Matthew Titone
Encyclopedia
Matthew J. Titone is an American politician
and lawyer from Staten Island, New York. A Democrat
, he serves as a member of the New York State Assembly
from the 61st District, on Staten Island's North Shore
.
and West Brighton
neighborhoods. He went on to attend St. John's University School of Law
, while working full time as a law clerk for the late John S. Zachary.
After being admitted to the New York State Bar Association
in 1992, Titone worked pro bono
for the Staten Island AIDS Task Force and Project Hospitality. In 1993, he joined the Wall Street
law firm of Morgan, Melhuish, Monahan, Arvidson, Abrutyn & Lisowski, where he was a senior trial associate and managed the firm's labor law litigation department. In 1998, he established a private law practice on Staten Island.
Titone garnered national attention when he took on the New York State adoption industry representing a family who adopted a baby boy. The family was never informed by the adoption agency that the child was born with the AIDS virus and resulted in the child being untreated for his illness for eleven years after the adoption was completed. Not only did Titone provide legal support and guidance for the family, he also helped the young man establish the Justin LiGreci HIV/AIDS Foundation for Children and Teens, a not for profit organization that provides educational services to the youth of Staten Island and New York metropolitan area.
in 2006, losing the 24th District race to Republican Andrew Lanza.
Following the death of Assemblyman John Lavelle
in January 2007, Titone was selected as the Democratic nominee for the special election held to fill the vacancy. On the third ballot of Democratic committee members, Daniel Lavelle, son of the late assembly member, dropped out and Titone was unopposed. Titone was backed by City Councilman Mike McMahon
, whose support was crucial. Mimi Cusick, mother of assembly member Mike Cusick
and "mother of the party," also endorsed Titone's candidacy.
In the election held on March 27, 2007 he received 49% of the vote in a three-way contest to succeed Lavelle, comfortably defeating his Republican and Independence party opponents who won 32% and 19% respectively. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2010.
in September 2011, shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York State. He is one of six LGBT
members of the New York Legislature
, alongside Assemblymembers Deborah Glick
, Daniel O'Donnell, Micah Kellner
and Harry Bronson
, as well as Senator Thomas Duane
. His assembly campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
, which provides financial and strategic assistance.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
and lawyer from Staten Island, New York. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he serves as a member of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
from the 61st District, on Staten Island's North Shore
North Shore, Staten Island
The term North Shore is frequently applied to a series of neighborhoods within New York City's borough of Staten Island, USA.- Boundaries :...
.
Early life, education, career
Titone was born on Staten Island, the son of Vito J. Titone, a former judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Titone was raised in the Grymes HillGrymes Hill, Staten Island
Grymes Hill is a neighborhood, situated upon a hill by that name, on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. The east side of the hill is defined by Van Duzer Street and Richmond Road to the intersection with the Staten Island Expressway, which, with Clove Road, defines the...
and West Brighton
West New Brighton, Staten Island
West New Brighton is a neighborhood of New York City, Richmond County, USA, situated along the central North Shore of Staten Island...
neighborhoods. He went on to attend St. John's University School of Law
St. John's University School of Law
St. John's University School of Law is a Roman Catholic law school in Queens, New York City, affiliated with St. John's University. The School of Law was founded in 1925, and confers Juris Doctor degrees and degrees for Master of Laws in Bankruptcy and Master of Laws in U.S. Studies. Over 13,000 St...
, while working full time as a law clerk for the late John S. Zachary.
After being admitted to the New York State Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association , with 77,000 members, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.-History:The State Bar was founded with a constitution that dates to 1877...
in 1992, Titone worked pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
for the Staten Island AIDS Task Force and Project Hospitality. In 1993, he joined the Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
law firm of Morgan, Melhuish, Monahan, Arvidson, Abrutyn & Lisowski, where he was a senior trial associate and managed the firm's labor law litigation department. In 1998, he established a private law practice on Staten Island.
