Andrew Cuomo is so eager to take office that he’ll be sworn in two hours before becoming governor.

Cuomo is set to be given the oath of office privately by Court of Appeals Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman at 10 p.m. Friday after a family New Year’s Eve dinner at the executive mansion.

The early start will allow Cuomo to make a splash on the 11 p.m. news.

Cuomo is said to be going early so the kids attending the dinner can watch. Other onlookers will include his parents, former three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo and former First Lady Matilda Cuomo.

Andrew Cuomo’s three daughters and fiance, Food Channel celebrity Sandra Lee, will also be watching, as will the new governor’s siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and top aides.

About 80 guests will join Cuomo at the mansion.

While the oath is tradition, the real ascension to power comes through signing a document that is notarized and filed with the secretary of state’s office.

Cuomo is expected to sign the oath today. It will become effective just after midnight on New Year’s Day.

Cuomo will be the state’s 56th governor, and he expects to hit the ground running with a staff meeting at the Capitol at 8:30a.m. tomorrow.

He’ll follow that with an inaugural address at noon. Cuomo won’t host a lavish reception, but instead will greet New Yorkers at the executive mansion in the afternoon.

His aides say all inaugural costs, including overtime for state workers, will be picked up by his campaign.

Cuomo follows David Paterson, who is expected to spend his last day in office in New York City.

Paterson, in his final weekly WOR radio show as governor, said his tenure was a “spectacular experience.”

Much of Paterson’s staff were alerted yesterday that today will be their last day on the job. However, budget director Robert Megna will be retained by Cuomo, sources said.

Paterson took over the governor’s office in March 2009 after Eliot Spitzer’s stunning resignation amid a scandal.

Looking back, Paterson boasted that his handling of the state’s economic crisis will be his defining legacy.

“I think in spite of the very difficult challenges that we had in this state, maybe as difficult as has ever existed in the past three years, it was an honor to serve, and it was a spectacular experience in my life,” Paterson said. “I tried hard at all times.”

Others may remember Paterson for his many scandals – including his contact with a domestic violence victim and his lies about receiving free World Series tickets.

(Source: NY Daily News)