Funeral services set for Mayor Griffin
Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon for James Griffin, the former four-term mayor of Buffalo who died May 25 at the age of 78.
Griffin, who had been ill for the past several weeks, died at Father Baker Manor in Orchard Park.
He took office in Buffalo Jan. 1, 1978, winning the job on the Conservative Party line and beginning a legacy marked by accomplishments but not without controversy. Griffin’s largest successes are downtown, most notably what is now Dunn Tire Park, home of the Buffalo Bisons and a franchise that he helped resurrect.
His tenure also included an FBI investigation involving the city’s parks’ department.
A Korean War veteran, Griffin served on the city council, starting in the 1960s and then returning a few years ago before giving up his South Buffalo seat in mid-term payday advances instant payday loan. He served multiple terms in the New York State Senate prior to his years in City Hall.
The feisty Griffin also made unsuccessful runs for Erie County Executive and the White House.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret, and three children — Maureen, Megan and Thomas, as well as brothers Thomas and Joseph, and a sister, Donna Gasuik.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.