Ex-New York Governor Mario Cuomo Dies at 82

Albany: Mario Cuomo, a son of Italian immigrants who became an eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during his three terms as New York Governor, has died. He was 82.

The New York state governor's office confirmed Cuomo died on Thursday, the day his son Andrew started his second term as Governor of the state. Doctors had been treating Mario Cuomo for a heart condition. His cause of death wasn't immediately released.

Cuomo loomed large in New York politics as Governor from 1983 through 1994. He became nationally celebrated for his ability to weave the story of his humble upbringing with ringing calls for social justice.

But he was also well known for the presidential races he stayed out of in 1988 and 1992.