Gary Miret was born in New York City and raised in Queens County. His parents Emilio Miret and Shirley Cordoba-Miret immigrated from Cuba in 1960 fleeing the Communist government of Fidel Castro. Upon arriving in the United States in order to provide their family with freedom and the opportunity to achieve the American dream, the Miret family settled in Queens County to start their new life.
His parents stressed education as the key to success in the United States. Knowing his father was not able to continue his career as a lawyer in Cuba, Gary decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursued a career in the law. Gary graduated from Msgr. McClancy Memorial High School in 1979 after completing his studies at St. Joan of Arc Grammar School which was also located in Jackson Heights, Queens. After Msgr. McClancy, Gary attended and graduated Cum Laude from St. John’s University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and a minor in Economics. Throughout his four years at St. John’s University, Gary was on the Dean’s List and in 1982 was member of the St. John’s football team. Gary continued his education and pursued his lifelong dream of becoming an attorney and public service by attending and graduating from St. John’s University School of Law in 1986.
After his graduation from Law School, Gary was admitted to the State and Federal Bars of New York and in fulfillment of his dream and that of his family he accepted a position as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County where his served the citizens of Queens County as a trial and investigative prosecutor for 10 years. After his tenure at the Queens District Attorney’s Office, Gary continued his service to the Queens community by opening his own law practice in Astoria, Queens in 1996 where he concentrated in the areas of Criminal Defense, Real Estate Transactions and Estate Practice. Further, Gary was a member of the Felony 18b assigned counsel plan for approximately twenty-five years where he provided legal defense to indigent individuals facing felony charges.
In addition to his work as an attorney, Gary has been serving his community doing volunteer work. He was a volunteer coach at Msgr. McClancy Memorial High School for ten years as a Freshman Basketball Coach and seventeen years as a Varsity Baseball Coach. He also was a student mentor for several years at his alma mater for student-athletes from single parent homes with low to moderate incomes in Queens providing academic and social guidance for high school students. He served as an original member of the Board of Directors for the Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Astoria and continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors at Msgr. McClancy Memorial High School where he also is an original member.
In 2021, Gary was appointed by the Governor to the New York State Court of Claims and assigned to Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term. Gary’s appointment was significant in that he was only the second Cuban-American to be appointed to the New York State Court of Claims to sit in Queens County as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court. He currently is assigned to the Felony Driving While Intoxicated Part.
Gary is a founding member of the Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County having served as treasurer for 17 years and is currently on their Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Latino Judges Association, the Queens County Bar Association, the South Asian & Indo Caribbean Bar Association, the Columbian Lawyers Association, the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Queens County, the Saul Weprin Democratic Club, the Fred Wilson Democratic Club and the Jose Peralta Democratic Club.
Gary’s service to the community has been recognized through the numerous awards he has received from various entities, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County in 2022, Latino Lawyer of the Year, Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County in 2013, Attorney Award from the South Asian Indo-Caribbean Bar Association in 2020, El Quijote Award from El Comite del Desfile de la Hispanidad in 2019, Guest of Honor Ecuadorian Day Parade in 2019 , the Cor Jesu Award from Msgr. McClancy Memorial High School, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed on an Alumnus in 2004 and Knight of the Year, Knights of Columbus, Colon-Msgr. Higgins Council No. 309 in 2002.
Gary has been happily married for the past twenty-nine years to Norma Garcia-Miret who is an attorney. He is the proud father of two son Emilio and Mateo. Emilio is his third year at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell and Mateo is entering his third year at St. John’s University.
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