LITTLE FALLS, NY – In the next episode, Judge Gregory Amoroso pulls back the curtain on a legal career that zigzagged from summer camp counselor to negotiating Woodstock ’99 contracts at 3 a.m. On the latest episode of the Small Town Life podcast, host Dave Warner questions the lifelong Rome resident about his run for New York State Supreme Court – a seat covering six counties and over a million people.
Amoroso, 58, admits law school hit like a “culture shock” after a journalism major fueled by school newspaper glory and glamorous news fantasies. “I thought it’d be exciting,” he laughs, before diving into tales of jumping from city attorney gigs to managing a bustling county legal team, and now presiding over drug treatment courts that are turning lives around. Why the bench? “It’s not about personal opinions – it’s interpreting the law fairly,” he stresses, navigating the quirky rules that keep judicial candidates from spilling on hot-button issues like gun rights.
From prosecuting code violations to helming a multi-million-dollar “corporate” defense for Oneida County, Amoroso covers his experience: settling the massive Oneida Indian land claim, wrangling union contracts against 30-year vets, and why he’d pick the “operating room” of the Supreme Court over the city court’s chaotic “ER” triage any day.
With early voting kicking off on October 25 and Election Day on November 4, it’s essential to hear from the candidates. Want the full scoop on his door-knocking days, campaign stresses, and why Little Falls’ Cheese Festival stole his heart? Tune in to the Small Town Life episode on YouTube (or below) or your favorite podcast platform now – before the ballots drop!