Dignitaries on hand for Mario Cuomo's funeral
Dignitaries from both sides of the political aisle converged Tuesday to bid goodbye to former three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo, a Democratic Party icon who left a progressive legacy of speaking out for the voiceless and powerless.
Draped in a New York state flag, his casket was carried into a Manhattan church as dozens of state police in dress uniform stood at attention, and his family — including his sons, current Gov. Andrew Cuomo and news anchor Chris Cuomo — accompanied it.
Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, state Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos and Republican-turned-independent former Mayor Michael Bloomberg were among the dignitaries. Democratic State Assembly Speaker put off taking his seat before the funeral started, standing outside in the snow to await the hearse.
As his funeral began, one of his daughters, Maria Cuomo Cole, read a quotation from the biblical Book of Wisdom that begins, "The souls of the just are in the hands of God."
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Cuomo, 82, died at his Manhattan home on Thursday evening, hours after his son was inaugurated for a second term.
On Monday, hundreds waited in a line that stretched more than a block to pay their respects at Cuomo's wake. Vice President Joe Biden, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, actor Alan Alda and former state Comptroller Carl McCall were among those who paid tribute.
Photos from Cuomo's life were displayed — him being sworn in as governor, their wedding portrait, a black-and-white image of a young Cuomo playing stickball.
Even after hours of greeting mourners, his widow, Matilda Cuomo still managed to smile as she spoke lovingly of her spouse. "He's up there, telling God what to do. He's working with God now," she said.
Lynda Rufo, a banker lined up outside the funeral home, said her daughter was finishing law school because of Cuomo's encouragement.
"He was a part of New York," Rufo said. "He always took the time to be there for everyone, no matter who you were or where you came from. He loved people."
Cuomo was most remembered for a speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, where he focused on an America divided between haves and have-nots and scolded Republican President Ronald Reagan for not working to close that gap.
He came to his stances from personal experience, the son of an Italian immigrant father who struggled economically.