Robert M. Morgenthau

Robert M. Morgenthau was an American lawyer who served as the District Attorney for New York County for 35 years, becoming one of the most influential and longest-serving prosecutors in American history. The grandson of Henry Morgenthau Sr., who was United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and the son of Henry Morgenthau Jr., the United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he built a formidable reputation for prosecuting complex financial crimes, organized crime, and public corruption. His tenure, marked by a relentless focus on justice and institutional integrity, left an indelible mark on the New York City legal landscape and the United States Department of Justice.

Early life and education

Born into a prominent family of German-Jewish descent, he was raised in New York City and on his family's estate in Hopewell Junction, New York. His early life was steeped in public service, with his father, Henry Morgenthau Jr., playing a key role in the New Deal and helping to establish the International Monetary Fund. He attended the Deerfield Academy before earning a Bachelor of Arts in history from Amherst College in 1941. He subsequently enrolled at the Yale Law School, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.

Military service

He enlisted in the United States Navy and served with distinction from 1941 to 1945, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. During the war, he served as an executive officer on the USS *Lansdale*, which was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea during the Battle of Anzio. He later commanded the USS *Harry F. Bauer*, a high-speed minesweeper that saw action in the Pacific Theater of Operations, including the Battle of Okinawa. His naval service earned him several commendations.

Legal and prosecutorial career

After the war, he returned to complete his Bachelor of Laws at Yale Law School in 1948. He began his legal career at the law firm of Patterson, Belknap & Webb before being appointed by President John F. Kennedy as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 1961. In this role, he gained national prominence for prosecuting major cases involving securities fraud, organized crime figures like Joe Gallo, and corruption, setting a template for the office's future focus on white-collar crime. He was briefly removed from his post by President Richard Nixon in 1970 but later ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York in 1962 and for the Democratic nomination for Mayor in 1965.

Manhattan District Attorney

Elected in 1974 as the successor to Frank S. Hogan, he transformed the New York County District Attorney's office into a powerhouse of prosecution. His office secured convictions in high-profile cases against the heads of the Five Families of the American Mafia, including John Gotti and the Commission Trial. He pioneered the investigation and prosecution of complex international financial crimes, targeting institutions like the Bank of Credit and Commerce International and individuals such as Ivan Boesky. His tenure also saw the creation of specialized units for sex crimes, domestic violence, and cold cases, and he mentored a generation of future leaders, including U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and future Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr..

Later life and legacy

After retiring in 2009, he remained active in public life, joining the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and serving as chairman of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Battery Park City. He received numerous awards, including the Justice Award from the New York State Bar Association. Upon his death in 2019, he was widely eulogized as a titan of the legal profession whose career embodied the principle of equal justice under law. His legacy endures in the continued aggressive prosecutorial stance of the Southern District of New York and the institutional reforms he implemented in the New York City criminal justice system. Category:1919 births Category:2019 deaths Category:American lawyers Category:District attorneys in New York (state)