His work during the early 1960s continues to influence the lives of Islanders today

He's been called "the forgotten mayor," which may make Robert F. Wagner a perfect fit for the forgotten borough.

While Rudolph W. Giuliani may be more popular with Staten Islanders, participants in a forum at the College of Staten Island yesterday might argue that Wagner, who served from 1954 to 1965, had more influence on how borough residents live today.

"The legacy of the Wagner years remains with us," said CSI President Dr. Marlene Springer.

The forum was sponsored by CSI, the City University of New York and the New York Historical Society as part of their First Biennial Conference on the Mayors of New York City.

During his 12 years in office, Wagner created the CUNY system; invented the community boards; built 423,000 units of new, low-income housing; constructed 265 new schools; outlawed racial discrimination in public housing; broke the back of the Tammany Hall political bosses; created the first city-based commission on human rights in the nation, and formed the first mayoral screening panel for judicial candidates.

Oh, and he also drove Robert Moses out of city government.

One of Wagner mantras was "When in doubt, don't," which got him labeled a procrastinator.

But it was all part of Wagner's style, said former state Supreme Court Justice Milton Mollen, chairman of Wagner's Housing and Redevelopment Board.

"He made many pioneering efforts, but didn't get credit because of his self-effacing style," said Mollen.

Wagner bided his time until the so-called "slum scandals" finally forced the all-powerful Moses from his post as Parks Department commissioner.

"He outwaited Moses, and wore him down until he got rid of him," said Mollen.

Wagner's influence is still writ large on the Island.

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was built during his administration, and Susan Wagner High School is named after the 102nd mayor's late wife.

"Every single person was important," said state Sen. John Marchi (R-Staten Island). "Bob Wagner exemplified that attitude."

Former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messigner said the community boards, "imperfect as they are, have helped make New York a little bit more of a city of neighborhoods."

But Wagner, who died in 1991, has been criticized for spending beyond the city's means, and many trace New York's near-bankruptcy in the 1970s to his policies.

Wagner was elected when the city was America's unchallenged economic capital. When he left, New York had changed, with jobs lost; minorities replacing whites who'd moved to the suburbs, and the turbulent years of the mid-60s just beginning.

State Sen. Seymour Lachman (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) lauded Wagner for carrying on the liberal traditions of Eleanor Roosevelt and Herbert Lehman, but said Wagner may not have appreciated the social changes "taking place behind him."

Though praised for bringing minorities into government, Wagner also took heat for not doing enough to integrate the city school system.

University of Massachusetts professor Vincent Cannato said Wagner was also responsible for "splintering" the liberal Tammany Hall coalition when he broke with longtime supporter and Tammany leader Carmine DeSapio in 1961.

"Liberalism hasn't recovered from those schisms of the 60s," said Cannato.
 

By Tom Wrobleski
Reprinted here with permission from the