Charles Poletti

Charles Poletti KCSG OBE SJ
United States War Department photo of Poletti as governor in 1942
46th Governor of New York
In office December 3, 1942 – December 31, 1942
Lieutenant	Joe R. Hanley (acting)
Preceded by	Herbert H. Lehman
Succeeded by	Thomas E. Dewey
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office January 1, 1939 – December 3, 1942
Governor	Herbert H. Lehman
Preceded by	M. William Bray
Succeeded by	Joe R. Hanley (acting)
Justice of the New York Supreme Court
In office 1937–1938
Preceded by	John V. McAvoy
Succeeded by	Felix C. Benevenga
Personal details
Born	(1903-07-02)July 2, 1903 Barre, Vermont, US
Died	August 8, 2002(2002-08-08) (aged 99) Marco Island, Florida, US
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Jean Knox Ellis Poletti Elizabeth Munn Vanderloo
Education	Harvard University (AB, LLB)
Profession	Attorney
Civilian awards	Order of the Star of Jordan Order of Saint Agatha (Grand Officer) (San Marino)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1943–1945
Rank	Colonel
Unit	Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories
Commands	Military Governor of Sicily Military Governor of Naples Military Governor of Rome Military Governor of Milan Military Governor of Lombardy
Battles/wars	World War II Italian Campaign
Military awards	Legion of Merit Order of Saint Gregory the Great Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy Order of the British Empire (Officer)

Charles Poletti (July 2, 1903 – August 8, 2002) was an American lawyer and politician. He became the 46th governor of New York in December 1942, and was the first person entirely of Italian-American ancestry to become the governor of a U.S. state.^[1]

Born in Barre, Vermont to Italian immigrants, Poletti graduated from Barre's Spaulding High School, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School, and became an attorney in New York City. He became active in the Democratic Party, and served as counsel to the Democratic National Committee, counsel to Governor Herbert H. Lehman, and a justice of the New York State Supreme Court.

Poletti served as lieutenant governor of New York from 1939 to 1942. He lost his bid for reelection in 1942, as did gubernatorial nominee John J. Bennett Jr. In December, Lehman resigned as governor in order to accept an appointment with the United States Department of State; Poletti succeeded to the governorship and served the final month of Lehman's term. After leaving office, Poletti served in World War II, initially as a special assistant to the Secretary of War, and then in the United States Army as a Civil Affairs officer responsible for rebuilding and restoring democracy in Italy following its liberation by the Allies.

After the war, Poletti practiced law, served as a member of the New York State Power Authority, and was an executive responsible for planning and overseeing execution of foreign exhibits at the 1964 New York World's Fair. After retiring, he resided in Florida and Elizabethtown, New York. He died in Florida at age 99, and was buried in Elizabethtown. At the time of his death, he was the earliest-serving living former governor of a U.S. state.