170th New York State Legislature

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.

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

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

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 James G. Sweeney 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: William S. King

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 James J. McGuiness* Dem./Lib.
Allegany William H. MacKenzie* Republican Chairman of Ways and Means
Bronx 1st Bernard C. McDonnell* Democrat
2nd Sidney H. Asch* 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 Mitchell J. Sherwin* Democrat
9th William Kapelman* Democrat
10th Matthew R. Dwyer Democrat
11th Enzo Gaspari Democrat
12th Fred W. Eggert Jr. Democrat
Broome 1st Daniel S. Dickinson Jr. Republican
2nd George L. Ingalls* Republican
Cattaraugus Leo P. Noonan* Republican
Cayuga Charles A. Cusick* Republican
Chautauqua E. Herman Magnuson* Republican died on July 15, 1955
A. Bruce Manley Republican on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy
Chemung Harry J. Tifft* 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 William J. Butler* Republican
4th Frank J. Caffery* Dem./Lib.
5th John B. Lis* Dem./Lib.
6th George F. Dannebrock* Republican
7th Julius Volker* Republican
8th William Sadler* Republican
Essex Grant W. Johnson* Republican
Franklin Robert G. Main* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Joseph R. Younglove* Republican
Genesee John E. Johnson* Republican
Greene William E. Brady* Republican
Herkimer Leo A. Lawrence* 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 John A. Monteleone* Dem./Lib.
6th Bertram L. Baker* Dem./Lib.
7th Louis Kalish* Dem./Lib.
8th Frank Composto* Dem./Lib.
9th Frank J. McMullen* Republican
10th John J. Ryan* Dem./Lib.
11th Eugene F. Bannigan* Dem./Lib. Minority Leader
12th Frank Vaccaro 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 Samuel I. Berman Dem./Lib.
18th Stanley Steingut* Dem./Lib.
19th Frank S. Samansky* Democrat
20th Joseph R. Corso* Dem./Lib.
21st Bertram L. Podell Democrat
22nd Anthony J. Travia* Dem./Lib.
Lewis Benjamin H. Demo* Republican
Livingston Joseph W. Ward* Republican
Madison Harold I. Tyler* Republican
Monroe 1st J. Eugene Goddard* Republican
2nd A. Gould Hatch* Rep./Lib.
3rd Paul B. Hanks Jr.* Rep./Lib.
4th Thomas F. Riley* Republican
Montgomery Donald A. Campbell* Republican
Nassau 1st Anthony Barbiero Republican
2nd Joseph F. Carlino* Republican Majority Leader
3rd Genesta M. Strong* Republican
4th John J. Burns* Republican
5th Francis P. McCloskey Republican
6th Palmer D. Farrington Republican
New York 1st William F. Passannante Dem./Lib.
2nd Louis DeSalvio* Democrat
3rd John J. Mangan* 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 Archibald Douglas Jr.* Republican
9th John R. Brook* Republican
10th Herman Katz* Dem./Lib.
11th James C. Thomas* Dem./Lib.
12th Bessie A. Buchanan Dem./Lib.
13th Orest V. Maresca* Dem./Lib.
14th Kenneth M. Phipps* Dem./Lib.
15th William A. Kummer Democrat
16th Frank G. Rossetti Dem./Lib.
Niagara 1st Jacob E. Hollinger* Republican
2nd Ernest Curto* Rep./Lib.
Oneida 1st Francis J. Alder* Republican
2nd William S. Calli* Republican
Onondaga 1st Lawrence M. Rulison* Republican
2nd Charles A. Schoeneck Jr. Republican
3rd Philip R. Chase Republican
Ontario Robert M. Quigley* Republican
Orange 1st D. Clinton Dominick III Republican
2nd Wilson C. Van Duzer* Republican
Orleans Alonzo L. Waters* Republican
Oswego Henry D. Coville* Republican
Otsego Paul L. Talbot* Republican
Putnam Willis H. Stephens* Republican
Queens 1st Thomas V. LaFauci* Dem./Lib.
2nd William C. Brennan Democrat
3rd Charles T. Eckstein Republican
4th Thomas A. Duffy* Dem./Lib.
5th William G. Giaccio* Dem./Lib.
6th Michael G. Rice Democrat
7th Bernard Dubin Democrat
8th John DiLeonardo Republican
9th Fred W. Preller* Republican
10th Louis Wallach Democrat
11th Daniel L. Clarke Dem./Lib.
12th J. Lewis Fox* Dem./Lib.
13th Anthony P. Savarese Jr.* Republican
Rensselaer Thomas H. Brown* Republican
Richmond 1st Edward J. Amann Jr.* Rep./Lib.
2nd Lucio F. Russo* Rep./Lib.
Rockland Robert Walmsley* Republican
St. Lawrence Allan P. Sill* Republican
Saratoga John L. Ostrander* Republican
Schenectady Oswald D. Heck* Republican re-elected Speaker
Schoharie David Enders* Republican
Schuyler Jerry W. Black* Republican
Seneca Lawrence W. Van Cleef* Republican
Steuben Charles D. Henderson Rep./Dem.
Suffolk 1st Edmund R. Lupton* Republican
2nd Elisha T. Barrett* Republican
3rd John R. Britting Republican
Sullivan Hyman E. Mintz* Rep./Lib.
Tioga Richard C. Lounsberry* Republican
Tompkins Ray S. Ashbery* Republican
Ulster Kenneth L. Wilson* Republican
Warren Stuart F. Hawley* Republican
Washington William J. Reid* Republican
Wayne Mildred F. Taylor* Republican
Westchester 1st Malcolm Wilson* Republican
2nd Fred S. Suthergreen Republican
3rd Frances K. Marlatt* Republican
4th Hunter Meighan* Republican
5th William F. Horan* Republican
6th Theodore Hill Jr.* Republican
Wyoming Harold L. Peet* Republican
Yates Vernon W. Blodgett* Republican

Employees

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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