Marty Markowitz born and raised in
Crown HeightsCrown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
,
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
in a Jewish family. His father, Robert, was a waiter at Sid's, a kosher
delicatessenDelicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
. When Markowitz was nine years old his father died; his mother, Dorothy, later moved the family to public housing in Sheepshead Bay. Markowitz graduated from Wingate High School in 1962.
He took night classes at
Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New York...
for nine years, and received his
bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in
Political SciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
in 1970.
Markowitz and his wife Jamie Snow were married in 1999.
Markowitz became involved in politics in the 1970s, by organizing tenant and senior citizen organizations in
Flatbush, BrooklynFlatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
.
He was elected to the State Senate in 1978, and spent over two decades as a New York State Senator for Brooklyn.
Personal life
Marty Markowitz born and raised in
Crown HeightsCrown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
,
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
in a Jewish family. His father, Robert, was a waiter at Sid's, a kosher
delicatessenDelicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
. When Markowitz was nine years old his father died; his mother, Dorothy, later moved the family to public housing in Sheepshead Bay. Markowitz graduated from Wingate High School in 1962.
He took night classes at
Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New York...
for nine years, and received his
bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in
Political SciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
in 1970.
Markowitz and his wife Jamie Snow were married in 1999.
Political career
Markowitz became involved in politics in the 1970s, by organizing tenant and senior citizen organizations in
Flatbush, BrooklynFlatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
.
He was elected to the State Senate in 1978, and spent over two decades as a New York State Senator for Brooklyn. During his time as a state senator, he was known for creating a series of oceanfront concerts and other festivals rather than drafting legislation.
Markowitz first ran for Borough President in 1985, but failed to unseat the incumbent
Howard GoldenHoward Golden was the long-time Democratic borough president of Brooklyn serving from 1977 to December 31, 2001. Prior to becoming Brooklyn Borough President, Golden served as City Councilman for the Borough Park section of Brooklyn...
. Markowitz subsequently pleaded guilty to a
misdemeanorA misdemeanor, or misdemeanour in many common law legal systems, is a "lesser" criminal act. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions...
for failing to disclose a campaign contribution; he was fined and performed community service.
Markowitz was elected to the borough presidency in 2001, on the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
line.
Markowitz was re-elected on November 8, 2005, with 79% of the vote, compared to 13% for
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
challenger Theodore Alatsas, and 7% for Gloria Mattera, the
Green PartyThe Green Party of the United States is one of the political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties. The Greens, a voluntary association of state parties, have been active as a nationally recognized political party since 2001...
candidate. In the
2005 New York City mayoral electionThe New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee...
, Markowitz endorsed
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
incumbent
Michael BloombergMichael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. He was listed as the eighth-richest American, with a net worth of US $16 billion, in the Forbes 400 on September 17, 2008, making him the richest resident of New York City, ahead of David H. Koch...
, along with many other Democrats like
Ed KochEdward Irving "Ed" Koch was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.-Early life:...
.
Borough Presidency
As
Borough PresidentBorough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
s have little real power within City government, Markowitz has used the office to be an enthusiastic advocate for Brooklyn, promoting
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
and events borough-wide.
During the North American blackout of August 2003, Markowitz stood on the
Brooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretching 5,989 feet over the East River, connecting the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn...
as throngs of fellow Brooklynites trudged home from work in
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
. Markowitz held a megaphone and cheered: "Welcome home to Brooklyn!", receiving thunderous applause. He repeated this during the
2005 New York City Transit StrikeThe 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 . Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on...
, inviting Brooklynites into
Borough HallBrooklyn Borough Hall was designed in 1835 by architect Gamaliel King, and constructed under the supervision of superintendent Stephen Haynes. It was completed in 1849 to be used as the City Hall of the City of Brooklyn...
for warm drinks and a chance to call loved ones.
Markowitz also is known for supporting many
public schoolsIn most of the world, excluding England and Wales and some Commonwealth countries, a public school is an educational institution that is funded with tax revenue and most commonly administered by a local government or government agency...
in Brooklyn on occasions such as performances and graduations.
Markowitz has called for the demolition of the residences at
Admiral's RowAdmiral's Row is a row of Second Empire style homes formerly used by naval officers in the New York City borough of Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Some of the homes date back to the Civil War. U.S...
