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About Mary
Mary Tarantelli
Mary Tarantelli grew up in Horseheads, New York. She is the third child of the Honorable Louis and Sheila Tarantelli. Mary attended St. Mary our Mother Elementary and Junior High school and Notre Dame High School.
Mary attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1991. Mary returned to Chemung County and worked as an office manager and legal assistant in her father’s law office. She attended Syracuse College of Law on partial scholarship. Mary was a member of Law Review, received a Certificate in Family Law studies and graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Juris Doctorate in 2000.
After Law School Mary returned to Chemung County and from that time to the present has primarily practiced in Family Court representing parents, grandparents, foster parents and primarily, children. She became a member of the Chemung County Attorney for the Child panel and now sits on the Advisory Committee for the Office of the Attorney for the Child.
Mary has been involved with and continues to work with the New York State Child Welfare Court Improvement Project. Mary was a member of the Chemung County Bar Association Executive Committee and past President of the Horseheads Kiwanis Club.
Mary is married to Joseph Merola, a former Navy and New York Air Force Pilot and Veteran. Although Joe’s work is not based in Chemung County, having worked for Boeing as an Experimental Test Pilot, United Airline and FedEx, they have made their home in Big Flats, New York and are the proud parents of Allena.
Mary’s philosophy is to “empower families while balancing the need for accountability.”
More About Mary
- Notre Dame High School Graduate – Elmira, NY
- B.S. Political Science, Cum Laude
- Syracuse Law School, Magna Cum Laude
- Editor, Law review
- Tarantelli Law Offices – Elmira, NY
- Chemung County Panel Of Attorneys For Children (Law Guardian)
- Kiwanis Club, Past President
- Chemung County Bar Association Executive Committee
- Court Improvement Child Welfare Program
- Advisory Committee for the 3rd Department office of the Attorney for the Child
Known to many as “Mimi,” Judge Tarantelli was born and raised in Horseheads, New York. She and her husband, Joe, have one daughter.
Mimi attended Notre Dame High School. She graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science in 1991. She attended Syracuse University College of Law where she was on Law Review and graduated with high honors in 2000.
Mimi returned to Horseheads after Law School to practice in her father’s Law Office; however, she has been a part of the Chemung County legal community since 1987, having worked as a paralegal prior to law school.
While Mimi’s primary professional concentration was and continues to be Family Law; she was a Chemung County Assistant District Attorney from January 2007 through April 2011 when her daughter was born.
Prior to taking the bench in 2015, she served on the Chemung County Law Guardian Panel, now known as Attorney for the Child Panel. She was the Chemung County Liaison for the 3rd Department Office of the Attorney for the Child and served on the Chemung County Bar Association Executive Committee.
In 2014 Mimi was elected Chemung County Family Court Judge filling the very big shoes left by Kiwanis’ own Hon. David M. Brockway after his well-deserved retirement. Her ten-year term expires this year, and she has announced that she will be running for re-election.
Since taking the bench Mimi has worked to bring a more collaborative approach to Family Court, to partner with State and Community agencies to implement Statewide pilot programs to maximize available services and court efficiency. She served on the Pro Bono Committee for the 6th Judicial District, the New York State Bar Association Rural Justice Task Force and continues to serve on the 3rd Department Attorney for the Child Advisory Committee and Child Welfare Court Improvement Family Court Working Group. In 2021 Mimi was appointed by Chief Administrative Judge, Lawrence K. Marks, to Supervising Family Court Judge for Family Court judges in the 6th Judicial District. In 2023 Mimi was appointed by Administrative Judge Eugene Faughnan to Acting Supreme Court Judge for Chemung County.
Mimi was featured in the Court Appointed Special Advocate of New York State’s 2021 Spring Newsletter, as well as the 6th Judicial District celebrating Women’s History Month in March of 2023. Most important to her, she was her daughter’s choice for her “Woman Who Inspired Me” school project.
Mimi became a member of Horseheads Kiwanis in 2008, where she continues her formal membership, including serving as past president until the birth of her child in 2011.