Richard Leone

Richard C. Leone
Born	(1940-04-30) 30 April 1940 Webster, New York, U.S.
Died	16 July 2015(2015-07-16) (aged 75)
Occupation	Politician
Years active	1965–2011
Known for	New Jersey State Treasurer (1974–1977), Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (1990–1994)

Richard Carl Leone (April 30, 1940 – July 16, 2015) was a politician affiliated with the Democratic Party who held the position of New Jersey State Treasurer from 1974 to 1977 and later served as Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey between 1990 and 1994. Throughout his career, he also collaborated with notable leaders such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edmund Muskie.

Early life

Leone was born in Webster, New York to Santo Leone, who worked as operations director at Page Airways, and Lucy Penello Leone. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester in 1965 and pursued graduate education at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, where he obtained both master's and doctoral degrees.

Staffer and operative

Between 1965 and 1967, Leone was part of Governor Richard J. Hughes' staff. He held the role of Executive Director for the White House Task Force on the Cities during President Lyndon Johnson's administration. Leone played a key role in managing Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign in New Jersey and led the Center for the Analysis of Public Issues—a think tank focused on consumer research—from 1970 until 1972. Additionally, he contributed to the policy team for Edmund Muskie’s 1972 presidential bid.

In 1973, Leone successfully managed Brendan Byrne’s gubernatorial campaign, which secured victory by a margin exceeding 700,000 votes (66.4%). He resumed this role for Byrne’s campaign in 1977 amid closely contested primary and general elections.

Leone provided counsel for Walter Mondale’s presidential campaign in 1984 and chaired the transition team for Governor-elect Jon Corzine in 2005.

New Jersey State Treasurer

On December 14, 1973, Brendan Byrne appointed Leone as New Jersey State Treasurer, making him one of the youngest individuals to assume this office at age 33. Following confirmation by the State Senate, he officially took office on January 14, 1974. Leone remained in this capacity until his resignation in 1977 to accept a teaching position at Princeton University.

Campaign for U.S. Senator

In 1978, Leone pursued the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Clifford Case. His campaign received implicit support from the Democratic Governor as well as endorsements from influential county leaders such as Congressman Andrew Maguire—who withdrew to back Leone—Jersey City Mayor Thomas F.X. Smith, Hudson County Chairman Frank Guarini, Camden Mayor Angelo Errichetti, and Mercer County Chairman Richard J. Coffee, positioning him initially as a strong contender.

The race intensified when former New York Knicks player Bill Bradley entered on February 16, followed by ex-State Senator Alexander J. Menza. Menza later alleged that Leone’s supporters attempted to convince him to leave the contest by offering a state appointment; Leone denied these claims.

By mid-May polling, Bradley led with 37%, while Leone held 9% and Menza had 3%. Leone criticized Bradley’s campaign tactics as "arrogant" and accused him of being a carpetbagger due to Bradley’s recent relocation to New Jersey.

Bradley ultimately secured the Democratic primary with a commanding 58.9% of votes compared to Leone’s 26.5%, a difference approaching 120,000 votes. Menza finished third with 9%, followed by minor candidates. On the Republican side, Case was defeated in his primary by conservative Jeffrey Bell; Bradley then won the Senate seat in the general election.

Chairmanship and Role as Port Authority Commissioner

Leone was appointed as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by Republican Governor Thomas Kean. In 1990, following the election of Democrat James Florio as governor, Leone was elevated to the position of Chairman, taking over from Philip Kaltenbacher. Although Governor Byrne made two attempts to have Leone named Executive Director, these efforts were thwarted by New York Governor Hugh Carey.

Career in the Private Sector

Between 1980 and 1982, Leone held the presidency of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Later, from 1985 until 1989, he worked as managing director at the investment banking firm Dillon, Read & Co.. He then served as the leader of the Twentieth Century Fund (currently known as The Century Foundation) from 1989 to 2011. This think tank concentrates on issues such as economic inequality, voting rights, civil liberties, and resisting efforts to privatize Social Security. Leone retired from this role in 2011.

Passing

Leone succumbed to prostate cancer in 2015.