Dennis Vacco
| Dennis C. Vacco | |
|---|---|
Vacco in March, 2015
|
|
| 62nd Attorney General of New York | |
|
In office January 1, 1995 – December 31, 1998 |
|
| Governor | George Pataki |
| Preceded by | G. Oliver Koppell |
| Succeeded by | Eliot Spitzer |
| United States Attorney for the Western District of New York | |
|
In office 1988–1993 |
|
| President |
Ronald Reagan George H.W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Roger P. Williams |
| Succeeded by | Patrick H. NeMoyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 16, 1952 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Kelly Vacco |
| Children | Alex, Connor |
| Residence | Buffalo, New York |
| Alma mater |
Colgate University University at Buffalo Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Dennis C. Vacco (born August 16, 1952) is an American lawyer and politician. He graduated with a B.A. from Colgate University in 1974, a J.D. from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1978, and was admitted to the bar in 1979.
Vacco was born in Buffalo, New York, and was raised in western New York State.
Vacco was an Assistant District Attorney of Erie County, New York from 1978 to 1988, and United States Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1988 until the beginning of the Clinton administration in 1993.
Vacco was New York State Attorney General from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1998.
In 1994, Vacco defeated Karen Burstein, the Democratic nominee. One week before the election, Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari announced that Burstein was not qualified to serve as attorney general because she was a lesbian. The combination of Molinari's remarks, a strong national Republican showing, and the win of George Pataki in the governor's race, led to Vacco narrowly defeating Burstein.The New York Times called Molinari's remarks, "gutter politics."
Vacco brought national attention through a series of prosecutions brought against internet service providers, including Dreamscape Online, for distributing child pornography. The principal defendant, Buffnet, eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of fourth degree facilitation of a felony and was fined $5,000.
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