Age, Biography, and Wiki
Charles Bernard Rangel was born on June 11, 1930, in Harlem, New York. He passed away on May 26, 2025, at the age of 94. Rangel grew up with his mother and grandmother and faced early challenges, dropping out of school to work. However, he later joined the U.S. Army, where he distinguished himself during the Korean War. After the military, he pursued higher education, graduating from New York University and earning his law degree from St. John's University.
| Occupation | Autobiographer |
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| Date of Birth | 11 June 1930 |
| Age | 95 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 26 May, 2025 |
| Died Place | New York City, U.S. |
Height, Weight & Measurements
There is no specific information available about Charles Rangel's height and weight. However, he was known for his stature as a significant figure in American politics.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Charles Rangel was married to Alma Rangel from 1964 until his passing in 2025. They had two children together, Steven Rangel and Alicia Frances Rangel.
His father, Ralph Rangel, was from Puerto Rico and came to New York in 1914, while his African American mother, Blanche Mary Wharton Rangel, was from New York City and had family roots in Virginia. Charles was the second of three children, with an older brother Ralph Jr. and a younger sister Frances. Ralph Rangel sometimes worked as a laborer in a garage, but he was mostly a frequently absent, unemployed man who was abusive to his wife and who left the family when Charles was six years old. Charles was raised by his mother, who worked as a maid and as a seamstress in a factory in New York's Garment District, and by his maternal grandfather. Many summers were spent in Accomac, Virginia, where his maternal family had roots. Charles was brought up as a Catholic.
Rangel was an original member when the Congressional Black Caucus was formed in 1971. In 1974, he was elected its chairman and he served in that role until 1976. He remained a member of the caucus for the duration of his time in office. His wife Alma was a founder and a chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses, which engaged in social and fundraising activities for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which in turn gave out college education grants.
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| Husband | Alma Carter (m. 1964-2024) |
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Charles Rangel's net worth was estimated to be $2.5 million. His net worth was influenced by his long tenure in Congress and previous career as a lawyer. In 2017, his net worth was estimated at approximately $1.877 million. Rangel's financial disclosures sometimes included unreported assets, which affected his net worth calculations.
Beginning in 2008, Rangel faced allegations that he had violated House ethics rules and failed to abide by tax laws. The House Ethics Committee considered whether Rangel improperly rented multiple rent-stabilized New York apartments, improperly used his office in raising money for the Rangel Center at the City College of New York, and failed to disclose rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic. In March 2010, Rangel stepped aside as the Ways and Means chair. In November 2010, the Ethics Committee found Rangel guilty of 11 counts of violating House ethics rules, and on December 2, 2010, the full House approved a sanction of censure against him. As his district became more Hispanic, Rangel faced two strong primary challengers during the 2012 and 2014 elections, but he nonetheless prevailed. He did not run for re-election in 2016 and left office in January 2017.
Career, Business, and Investments
Rangel's career was marked by his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he demonstrated leadership and bravery. After the military, he practiced law in New York before entering politics. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971 and served for over 40 years, becoming a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African-American to chair the House Ways and Means Committee.
Rangel's business and investment activities included real estate holdings and stock investments. He owned properties in Florida and New Jersey and had investments in companies like Yum Brands and PepsiCo.
Rangel rose rapidly in the Democratic ranks in the House, combining solidly liberal views with a pragmatic style that allowed him to find political and legislative compromises. His long-time concern with the importation and effects of illegal drugs led to his becoming chair of the House Select Committee on Narcotics, where he helped define national policy on the issue during the 1980s. As one of Harlem's "Gang of Four", he also became a leader in New York City and State politics. Rangel played a significant role in the creation of the 1995 Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation and the national Empowerment Zone Act. Rangel was known both for what was his genial manner and his blunt speaking; he was long outspoken about his views and was arrested several times as part of political demonstrations. He was a strong opponent of the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War, and he put forth proposals to reinstate the draft during the 2000s.
In late November 1950, after the People's Republic of China intervention into the war, his unit was caught in heavy fighting in North Korea as part of the U.N. forces retreat from the Yalu River. In the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, the 2nd Infantry was assigned to hold a road position near Kunu-ri while the rest of the Eighth Army retreated to Sunchon, 21 miles farther south. On the night of November 29, the 2nd Infantry was attacked by gradually encircling forces of the PRC Army, who set up a fireblock to cut off any U.S. retreat. The eerie blare of Chinese night-fighting bugle calls and communication flares piercing the freezing air led to what Rangel later described as a "waking nightmare, scene by scene, and we couldn't see any possible way out of the situation". During the day on November 30, the order came to withdraw the 2nd Infantry in phases, but the 503rd Artillery Battalion was sixth of eight in the order and could not get out in daylight when air cover was possible.
