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Madeline Singas Confirmed to New York State Court of Appeals

By NEO Magazine on July 4, 2021

Madeline Singas, until recently Nassau County District Attorney, was confirmed as a Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. On May 25, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he would nominate Singas to serve as an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals, replacing Leslie Stein. She was confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 8, 2021, in 37-26 vote and took office that same day. According to lawyer Charles Capetanakis, “her nomination was contentious, and we have our Greek American elected officials, namely Senators Gianaris, Gounardes and Skoufis and Assemblyman Michael Tannousis to thank. Judge Singas is from Astoria, the daughter of Greek Immigrants, who worked her way through Fordham Law School and will continue to make our community proud.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas | Don Pollard/Office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Singas grew up in Astoria, the youngest of two daughters born to Bill and Eugenia Singas. and graduated from The Bronx High School of Science. She earned degrees at Barnard College at Columbia University and Fordham University School of Law. “My dad owned a pizzeria called Singas Famous Pizza in Elmhurst, Queens. A lot of people know that pizza, a lot of people went through that store,” said Singas in an interview with NEO magazine in January 2020. “My parents were very open, always looking to help people out. So a lot of people got jobs at the store, a lot of people. They were very big in the community and at St. Catherine’s and St. Demetrios in Astoria. My dad was always, and my mom: volunteering in the church festivals, PTA, very much a part of the community, which I think instilled in me this sense of being a part of my community and giving back to the community.” Asked why she decided to become a prosecutor, her answer to NEO’s Dimitri Michalakis was: “I knew that I wanted to be in a field that helped people. And I knew I wanted to be in front of juries and doing some litigation in court. And from the minute I went into court and said Madeline Singas for the people, it just sort of clicked for me and I knew that this is what I would want to do for the rest of my career and I never looked back.”

Before joining the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Singas was an Assistant District Attorney in Queens. She began there in 1991, and worked in the Domestic Violence Bureau. After joining the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, she was appointed chief of the newly-created Special Victims Bureau in 2006 by Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. She became Chief Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County in 2011.

She served as acting Nassau DA starting in January 2015, assuming the role following Kathleen Rice’s election to Congress. Upon taking office, Singas became the first Greek-American and the second woman to become the top law enforcement official of Nassau County. She was elected in November of that year and took office for a four-year term in January 2016. She was reelected for a 2^nd term in November 6, 2019.

Mother of twins, she lives in Manhasset, New York and is married to Theo Apostolou.

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