Mario Cuomo, former New York governor, dead at 82 . What terrible news to receive on the first day of 2015. Mario Cuomo passed away five hours after his oldest son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was formally sworn-in to a second term in Manhattan. Mario Held on as long as he could he didn’t attend the ceremony because he was too ill. According to reports He died of “natural causes due to heart failure” at his Manhattan apartment surrounded by his family. So many have expressed there sadness and have taken to social media to express how important Mario was.”Tonight, New York has lost a giant. Mario Cuomo was a man of unwavering principle who possessed a compassion for humankind without equal.” Mayor Bill de Blasio. More about Mario Cuomo below