Mario Cuomo was an icon to NYC, New York and the nation. He passed away at home from heart failure surrounded by his family, except for our current Governor Andrew (his son) who was in Buffalo accepting the nomination for his second term in office. He was humble, hardworking with a passion for making things better for everyone. One of the things I remember about him was from his 1984 speech at the Democratic National Convention.

"It's an old story. It's as old as our history. The difference between Democrats and Republicans has always been measured in courage and confidence. The Republicans -- The Republicans believe that the wagon train will not make it to the frontier unless some of the old, some of the young, some of the weak are left behind by the side of the trail. "The strong" -- "The strong," they tell us, "will inherit the land."

"We Democrats believe in something else. We democrats believe that we can make it all the way with the whole family intact, and we have more than once. Ever since Franklin Roosevelt lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees -- wagon train after wagon train -- to new frontiers of education, housing, peace; the whole family aboard, constantly reaching out to extend and enlarge that family; lifting them up into the wagon on the way; blacks and Hispanics, and people of every ethnic group, and native Americans -- all those struggling to build their families and claim some small share of America. For nearly 50 years we carried them all to new levels of comfort, and security, and dignity, even affluence. And remember this, some of us in this room today are here only because this nation had that kind of confidence. And it would be wrong to forget that."

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mariocuomo1984dnc.htm

He didn't try to push anyone else out of the way to further his own political career, in fact he actually stayed in the background on several attempts by the party to raise his status.

In 1991, Cuomo left a plane idling on the tarmac at the Albany airport rather than fly to New Hampshire and jump into the battle for the presidential nomination at the last minute. He left the door open for a lesser-known governor, Bill Clinton of Arkansas. said he needed to remain in New York and battle Republicans over the state budget.

In 1993, he turned down an opportunity to be nominated by Clinton for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, telling the new president in a letter that "by staying active in our nation's political process, I can continue to serve as a vigorous supporter of the good work you are doing for America and the world."

Hillary and Bill Clinton had this to say about him (excerpt):

“We are terribly saddened by the passing of our friend, Mario Cuomo. Marios’s life was the embodiment of the American dream. When he placed my name in nomination at the 1992 Democratic convention, he said that “government had the solemn obligation to create opportunity for all our people, in his three terms as Governor of New York, he honored that obligation”

His daughter, Madeline Cuomo, said her dad died in his Manhattan home at 5:15 p.m., noting that those were “his lucky numbers.”

“People asked me what I want as an epitaph,” “He tried,” Mr. Cuomo said.

SERVICES:
His immediate family were at the funeral home on Friday, and the public is expected to turn out to pay respects Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan where the wake will be held. Well wishers are also expected on Tuesday,
BUT the services that follow on TUESDAY January 6, at Saint Ignatius Loyola Church on Park Avenue in Manhattan, ARE PRIVATE. (FAMILY ONLY).

If the Wall Street protesters want to protest, they should be advised that FBI Director, James Comey is currently attending services for Wenjian Liu, whose funeral will be Sunday.

[Edited on 1/3/2015 by gina]