Denis E. Dillon

Denis E. Dillon (December 21, 1933 – August 15, 2010), a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and Fordham University, served as the District Attorney of Nassau County, New York from 1974 to 2005. In the history of the United States, only two other district attorneys, Robert Morgenthau of Manhattan and Henry Wade of Dallas, have served longer terms.

Dillon was born in 1933 in the Bronx. He was originally elected in 1974 as a Democrat. At the time, Nassau County was heavily Republican, and Dillon was one of the few elected Democrats at the county level. However, unlike most Democrats, he was strongly pro-life on abortion. In 1986, Dillon ran for Governor of New York as the nominee of the New York State Right to Life Party. He finished in third place behind Democratic incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo, and Republican Westchester County Executive Andrew O'Rourke. In 1989, Dillon became a Republican because of the pro-choice stance of the Nassau County Democratic Party. Regardless of party, Dillon remained very popular, and was reelected seven times without serious difficulty. He was unseated in 2005 by 2010 state attorney general candidate and congresswoman-elect Kathleen M. Rice.

On August 15, 2010, Dillon, a devoted Catholic, died at his home in Rockville Centre after a long battle with lymphoma. He was 76 years old.

References

×—