(L. to r., back row): U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, District Leader Gloria DeMarco Aloise, District Leader Ann Marie Anzalone, Queens County Clerk Gloria D’Amico and District Leader Yvonne Reddick; front row: Congressmember Joseph Crowley and Assemblymember Margaret Markey. Queens County Clerk and Clerk of Courts Gloria D’Amico was honored at the Women’s Democratic Executive Committee of Queens County annual luncheon at Antun’s of Queens Village on Saturday, March 6. Assemblymember Margaret Markey and Community Board 13 District Manager Yvonne Reddick served as co-chairpersons for the event; U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressmember Joseph Crowley attended.

D’Amico, born in Hartford, Connecticut, moved with her family to Astoria as a teenager. A graduate of the Professional School of Fashion Design, she worked in the fashion industry until her marriage in 1949 to Leonard D’Amico, with whom she had two sons, Louis and Leonard. She was president of the Rosary Society and the Booster Organization of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Astoria and chaired and was responsible for the success of many church bazaars.

She started her political career at the Taminent Regular Democratic Club and became a Democratic District Leader in 1970, teaming up first with the late Ralph De Marco as co-leader and later with state Senator George Onorato. Concurrently, she first worked for the Board of Elections in 1970, becoming Chief Clerk of the Queens Board of Elections in 1972. In 1978, she became treasurer of the Queens County Democratic Organization. In 1991, she resigned as District Leader, Board of Elections Chief Clerk and Queens County Democratic Organization treasurer to become Queens County Clerk. She was a delegate from New York to the 1980 Democratic National Convention.

During her tenure as Chief Clerk at the Queens Board of Elections, D’Amico directed the computerization of records of one million voters. Under her, the Queens BoE office was regarded as the best managed and most efficient office in New York City. At the County Clerk’s Office, despite budget constraints, she implemented the complete computerization of the office and improved all office facilities for both the public and employees. Under her, Queens became the first county to inaugurate offsite microfilming of records. As Commissioner of Jurors, a position she holds simultaneously with that of County Clerk, D’Amico relocated the Jury Division into the New Civil Court Building, providing jurors with contemporary and friendlier facilities. She has also monitored the completion of the total renovation and modernization of the County Clerk’s Office.

The annual Hon. Gloria D’Amico Fun Run/Walk is held on a late September Sunday in Astoria Park. Participants, from throughout Queens, most dressed in light blue tee shirts provided by two event sponsors, the Salah M. Hassanein Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens and Con Edison, run or walk in races organized by entrants’ ages. State funding helps support the run/walk.