J. Daniel Mahoney

John Daniel Mahoney (September 7, 1931 – October 23, 1996) was a New York-based judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Mahoney attended St. Bonaventure University and Columbia Law School and then practiced as a lawyer in New York City for three decades. He was also active in politics and served as chairman of the New York Conservative Party from its founding in 1962 to 1986.

In 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan nominated Mahoney to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mahoney served on the court for ten years until his death in 1996.

Political history

Mahoney founded the Conservative Party of New York, with his brother-in-law, Kieran O'Doherty, who served as the new party's first chairman. The Conservative Party was established as a counterweight to the Liberal Party of New York, which endorsed Democrats on the political left. Mahoney authored Actions Speak Louder: The Story of the New York Conservative Party (Arlington House, 1968), which recounts the formation and early years of the party.

Further information regarding Mahoney and the formation of the Conservative Party and its role in the conservative movement through 2002 is available in Fighting the Good Fight, authored by George J. Marlin (St. Augustine's Press, 2002). Marlin was the Conservative Party mayoral nominee in 1993, having been defeated by the liberal Republican Rudy Giuliani.

Personal history

Mahoney was born in Orange, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from St. Boneventure University and was Kent Scholar at Columbia Law School. After receiving his law degree he served three years as an officer in the United States Coast Guard.

Mahoney married the sister of Kieran O'Doherty, Kathleen (1931–1997), in October 1955. They raised a family of six (Daniel (1956), Kieran (1957), Francis (1959), Mary (1964), Eileen (1966) and Elizabeth (1974)), and resided in the metropolitan New York area throughout their 41-year marriage.

Sources

• J. Daniel Mahoney at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.