[2] Her father was Joseph Abate, a longtime member of the Lucchese crime family.
After graduating, she first attracted attention for her work as a young lawyer at New York City's Legal Aid Society.
[4] New York Governor Mario Cuomo appointed her as the executive deputy commissioner of the State Division of Human Rights.
She was an attorney in New York City and was director of training in the criminal defense division.
After leaving politics, she spent fifteen years working as President/CEO of the Community Healthcare Network.