Morton “Morty” Povman, who was the longest-serving New York City Council Member, died Tuesday due to complications of pancreatic cancer.
Povman served in the role from 1971-2001, representing what was initially New York’s 15th congressional district and later the 24th congressional district, which covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Briarwood and Fresh Meadows. After 31 years in office, Povman retired because of term limits.
Povman was born and raised in Brooklyn. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. After graduating first in his class at Brooklyn Law School, Povman served as the editor-in-chief of the legal periodical “Law Review” before founding his own law office in Forest Hills. Throughout his long legal career, he assisted several tenant and civic associations as he took on pro-bono cases.
