Donald R. Manes (, ; January 18, 1934 – March 13, 1986) was a Democratic Party politician from New York City. He served as borough president of the New York City borough of Queens from 1971 until just before his suicide while under suspicion of corruption in 1986. Career Elected at age 37, the Brooklyn-born Manes was the youngest borough president in Queens history. During his term, Manes turned his position from a merely ceremonial role into a more proactive political job. He was re-elected four more times, and was a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Manes' popularity plummeted in late 1985, when he was criticized over two of his pet projects. He wanted to build a Grand Prix auto racetrack in Queens's largest public park, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair had been held. Community leaders denigrated the idea, and it became the first major project of his that was opposed. Also that year, Manes worked to build a domed football-baseball stadium in the park, but it was opposed by local businessmen in the Flushing area. When Queens couldn't secure a football franchise, the plan died. One of his biggest controversies came in late 1985, when Manes wanted to wire the borough for cable television. Manes rejected a proposal by the Queens-based Orth-O-Vision company to place cable lines in the borough, and instead awarded contracts to mega-companies Warner Communications and Time-Life, as well as a cable firm owned by former Manhattan borough president Percy Sutton. Local residents were outraged that he passed over a local firm for large national companies. Downfall and suicide Shortly after his inauguration for a fifth term, Manes attended a dinner party for the new Israeli consul at Borough Hall in Kew Gardens on January 9, 1986. He left in his own car and was followed by his chauffeur up Queens Boulevard. He was later found in his car in the early morning hours of January 10; his wrists were slit and he was bleeding profusely. He initially claimed that two men had carjacked and attacked him, but later recanted the statement, saying he had attempted suicide. In the following weeks, it was alleged that Manes had used political appointments and favors as the source of large kickback schemes involving personal bureaucratic fiefdoms such as the New York City Parking Violations Bureau.