Steven Pankow (March 29, 1908 – July 25, 1993) was an American businessman and politician. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Buffalo, New York from 1954 to 1957.
Steven Pankow | |
|---|---|
| 55th Mayor of Buffalo, New York | |
| In office 1954–1957 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Mruk |
| Succeeded by | Frank A. Sedita |
| Clerk of Erie County, New York | |
| In office 1949–1951 | |
| Preceded by | Harry C. Vackel |
| Succeeded by | Edward A. Rath |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 29, 1908 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 25, 1993 (aged 85) Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Calvary Cemetery, Cheektowaga, New York |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Conwall (m. 1930-1993, his death) |
| Occupation | Car dealer Businessman |
Early life
editPankow was born in Buffalo on March 29, 1908, the son of Ivan Pankow and Anastasia (Kurdupel) Pankow.[1] His mother was from Freifeld, a town in Galicia then in the Austrian portion of the Austrian Partition, but now of Kowalówka, Cieszanów, Poland.[1][2] His parents were of Ukrainian or Ruthenian descent, and the family moved to Freifeld in 1909.[1] Pankow was educated in the parochial schools there before returning to Buffalo with his brother John in 1925, so they could live with an aunt.[1]
Pankow's father later returned to Buffalo, then went back to Freifeld in 1939 intending to bring the rest of the family to Buffalo.[1] World War II commenced with Germany's invasion of Poland soon afterwards, and Pankow's parents, a sister and three brothers were never heard from again. Two sisters who were living in Poland and one who resided in Germany survived the war.[3]
Start of career
editAfter leaving high school early to join the workforce, Pankow worked at local United States Rubber Company and Bethlehem Steel plants until 1930.[1] He then moved into car sales and traveled to Detroit to attended the Chrysler business school for auto salesmen. His success in the car business led Pankow to start Pankow Motors, a Dodge-Plymouth dealership.[1][4] Pankow was a longtime member and past president of the American Automobile Association of Western New York and the Western New York Automobile Dealers Association.[4] Pankow also belonged to the Moose, the Elks, and the local chamber of commerce.[5]
Politics
editErie County Clerk
editPankow developed an interest in politics and considered running for a seat in the New York State Senate, but the local Republican organization refused to back him, so Pankow became a Democrat.[1] In 1948, he was the Democratic nominee for Clerk of Erie County, and he achieved an upset win.[1] In 1949, Pankow ran for mayor, but lost the Democratic primary to Judge John Hillery.[1] Hillery lost the general election to Republican Joseph Mruk.[1] In 1950, Pankow was a delegate to the state Democratic Convention.[6] In 1951, Pankow was narrowly defeated for reelection as county clerk, but his strong showing in Buffalo indicated his viability as a mayoral candidate.[1] He was a delegate to the 1952 Democratic National Convention.[6]
Mayor of Buffalo
editIn 1952, Pankow announced he would be a candidate for mayor in 1953.[1] In the Democratic primary, Pankow defeated city council president Elmer Lux and city council member Peter J. Crotty for the nomination.[1] In the general election Pankow's Republican opponent was Harold Becker, the city fire commissioner.[1] On November 3, 1953, Pankow defeated Becker by a vote of 93,206 to 90,490 for Becker and 4,304 for Liberal nominee Richard Lipsitz.[1]
During Pankow's term, the Buffalo Skyway was extended to erect a wider bridge over the Union Ship Canal.[1] In addition, the Kensington Expressway, the Niagara Thruway extension and the Scajaquada Creek Expressway were constructed.[1]
Though elected with the strong support of Buffalo's Polish-Americans, as mayor Pankow move beyond the politics of ethnic bloc voting by appointing Joseph Decillis as the city's first Italian-American police commissioner.[4] He also began to surmount gender barriers when he named Ann Mikoll as a judge of Buffalo's City Court.[4]
Pankow's additional accomplishments included creation of the city's Port Authority, the creation of a Youth Board to consider projects and programs aimed at the city's children and teenagers, and revitalization of the Police Athletic League baseball program.[4] Pankow was also credited with starting paid medical insurance for city workers and construction of seven police and fire stations.[4]
Later life
editMayors of Buffalo were limited at the time to one four-year term.[4] After the end of Pankow's term in 1957, he held a number of positions with the city government, including one with the Board of Assessors.[4] He also owned various businesses including nightclubs and a liquor store.[4]
Between 1959 and 1963, Pankow was indicted and tried several times for federal and state charges including bribery and tax evasion.[7] Several proceedings resulted in mistrials, and the retrials ended with acquittals.[7] He was never convicted of any of the charges.[7]
In later life, Pankow maintained his interest in politics, and mounted quixotic campaigns for offices including mayor and Erie County Executive.[7] He did not exert the same political influence he had previously, and these campaigns were unsuccessful.[8]
Death and burial
editPanko retired in 1977 and continued to reside in Buffalo.[4] He died in Buffalo on July 25, 1993.[4] Pankow was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cheektowaga, New York.[4]
Family
editIn 1930, Panko married Mary Conwall (born Konowalczuk) (1912-2002).[1] They were married until his death and had no children.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Tarapacki, Thomas (October 12, 2017). "Hard work and perseverance paid off for Pankow". Am-Pol Eagle. Cheektowaga, NY.
- ^ "Galician Town Locator". Gesher Galicia.org. Gesher Galicia. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Rizzo, Michael F. (2005). Through the Mayors' Eyes: Buffalo, New York 1832-2005. Morrisville, NC: Lulu Enterprises. p. 302. ISBN 978-1-4116-3757-3 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Steven Pankow Died at 85; Mayor of Buffalo In '50s". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, NY. July 26, 1993.
- ^ Rizzo 2005, p. 309.
- ^ a b Rizzo 2005, p. 303.
- ^ a b c d Rizzo 2005, p. 308.
- ^ Rizzo 2005, pp. 308–309.