Molinari was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly from 1975 to 1980, sitting in the 181st, 182nd and 183rd New York State Legislatures. He was a delegate to the New York State Republican conventions in 1979 and the Republican National Convention in both 1980 and 1984. In 1980, he was elected to the House of Representatives, unseating nine-term Democrat John M. Murphy. In 1982, his district was merged with that of four-term Democrat Leo Zeferetti, and he won with 57%. He was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses with minimal opposition and served from January 3, 1981, until his resignation December 31, 1989, to become Borough President of Staten Island. He was succeeded in the House by his daughter, Susan, who also served on the New York City Council. He served as Borough President from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2001. In 1994, a week before the statewide elections, Molinari announced his view that Karen Burstein, the Democratic nominee for New York Attorney General, was not qualified to serve as attorney general because she was a lesbian. The combination of Molinari's remarks, a strong national Republican showing, and the win of George Pataki in the governor's race, led to Republican Dennis Vacco's narrowly defeating Burstein. The New York Times called his remarks "gutter politics".
Family and personal
Guy Molinari's daughter Susan succeeded him as a member of Congress. She is married to Bill Paxon, a former United States House Representative from Buffalo.
A Life of Service (book)
Molinaro co-authored his autobiography A Life of Service with former NYC Police Lt. -Kossman, a "highly decorated cop, who is also a lawyer and a registered nurse." Feerick, after five years of appeals, began to serve her sentence for having illegally searched for a stolen police radio. With a search warrant still pending, she launched a technically legal "random.. door-to-door" search that, in being carried out, went beyond legal bounds. Feerick-Kossman, a mother with husband Joseph Kossman of two sons, the second seven weeks old, entered Rikers Island jail. Molinari successfully "lobbied Gov. George Pataki to commute her sentence" and she was released a month later. Her law license was returned in 2000. The book, whose start can be traced to Feerick's pushing, discusses Molinari's success at convincing a then age 44 Rudy Giuliani to run for mayor of NYC, Giuliani's push for Molinari to run for Staten Island's Boro President, and the closing of Fresh Kills Landfill, "the largest.. in the world."
Death and legacy
After spending his final years in his home in Bay Terrace, Guy Molinari died of pneumonia on July 25, 2018 at the age of 89. In September 2003 a new Staten Island Ferry boat was built and was christened the Guy V. Molinari; it joined the New York City Department of Transportation fleet in September 2004, a year later. The boat continues to transport commuters and tourists between Staten Island and Manhattan. ; Molinari spaceship: Molinari "expressed surprise" that a fictional outer space "cargo ship Guy Molinari" was named in 2012 after the NYC Staten Island "Guy V Molinari" ferry.
