Staten Island Voted For Secession

In 1993, Staten Island voted to secede from New York City, with 65 percent of voters approving a charter that would have made the borough an independent city. Because the referendum was nonbinding, the plan required state action, and the New York State Assembly blocked it. American politician Rudy Giuliani won the mayoral election on the same ballot after promising to address the borough's grievances, and his administration later made the Staten Island Ferry free and closed the Fresh Kills Landfill.

Previous Fact Next Fact