Heller, Louis B. (Louis Benjamin), 1905-1993

Louis Benjamin Heller (February 10, 1905 – October 30, 1993) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he notably served in the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 7th (1949-1953) and 8th (1953-1954) congressional districts.

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, he attended the public schools there before graduating from Fordham Law School. Heller was admitted to the bar in 1927 and commenced the practice of law in Brooklyn. He served as a special deputy assistant attorney general for cases of election fraud from 1936 until 1946 and was an appeal agent with the United States Selective Service from 1941 until 1942. Heller was elected to the New York state senate in 1942, serving from 1943 to 1944 then was appointed by Gov. Thomas E. Dewey as secretary of the New York State Temporary Commission Against Discrimination in 1944 and 1945. He served as Democratic State committeeman and executive member of the sixth assembly district of Kings County, New York from 1944 to 1954.

He was elected to the 81st United States Congress, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John J. Delaney, and was re-elected to the 82nd and 83rd United States Congresses, holding office from February 15, 1949, until his resignation on July 21, 1954. Heller resigned from Congress to become a Judge of New York City's Special Sessions Court, where he served until 1958. In December 1958 he was elected Justice of New York City's City Court, and he served until August 1966. He was elected to the New York Supreme Court in 1966 and served until his 1977 retirement.

Heller retired to Lauderhill, Florida and lived there until his death in Plantation, Florida. He was buried at Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn.