AUBURN - Thomas Leone and David Gould shared the same regret.

Leone was regretful that his mother wasn't alive to see him take the oath to defend the U.S. Constitution as Cayuga County Judge.

Gould wished that his parents could see him stand on the stone steps of the Old Historic Post Office and Courthouse, flanked by police officers from the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, Auburn Police Department and New York State Police, as he took the same pledge to serve as the new sheriff.

“My only regret is my mother is not here to see this,” Leone said. “I know she's looking down on all of us, smiling, thinking you're all crazy for being here.”

“I know they would be proud of me,” Gould said.

Gould and Leone, both Democratic candidates for their respective offices, said they became friends as they ran allied campaigns last year.

Gould beat one-term incumbent Rob Outhouse by a wide margin. Leone defeated Cayuga County District Attorney James Vargason to replace Peter E. Corning, who was required by law to retire at the age of 70

this year after 27 years on the bench.

Leone was sworn in by his father, also called Thomas, as his wife Deborah looked on. His daughters, Caitlin and

Marissa, helped Leone trade his suit jacket for a judge's black robes for the first time.Before Leone's swearing-in inside the courthouse, Cayuga County Surrogate Judge Mark Fandrich, retired judge Corning and Auburn City Court Judge Michael McKeon took the bench that was Corning's for 27 years in the second-floor courtroom.“I'm Judge Peter Corning, retired,” Corning said to a round of laughter and applause as he welcomed the packed crowd.After Leone took his oath, Corning stepped down from the center of the bench, and Leone took his place between Fandrich and McKeon.“I don't want to make this a political speech ...” Leone said. “But I do want to thank everyone for their support. We successfully got the message out that everyone will be treated with dignity and respect. No one has to worry about coming before Judge Leone.”Leone's first official act as Cayuga County Judge was to swear Gould into office on the courthouse steps. The crowd of dozens packed shoulder-to-shoulder and overflowing the courtroom to see Leone's swearing-in migrated to the sidewalk and the courthouse's lawn, filling the space up to the curbside of Genesee Street.After Gould took his oath to become sheriff on the courthouse steps, Gould and his fiancee, Suzanne Turkett, were married in an intimate ceremony at Suzanne's house by Rev. James Enright. Family and a few close friends attended. It had been kept a secret from the wider public.They had their first dance at the Springside Inn where supporters celebrated both his secret nuptials and his electoral win. The disc jockey announced them as “Mrs. and Mr. Gould, the new Cayuga County Sheriff,” Gould said.Gould said Monday he would do his utmost to keep his campaign promises, and that his office would be open to all of his staff and to any member of the public.“I'm not going to say anything bad about ex-sheriff (Rob Outhouse) ... This is going to be one big family in this county, I promise,” Gould said.Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net