Gary has been in the forefront of legislative efforts to protect children from sex offenders. He worked diligently for more than a year to secure County Legislative enactment of Local Law "F" for 2006 imposing residency restrictions on sexual predators convicted of crimes against minors. The law keeps Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a public or private elementary or secondary school or child care facility in Albany County. He also is a lead sponsor of legislation approving GPS electronic tracking of sex offenders placed on probation.
Gary has been instrumental in the passage of numerous other local laws for the betterment of County residents. He initiated a law requiring background and fingerprint checks for workers under contract with the County to provide home care services to children and the elderly, and later expanded the law to cover private home care providers on a voluntary basis. He was the prime sponsor of legislation requiring price posting by dry cleaners, tailors, shoe repairers, barbers, hairdressers and cosmetologists to give customers the information they need to compare charges, especially price differences for men and women. He advanced legislation establishing health and sanitary standards for tattoo and body-piercing parlors, and outlawing body piercing of minors without the consent of parents or guardians. Additionally, Gary has sponsored measures granting two tax-free weeks a year for clothing and footwear purchases, enacting tax exemptions for veterans, limited-income seniors and disabled homeowners and permitting seniors to pay taxes in installments and farmers to pay delinquent taxes in installments.
He also has sponsored legislation to prohibit the privatization of security staff at correctional facilities and to require mandatory testing of inmates involved in an altercation which might expose correctional employees to diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis.
In recognition of his leadership role to advance legislation protecting the health of families in Albany County, Gary was honored with the American Lung Association 2003 Community Action Award and the New York State Public Health Association 2003 Community Leadership Award.
Active in the community, Gary has been an active participant of All Saints Parish (formerly St. Margaret Mary's Parish), American Legion Joseph E. Zaloga Post 1520, Albany Elks Lodge 49, Polish-American Citizens Club, the Buckingham Pond-Crestwood Neighborhood Association and the Knights of Pythias. Gary is listed in the "Who's Who in New York State Democratic Politics."
A lifelong Albany resident, Gary is married to the former Sandy Gullo. He is a graduate of the Albany Business College.
Gary served as a former Majority Leader of the Democratic caucus of the Albany County Legislature.