Mid Hudson Daily News Podcast · Henry Gross

Special Interview with Michael Mazzarello: Stewart Airport 55 Years Ago and Today

·28 min·2 clips

Michael Mazzarello explains how the state took his family's home and charged them rent through eminent domain.

This episode features host Hank Gross interviewing attorney Michael Mazzarello about the history of Stewart Airport in New York. Mazzarello's family owned a home on land seized for the airport expansion. The conversation centers on the use of eminent domain and the airport's unrealized potential. The original plan 55 years ago envisioned a 10,000-acre airport stretching from Newburgh to Montgomery. The state's acquisition displaced roughly 1,200 families, including multi-generational farmers. Mazzarello's father refused initial compensation offers and fought the eviction for years. The state eventually charged his family rent to remain in their own home after seizing it. Officials claimed the project would become "the world's largest airport" with a monorail and a landing every minute. The promised 23 daily flights by 1975 never materialized. The seized land largely became the 8,400-acre Stewart State Forest Park. The current airport occupies only a fraction of the originally planned area. Mazzarello recounts finding his father's eviction notice from 1973 during the dispute. He describes the emotional impact of watching neighboring houses disappear as families accepted buyouts. His father's resistance to the state's actions inspired Mazzarello's own career in law. He shares a poignant memory of his father discussing the case on his deathbed. The Port Authority reportedly gave different rationales for managing the airport to local and state boards. A recent airport commission meeting revealed no flights were diverted to Stewart during a major LaGuardia incident. Mazzarello criticizes the current lack of commercial service, noting JetBlue left after COVID and Allegiant is the sole carrier. He argues the region lacks leadership to utilize the airport's existing infrastructure blueprint. The host mentions the main runway was lengthened to nearly 12,000 feet, capable of handling a space shuttle. The tone is conversational and nostalgic, blending personal anecdote with historical critique. The style is informal, featuring two local voices reflecting on shared community history. This episode would appeal to Hudson Valley residents interested in local history and property rights. Listeners curious about infrastructure failures and eminent domain cases would find it compelling. Those seeking a highly structured or purely factual report on current airport operations might find it less engaging. People uninterested in regional New York history may choose to skip it.

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