"Many will remember Geraldine Ferraro as the first woman on a presidential ticket - and for good reason - but in New York we remember her also for a lifetime of service to our City and particularly to Queens. After graduating from Marymount College, she served as a public school teacher in Astoria, then went on to Fordham University Law School. Her successful career in public service included time as Queens County Assistant District Attorney, where she helped create the Special Victims Bureau and the Confidential Unit, specializing in cases involving sex crimes, crimes against the elderly, family violence and child abuse. She served on the Advisory Council for the Housing Court of New York City and as president of the Queens County Women's Bar Association, before being elected to represent Queens in Congress, where she thrived. She tackled issues such as poverty, the environment and, especially, equality for women, ultimately co-sponsoring the 1981 Economic Equity Act. Her work in those areas continued long after she left Congress. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she successfully lobbied Congress for passage of the Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act, which created the Geraldine Ferraro Cancer Education Program.

"New York City's history is filled with leaders who came before us and helped make New York a place of opportunity for all, and Geraldine Ferraro will be remembered always as one of them. She was a committed public servant, a proud advocate for Queens and a true New Yorker. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. She will be missed."