ALBANY, N.Y., Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Andrew Mark Cuomo became New York's 56th governor in a private ceremony with family and friends at the Executive Mansion in Albany, officials said.
The new governor wasted no time getting to work and planned his first staff meeting for Saturday, The New York Times reported.
"I am honored and humbled to accept this tremendous responsibility," he said following his swearing in Friday evening. "The time has come to return integrity, performance and dignity to New York and make it the Empire State once again."
About 40 members of Cuomo's family attended the private swearing-in, including his parents, Mario and Matilda. The public was not invited.
In a radio interview, Cuomo said the state's financial problems tempered celebratory feelings.
"The challenges are daunting," Cuomo said. "So anyone who underestimates the slope of the hill that this state has to climb, let's call it a mountain, is just not dealing with reality."
