Andrew Lanza

Infobox State Senator
name= Andrew Lanza

---

caption=
state_senate= New York
district=24^th
term_start= January 1, 2007
term_end=
predecessor= John Marchi
successor=
birth_date= birth date and age|1964|03|12
birth_place= Brooklyn, New York
death_date=
death_place=
alma_mater =St. John's University,
Fordham University School of Law
spouse= Marcele Lanza
profession= Attorney
party= Republican
footnotes=
religion=Roman Catholic

Andrew Joseph Lanza (born March 12 1964) is an American lawyer and politician and is currently serving as a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 24th District which encompasses most of Staten Island. Lanza was elected State Senator in the November 2006 election. He is a former member of the New York City Council.

Education

Lanza attended P.S. 32 as a child, as well as I.S. 24, both in Great Kills, Staten Island. He is a 1982 graduate of Monsignor Farrell High School in Oakwood. He is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree and St. John's University, where he received a B.S. in Accounting. He is admitted for the practice of law to the Bars of New York, New Jersey, SDNY and DNJ.

Work on Wall Street and in the Manhattan D.A.'s Office

Just prior to his entry into politics, Lanza was associated with Mercury Securities LLC, a Wall Street software development and stock trading firm, where he was a Managing Member and General Counsel Partner.

He also served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office as a prosecutor of street crimes, felony cases, New York State Welfare Fraud and procedural and constitutional issues.

Lanza received his corporate legal training with KPMG Peat Marwick as a Senior Auditor where he was in charge of auditing public and private firms, banks, importers and hospitals.

Election to the New York City Council

Running as a Republican, Lanza was first elected to the New York City Council in 2001 and re-elected for a second term in 2003 to the 51st Council District on the South Shore of Staten Island, representing over 150,000 constituents. He was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2005 as well.

Out of 51 councilmembers, he was just one of three Republicans.

At the City Council he sat on the Education Committee, Land Use Committee, Sanitation and Solid Waste Committee, Standards and Ethics Committee, Environmental and Transportation Committee, as well as the sub-committee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions.

Election to the New York State Senate

Lanza was elected to the New York State Senate on November 7, 2006 and took office on January 1, 2007. He fills the seat vacated by Senator John J. Marchi, who retired after 50 years of service in the State Senate. He has been named the Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and Chairman of the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee. He also serves on the Aging Committee, the Cities Committee, the Codes Committee, the Education Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee.

Personal life

Lanza lives in Great Kills with his wife and three children. Lanza is a childhood friend of United States Congressman Vito Fossella of Staten Island. The two campaigned together in 2006 for Lanza's election to the State Senate and Fossella's re-election campaign to Congress. Despite the fact that his wife and daughter had recently been hit by an alleged drunk driver, Lanza supported Fossella as he dealt with his drunk driving scandal, [http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=11&aid=81157] stating that "no one is a better leader than Fossella." [http://wcbstv.com/local/vito.fossella.dwi.2.714172.html]

ee also

*List of New York State Senators

External links

* [http://www.nyssenate24.com/24/default.aspx/ New York State Senate Member Site]