Story highlights Mario Cuomo dies "from natural causes due to heart failure," his family says

He shot to national fame at the 1984 Democratic National Convention

Cuomo is remembered as "the last liberal giant of New York politics"

(CNN) Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo -- who rose from the Depression-era streets of Queens to serve three times as governor and whose passionate keynote address at the 1984 Democratic political convention vaulted him onto the national political scene -- died Thursday. He was 82.

Cuomo had been hospitalized recently to treat a heart condition. His family said he passed away, at home, from "natural causes due to heart failure."

Cuomo was governor for three terms, from 1983 to 1995.

He was married to his wife, Matilda, for more than six decades. They had five children, including current New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was sworn in for his second term Thursday, and Chris Cuomo, host of CNN's "New Day."

Asked once how he wanted to be remembered, Mario Cuomo replied: "One of the simple things I wanted to achieve is -- I want to be governor. I want to be the hardest working there ever was. And I want, when it's over -- and I figured on four years at first -- I want people to say, now, there was an honest person."

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