Frank Padavan, 83 Pol fought for ‘forgotten’ middle class’

ALBANY – Former long-time state Sen. Frank Padavan, a Queens Republican best known for being one of the Legislature’s fiercest anti-gambling critics, has died. He was 83.

A source said he died Tuesday of heart attack at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Padavan, one of a handful of Republicans from the city in the Senate, represented his Queens district from 1973 through 2010. He left after being defeated by Democrat Tony Avella.

Padavan, an engineer by trade who lived in Bellerose.

Before serving in the Senate, he was an engineer at Westinghouse Electric Corp. and a deputy commissioner at the city buildings department.

Queens City Councilman Eric Ulrich tweeted that his fellow Republican was “a staunch advocate for his NE Queens district and a fighter for the forgotten middle class.”

Padavan (photo) was known as a cantankerous maverick within his GOP conference.

He was a strident gambling opponent who opposed Lottery expansion efforts.

Padavan was a strict conservative whose vote against a bill to legalize gay marriage helped sink the measure in 2009. It wasn’t until he was out of office two years later that the measure became law.

Padavan was predeceased by his wife, Johanne Padavan. He is survived by adult children, Scott and Allison.

Funeral plans were not announced as of Tuesday evening.