Memorial Service For Basil Paterson Set For Later This Month At Riverside Church

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - A public memorial service has been planned for longtime New York political powerhouse Basil Paterson, to be held later this month.

The Democrat served as a state senator, deputy New York City mayor and New York's first black secretary of state.

He was part of the influential "Gang of Four" that included New York City's first black mayor, David Dinkins, political powerbroker and civil rights activist Percy Sutton, and U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel. They built a power base that made Harlem a launching pad for the state's black leadership and opened doors for African-American businesses.

The memorial plans were announced Wednesday by his son, former Gov. David Paterson.

The service will be held May 29 at Riverside Church in Harlem.

Paterson died April 17 at the age of 87, just 10 days shy of his birthday.

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