After finishing law school Rangel passed the state bar exam and was hired by Weaver, Evans & Wingate, a prominent black law firm. Rangel made little money in private practice, but did build a positive reputation for providing legal assistance to black civil rights activists. In 1961, Rangel was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York by U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and worked under U.S. Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau. He stayed in the position for a year.
Rangel won re-election every two years until his retirement, usually with over 90 percent of the vote and often with more than 95 percent. In a number of elections Rangel received the backing of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the Liberal Party of New York. Rangel's consistent appeal to his constituents was due to the perception of him as a champion for justice not just in Harlem but elsewhere in the world. He did face a mid-career primary challenge in 1994 when two-term New York City Councilman Adam Clayton Powell IV was his opponent and held Rangel to 58 percent of the vote. Rangel then faced strong primary challenges from 2010 on during and after his ethics troubles.
Despite an initial impression that Rangel was mostly concerned with the "ghetto problems" of drugs and welfare, Rangel focused on many other issues. He consistently backed Israel, including objecting to an anti-Israeli resolution adopted at the National Black Political Convention in 1972 and urging black Americans to support the civil rights of Soviet Jews in 1975. In other respects Rangel opposed foreign interventions and military spending, voting against bombing in Cambodia, and against funding for the B-1 bomber and supercarriers.
Rangel rose rapidly in the House, due to his political skills, hard work, knowledge of legislative matters, and genial manner. In 1974, he became the first African American ever named to the House Committee on Ways and Means, a position he assumed in 1975 (and left the Judiciary Committee) and by 1979 had become the chairman of its important Subcommittee on Health. In 1976, he was named to the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. By 1979, he was a member of the influential House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He combined his solidly liberal views–interest group ratings in 1978 indicated he was the most liberal member of the New York State congressional delegation–with a pragmatic approach towards finding political and legislative compromises. Rangel built alliances with others in Congress (collaborating for example with Michigan Republican Guy Vander Jagt on welfare reform measures), with people in governmental agencies, and with the Carter administration. In some cases Rangel was criticized for being too pragmatic, such as when he switched his position on the deregulation of natural gas; Rangel denied that he did so in exchange for the authorization of a new federal building in Harlem. Rangel said of himself, "I guess I'm pract
Social Network
Although Charles Rangel was active in public life, there is limited information about his personal social media presence. However, he was often mentioned and praised by political figures on platforms like Twitter, highlighting his impact on the political landscape.
On the night of November 30, Rangel was part of a retreating vehicle column that was trapped and attacked by Chinese forces. In the subzero cold Rangel was hit in the back by shrapnel from a Chinese shell. He later wrote that the blast threw him into a ditch, causing him to pray fervently to Jesus. Up and down the line of the retreat, unit cohesion disappeared under attack and officers lost contact with their men. There was screaming and moaning around him and some U.S. soldiers were being taken prisoner, but despite feeling overwhelming fear Rangel resolved to try to escape over an imposing mountain: "From the rim of that gully it just looked like everything had to be better on the other side of that damn mountain."
Education
Rangel attended New York University, where he graduated, and later earned his law degree from St. John's University. His educational background played a significant role in shaping his career in law and politics.
He earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in the United States Army during the Korean War, where he led a group of soldiers out of a deadly Chinese Army encirclement during the Battle of Kunu-ri in 1950. Rangel graduated from New York University in 1957 and St. John's University School of Law in 1960. He worked as a private lawyer, assistant U.S. attorney, and legal counsel during the early-mid-1960s. He served two terms in the New York State Assembly from 1967 to 1971 and defeated long-time incumbent Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in a primary challenge on his way to being elected to the House of Representatives.
Rangel did well in elementary and middle school, and he began working at a neighborhood drug store at the age of eight. Rangel attended DeWitt Clinton High School, but he was often truant and was sometimes driven home by the police. His maternal grandfather, an early role model who worked in a courthouse and knew many judges and lawyers, kept him from getting into more serious trouble. Rangel dropped out at the age of sixteen during his junior year and worked in various low-paying jobs including selling shoes.
Others nearby looked to Rangel who, though only a private first class, had a reputation for leadership in the unit and had gained the nickname "Sarge". Rangel led some 40 men from his unit over the mountain during the night and out of the Chinese encirclement. Other groups were trying to do the same, but some men dropped from the severe conditions or got lost and were never heard from again. By midday on December 1, U.S. aircraft were dropping supplies and directions to Rangel's group and others, and had a raft ready to take them across the Taedong River; groups from the 503rd Artillery reached Sunchon that afternoon. Overall, no part of the 2nd Infantry suffered as many casualties as the artillery. It tried to save (but eventually lost) all its guns, and nearly half of the battalion was killed in the overall battle.
Rangel finished high school, completing two years of studies in one year. Benefiting from the G.I. Bill Rangel received a Bachelor of Science degree from the New York University School of Commerce in 1957, where he made the dean's list. On full scholarship, he obtained his law degree from the St. John's University School of Law in 1960.
