40 The Queens Courier • march 12, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Seeing how Ferraro paved the way in Ridgewood BY KELLY MARIE MANCUSO [email protected] @timesnewsweekly In honor of Women’s History Month, the Ridgewood Democratic Club (RDC) held a special screening of the film “Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way” on Friday, March 6, before a packed house. The documentary was created by Ferraro’s daughter, filmmaker Donna Zaccaro, as a tribute to her late mother. “Paving the Way” first aired on Showtime in March 2014 to critical acclaim. The film chronicles Ferraro’s rise from childhood hardships to her groundbreaking achievements on the political stage. Ferraro was born in New York in 1935 to working-class Italian immigrants who prized education and higher learning. She worked as a secondgrade teacher at an elementary school in Astoria while pursuing her law degree from Fordham University School of Law at night. In the documentary, Ferraro recalls the college admissions department asking whether she was serious about law, as she was “taking a seat away from a man.” Ferraro graduated Fordham in 1960 with honors and was Pictured above at the Ridgewood Democratic Club are (top row, left to right): David Renz, Allison Cummings, Democratic District Leader David Aglialoro, Edward Lettau and RDC Treasurer Gerard Mariscano; and (bottom row, left to right): Kate Brennan, RDC President James Grayshaw, Susan Grayshaw, Joan DeCamp and John Sendlein. only one of two women in her graduating class. She recalled taking the bar exam three days before her wedding to Queens businessman John Zaccaro. In 1974, Ferraro became an assistant district attorney in Queens, where she worked to develop the newly created Special Victims Unit. Ferraro advocated on behalf of rape and domestic violence victims throughout the borough. Her reputation as a no-nonsense prosecutor followed her on the campaign trail when she ran for Congress under the slogan “Finally, A Tough Democrat.” As a Congresswoman, Ferraro gained local notoriety and admiration in 1980 when she fought to change the Ridgewood and Glendale ZIP code from Brooklyn to its current 11385 designation in Queens. The change was the first of its kind in New York and resulted in lower insurance rates for local homeowners. Audience members assembled at the RDC cheered when they saw familiar streets and homes of Ridgewood on the big screen. “It was very important to us that we have our own ZIP code,” RDC board member Gerard Tate said. “Gerry was very important to this club.” Democratic District Leader David Aglialoro agreed: “She was about the bread and butter issues and how to best represent her people,” he said. Nationally, Ferraro is best known for her historic role as the first female vice presidential candidate in U.S. history. In 1983, presidential candidate and former Vice President Walter Mondale selected Ferraro as his running mate in the race against incumbent President Ronald Regan and Vice President George H.W. Bush. Ferraro was praised for holding her own in a televised debate against Bush and broke ground as the first woman to ever debate a sitting vice president. The excitement of the campaign culminated in Ferraro’s riveting speech at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco in July 1984. “This movie was just so powerful and potent,” board member Kate Brennan said. “People really need to see it.” Ferraro died in 2011 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Her legacy lives on in “Paving the Way” through personal accounts from friends and luminaries such as Madeleine Albright, Nancy Pelosi, Cokie Roberts and Hillary Clinton. In 2013, P.S. 290 in Maspeth was named Geraldine A. Ferraro Campus in her honor. As a public figure, Ferraro is celebrated as a trailblazer who challenged the roles women played in the otherwise male-dominated worlds of politics and law. “She did pave the way,” Brennan said. “I look forward to the completion.” OF BAYSIDE YOU WILL FEEL LUCKY WITH OUR SAVINGS EYESUPPLY WELCOMES BACK NEW YORK CITY DISTRICT COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS. OVER 300 UNION & HEALTH PLANS ACCEPTED! ACCEPTING MOST INSURANCE PLANS. We Accept: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue View NYC Council of Carpenters & most Eyemed Insurance. WE ARE A GVS PROVIDER Please call us to see if we accept your insurance. NO-LINE BIFOCALS Progressive Lenses w/Metal Frames $9999 Progressive Lenses (No-Line Bifocals) w/Metal Frames $16999 With coupon*. Expires 3/31/15. *SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS, PROMOTIONS, SPECIALS, UNION OR INSURANCE PLANS. COUPON MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF SALE. 2 PAIRS OF GLASSES $6999 With coupon*. Expires 3/31/15. 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