Maltese Served Army During Korean War
Before he was a 10-term state senator and before he worked as an attorney, Serphin Maltese was a member of the United States Army, serving in the Korean War.
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo recently took the opportunity to honor Maltese and selected him to be enrolled in the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.
“It’s an honor to recognize Serf in this capacity. His dedication to not only the borough of Queens but to the nation is undeniable,” Addabbo said. “He committed his life to public service, in every sense of the word, and took it upon himself to keep his people both safe and happy. People like Serf are few and far between.”
Maltese and his wife, Constance, joined Addabbo in Albany, where he was officially selected to join the Senate Hall of Fame.
A Corona native, Maltese enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 17 years old. When the Korean War began, he volunteered for the U.S. Army and served as Corporal in the 45th Infantry Division in Korea.
He then went on to attend Manhattan College on a Regents Scholarship and GI Bill and Fordham University where he earned his LL.B and J.D. degrees.
Maltese was elected to the State Senate in 1988 and was re-elected for the 10 following terms. As the years went on, he was honored by various local and national veterans group and is a Life Member of the American Legion, Catholic War Veterans, Korean War Veterans Association and the Veterans of Foreign Affairs.
In 1990, he was the prime sponsor of legislation that authorized the creation of the 250- bed State Veterans Nursing Home at St. Albans, and has been an active sponsor and guardian of the home ever since.
Maltese-currently chairperson of Christ the King Regional High School’s board of trustees-lost his bid for an 11th term to Addabbo in the 2008 election.
“Serf has been rightfully recognized for his service both in and out of the armed forces before, and now I’m happy to see him back in Albany,” Addabbo said. “It’s always hard to pick just one person from the district, but it’s only fitting Serf join the other Hall of Fame vets who sacrificed so much.”
