Timothy Costello, 87; Ex-Deputy N.Y. Mayor, President of Adelphi
Timothy W. Costello, 87, a former New York City deputy mayor and former president of Adelphi University, died Monday at his home in Head of the Harbor, on Long Island, after a long illness, his son said.
Costello served as deputy mayor from 1966 to 1972 under Mayor John Lindsay, then headed Adelphi University in Garden City from 1972 to 1985.
He also taught at New York University for two decades and wrote several books, including “Abnormal Psychology,” a 1960 college textbook still in use.
In 1965 he ran for City Council president as the Liberal Party’s representative on Lindsay’s fusion ticket. After Lindsay won, he appointed Costello deputy mayor.
In that position, he worked to streamline city government and championed civil rights. He also created the first office of aging and was instrumental in reducing the transit fare for senior citizens.
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