Retired Vice President Larry Mancino Dies at 71

Retired District 1 Vice President Larry Mancino died March 10 at Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze, N.Y. He was 71.

"Larry was devoted to his family, his union and a wonderful friend," said CWA President Larry Cohen.

"Those of you who knew him know what an incredibly good man Larry was," said District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton, who succeeded Mancino in April 2005. "Larry was my dear friend, my true brother and my mentor. Every single member of CWA District 1 has lost a champion and a brother."

Mancino, Brooklyn-born, moved to Staten Island in 1962. Following a stint with the Air Force, he went to work for Western Union in Manhattan and, in 1966, helped bring the 4,000-member bargaining unit into CWA.

Mancino was elected full-time vice president of CWA Local 1177 in January 1967, and helped lead his local through a 17-week strike in 1971. He helped find jobs for 700 operators that Western Union laid off and negotiated a job security provision guaranteeing members' jobs for a number of years into the future equal to their prior service.

He joined the staff as a CWA representative in 1972, and in 1978 was promoted to downstate New York area director.

Mancino served as bargaining chair in CWA's first negotiations with New York Telephone after the 1983 divestiture from AT&T and, in 1985, became assistant to District 1 Vice President Jan Pierce, with responsibility for contracts covering 140,000 members in eight northeastern states.

In January 1991, then-CWA President Morton Bahr brought Mancino to Washington, D.C., as an assistant, and Mancino took charge of negotiations with Pacific Telesis, Ameritech, AT&T and US West.

The delegates elected Mancino as District 1 vice president by acclamation at the June 1996 CWA convention and reelected him in 1999 and 2002.

Over the years, Mancino was extensively involved in community services as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Tri-State United Way, co-chair of its finance committee and member of its executive committee. He also served on the board of directors of the Alcoholism Council of Greater New York.

Looking back on his years of service, Mancino said, "The impact you have on people's lives is unbelievable."  He told of a phone call he received from one member. "The man thanked me for getting his job back and helping him educate his children. His son became a doctor and his daughter became an attorney. Multiply that by thousands of people whose lives you affect over the years."

Mancino is survived by his wife of 49 years, the former Connie DeNicola; his sons, Lawrence and Richard; his daughter, Michele Kiernan; his mother, Mary Mancino, and six grandchildren.