{{Short description|American politician (1947–2014)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Catherine M. Abate | birth_date = {{birth date text|December 8, 1947}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2014|5|17|1947|12|8}} | successor = Thomas Duane | predecessor = Manfred Ohrenstein | term_start = 1995 | term_end = 1998 | birth_place = Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | office1 = Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction | appointer1 = David Dinkins | term_start1 = 1992 | term_end1 = 1995 | death_place = Kips Bay, Manhattan, New York, U.S. | education = Vassar College<br />Boston University School of Law (JD) | office = Member of the New York State Senate<br>from the 27th district | spouse = Ron Kliegerman }}

'''Catherine M. Abate''' (December 8, 1947 &ndash; May 17, 2014) was a New York State Senator.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/12/nyregion/state-senator-enters-race-for-attorney-general.html "State Senator Enters Race For Attorney General"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307022625/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/12/nyregion/state-senator-enters-race-for-attorney-general.html |date=2016-03-07 }}, ''New York Times'', March 12, 1998; accessed May 18, 2014.</ref> She was also a former commissioner of New York City's Correction Department.

Abate was of Italian ancestry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/a-abbot.html |title=A to Abbot |last=Kestenbaum |first=Lawrence |website=The Political Graveyard |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-date=11 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411062618/http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/a-abbot.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Her father was Joseph Abate, a longtime member of the Lucchese crime family. She was born on December 8, 1947, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=LaGumina|first1=Salvatore J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tm-AAAAAQBAJ&dq=Catherine+M.+Abate&pg=PT614|title=The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia|last2=Cavaioli|first2=Frank J.|last3=Primeggia|first3=Salvatore|last4=Varacalli|first4=Joseph A.|date=2003-09-02|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-58332-3|language=en}}</ref> She received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College in 1969 and her Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law in 1972. After graduating, she first attracted attention for her work as a young lawyer at New York City's Legal Aid Society.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Santora|first=Marc|date=2014-05-23|title=Catherine M. Abate, 66, a State Senator and Corrections Chief, Dies|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/23/nyregion/catherine-m-abate-ex-state-senator-dies-at-66.html|access-date=2021-06-28|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2021-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628131643/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/23/nyregion/catherine-m-abate-ex-state-senator-dies-at-66.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

New York Governor Mario Cuomo appointed her as the executive deputy commissioner of the State Division of Human Rights.<ref name=":0" /> In 1988, she was appointed to head the state's Crime Victim's Board. She was an attorney in New York City and was director of training in the criminal defense division.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chnnyc.org/about/executive-management/ |title=Community Healthcare Network-Executive Management-Catherine Abate |access-date=2014-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519132155/http://www.chnnyc.org/about/executive-management/ |archive-date=2014-05-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She also on the Governor's Task Force on Rape and Sexual Assault.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Correction Commissioner Catherine M. Abate In Memoriam Page|url=http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/abate/Former-Commissioner-Abate-In-Memoriam-Page.html|access-date=2021-06-28|website=www.correctionhistory.org|archive-date=2021-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015233129/http://correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/abate/Former-Commissioner-Abate-In-Memoriam-Page.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1992, then-New York City Mayor David Dinkins appointed Abate as City Commissioner for the Department of Corrections.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/21/nyregion/state-senate-seat-is-sought-by-abate.html "State Senate Seat Is Sought by Abate"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201081537/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/21/nyregion/state-senate-seat-is-sought-by-abate.html |date=2016-12-01 }}, ''New York Times'', June 21, 1994; accessed May 18, 2014.</ref> The New Jersey-born Democrat served two terms (1995–1999), representing a district in Manhattan. In 1998, she gave up her seat to run for New York State Attorney General. Abate lost the Democratic primary to Eliot Spitzer. After leaving politics, she spent fifteen years working as President/CEO of the Community Healthcare Network.<ref name="ny1news" />

==Death== Abate died on May 17, 2014, aged 66, in Bellevue Hospital from uterine cancer.<ref name="ny1news">[http://www.ny1.com/content/news/208853/former-state-senator-catherine-abate-dies Notice of death of former NY State Senator Catherine Abate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519021152/http://www.ny1.com/content/news/208853/former-state-senator-catherine-abate-dies |date=2014-05-19 }}, ny1.com; accessed May 18, 2014.</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikiquote}} *[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=42166 Our Campaigns: Catherine M. Abate profile]; accessed May 18, 2014. *{{C-SPAN|56258}} *{{NYTtopic|people/a/catherine_m_abate}} {{Authority control}} {{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ny-sen}} {{succession box | title=Member of the New York State Senate <br>from the 27th district | before=Manfred Ohrenstein|years=1995&ndash;1998|after=Thomas Duane}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abate, Catherine}} Category:1947 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Women state legislators in New York (state) Category:Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Category:Deaths from uterine cancer in New York (state) Category:Vassar College alumni Category:Boston University School of Law alumni Category:New York (state) lawyers Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century New York (state) politicians Category:American people of Italian descent Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature

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