Mayor Anthony M. Masiello

Anthony M. Masiello was sworn in as the 57th Mayor of the city of Buffalo on January 1, 1994. Mayor Masiello received 65% of the Democratic Primary vote and 67% of the General Election vote in 1993. The Mayor was re-elected to second term in 1997 with the joint endorsement of the Democratic and Republican parties.


Educated in Buffalo Catholic schools, Mayor Masiello graduated from Canisius College in 1969 after a Hall of Fame career as a basketball standout for the Division I Golden Griffins. The Indiana Pacers subsequently drafted him in the National Basketball Association's third round.


In 1971, Mayor Masiello began his career in elective office when he was elected as a district representative to the Buffalo Common Council. He was subsequently elected to an at-large seat on the Council and served as Democratic Majority leader in 1976. The Mayor then entered the New York State Senate as "Buffalo's Senator" in 1980 and was re-elected to seven two-year terms. In the State Senate, Mayor Masiello ascended to Minority Whip and served as Chair of the Democratic Conference. Among his accomplishments while serving in the State Senate, then-Senator Masiello was able to secure greater funding for the city's public school system, increased state financial support for Roswell Park Cancer Institute and needed funding for Children's Hospital. He was also instrumental in funding the Ellicott Mall housing development in Buffalo's inner city and aiding in the passage of the Vietnam Veterans Tuition Assistance bill.


As Mayor of Buffalo, Tony Masiello has presided over sweeping changes in the way the city conducts business and delivers essential services, including empanelling a City Charter Commission that led to the 1999 voter-approved new City Charter. The new Charter was the first change of the city's governing document in 70 years.


The Masiello Administration, while stabilizing the city's fiscal condition, has succeeded in putting Buffalo on the road to financial recovery. In early 1999, Moody's Investor Service and Standard and Poor's upgraded the city's credit rating, thereby affirming the Masiello Administration's commitment to sound fiscal policies and financial prudence.


The overriding theme of the Masiello Administration has been the "Three E's - Education, Economic Development and Environment."


Since becoming Mayor, Tony Masiello has overseen the implementation of a Community School program that has grown to include thirteen public schools throughout the city. The Community Schools help provide health and social services to schoolchildren, adult education and positive extracurricular activities for community children. To date, the schoolchildren participating in the program have demonstrated a considerable improvement in academic achievement and school attendance.


The city has also embarked on an ambitious new school construction and rehabilitation program that will provide the proper physical learning environment for the city's public school students. In January 2000, Mayor Masiello proposed state legislation that will permit the City of Buffalo to construct six new schools via private financing, issue Certificates of Participation that are sold to private investors, seek exemption from state construction mandates such as the Wicks Law (which requires a separate bid process and separate contracts for each of up to five areas of construction such as electrical, plumbing and HVAC etc.) and allow the city to award construction contracts on merits other than low bids.


The city's economic future continues to look brighter with the commencement of a multi-million waterfront redevelopment project, the coordinated development agenda of the Downtown Buffalo 2002! initiative, the continuing growth of information technology firms in downtown Buffalo (the city possesses the fifth most extensive fiber optic network in the world), the successful East Side William Gaiter Business Incubator, the soon-to-be-developed Union Ship Canal commercial park on former steel industry brownfields in South Buffalo and the evolution of the Bio-Medical Corridor between the University at Buffalo, General Hospital and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.


In early December 1999, Mayor Masiello was awarded the New York Water Environment Association's top award, the Frank E. Van Lare Award, which is presented to "a locally elected official who has made a substantial and meaningful contribution to advancing effective environmental programs." In addition, the Mayor was appointed in 1999 Vice Chair of the United States Conference of Mayors' Brownfields Task Force. In December 1999, Mayor Masiello chaired a panel discussion during the EPA's Brownfields '99 Conference. The panel's topic of discussion was "Border-Crossing Brownfields: Regional Planning and Financing."


Mayor Masiello is the oldest of seven children born to Bridget and Dan Masiello. He is married to the former Kathleen McCue of Washingtonville, NY. He is the father of Kimberly Masiello, and he and Kate are parents to Ariel and Madeline Rose. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Canisius College and honorary degrees from Medaille College of Buffalo and Canisius College.