| Gabriel Oliver Koppell | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New York City Council from the 11th District | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | June Eisland |
| Constituency | Bronx: Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Woodlawn, Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Wakefield and Bronx Park East. |
| 61st New York State Attorney General | |
| In office January 1994 – December 1994 |
|
| Governor | Mario Cuomo |
| Preceded by | Robert Abrams |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Vacco |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 15, 1940 New York City |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Lorraine Coyle Koppell |
| Residence | Bronx, New York |
| Alma mater | Harvard College Harvard Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Website | NYC Council: District 11 |
G. Oliver Koppell (born December 15, 1940 in the Bronx, New York) is a member of the New York City Council from District 11 in the Borough of The Bronx, covering the neighborhoods of Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Woodlawn, Van Cortlandt Village, Norwood, and Bedford Park. He was elected to the Council in 2001, and recently defeated Ari Hoffnung by a 3 to 1 margin in 2005. On September 15, 2009, Oliver Koppell defeated challenger, Tony Perez Casino winning 65% of the vote.
Prior to his term in the City Council, he had been a member of the New York State Assembly in from 1970 to 1994. While in the Assembly, he served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and passed the New York bottle bill. In 1981, Koppell ran for Bronx Borough President, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by the incumbent, Stanley Simon.
In 1993, Koppell was elected by the New York State Legislature to fill the unexpired term of New York State Attorney General Robert Abrams, who resigned. As attorney general, Koppell successfully brought a lawsuit to allow drivers under the age of 25 to obtain rental cars in the State of New York. In 1994, Koppell sought a full term as attorney general, but lost to Judge Karen Burstein in the Democratic Primary. He finished second, ahead of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles "Joe" Hynes and prosecutor Eliot Spitzer. In 1998, he again sought the Democratic nomination for state attorney general. He finished third in the primary, behind Spitzer, who won, and State Sen. Catherine Abate. Koppell finished ahead of Charles Davis, a former staffer for former Gov. Mario Cuomo.
Koppell was born in New York City. His parents, refugees from Nazi Germany, moved to the Bronx when Oliver was two. Koppell attended Bronx elementary schools, the Bronx High School of Science, Harvard College and Harvard Law School, from which he graduated cum laude.[1] While at Harvard College, he founded Let's Go Travel Guides.
Koppell's first marriage ended in divorce. He is now married to Lorraine Coyle Koppell, an attorney who narrowly lost a race for the New York State Senate in 2000 to Guy Velella. He has three children, all of whom were raised in the Bronx and attended Bronx public schools, and five grandchildren.[1] Koppell is active in the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club. He has been a resident of Fieldston in the Bronx.[2]
| New York Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Benjamin Altman |
New York State Assembly, 84th District 1970–1982 |
Succeeded by Gordon Burrows |
| Preceded by Guy Velella |
New York State Assembly, 80th District 1983–1992 |
Succeeded by George Friedman |
| Preceded by Stephen B. Kaufman |
New York State Assembly, 81st District 1993 |
Succeeded by Jeffrey Dinowitz |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by June Eisland |
New York City Council, 11th District 2002–present |
Incumbent |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Robert Abrams |
New York State Attorney General 1994 |
Succeeded by Dennis Vacco |
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