Dr. Guy V. Molinari ’49 H’90 died on July 25, 2018, at age 89. He represented Staten Island in the New York State Assembly and U.S. Congress; served as Staten Island Borough President; and became known as the “Republican kingpin of Staten Island,” in the words of his New York Times obituary.
Both Guy and his brother, Robert (also class of 1949), attended Wagner. “I was extremely proud to attend Wagner College,” Molinari wrote in his memoir. He majored in social science and joined the fraternity Kappa Sigma Alpha.
He earned his law degree from New York Law School, and he served in the Marines during the Korean War. He practiced law on Staten Island before entering politics in the 1980s, winning 10 straight elections.
Wagner recognized Molinari with an Alumni Achievement Award in 1981 and an honorary doctorate in 1990, the same year he was sworn in as borough president at a ceremony in Main Hall. “Throughout [his] decades of public service, President Molinari has been committed to the welfare of Staten Island and its residents,” the College citation for his honorary degree said.
Survivors include his daughter, former Wagner Trustee Susan Molinari H’95.
