Catherine M. Abate (December 8, 1947 – May 17, 2014) was a New York State Senator. She was also a former commissioner of New York City's Correction Department. Abate was of Italian ancestry. Her father was

Joseph Abate Past member(s) Joseph Abate Joseph "Joe" Abate (July 8, 1902 – November 28, 1994) was a capo in the family's Lucchese crime family New Jersey faction, New Jersey faction. In the 1920s, Abate served as an enforcer for Al Capone in Chicago befo ...

, a longtime member of the

Lucchese crime family The Lucchese crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey, within the nationwide c ...

. She was born on December 8, 1947, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She received her bachelor's degree from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

in 1969 and her

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from

Boston University School of Law The Boston University School of Law (BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston. Established in 1872, it is the third-oldest law school in New England, after Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. Ap ...

in 1972. After graduating, she first attracted attention for her work as a young lawyer at New York City's

Legal Aid Society The Legal Aid Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit legal aid provider based in New York City. Founded in 1876, it is the oldest and largest provider of legal aid in the United States. Its attorneys provide representation on criminal and civil mat ...

. New York Governor

Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo ( , ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...

appointed her as the executive deputy commissioner of the State Division of Human Rights. In 1988, she was appointed to head the state's Crime Victim's Board. She was an attorney in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and was director of training in the criminal defense division. She also on the Governor's Task Force on Rape and Sexual Assault. In 1992, then-New York City Mayor

David Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marine Associa ...

appointed Abate as City Commissioner for the Department of Corrections."State Senate Seat Is Sought by Abate"
, ''New York Times'', June 21, 1994; accessed May 18, 2014. The

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

-born Democrat served two terms (1995–1999), representing a district in Manhattan. In 1998, she gave up her seat to run for New York State Attorney General. Abate lost the Democratic primary to

Eliot Spitzer Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 54th governor of New York from 2007 until his resignation in 2008 after a prostitution scandal. A member of the Democratic Party, he was also ...

. After leaving politics, she spent fifteen years working as President/CEO of the Community Healthcare Network.

Death

Abate died on May 17, 2014, aged 66, in

Bellevue Hospital Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States ...

from

uterine cancer Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the ute ...

.Notice of death of former NY State Senator Catherine Abate
, ny1.com; accessed May 18, 2014.

References

External links

accessed May 18, 2014. * * 1947 births 2014 deaths Women state legislators in New York (state) Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from uterine cancer in the United States Vassar College alumni Boston University School of Law alumni New York (state) lawyers 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century New York (state) politicians American people of Italian descent 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature {{NewYork-NYSenate-stub