Stanley Melvin Friedman (born March 18, 1936) is a former head of the Bronx County Democratic Committee (better known as the Bronx Democratic party), a former Deputy Mayor of New York City, and later hotelier.[1]
Stanley M. Friedman | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Mayor of New York City for Intergovernmental Affairs | |
| In office 1975–1977 | |
| Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bronx County Democratic Committee | |
| In office 1978–1987 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick J. Cunningham |
| Succeeded by | George Friedman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 18, 1936 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | City College of New York and Brooklyn Law School |
| Occupation | Politician, hotelier |
Early life
editFriedman was born in the Bronx on March 18, 1936,[2] and grew up in the Hunts Point district, where he was nicknamed "Bugsy."[2] He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1953, the City College of New York in 1958 and Brooklyn Law School in 1961.[2]
Political career
editFriedman was a lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission before serving as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx.[2] He was an associate counsel to longtime New York City Council Majority Leader Thomas J. Cuite when he became the Deputy Mayor of New York City for Intergovernmental Affairs on January 2, 1975, reporting to Mayor Abe Beame. Friedman remained in the role until the end of Beame's term in December 1977,[2][3][4] when Beame gave Friedman a lifetime appointment to the Board of Water Supply, a part-time job that came with a salary of $25,000 (equal to $107,509 in 2021 dollars[5]), a limousine, and a secretary.[4]
Mayor Ed Koch pressed Friedman to resign the position in May 1978, as Friedman received Koch's support to take control of the Democratic Party in the Bronx; however, Koch denied a connection between the resignation and his endorsement.[6]
In 1978 Friedman became the leader of the Bronx chapter of the New York State Democratic Party ("Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bronx County Democratic Committee").[7] He was succeeded in 1987 by New York State Assemblyman George Friedman, who was unrelated to his predecessor.[8] Also, in 1978, he became a law partner to Roy Cohn at the firm of Saxe, Bacon & Bolan.[9][10]
He was indicted on civil charges involving the New York City Parking Violations Bureau on March 27, 1986.[11] He was defended in that case by Thomas P. Puccio.[12] Friedman was later convicted on federal corruption charges in that case, which was presided over by Whitman Knapp and prosecuted by Rudy Giuliani.[12][13][14] He was removed as the Bronx Democratic party leader when he was sentenced to a 12-year prison term on March 12, 1987, the same day that his mentoree, Stanley Simon resigned as Bronx Borough President on unrelated charges.[14] He served four years before his release in 1992.[15]
Post political career
editAfter completing his prison sentence, and being barred for life from participating in politics, Friedman became a hotelier.[14] He managed facilities in Staten Island.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Feuer, Alan (October 1, 2004). "Up From Politics, Almost". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Darnton, John (December 24, 1974). "Good Man to Know". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Stanley M. Friedman Sworn By Beame as Deputy Mayor". The New York Times. January 3, 1975. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ a b "Deputy Mayor Friedman's Party: A Water Supply and Then Some". The New York Times. December 28, 1977. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "CPI Inflation Calculator". www.bls.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Friedman Resigns His Patronage Job On City Water Unit". The New York Times. May 19, 1978. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ Lentz, Philip (June 26, 1988). "Democrats Turn Bronx Into Political Zoo". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ Lynn, Frank (28 June 1988). "Prosecutor Race in the Bronx Could Foreshadow City Politics of the 1990's". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ Brenner, Marie (September 1990). "After the Gold Rush". Vanity Fair - The Complete Archive. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Kaiser, Charles (2007). The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America. Grove Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-8021-4317-4. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Kirk (9 April 1986). "Prosecutors Seek to Tie $400,000 in Retirement Funds to Citisource". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ a b Kohn, George C. (2001). The New Encyclopedia of American Scandal. Infobase Publishing. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-4381-3022-4. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Meislin, Richard J.; Times, Special To the New York (26 November 1986). "Friedman Is Guilty with 3 in Scandal". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Lynn, Frank (12 March 1987). "Bronx Chief Quits and Friedman Gets 12-Year Sentence". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ Feuer, Alan (October 1, 2004). "Up From Politics, Almost". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2021.