Mayor Adams Appoints Randy Mastro As First Deputy Mayor

March 20, 2025

Announcement Follows Recent Appointment of Senior Leadership Positions, Rounding Out Mayor Adams' City Hall Senior Leadership  

   Administration Continues to Advance Mission to Make New York City Safer, More Affordable, and Best Place to Raise a Family  

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointment of Randy Mastro as first deputy mayor. Mastro is a nationally-renowned lawyer; an experienced public servant with an impressive record in government service; a long-time pro bono advocate for social justice, civil rights, and constitutional rights; a leader of revered civic organizations; and a proven leader committed to diversity and inclusion. As a lifelong New Yorker, Mastro's commitment to public service is highly regarded, and he will bring his decades of experience in both the public and private sectors to serve the city and its nearly 8.5 million residents.     

Over the last three years, the Adams administration has passed three on-time, balanced budgets, helped put more than $30 billion back into the pockets of working-class New Yorkers, produced record levels of housing, increased the total number of jobs to its highest levels in city history, safely brought New York City out of the COVID-19 pandemic, managed an international humanitarian crisis better than any other city in the nation, built unprecedented public space, and made the city safer at every level. Mastro will now help Mayor Adams continue all that work and do more, along with other senior members of the team at City Hall and at dozens of agencies affecting New Yorkers' daily lives.     

"Our administration has broken record after record by building more housing, driving down crime, investing in public spaces, dramatically expanding access to affordable child care, managing an international humanitarian crisis, and so much more. We were able to achieve all these wins because of the more than 300,000 city employees who work tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers every day, and importantly, because we have always had an impressive senior leadership team that remains focused on executing on our goals. Today, Randy Mastro joins the team as we work to double down on all we have delivered for New Yorkers," said Mayor Adams. "Randy is a storied and impressive New Yorker with a track record of success in the face of some of the city and nation's most challenging times. I, and the whole team, welcome Randy to our administration and look forward to working side-by-side with him as we continue to lead the city forward and make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family."     

"I am honored to serve the city again and grateful to Mayor Adams for affording me this opportunity," said incoming First Deputy Mayor Mastro. "Like so many New Yorkers, I love this city and want it to succeed. So much has been accomplished for New Yorkers during this administration when it comes to public safety, job growth, and affordable housing. I look forward to continuing to deliver a safe, affordable city and to improving quality of life for all New Yorkers. I believe now, in particular, is a time to heed the call to public service, and I am excited to answer the call."  

About Randy Mastro

Randy Mastro has a long record of both city and federal public service. From 1994 to 1998, he served as deputy mayor for operations and chief of staff to the mayor of New York City. During that time, he helped tackle organized crime and helped shepherd through the nation's most sweeping protections for same-sex partnerships, efforts referred to as a "legacy" achievement.

When he departed City Hall, the Daily News praised him for doing "the seemingly impossible," noting "his contributions to the city he served so well will last a lifetime;" the New York Post lauded his "tireless and dynamic" service and "general good sense;" and The New York Times quoted a colleague describing him as "the administration's conscience."  

From 1985 to 1989, Mastro served as assistant U.S. attorney and deputy chief of the Civil Division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he specialized in organized crime cases. During that time, he led the landmark racketeering suit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and received the highest recognitions by the U.S. Department of Justice for that work, including the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award and the John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement.  

Mastro is one of the nation's most respected lawyers. He also has an extensive record of litigating cases on a pro bono basis, including successfully advocating for the families of fallen 9/11 firefighter heroes that were entitled to millions in donations, fighting for racial justice, protecting civil rights and academic freedoms, and helping to reopen houses of worship that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

From 2016 until earlier this year, Mastro served as chair of the Citizens Union, New York's revered, non-partisan "good government" group, focused on holding local government accountable and empowering all New Yorkers. He previously served as former vice chair of The Legal Aid Society and as a former board member of The City University of New York, the YMCA, Sanctuary for Families, the Children's Museum of Manhattan, Hale House, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.   

Mastro has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and at Fordham Law School. He has authored and co-authored articles in the Fordham Law Review, the Federal Communications Law Journal, the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, and the Seton Hall Law Review, among others. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Yale University and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.   

Mastro will report directly to Mayor Adams.   

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