican
Herkimer * Rep./Dem.
Jefferson Orin S. Wilcox* Rep./Lib.
Kings 1st Max M. Turshen* Dem./Lib.
2nd J. Sidney Levine* Dem./Lib. died on December 22, 1955
Samuel Bonom Democrat on February 7, 1956, elected to fill vacancy[8]
3rd Mary A. Gillen* Dem./Lib.
4th Bernard Austin* Dem./Lib.
5th * Dem./Lib.
6th Bertram L. Baker* Dem./Lib.
7th Louis Kalish* Dem./Lib.
8th Frank Composto* Dem./Lib.
9th * Republican
10th * Dem./Lib.
11th Eugene F. Bannigan* Dem./Lib. Minority Leader
12th Dem./Lib.
13th Lawrence P. Murphy* Dem./Lib.
14th Edward S. Lentol* Democrat
15th Alfred A. Lama* Dem./Lib.
16th Frank J. Pino* Dem./Lib. resigned on October 6, 1955, to run for the State Senate
Bernard Haber Dem./Lib. on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy[9]
17th Dem./Lib.
18th Stanley Steingut* Dem./Lib.
19th * Democrat
20th Joseph R. Corso* Dem./Lib.
21st Bertram L. Podell Democrat
22nd Anthony J. Travia* Dem./Lib.
Lewis * Republican
Livingston * Republican
Madison Harold I. Tyler* Republican
Monroe 1st J. Eugene Goddard* Republican
2nd A. Gould Hatch* Rep./Lib.
3rd * Rep./Lib.
4th Thomas F. Riley* Republican
Montgomery Donald A. Campbell* Republican
Nassau 1st Republican
2nd Joseph F. Carlino* Republican Majority Leader
3rd Genesta M. Strong* Republican
4th * Republican
5th Francis P. McCloskey Republican
6th Palmer D. Farrington Republican
New York 1st William F. Passannante Dem./Lib.
2nd Louis DeSalvio* Democrat
3rd * Dem./Lib. on June 2, 1955, appointed to the Municipal Court[10]
John H. Farrell Dem./Lib. on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy;
unsuccessfully[11] contested by Peter H. Brennan[12]
4th Leonard Farbstein* Democrat on November 6, 1956, elected to the 85th U.S. Congress
5th Ludwig Teller* Dem./Lib. on November 6, 1956, elected to the 85th U.S. Congress
6th Joseph J. Weiser Democrat
7th Daniel M. Kelly* Dem./Lib.
8th * Republican
9th * Republican
10th * Dem./Lib.
11th James C. Thomas* Dem./Lib.
12th Bessie A. Buchanan Dem./Lib.
13th Orest V. Maresca* Dem./Lib.
14th * Dem./Lib.
15th Democrat
16th Frank G. Rossetti Dem./Lib.
Niagara 1st * Republican
2nd * Rep./Lib.
Oneida 1st * Republican
2nd William S. Calli* Republican
Onondaga 1st Lawrence M. Rulison* Republican
2nd Charles A. Schoeneck, Jr. Republican
3rd Republican
Ontario * Republican
Orange 1st D. Clinton Dominick III Republican
2nd * Republican
Orleans Alonzo L. Waters* Republican
Oswego * Republican
Otsego * Republican
Putnam Willis H. Stephens* Republican
Queens 1st Thomas V. LaFauci* Dem./Lib.
2nd William C. Brennan Democrat
3rd Republican
4th Thomas A. Duffy* Dem./Lib.
5th William G. Giaccio* Dem./Lib.
6th Democrat
7th Democrat
8th Republican
9th Fred W. Preller* Republican
10th Democrat
11th Dem./Lib.
12th * Dem./Lib.
13th Anthony P. Savarese Jr.* Republican
Rensselaer * Republican
Richmond 1st Edward J. Amann Jr.* Rep./Lib.
2nd Lucio F. Russo* Rep./Lib.
Rockland * Republican
St. Lawrence * Republican
Saratoga John L. Ostrander* Republican
Schenectady Oswald D. Heck* Republican re-elected Speaker
Schoharie * Republican
Schuyler * Republican
Seneca * Republican
Steuben Rep./Dem.
Suffolk 1st * Republican
2nd Elisha T. Barrett* Republican
3rd Republican
Sullivan Hyman E. Mintz* Rep./Lib.
Tioga Richard C. Lounsberry* Republican
Tompkins * Republican
Ulster * Republican
Warren * Republican
Washington * Republican
Wayne Mildred F. Taylor* Republican
Westchester 1st Malcolm Wilson* Republican
2nd Republican
3rd Frances K. Marlatt* Republican
4th Hunter Meighan* Republican
5th * Republican
6th * Republican
Wyoming Harold L. Peet* Republican
Yates * Republican

Employees[]

  • Clerk: Ansley B. Borkowski
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Herbert A. Bartholomew (1955)
    • Raymond J. Roche (1956)
  • Deputy Journal Clerk: Maude E. Ten Eyck

Notes[]

  1. ^ STATE G.O.P. BACKS CONTINUED TAX AID IN POLICY PREVIEW; Legislature Opens Today in The New York Times on January 5, 1955 (subscription required)
  2. ^ LEGISLATURE ENDS SESSION in The New York Times on April 3, 1955 (subscription required)
  3. ^ Legislature Meets Today; Gets Harriman Program in The New York Times on January 4, 1956 (subscription required)
  4. ^ LEGISLATURE ENDS SESSION IN RUSH in The New York Times on March 24, 1956 (subscription required)
  5. ^ LARKIN QUITS SENATE FOR A TOWN OFFICE in The New York Times on September 17, 1955 (subscription required)
  6. ^ TOMPKINS IS CERTIFIED in The New York Times on February 16, 1956 (subscription required)
  7. ^ SPECIAL KINGS POLLING in The New York Times on October 8, 1955 (subscription required)
  8. ^ TOMPKINS BEATS DUFFY IN QUEENS; ...Democrats Win in Bronx, Brooklyn Election in The New York Times on February 8, 1956 (subscription required)
  9. ^ NEW STATE CANDIDATES in The New York Times on October 18, 1955 (subscription required)
  10. ^ SARAFITE NAMED CITY TREASURER; ...One of 18 Appointments Announced by Mayor in The New York Times on June 3, 1955 (subscription required)
  11. ^ FARRELL SEAT UPHELD in The New York Times on February 22, 1956 (subscription required)
  12. ^ LEGISLATOR QUESTIONED; Farrell Is Challenged on His Right to Seat in Assembly in The New York Times on January 11, 1956 (subscription required)

Sources[]

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