Some memories of Howard Golden from Pat Smith, who covered him as Brooklyn Editor of the New York Post and then served as his Public Affairs Director.

Howard Golden Kept a Kosher Kitchen

Howard Golden served as Brooklyn Borough President from 1977 through 2001.  During that time, he also served as Chair of the Kings County Democratic Organization, when Kings County, Brooklyn, was the largest Democratic county in the nation, and as a member of the Democratic National Committee.   Howard Golden was a powerful man.  On his watch, the decline of Brooklyn was reversed and the rebirth of Brooklyn began.  

Working with Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Mugavero and the East Brooklyn Congregations, a collection of neighborhood churches, synagogues and mosques, they built Nehemiah Housing, converting whole neighborhoods from near ghetto conditions to stretches of red brick row homes for working class families.

Working with Polytechnic University President George Bugliarello, and leaders of Brooklyn Union Gas and New York Telephone, he led the development of MetroTech, was a research, education, commercial complex which brought in thousands of good-paying and reversed the decline in Downtown Brooklyn.  What followed from MetroTech were a robust shopping environment and Manhattan-esque residential towers.

Golden boasted that Brooklyn was home to 96 racial, ethnic and religious groups and he created an Office of Racial & Ethnic Affairs to encourage understanding and to put out the fires when understanding occasionally failed.  Golden was the most respected white political leader among black New Yorkers.  In August, 1989, when Yusuf Hawkins, 16, was shot to death in Bensonhurst, a predominantly Italian-American working class community, Golden put out the fires before they exploded into a conflagration.

At Yusuf Hawkins funeral, Mayor Edward Koch had to slip in the back door of the church, surrounded by plain-clothes police bodyguards.  Golden walked in the front door with one

I am truly sorry to hear the news and want to extend my deepest condolences to Aileen, Michelle , Dana and family…..   He worked so hard for the people of New York and his  own local community…..always remembered as “the Girl Scout leaders daughter”, I have many wonderful memories he left behind….
May  his memory be a blessing…….

Howard

May you rest in eternal peace. You will always be remembered for your service to your country, to the community and for your endless love of Brooklyn 

I always cherished our friendship and I thank you for the memories

God Bless my friend

Greg Perrin

My deepest sympathy. 
Thank you for your love of Brooklyn and all your efforts to maintain the Greatest Borough of all
safe and economically active.  I still have the BROOKLYN gum you gave to staff. 
Thank you for your service, you will be missed. 
Rest in Peace, Borough President Golden.

Marie Walsh 
Former Staff Member

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Howard Golden

November 6, 1925 – January 24, 2024

Riverside Memorial Chapel

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