Honor Judge Tsoucalas's Legacy

Assembly Resolution No. 1026 BY: M. of A. Simotas HONORING the life and legacy of Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great State of New York; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor the life and accomplishments of Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas who died on March 22, 2018; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas was a lifelong New Yorker and graduate of the New York City public school system; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas joined the United States Navy in

1944, and served as a radio operator on auxiliary personnel destroyer and transport vessels in the European theater of World War II, as well as in the Caribbean and North Atlantic; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Kent State University in 1949, and his L.L.B. from New York Law School in 1951; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas was recalled to the Navy in 1951, and served during the Korean War aboard the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Wasp; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas was admitted to the New York State Bar in April of 1953, and began practicing law, specializing in immigration and admiralty matters and continued his education, studying Immigration Law and Federal Practice and Procedure in graduate courses at New York University School of Law; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1955 to 1959, was appointed to supervise the 1960 Census for New York's 17th and 18th Congressional Districts, and served as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Appraisal, Neversink Riparian Rights; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas served as a Criminal Court Judge for the City of New York from 1968 to 1986, and served as Acting Supreme Court Justice for Kings and Queens Counties from 1975 to 1982, handling many notable cases including the "Son of Sam" trial; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to the United States Court of International Trade and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1986; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas also served as a visiting judge in District Courts throughout the country and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas became a Senior Judge in 1997, and retired from the United States Court of International Trade in 2016; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas served with distinction as Chairman of the Committee on Juvenile Delinquency of the Federal Bar Association; Subcommittee Chairman of the New York Country Lawyers' Association for Public Order and Responsibility; Hartoularios and Co-Chairman of the Nominating Committee for the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; President and founding member of the Hellenic Lawyers' Association of New York; President of the Board of Directors of Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church; President of the St. John Theologos Society; President of the Parthenon Foundation; and President of the Order of AHEPA Delphi Chapter; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas was the devoted husband of the late Catherine Aravantinos for 63 years; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas is survived by his two daughters, Stephanie Turriago and Georgia Tsoucalas Argyrople; his five grandchildren, Victoria and Catherine Argyrople, and Nicholas, Vivian and Christina Turriago; two sisters, Theodora Carras and Athena Hazlaris; and son-in-law, Daniel Turriago, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family members; and WHEREAS, Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas's enduring contributions to the State of New York are worthy of special recognition; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor the life and legacy of Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community, and to convey its deepest sympathies to his family; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the family of Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas.