Eighteenth Annual Thomas E. Dewey Medal Presentation (2022)

The Association presents its annual Thomas E. Dewey Medal, awarded to outstanding assistant district attorneys in each of the District Attorney’s offices within New York City and the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

This year’s award recipients are:

Rene Aponte, Bronx County
Christopher Blank, Kings County
Peter Casolaro, New York County
John Castellano, Queens County
Jeffrey Curiale, Richmond County
Jannine Rowser, Special Narcotics

Welcome by: Susan J. Kohlmann, President, New York City Bar Association Keynote

Speaker: Honorable Madeline Singas, Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals Awards

Presented by: Thomas E.L. Dewey, Chair, Dewey Medal Committee

Among prosecutors in New York County, Thomas E. Dewey is remembered as having ushered in the era in which the District Attorney’s office has been staffed by professional prosecutors chosen on merit rather than through political patronage. Dewey first came to the public’s attention as a prosecutor in the 1930s, instituting successful criminal proceedings against gangsters, bootleggers and organized crime figures of the day. By 1937, Dewey was elected District Attorney of New York County, where he served one term before resigning to run for governor. The awards are made possible by the generosity of the firm of Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky LLP.