Roy Cohn

Roy Marcus Cohn (February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer who came to prominence during the investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy into Communism in the government and especially during the Army-McCarthy Hearings. While widely unpopular during his lifetime, he nonetheless wielded tremendous political power at times. Cohn, a member of the Democratic Party, was known to be relentlessly homophobic, and fought against human and civil rights for most of his career. This continued even after he was outed as a homosexual. He died of AIDS in 1986.

Later career

After leaving McCarthy, Cohn built a 30-year career as a high-powered attorney in New York City. His clients included Donald Trump, Mafia figures Tony Salerno and John Gotti, and the Archdiocese of New York. He was known for his active social life, charitable giving, and combative personality. He maintained close ties with conservative politics, serving as an informal advisor to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Related Topics:
New York City - Donald Trump - Mafia - John Gotti - Archdiocese - Richard Nixon - Ronald Reagan

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Cohn was the grand nephew of Joshua Lionel Cowen, founder of the Lionel model train company. By 1959, Joshua L. Cowen and his son Lawrence had become involved in a family dispute over control of the company. Cohn and a group of investors stepped in and bought the majority of both of the Cowen's shares of stock gaining control of the company. Under Cohn's leadership, Lionel was plagued by declining sales, quality control problems and huge financial losses. In 1963, he was forced to resign from the company.

Related Topics:
Joshua Lionel Cowen - Lionel - 1959 - 1963

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Federal investigations in the 1970s and 1980s charged Cohn three times with professional misconduct including perjury and witness tampering, and he was accused in New York of financial improprieties related to city contracts and private investments. He was never convicted. Eventually, the New York Bar association brought disbarment proceedings against Cohn on grounds of unethical and unprofessional conduct including misappropriation of clients' funds, pressuring a client to amend his will, and lying on a bar application. He lost his license in 1986 during the last month of his life.

Related Topics:
1970s - 1980s - Bar association - Disbarment - Will - 1986

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