The Cuomo Family Tree: Sparring Brothers & A Surprising Kennedy Connection
April 09, 2020DMT Beauty#DMTBeautySpot #beauty
The unforgiving novel coronavirus has taken countless lives already, and affected a number of cities in the U.S. in particular. New York, the unofficial epicenter of the virus, continues to face imminent threats to the entire state's population. Enter Governor Andrew Cuomo: the unexpected face of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the constant literal face appearing among so many Americans coping with their new realities, Cuomo has become, according to recent polls, among the country's most trusted leaders.
But Andrew isn't the only Cuomo to be on the frontlines of coronavirus response. In fact, a number of members of his own family — with storied generations of public servants and politicians in New York — have been part of the response. Namely, Chris Cuomo, the governor's brother and notable CNN anchor. Chris, who recently shared that he tested positive for COVID-19, has also been an integral part of our daily lives and news coverage. In fact, the two have recently been seen sparring, as siblings do, on camera. In a particularly viral clip, Gov. Cuomo appeared alongside his brother on CNN, where Chris sent him a vital reminder: "I’m proud of what you’re doing, I know you’re working hard for your state, but no matter how hard you’re working, there’s always time to call Mom. She wants to hear from you. Just so you know.”
The duo, who should really consider taking their bit on tour when this is all over, come from a line of other impressive relatives, too. The Cuomo family is a veritable New York political dynasty, starting with the family's patriarch, the former New York Governor. His wife spent her life advocating for women and children, and all of his siblings are either in law, medicine, or journalism. Although it's unclear whether law school is a Cuomo family requirement, the family's collective résumé boasts a number of influential change-makers (and even a Kennedy connection) spanning generations.
Click through to read more about one of New York’s most well-known families.
Mario & Matilda Cuomo
Former Governor of New York & women's rights activist
Mario and Matilda Cuomo were both the first-generation children of Italian immigrants raised in New York — Mario in Queens, and Matilda in Brooklyn. They met while attending St. John’s University in 1951. At the time, Mario was in law school and Matilda was studying teaching. They married in 1954, while Mario was still a law student and had five children together: Andrew, Maria, Margaret, Madeline, and Chris – all of whom were raised in Queens.
Mario worked at a series of small law firms before running before getting into New York politics where he served as the secretary of state and lieutenant governor before becoming governor of New York in 1983 — a position he held for three terms until 1994. He passed away from heart failure in 2015.
Matilda made a name for herself as an advocate for women and children. Helping found the Mentoring USA program to help lower student dropout rates, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017 for her lifelong pursuit of advocacy. Thanks to her son Andrew, she has a law named after her. Enacted in March 2020, “Matilda’s law” was passed to protect New Yorkers over the age of 70 during the coronavirus pandemic who may have compromised immune systems or underlying diseases.Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Exploring The Arts.
Margaret Cuomo
Radiologist
The eldest of the Cuomo children, Margaret is a radiologist specializing in body imaging like CT scans, ultrasound, and MRI. Much of her work has centered around diagnosing cancer and AIDS. Like her parents, she studied at St. John’s University. Margaret also partnered with her mother to co-found the Italian Language Foundation for which they were awarded the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity in 2011. The award is given to Italian ex-pats who have made a meaningful contribution to Italy since World War II and was presented by the then-president of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano.Photo: Shahar Azran/WireImage.
Andrew Cuomo
Governor of New York
If you’ve been following coronavirus news, no doubt, you have seen Andrew Cuomo’s face just about every day. As the governor of New York, the state hit hardest by COVID-19, Andrew became governor in 2011 before being reelected in 2015; however, he has spent his entire career in politics. Before being elected governor, he was New York’s attorney general. He also worked as secretary of housing and urban development during the Clinton administration from 1997 to 2001.
According to The New York Times, the Cuomo family is the first family in New York State’s history where both a father and a son have been elected governor. During his time in this role, he helped legalize same-sex marriage in New York, increased the minimum wage, and worked to pass stricter gun-control laws.
In 1990, Andrew married Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy. Their first date, according to a New York Times article published in 2003, was a tour of a homeless shelter. As Kennedy retold it, this is where she first fell in love with him. The couple had three children together before separating in 2005.Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
Maria Cuomo
Homeless rights activist
Maria Cuomo is chairwoman of Help USA, a charitable foundation started by her brother Andrew in 1986 to address the U.S. homelessness crisis. It began as a single family shelter in Brooklyn and now operates on a national scale. She is also an award-winning producer who won Emmys for Outstanding Investigative Journalism – Long Form and Best Documentary for films Independent Lens in 1999 and again for The Invisible War in 2012. Maria also is married to fashion designer Kenneth Cole.Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage.
Madeline Cuomo
Lawyer
Living the most private life out of her siblings, not much is known about Madeline Cuomo (pictured right). She, like her brother Andrew, attended law school at Albany Law School where she specialized in matrimonial law. According to a marriage announcement in the New York Times, Madeline married her high school sweetheart, Brian O’Donoghue in 1993. “They met at the St. Francis Preparatory School in Bayside, Queens, and spent many Saturday nights working together in places that were not exactly popular teenage hangouts, like a nursing home and a shelter for homeless youths,” reads the article.Photo: BEN GABBE/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images.
Chris Cuomo
CNN anchor
Chris Cuomo, the youngest Cuomo, is an on-air journalist for CNN, though like many in his family before him, he also went to law school before he switched his focus to television. In 1997, People magazine put him on its “Most Beautiful People" list. W magazine went on to name him “New York’s most eligible bachelor” after John F. Kennedy Jr. And, apparently, these types of recognitions run in the family: in 1985, his father Mario was listed as one of Playgirl’s Sexiest Men.
Nowadays, he has his own show called Cuomo Prime Time; however, before that, he was the youngest correspondent ever at 20/20, a news anchor on Good Morning America, and a co-host of CNN’s New Day. He is married to Cristina Greeven, a magazine editor, and the couple have three children: daughters Bella and Carolina and son Mario, who was named after his father.
Chris tested positive for COVID-19 in March, and has been isolating in his basement where he broadcasts Cuomo Prime Time and spars with his brother, Andrew.Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images.
Kerry Kennedy
Activist & Ex-Wife of Andrew Cuomo
In 1990, Andrew Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy. Kerry is the seventh child and third daughter of RFK and Ethel Skakel Kennedy. She is a human rights activist and president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
According to a New York Times article published in 2003, her first date with Cuomo was a tour of a homeless shelter. As Kennedy retold it, this is where she first fell in love with him. The couple had three children together before separating in 2005.Photo: Mike Pont/Getty Images.
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