A man who was an advocate for the disabled, who served in both Democratic and Republican mayoral administrations, and was a well-known radio personality from the local area, has died.
Larry Allison, of Spencer Estate, who served in three departments in city government from the Koch to Bloomberg administrations. rising to the level of assistant commissioner of Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications, succumbed to leukemia and other illness on Tuesday, December 16.
Allison was the co-host of the Vernuccio/Allison Report radio program in recent years, a show which began on WVOX in Westchester County, but went into national syndication reaching six radio markets from Lancaster, PA to Las Vegas, NV, as well as online at amfm247.com.
The radio program deals with national affairs and policy, and is affiliated with New York Analysis of Policy & Government, which publishes a review of issues affecting the United States.
His co-host Frank Vernuccio said that doctors determined that Allison died from complications of a long-term illness he developed working at Ground Zero after the September 11th, 2001 attacks.
A bio released at the time of his passing recalled “his unquenchable curiosity, his diligent research, and a fearless devotion to intellectual honesty.”
“Larry truly lived for that radio show, it was the joy of his life,” said Vernuccio, who added that Allison was a great talker who loved to have conversations and to communicate.
“He became deeply troubled by the course government had taken on the city, state, and federal levels, and diligently sought to restore common sense, integrity and Constitutional adherence,” stated an obituary emailed to listeners of the Vernuccio/Allison Report.
He was a passionate advocate for the disabled, said Vernuccio, working on the issues related to the disabled as a young man in upstate New York, according to a bio, and later for the New York City Mayor’s office, where he was employed from 1985 to 1991.
He worked at the city Board of Elections 1991 to 1995, and from DoITT from 1995 to 2001, according a spokeswoman.
Steven Kaufman, former assemblyman, remembers that Allison worked on a number of his election campaigns, and said he had a great sense of humor.
“The man was absolutely brilliant and had a phenomenal sense of humor,” said Kaufman. “It was always a pleasure talking to him because he was very knowledgeable about every subject you could think of and he always laughed.”
Allison is survived by his wife Jocelyn and daughters Amanda and Alynda.
Vernuccio said that Allison grew up in upstate New York, and came to the NYC for good when he was a student at New York University.
