Mike Arcuri

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Mike Arcuri

Representative-elect from New York's 24th district
Term of office: term begins 2007
Political party:	Democrat
Succeeding:	Sherwood Boehlert
Religion:	Roman Catholic
Born:	June 11, 1959 Utica, New York
Spouse:	divorced

Michael "Mike" Arcuri (born June 11, 1959) is an American District Attorney and politician. Currently he is congressman-elect for New York's 24th congressional district.

1 Background
2 Career as a DA
3 Controversy
4 Congressional Candidacy
5 Family and Personal Life
6 External links

[edit] Background

Mike graduated from Saint Mary of Mt. Carmel Grammar School and T. R. Proctor Public High School, both in Utica. While at Proctor, Mike lettered in football, basketball, and track, served as Senior Class Treasurer and on the yearbook staff, and was involved in numerous service clubs and organizations.

In 1981, Mike graduated from the State University of New York at Albany where he majored in history and minored in economics. During his years at Albany, Mike worked for New York Public Interest Research Group, and played rugby and varsity football. During his four years of football, he helped the Great Danes establish themselves as a nationally respected Division III football power, reaching the semi-final game for the National Championship in 1977 for which he earned All East and All-American honors at the position of center.

In 1984, Mike graduated from New York Law School in New York City and was admitted to practice law in New York state in 1985, and returned to Utica to open a law office in 1986. In addition to private practice he served as attorney for the New Hartford Central School District’s Board of Education.

[edit] Career as a DA

In 1993, Mike was elected District Attorney of Oneida County, only the third Democrat ever elected to that position and the first in over 40 years.

As DA, Arcuri helped to implement Oneida County’s Drug Court and Drug Treatment Alternative To Prison (D-TAP) programs and has prosecuted numerous violent criminals.

In 1997, he received the Mohawk Valley Person of the Year Award from the YWCA for his work in the area of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

In 2003 he was elected President of the New York State District Attorneys Association.

During the 12 years as Oneida County District Attorney, the Assistant District Attorneys in his office carried one of the highest case loads of any county in the State of New York and maintained a 90% conviction rate, one of the highest in the country.

[edit] Controversy

In 2002, Arcuri helped prosecute Joseph A. Smith of Oneida for the murder of Desiree Case of Yorkville. Her body was discovered in an abandoned house on February 26, 2000. Smith was arrested on November 29, 2001 after he was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in a sealed indictment. A jury found Smith guilty of both counts of murder in March of 2002. In late June of 2002 a judge set aside the conviction, on a technicality, when it was discovered the District Attorney's office had failed to provide the defense with all of the evidence in the case. Smith was released from jail on August 1, 2002. He later filed a claim for misconduct and negligence that was settled out of court. However, Case's actual killer, Earl Wright, was eventually apprehended and would eventually plead guilty to manslaughter while an accomplice, Michael L. Nero, would plead guilty to assault.

It should be well noted that it was the district attorney's office that brought the non-disclosure to the attention of the court and that Arcuri requested that Smith's conviction be overturned.

[edit] Congressional Candidacy

In November 2006 Arcuri defeated State Senator Ray Meier for the NY-24 congressional seat left open by the retiring Sherwood Boehlert.

[edit] Family and Personal Life

Mike is the father of two children, Carmen Joseph or “CJ”, 15, and Dominique, 12, and owner of a golden retriever, Rusty. His father, the late Carmen Arcuri, was a World War II veteran, graduate of Cornell University, and member of the New York State Transit Hall of Fame who retired as General Manager of the Utica Transit Authority. His mother, Elizabeth (Betty) Timpano Arcuri, retired as a stenographer with the State of New York. He has two sisters, Judy Arcuri Nole and Mary Jo Arcuri.