His father served as a grand juror in Richmond County for 25 years,[1] and his grandfather was a police officer.
He was appointed as district attorney by Governor Mario Cuomo in March 1983 and then continued in the position for 20 years, through five elections.
[2] New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called him a "legendary public servant" upon his death.
[3] He advocated for strict environmental regulations and legislation after prosecuting John Cassiliano, a sanitation supervisor at the Brookfield landfill who took bribes in exchange for allowing illegal dumping of toxic waste, in 1982.
In 2003, he prosecuted Ronnell Wilson, who was convicted and served the death penalty for murdering two undercover detectives.