Editing Mario Cuomo (section)

== Early life and education ==
Cuomo was born in the [[Briarwood, Queens|Briarwood]] section of the New York City borough of [[Queens, New York City|Queens]] to a family of [[Italian American|Italian]] origin. His grandfather Donato came to the US in 1896.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-07 |title=Cuomo's talk of undocumented immigrant roots draws scrutiny - POLITICO |website=[[Politico]] |url=https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2018/04/19/cuomos-talk-of-undocumented-immigrant-roots-draws-scrutiny-373103 |access-date=2023-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807225250/https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2018/04/19/cuomos-talk-of-undocumented-immigrant-roots-draws-scrutiny-373103 |archive-date=August 7, 2023 }}</ref> Mario Cuomo's father, Andrea Cuomo, was born in New York City in 1901 but in 1904, aged two or three, was taken back to a mountain village outside [[Salerno]], [[Campania]], returning to the United States on his US passport more than two decades later.<ref name=":0" /> Andrea Cuomo was from [[Nocera Superiore]], Campania, and his mother—Immacolata Giordano—was from [[Tramonti, Campania]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8bk1AQAAIAAJ&q=Immacolata+Andrea+cuomo&dq=Immacolata+Andrea+cuomo&hl=en Immacolata Andrea Cuomo], ''Epoca'', Google Books, 1988, Retrieved December 27, 2013.</ref> The family ran Kessler's Grocery Store in [[South Jamaica, Queens]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Siemaszko|first1=Corky |author2=Kerry Burke|title=Mario Cuomo's death stirs memories of his parents' grocery store for Queens resident |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/mario-cuomo-death-stirs-memories-parents-grocery-store-article-1.2064368 |website=Daily News |date=January 2, 2015 |location=New York |access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> Cuomo attended [[New York City Department of Education|New York City P.S. 50]] and [[St. John's Preparatory School (Queens)|St. John's Preparatory School]].

Cuomo was a baseball player and while attending [[St. John's University (New York City)|St. John's University]] in 1952, he signed as an [[outfielder]] with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] for a $2,000 [[signing bonus|bonus]], which he used to help purchase his wife [[Matilda Cuomo|Matilda]]'s engagement ring.<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/baseball/ Baseball: A film by Ken Burns], ''PBS'', 2010, Retrieved December 27, 2013.</ref> Cuomo played for the [[Brunswick Pirates]] of the [[Class D (baseball)|Class D]] [[Georgia–Florida League]] where his teammates included future major leaguer [[Fred Green (baseball)|Fred Green]]; {{r|mccarron20150103}} Cuomo attained a .244 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and played center field until he was struck in the back of the head by a pitch.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/late-former-new-york-governor-mario-cuomo-played-baseball-in-minor-leagues/c-105377724|title=Former NY governor Cuomo dies at 82, played in Minors|first=Quinn|last=Roberts|work=MLB.com|date=January 2, 2015|access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> Batting helmets were not yet required equipment, and Cuomo's injury was severe enough that he was hospitalized for six days.{{r|mccarron20150103}}

After his recovery, Cuomo gave up baseball and returned to St. John's University, earning his bachelor's degree ''summa cum laude'' in 1953.<ref name="Greiner">''University convocation and inauguration of William R. Greiner: Thirteenth president of the University at Buffalo'', Buffalo, NY: University at Buffalo Inaugural Program, September 18, 1992.</ref> Deciding on a legal career, Cuomo attended [[St. John's University School of Law]] and graduated tied for first in his class in 1956.<ref name="Greiner" /> Cuomo clerked for Judge [[Adrian P. Burke]] of the [[New York Court of Appeals]].<ref name="Greiner" /> Despite having been a top student, the ethnic prejudice of the time led to his rejection by more than 50 law firms before he was hired by a small but established office in [[Brooklyn]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=Charles J.|last1=Hynes|first2=Bob|last2=Drury|authorlink2=Bob Drury|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1j2MDJBOmHoC&dq=mario+cuomo+rejected+by+law+firms+burke&pg=PA86|title=Incident at Howard Beach|date=2011|isbn=978-0399135002|page=86|publisher=iUniverse }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Robert S.|last=McElvaine|url=https://archive.org/details/mariocuomobiogra00mcel|title=Mario Cuomo: A Biography|publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]]|location=New York City|date=1988|isbn= 9780684189703 |page=143}}</ref>

During his tenure at the law firm of Comer, Weisbrod, Froeb and Charles, Cuomo represented [[Fred Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2019/03/04/donald-trumps-seduction-of-mario-cuomo/|title=Donald Trump's Seduction of Mario Cuomo &#124; Village Voice|website=www.villagevoice.com|date=March 4, 2019}}</ref> Cuomo eventually became a partner at the firm, but stepped down in 1974 to become New York Secretary of State.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/12/mario-cuomo-and-those-mob-rumors.html|title=From the Archives: Mario Cuomo and Those Mob Rumors|website=Intelligencer|date=January 2015 |language=en-us|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> In 1989, he settled a longstanding lawsuit against his former firm regarding $4 million in legal fees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/14/nyregion/cuomo-settles-suit-on-a-share-in-a-law-firm.html|title=Cuomo Settles Suit on a Share In a Law Firm|first=Selwyn|last=Raab|date=April 14, 1989|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> In addition to practicing law, Cuomo worked as an adjunct professor at [[St. John's University School of Law]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Viscusi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-qexaZyuoJUC&dq=mario+cuomo+professor+st.+john%27s&pg=PA133|title=Buried Caesars, and Other Secrets of Italian American Writing|publisher=[[SUNY Press]]|location=New York City|date=2006|isbn=978-0791466339|page=133}}</ref>