Titone garnered national attention when he took on the New York State adoption industry representing a family who adopted a baby boy. The family was never informed by the adoption agency that the child was born with the AIDS virus and resulted in the child being untreated for his illness for eleven years after the adoption was completed. Not only did Titone provide legal support and guidance for the family, he also helped the young man establish the Justin LiGreci HIV/AIDS Foundation for Children and Teens, a not for profit organization that provides educational services to the youth of Staten Island and New York metropolitan area.
Political career
Titone was the Democratic nominee for the New York State SenateNew York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
in 2006, losing the 24th District race to Republican Andrew Lanza.
Following the death of Assemblyman John Lavelle
John Lavelle
John W. Lavelle formerly represented the 61st Assembly District in the New York State Assembly, which comprises much of the North Shore of Staten Island....
in January 2007, Titone was selected as the Democratic nominee for the special election held to fill the vacancy. On the third ballot of Democratic committee members, Daniel Lavelle, son of the late assembly member, dropped out and Titone was unopposed. Titone was backed by City Councilman Mike McMahon
Michael McMahon
Michael E. "Mike" McMahon is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was previously a member of the New York City Council....
, whose support was crucial. Mimi Cusick, mother of assembly member Mike Cusick
Michael Cusick
Michael J. Cusick is a New York State legislator who represents the New York State Assembly's District 63, which is located within Staten Island, New York. He is a Democrat.-Background:...
and "mother of the party," also endorsed Titone's candidacy.
In the election held on March 27, 2007 he received 49% of the vote in a three-way contest to succeed Lavelle, comfortably defeating his Republican and Independence party opponents who won 32% and 19% respectively. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2010.
Personal
Titone is openly gay and married his partner of 18 years, Giosue Pugliese, in a ceremony at Staten Island Borough HallStaten Island Borough Hall
Borough Hall is the primary municipal building for the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located at 10 Richmond Terrace, opposite the Staten Island Ferry Terminal...
in September 2011, shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York State. He is one of six LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
members of the New York Legislature
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
, alongside Assemblymembers Deborah Glick
Deborah Glick
Deborah J. Glick is an American politician from New York and a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly representing the 66th Assembly District in lower Manhattan....
, Daniel O'Donnell, Micah Kellner
Micah Kellner
Micah Z. Kellner is an American politician from the state of New York. A Democrat, he serves as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 65th district, which includes Manhattan's Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island ....
and Harry Bronson
Harry Bronson
Harry B. Bronson is an attorney and politician from Rochester, New York who serves as a member of the New York State Assembly. A former member of the Monroe County legislature, he was elected to the Assembly in 2010...
, as well as Senator Thomas Duane
Thomas Duane
Thomas K. Duane is an American politician from New York, currently serving in the New York State Senate. He was the nation's first openly HIV-positive person elected to office....
. His assembly campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
, which provides financial and strategic assistance.
Election results
- November 2006 general electionGeneral electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, NYS Senate, 24th SDAndrew J. Lanza (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
- INDIndependence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
)... 34,160 Matthew J. Titone (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
)... 23,074 Charles T. Pistor, Jr. (CON) ... 2,307
- March 2007 special election, NYS Assembly, 61st AD
Matthew Titone (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
)... 3,088 Rose Margarella (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
- CON)... 1,934 Kelvin Alexander (IND Independence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
)... 1,160
- November 2008 general electionGeneral electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, NYS Assembly, 61st ADMatthew J. Titone (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
)... 25,974 Thomas W. McGinley (REP New York Republican State CommitteeThe New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
)... 8,578 Rose Margarella (IND Independence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
)... 985
- November 2010 general electionGeneral electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, NYS Assembly, 61st ADMatthew J. Titone (DEM New York State Democratic CommitteeThe New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- INDIndependence Party of New YorkThe Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
- WORWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
)... 19,881 Dave Narby (LBT Libertarian Party (United States)The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
)... 1,494