Jerome Anthony Ambro, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Angelo D. Roncallo |
| Succeeded by | Gregory W. Carman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1928-06-27)June 27, 1928 Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Died | March 4, 1993(1993-03-04) (aged 64) Alexandria, Virginia, US |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Politician Environmentalist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1951 to 1953 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | Military Police |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Jerome Anthony Ambro, Jr. (June 27, 1928 – March 4, 1993) was an American military veteran and politician who served three terms as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives for New York from 1975 to 1981.
Ambro's father was New York assemblymanJerome G. Ambro.[1] Born inBrooklyn, New York, he attended Brooklyn public elementary schools and graduated fromGrover Cleveland High School,Queens, New York, in 1946. Ambro earned a B.A. fromNew York University in 1955. He was married on June 11, 1955, to Helen McCooey, with whom he had three children, Cathleen Ambro DeRolf, David Ambro and Richard Ambro. His second wife was Antoinette Salatto.
During theKorean War, Ambro served in theUnited States Army as a member of theMilitary Police from 1951 to 1953 where he attained the rank of sergeant.
Ambro served the town ofHuntington as a budget office and purchasing and personnel director from 1960 to 1967. Later, he served on theSuffolk County, New York Board of Supervisors from 1968 to 1969. From 1968 to 1974 he served four terms as Supervisor for the town of Huntington. He was simultaneously chairman of Huntington'sUrban Renewal Agency, as well as president of Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Huntington.
In1970, Ambro challengedBasil Paterson for the Democratic nomination forLieutenant Governor of New York, but was defeated in theprimary election.
Elected as aDemocrat to the94th,95th and96th United States Congresses, Ambro served from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1981.[2] He led the Democratic Party to its first sweep of Huntington elections in 35 years. While Ambro was in office, the town of Huntington became the first municipality to ban the use of the pesticideDDT.
During his first term in the House, Ambro was elected president of his 82-member freshman class. Ambro served on the Public Works and Transportation Committee and was elected chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee Subcommittee on Natural Resources and the Environment. Ambro played a major role in winning the preservation of wetlands inMassapequa, New York, and havingBrookhaven National Laboratory designated as the site of a high-energy reactor.
In 1980, Ambro authored an amendment to the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (Section 106(f)) to require that the disposal of dredged material into Long Island Sound from any federal project, or from any non-federal project exceeding 25,000 cubic yards (19,000 m³), comply with the environmental criteria for ocean dumping under the MPRSA, in addition to the requirements of Section 404 of theClean Water Act.
He was defeated for re-election in 1980 byGregory W. Carman[3]
After leaving Congress, he worked as a lobbyist and was a governmental and legislative consultant.
Ambro died from diabetes in a hospital atFalls Church, Virginia, on March 4, 1993 (age 64 years, 250 days). He isinterred atArlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.[4]
TheEast Northport, New York, post office building was renamed the Jerome Anthony Ambro, Jr. Post Office Building in 1998. The Town of Huntington named the Jerome Ambro Memorial Wetlands Preserve in honor of Ambro's conservation efforts.[5]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 3rd congressional district 1975–1981 | Succeeded by |
