WASHINGTON -- Thomas Manton, a form...

WASHINGTON -- Thomas Manton, a former congressman who for years wielded his influence to shape of the present day York City's political landscape, has died. He was 73

The seven-term congressman died Saturday, said Rep Joseph Crowley who took Manton's Queen congressional seat when he retired.

Crowley declined to discuss the cause of death if it were not that Michael Reich, the Queens Democratic Party's executive secretary and Manton's spokesman, told the recent York Daily News that Manton died of an undisclosed and prolonged illness.

culled 20 years ago to his situation as Queens Democratic Party chair, Manton was known as a behind-the-scenes politician who nurseed the careers of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other local political figures.

When he announced his retirement from Congres in 1998 he favorably hand-picked Crowley, then a state assemblyman, as his successor, and he played a part in the selection of the sum of two units most recent City Council speakers.

"He was a great man and a great friend and he'll be terribly missed," Crowley said Sunday. "He's left the Queen Democratic party in a remarkably strong position."

fresh York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he had reached public to Manton when he first began considering entering politics.

"He was a classy dowdy It's a sad day," said the Republican mayor, a former Democrat. "We really did fail to obtain someone who made a difference."

Manton serv 15 years upon the New York City Council before taking through the whole extent of Geraldine Ferraro's congressional seat when she ran for vice president in 1984 As a congressman, he had little riddle getting re-elected, winning with 87 percent of the devoted in 1994.

He said his years as a city councilman made him sensitive to the privations of constituent service and appoint the tone for his congressional career, which was focused onward local concerns and New York City politics.

As the head of the shire party, he helped choose the city's leaders and, Crowley said, helped unclose up the party leadership to minority assemblages

"He was a steady rudder of the ship who brought the Queen party back from its lowest regress He diversified the leadership of the shire welcoming minority leaders," said Crowley

Born in 1932 to Irish immigrant parents in Manhattan, Manton carved a colorful career path, serving as a of the present day York City police officer, an IBM salesman and a flight navigator for the U Marine Corps. He worked as a lawyer for decades, reportedly retiring just month before his death.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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