Norman J. Levy
Norman J. Levy (January 24, 1931 – February 7, 1998) was an American Republican lawyer and politician. He served in the New York State Senate for 27 years where he was the sponsor of the first legislation in the United States mandating seat belt usage.
Life
Born in Rockville Centre, New York, Levy graduated from Bucknell University in 1952. He then served in the United States Army. Levy then went to Brooklyn Law School, where he received his law degree in 1958. He was then admitted to the New York bar. Levy practiced law and was appointed an assistant district attorney of Nassau County, New York in 1959. In 1962, Levy became the chief of the Nassau County Rackets Bureau that prosecuted organized crime. He served in the New York State Senate from 1971 until 1998. Levy was chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. In that capacity, he helped to secure state funding for projects related to Long Island's parkways and the Long Island Railroad.[1]
Levy sponsored New York's mandatory seatbelt law which was the first one in the United States.[1] He also sponsored zero tolerance legislation that prohibited drivers under the age of 21 from operating a motor vehicle after consuming any amount of alcohol. In June 1997, Levy had emergency brain surgery. He died in Albany, New York, of a complications from a brain tumor.[1][2]
Legacy
In August 1998, signs were installed along the Meadowbrook State Parkway dedicating the road in honor of Levy for his role in sponsoring seat belt legislation. The new signs were unveiled in a ceremony in the median of the parkway just south of Merrick Road. Dignitaries at the honoring ceremony including then-Governor George Pataki, Senator Charles Fuschillo and Levy's widow, Joy Levy. Signs were erected at both ends of the Meadowbrook Parkway and at a point near the Babylon Turnpike interchange.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Waldman, Amy (February 9, 1998). "Senator Norman J. Levy 67 Represented Nassau in Albany". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- ^ Halpern, Andrea; Usinger, Eric (February 13, 1998). "Senator Norman J. Levy Dies at Age 67: Hardworking Senator Remembered Across Massapequa and Farmingdale". Massapequan Observer. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- ^ Gearty, Robert (August 10, 1998). "Parkway Tribute To Sen. Levy". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 21, 2012.