Joseph Zaretzki
Joseph Zaretzki (March 9, 1900 New York City - December 20, 1981 The Bronx, New York City) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Majority Leader of the New York State Senate in 1965, the only Democrat in this position since the adoption of the New York State Constitution of 1938 until Malcolm Smith attained the position in 2009.
Life
He served in the United States Army during World War I.
He was a member of the New York State Senate where he represented the Washington Heights area of Manhattan from 1948 to 1974. He was the Democratic Minority Leader from 1957 to 1964, and from 1966 to 1974.
In 1965, the Democratic Party achieved for the only time since 1938 a majority in the State Senate, but the Democratic senators were divided in two factions, 15 senators allied with Mayor of New York City Robert F. Wagner, Jr., and 18 senators allied with U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. After a month of deadlock, Zaretzki - the long-time Minority Leader and Wagner's candidate - was elected Majority Leader on February 3 with the votes of the Wagner men and the Republicans who had voted for Earl W. Brydges, but were urged by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller to end the deadlock.
He died at the Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx.
Sources
- [1] His election to the majority leadership, in TIME Magazine on February 12, 1965
- [2] Obit in NYT on December 21, 1981 (subscription required)
- [3] Political Graveyard