, echoing BNYDC boss Andrew Kimball's claim that the buildings are damaged beyond repair. However, the Beardsley / Crawford & Stearns
report commissioned by the National Guard as part of the Section 106 review of the property disputes this claim. In 2006, Markowitz stated that "a crucial community resource must take priority over preservation at Admirals Row", presumably referring to the
supermarketA supermarket, also called a grocery store in some parts of North America, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
parking lotA Parking lot , also known as "car lot", is a cleared area that is more or less level and is intended for parking vehicles...
which will replace the historic
Second EmpireIn the United States, the Second Empire style usually combined a rectangular tower, or similar element, with a steep, but short, mansard roof; the roof being the most noteworthy link to the style’s French roots. This tower element could be of equal height as the highest floor, or could exceed the...
structures if the land is ceded to the city.
Atlantic Yards
Markowitz is a supporter of the controversial
Atlantic YardsThe Atlantic Yards is a mixed-use commercial and residential development project of 16 high-rise buildings, currently proposed in the neighborhoods of Prospect Heights and Park Slope, adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York City...
complex, which will feature a new home for the
New Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association that plays in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are currently based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and play their home games at the Izod Center...
and 6,430 units of housing. His desire to bring an NBA team to Brooklyn had been known since his campaign for Borough President, and he was instrumental in persuading
Bruce RatnerBruce Ratner is a real estate developer and the current owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets.-Ownership of the Nets:...
to purchase the team in 2004. In March 2008, Ratner acknowledged that much of the project was stalled - but that construction on the basketball arena would begin before 2009. This has angered many citizens, who have suggested that affordable housing should come before a sports complex for the developer's team.
In 2002 Markowitz appointed
Dolly WilliamsDolly Williams is co-founder and CFO of A. Williams Construction, a Brooklyn, NY general contracting company. She was a member of the New York City Planning Commission from 2002-07.-Personal life:...
to the New York City Planning Commission. In 2004 it was revealed that Williams, who is co-founder of a Brooklyn construction company, had invested a million dollars in
Bruce Ratner'sBruce Ratner is a real estate developer and the current owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets.-Ownership of the Nets:...
purchase of the
New Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association that plays in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are currently based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and play their home games at the Izod Center...
. Williams announce that she would recuse herself from any decisions about the Atlantic Yards project. Williams is the only Brooklyn appointee to the Planning Commission.
On Thursday, April 3 2008, Markowitz and his wife Jamie Snow attended a controversial gala honoring
RatnerBruce Ratner is a real estate developer and the current owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets.-Ownership of the Nets:...
at the
Brooklyn MuseumThe Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, is the second-largest art museum in New York City, and one of the largest in the United States. Arnold L...
. The gala featured Japanese artist
Takashi Murakami, is a prolific contemporary Japanese artist who works in both fine arts media, such as painting, as well as digital and commercial media. He blurs the boundaries between high and low art...
and a performance by
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
. Markowitz delivered an address to gala attendees, prompting protesters outside to take a break from shouting "shame" in order to chant pejoratives at the
Borough PresidentBorough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
. During this event, Markowitz's wife Jamie took eight limited edition fiberglass placemats designed by
Murakami, is a prolific contemporary Japanese artist who works in both fine arts media, such as painting, as well as digital and commercial media. He blurs the boundaries between high and low art...
; this move caused some controversy, since there were only enough produced to provide each guest with one. Similar limited edition Murakami placemats have sold for around $1,000 on
ebayeBay Inc. is an American Internet company that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide. A majority of the sales take place through a set-time auction format, but subsequent methods include...
.
Support for the Irish Language
In June 2008, Markowitz urged the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Executive Director Elliot G. Sander to "include the Gaelic/ Irish language on its travel advisory posters released in conjunction with the Great Irish Fair scheduled to be held in Brooklyn’s Coney Island this September".
Markowitz also serves as the Chairman of the Brooklyn chapter of the Loyal League of Yiddish Sons of Erin.
Possible Mayoral Bid
Markowitz has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2009 Mayoral election. Bloomberg was asked what he thought about Markowitz, and according to WABC, he said it was too early to get involved choosing a candidate, but said, "Markowitz seems very capable, and if he wants to run, he should run" (though this statement was made before Bloomberg himself after having term limitations for mayor of New York City removed by a vote of the city council announced for a third term). WABC said he has gotten 18% in polls for the Democratic nomination.
Markowitz's chief of staff, Greg Atkins left office to work for V3 corporation and was replaced by Brooklyn attorney, Carlo Scissura.
External links