Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
"Randy Mastro may be leaving this administration, but his accomplishments will have a lasting impact on the City of New York for generations to come," Mayor Giuliani said. "Over the past four-and-a-half years, Randy has been a tireless innovator and manager, under whose leadership we have experienced a sea-change in the way the City does business.
"His efforts have led to the unprecedented clean-up of the Fulton Fish Market, San Gennaro festival, private carting industry and wholesale food markets -- once organized crime strongholds. His advocacy in Albany and with the City Council has resulted in significant legislative changes, including school governance reform, the elimination of the sales tax on clothing and shoes under $500, enforcement of adult entertainment zoning restrictions, and the enactment of ground-breaking domestic partnership laws," the Mayor continued.
"And during his tenure as Deputy Mayor, City agencies have trimmed excess fat from their budgets while actually improving the delivery of services to the people of New York City.
"Randy has been a close governmental and political advisor, but moreover, he has been my friend -- a friend who will be missed. He leaves a void, which will indeed, be difficult to fill. I wish him, Jonine and his beautiful daughter, Arianna, all the best," the Mayor concluded.
Mr. Mastro said, "It's been a tremendous honor to serve this Mayor for the past four-and-one-half-years, and I'll certainly miss it. But I am fortunate to be returning to a great law firm -- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher -- and to my first love --the practice of law. So it just shows, that you can go home again."
As Deputy Mayor for Operations, Mr. Mastro was responsible for overseeing all of the City's operating agencies and the City budget. He served as the Mayor's chief liaison with elected officials, and in the Mayor's absence, he was authorized to act on the Mayor's behalf.
Mr. Mastro is credited with spearheading the Administration's successful anti-organized crime campaign at the Fulton Fish Market, wholesale food markets, the carting industry and the San Gennaro Festival. Additionally, he led the City's lobbying efforts on school governance reform, sales tax elimination on clothes and shoes, adult entertainment restrictions, taxi industry reform, illegal conversion crackdowns, CUNY reform, domestic partnership and Con Edison rate reductions. He also oversaw the successful turn-around of New York City's Off Track Betting Corporation.
Mr. Mastro was appointed as Mayor Giuliani's Chief of Staff in 1994 and was promoted to Deputy Mayor for Operations in 1996, succeeding Peter J. Powers. Before joining the Administration, Mr. Mastro was a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a firm he joined in 1989, becoming a partner in 1993.
From 1985 to 1989 Mr. Mastro was an Assistant United State Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Division in the U.S. Attorney's Officer for the Southern District of New York, where he specialized in organized crime cases.
A graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1978) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D. 1981), Mr. Mastro is married to Dr. Jonine Bernstein, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. They are the proud parents of a two-year-old daughter, Arianna.