Manfred Ohrenstein

Manfred Ohrenstein (born August 5, 1925) is a lawyer and former member of the New York State Senate. A Democrat, he represented Manhattan from 1961 until 1994. From 1975 until 1994, he served as the New York State Senate Minority Leader.

Biography

The son of a furniture merchant, Manfred "Fred" Ohrenstein was born in 1925 in Mannheim, Germany.^[1] In 1938, Ohrenstein and his family, who were Jewish, fled Nazi Germany. Ohrenstein and his family settled in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.

Ohrenstein graduated from Brooklyn College in 1948. Three years later, he earned his law degree from Columbia University. From 1952 to 1954, Ohrenstein served in the U.S. Army. After leaving the military, he became an assistant district attorney, working for Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan until 1958.

Politics

In 1960, Ohrenstein defeated Democratic State Senator John H. Farrell, who represented the 25th District in Manhattan, in a primary. Ohrenstein then won the general election with about 57 percent of the vote. He easily won re-election (often by lopsided margins) until he retired in 1994. Ohrenstein briefly represented the 29th District^[2] after a special election in 1965 (when State Senate and Assembly district lines were reapportioned), but the following year was elected to represent the 25th District again. After district boundaries were redrawn after the 1970 Census, Ohrenstein began representing the 27th district, which he held until his retirement. In the Senate, Ohrenstein compiled a liberal voting record, supporting anti-discrimination measures for gays and lesbians and strict rent control laws.

Senate Minority Leader

In 1975, Ohrenstein was elected Senate minority leader by his Democratic colleagues. He held the position until his retirement.

Indictment and Acquittal

On September 16, 1987, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau indicted Ohrenstein on 564 counts of conspiracy, grand larceny, and other charges related to a scheme to use hundreds of thousands of dollars in state money to assist Democratic State Senate candidates in 1986.^[3] Morgenthau alleged that Ohrenstein and his two co-defendants, Democratic State Senator Howard E. Babbush of Brooklyn, and Frank Sanzillo, a top aide employed by Ohrenstein, used public money to pay for campaign workers, and that legislative staffers continued to collect their salaries while working full-time on political campaigns. Despite the indictment, Ohrenstein, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was easily re-elected in 1988 and continued to serve as minority leader.

On November 27, 1990, the New York State Court of Appeals dismissed 445 counts against Ohrenstein, arguing that though his actions may have been unethical, they broke no specific law.^[4] On September 5, 1991, at Morgenthau's request, a state judge in Manhattan dismissed the remaining counts against Ohrenstein.^[5]

In 1992, New York State Controller Edward V. Regan awarded Ohrenstein $1.3 million in legal costs (but disallowed $480,000).^[6]

After Politics

Ohrenstein decided not to seek re-election in 1994. Since leaving politics, he has worked as a lawyer and lobbyist. He is a partner with the law firm of Ohrenstein & Brown, LLP.

References

1. ^ New York Times. "Ohrenstein: A Career That Began With Reform" (September 17, 1987)
2. ^ Our Campaigns: Manfred Ohrenstein
3. ^ New York Times "Legislator Charges in 564 Counts in New York Payroll Abuse Case" September 17, 1987
4. ^ New York Times "New York Court Limits Grounds for Prosecuting a Top Legislator" (November 28, 1990)
5. ^ New York Times "Judge Drops Final Charges For Legislator" (September 5, 1991)"
6. ^ New York Times "Partial Reimbursement for Ohrenstein Legal Bills" (November 26, 1992)

External links

• Manfred Ohrenstein biography at Ohrenstein & Brown, LLP Web site
• Lawyer Central Profile

New York State Senate
Preceded by John H. Farrell	New York State Senate, 25th District 1961–1965	Succeeded by William Conklin
Preceded by Joseph Marine	New York State Senate, 29th District 1966	Succeeded by Robert Garcia
Preceded by William Conklin	New York State Senate, 25th District 1967–1972	Succeeded by Paul Bookson
Preceded by Sidney von Luther	New York State Senate, 27th District 1973–1994	Succeeded by Catherine Abate
Political offices
Preceded by Joseph Zaretzki	Minority Leader of the New York State Senate 1975–1994	Succeeded by Martin Connor

Persondata
Name	Ohrenstein, Manfred
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 5, 1925
Place of birth	Manheim, Germany
Date of death
Place of death