Alfred A. Lama (1899 – January 3, 1984) was an Italian-born American architect and politician. He served as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1942 to 1972, representing portions of Brooklyn.

Early life

Lama was born in 1899 in Italy. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1904, settling in Brooklyn, New York City. Lama graduated from

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

with a bachelor's degree in architecture.

Career

Lama was an architect. He was the co-founder of Lama & Vassalotti, an architectural firm based in Brooklyn and Queens. In 1932, he was elected as vice president of the Architects Club of Brooklyn. He was elected as the president of the Brooklyn Society of Architects in 1941. Lama served as a

member of the

from 1943 to 1972, representing Brooklyn. He was the co-founder of the

Mitchell–Lama Housing Program Co-op city in the Bronx, a Mitchell–Lama development The Mitchell–Lama Housing Program is a non-subsidy governmental housing guarantee in the state of New York. It was sponsored by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell and Assemblyman ...

Personal life, death and legacy

With his wife Marie, he had a son, Alfred M. Lama. They resided in

Oakdale, New York Oakdale is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 7,974 at the 2010 census. Oakdale is in the Town of Islip. It has been home to Gilded Age mansions, the South Side Sportsmen's Club, ...

. Lama died on January 3, 1984, at St. Francis Hospital in Flower Hill, New York. His funeral was held at the St. John Nepomucene Roman Catholic Church in Bohemia, New York. Lama Court, a small lane in Brooklyn, was named in his honor when he was an architect before he ran for office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lama, Alfred A. 1899 births 1984 deaths Italian emigrants to the United States People from Brooklyn People from Suffolk County, New York Cooper Union alumni Architects from New York City Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly