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George Richard MosconeAmerican lawyer and politician
Date of Birth: 24.11.1929
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Legal Career and Political Beginnings
- State Senate and Champion for Progressive Causes
- Mayorship and Social Justice
- Tragic Assassination
Early Life and Education
George Moscone was born on November 24, 1929, in San Francisco to a prison guard father and a homemaker mother. During his school years, he excelled in basketball, becoming a star player for his high school team. He attended the University of the Pacific, where he befriended John L. Burton, a future politician and U.S. Representative. Moscone went on to earn a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Legal Career and Political Beginnings
After serving in the Navy, Moscone established a private law practice in 1956. In 1960, Phillip Burton, his friend's brother and a member of the California State Assembly, convinced Moscone to run for a Democratic Assembly seat. Though he lost the election, Moscone gained experience in politics and became a member of the Board of Supervisors in 1963. He became known for his advocacy for the poor, minorities, and small businesses.
State Senate and Champion for Progressive Causes
In 1966, Moscone was elected to the California State Senate from the 10th District. He aligned himself with a group of progressive local politicians led by the Burton brothers. Soon after his election, he was chosen by his fellow Democrats to serve as Majority Leader. He was re-elected twice—from the 10th District in 1970 and from the 6th District in 1974. Moscone sponsored a successful bill to provide school lunches for California students. In 1974, he briefly ran for Governor of California before withdrawing from the race.
Mayorship and Social Justice
In 1975, Moscone ran for Mayor of San Francisco and won a tight race against conservative John Barbagelata. He became the first mayor in San Francisco's history to appoint a significant number of women, gays, lesbians, and minorities to city commissions and advisory boards.
Tragic Assassination
In late 1978, one of the city supervisors, Dan White, resigned from the Board of Supervisors. His resignation meant that Moscone could choose White's successor, potentially shifting the balance of power on the board in his favor. White's more conservative colleagues persuaded him to reconsider. Agreeing with their arguments, White asked Moscone to reappoint him. Moscone initially considered it but was convinced by more liberal members of the board, including Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay politicians, to decline.
On November 27, 1978, Dan White, described as a man with a remarkable capacity for holding a grudge, went to City Hall to see Moscone. Upon being told that the mayor would not reconsider, White pulled out a gun and fatally shot Moscone. He then went to Milk's office and killed him as well. He subsequently turned himself in to the police station and was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Moscone's successor as mayor was Dianne Feinstein.
