Geraldine Ferraro

Geraldine Ferraro – Photo Courtesy of Michael Perlman

Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 – March 26, 2011) was an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who made history in 1984 as the first female vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket in the United States. A longtime resident of Forest Hills Gardens, her career in public service was deeply rooted in the Queens community.

Biography

Born in Newburgh, New York, Ferraro was the daughter of Italian immigrants. After her father’s death when she was eight, her mother worked as a seamstress to support the family. Ferraro earned her Bachelor of Arts from Marymount Manhattan College in 1956 and later attended Fordham University School of Law at night while working as a public school teacher in Queens. She earned her J.D. in 1960.

Ferraro began her legal career in private practice before joining the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in 1974. There, she established and headed the Special Victims Bureau, advocating for victims of domestic violence and child abuse. In 1978, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 9th Congressional District, a seat she held for three terms.

Her national prominence skyrocketed in 1984 when Walter Mondale selected her as his running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket. Although they lost to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Ferraro’s candidacy shattered a significant political glass ceiling. She later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights under President Bill Clinton (1993–1996).

Relationship to Forest Hills Gardens

Geraldine Ferraro’s Forest Hills Gardens Home – 22 Deepdene Road

Geraldine Ferraro’s connection to Forest Hills Gardens was personal and enduring. It was not just her political base, but her home for nearly four decades.

  • Residence at 22 Deepdene Road: Following her marriage to John Zaccaro in 1960, the couple eventually settled in Forest Hills Gardens. They moved into a home at 22 Deepdene Road in 1966, where they raised their three children (Donna, John Jr., and Laura). This house served as her residence throughout her tenure in Congress and during her historic 1984 vice-presidential campaign.
  • Community Ties: Her husband, John Zaccaro, was a real estate businessman active in the local area. Ferraro was deeply involved in the local legal fabric, serving as president of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association in 1970.
  • Local Legacy: Ferraro lived in the Gardens until 2002, when she and her husband moved to Manhattan to be closer to their grandchildren. Her legacy in the neighborhood was memorialized in 2012 when the intersection of Austin Street and Ascan Avenue—a spot she passed frequently during her 36 years in the neighborhood—was renamed “Geraldine Ferraro Way.”

    Read more about the dedication of “Geraldine Ferraro Way” at the intersection of Austin Street and Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills.  

Sources

Monumental Women: 22 Deepdene Road, Forest Hills Gardens: Geraldine Ferraro https://monumentalwomen.org/map/

Fordham University School of Law: Alumni of Distinction: Geraldine Ferraro https://www.fordham.edu/school-of-law/alumni/alumni-of-distinction/geraldine-ferraro/

QNS: Forest Hills’ Geraldine Ferraro helped set the stage for Kamala Harris https://qns.com/2024/04/forest-hills-geraldine-ferraro-helped-set-the-stage-for-kamala-harris-our-neighborhood-the-way-it-was/

QNS: Geraldine Ferraro leaves Forest Hills for Manhattan (June 26, 2002) https://qns.com/2002/06/geraldine-ferraro-leaves-forest-hills-for-manhattan/

Brownstoner: Intersection in Forest Hills to be renamed in honor of Geraldine Ferraro https://www.brownstoner.com/queens/news/intersection-in-forest-hills-queens-to-be-renamed-in-honor-of-geraldine-ferraro/

Famous Residents