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Summary
- Abstract:
- The Ernest Curto Papers document Curto's service in the New York State Assembly, as a representative of Niagara County (N.Y.), where he served from 1946-1964. The collection includes correspondence, subject files, and legislation from his tenure.
- Extent:
- 17.25 cubic ft.
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Ernest Curto Papers, 1944, 1946-1965. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Curto Papers).
Background
- Scope and Content:
The Ernest Curto Papers span the years of 1944-1965, and are related to his career as a representative of Niagara County in the New York State Assembly. The papers include Assembly bills and supporting materials, correspondence, and subject files. These materials represent his legislative activities including legislative committee service, correspondence with constituents, organizations, and other legislators and government officials, and his sponsorship of legislation in the Assembly. The types of materials in the collection include letters, brochures, booklets, pamphlets, reports, memos, legislation, statistical data, resolutions, postcards, press clippings, press releases, speeches, hearing transcripts, notes, maps, charts, bound copies of bills, and field notes.
Researchers should note that there is a small amount of material related to his post-legislative career in the collection that dates from 1965, but as it was related to earlier materials in the collection, the archivist chose to retain it.
The series arrangement reflects the way that Curto and his staff organized and filed his papers. The archivist also elected to retain the folder titles created by Curto and his staff. The archivist chose to interfile materials that had been removed from their original folders prior to their arrival at the archives in existing series where appropriate and name them in a manner which corresponded to Curto's other folder names.
- Biographical / Historical:
New York State Assemblyman Ernest Curto was born in Pentone, Italy on July 28, 1902. In 1904, his family moved to Niagara Falls, New York, where he would later attend public schools. Curto attended the Genesee Wesleyan Preparatory Academy, and then studied at Niagara University and Syracuse University. He received his law degree from the University of Buffalo Law School, and became a member of the New York State Bar Association in 1935.
Prior to his service in the New York State Assembly, Curto was employed as research counsel for Assemblyman Harry D. Suitor. He served two terms as the acting city and police court judge for the city of Niagara Falls. Curto was also active in various labor, religious (Catholic), and community organizations.
Curto represented the Second District, which included Niagara County, in the New York State Assembly from 1946-1964. He was elected in a special election held November 6, 1945, following the death of Assemblyman Suitor. He was then re-elected in the general election of 1946. During his almost two decades in the Assembly, he had a number of committee assignments, including: Codes, Rules, Public Service, Ethics and Guidance, and Canals and Waterways. He served as the chair of the Assembly Mortgage and Real Estate Committee. Curto also participated in several joint legislative committees, including: Commerce and Economic Development, Lake Erie-Lake Ontario Canal, and Housing and Urban Redevelopment.
During his term in office, the New York State Power Authority, under the leadership of Robert Moses, constructed a massive power plant on the Niagara River. As a result of conflicts between the local governments in Niagara County and the Power Authority, Curto took a keen interest in local government matters, including taxes and land annexations. During the later part of his term, he became interested in urban renewal projects, especially in the city of Niagara Falls. Curto was also deeply concerned with labor issues, and he worked tirelessly for the passage of a bill in the Assembly that would ban the practice of employing professional strikebreakers.
Following his retirement from the Assembly in 1965, Curto returned to his private law practice, where he continued to pursue his interest in local labor and urban renewal activities. He retired in 1992. On January 6, 1998, Ernest Curto passed away after a year-long illness. He was survived by his wife, Eleanor, and his three children.
- Acquisition information:
- Ernest Curto initially donated his papers to Syracuse University in 1965. In 2006, the papers were transferred to the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives.
- Processing information:
Processed in 2011 by Emily N. Hart.
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1 - Subject Files, 1946-1965, Undated
- Series 2 - Bills, 1956-1964, Undated
- Series 3 - Legislative Correspondence, 1944, 1946-1965, Undated
Series 1 is arranged alphabetically by subject. In series 2, the bound bills are arranged chronologically, and the bill files are arranged chronologically, and then by bill introduction number. In series 3, the constituent correspondence subseries is arranged alphabetically, while the general correspondence is arranged chronologically.
- Physical location:
- The materials are located onsite in the department.
Subjects
- Subjects:
- Politics and Politicians
Mortgage loans--New York (State).
Political ethics--New York (State).
Politicians--New York (State).
Strikebreakers--Legal status, laws, etc.--New York (State).
Urban renewal--New York (State).
Bills (legislative records)
Clippings
Correspondence
Files by subject
Legislative Records
Questionnaires
Reports
Resolutions - Names:
- New York (State). Legislature. Assembly.
New York (State). Legislature. Assembly. Committee on Canals.
New York (State). Legislature. Joint Legislative Committee on Housing and Urban Development.
New York (State). Legislature. Assembly. Committee on Ethics and Guidance.
New York (State). Legislature. Joint Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
Power Authority of the State of New York.
Curto, Ernest, 1902-1998. - Places:
- Niagara County (N.Y.).
Niagara River (N.Y. and Ont.)--Power utilization.
New York State New York (State)--Politics and government.
Contents
Access
Using These Materials
- ACCESS:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Access to this record group is unrestricted.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Ernest Curto Papers, 1944, 1946-1965. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Curto Papers).