 As part of the D.A. office , Ferraro worked long hours , and gained a reputation for being a tough prosecutor but fair in plea negotiations . Although her unit was supposed to turn over cases which were bound for trial to another division , she took an active role in trying some cases herself , and juries were persuaded by her summations . Ferraro was upset to discover that her superior was paying her less than equivalent male colleagues because she was a married woman and already had a husband . Moreover , Ferraro found the nature of the cases she dealt with debilitating ; the work left her " drained and angry " and she developed an ulcer . She grew frustrated that she was unable to deal with root causes , and talked about running for legislative office ; Cuomo , now Secretary of State of New York , suggested the United States Congress . 
