Former Queens city Councilman Paul Vallone — a member of a long line of local leading public servants — died unexpectedly Saturday evening. He was 56.
Vallone, who was currently serving as New York City’s Veterans Services deputy commissioner, suffered a fatal heart attack at his home and was rushed to a Flushing hospital but could not be revived, sources close to his family told The Post on Sunday.
The married father of three was “upbeat” and “happy” the day before he died, Queens Civic Congress President Warren Schreiber told the Queens Chronicle.
“It’s a big blow to the community,” Schreiber said, recalling Vallonne as a good friend.
Vallone served on the City Council from 2014 through 2021, three terms which were dominated by a dedication to furthering education in Queens’ District 19.
In addition to expanding his schools’ capacities by 4,500 seats, Vallone reinstated the New York City Council Merit Scholarship, which awards students up to $350 a semester.
He also helped bring the Free Senior Transportation Program to District 19, a benefit that shuttles seniors to and from medical appointments at no cost, according to the Chronicle.
Vallone came from a line of city public servants stretching back over half a century.
His grandfather, Charles Vallone, served as a Queens judge, and his father, Peter Vallone, served as the speaker of the City Council. Vallone’s brother, Peter Jr., served as both speaker of the City Council and a judge.
Tributes have begun pouring in from Queens politicians such as Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., who described Vallone as “a loyal friend to everyone.
“Paul Vallone was the epitome of a public servant, a true champion for the Northeast Queens communities he passionately served and an unrelenting advocate for military veterans,” Richards said.
“Paul didn’t just carry on his family’s immense legacy of service — he personified and embodied it. He inspired me every single day to be a better elected official, but it’s his lessons in friendship, family and fatherhood that I will cherish for the rest of time,” Richards added. “Queens is a better borough because of Paul, and I am a better person for having had the privilege of calling him a colleague and a friend.”
Vallone is survived by his wife, Anna-Marie, and three children, Catena, Lea and Charlie.