Eric Gioia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric Gioia is a member of the New York City Council and a Democratic politician in New York. He was elected to two year terms in 2001 and 2003 and to a four year term in 2005. He represents the Queens neighborhoods of Woodside, Sunnyside, Maspeth, and Long Island City.
Gioia attended public schools P.S. 11 and I.S. 125 in Queens. He is a graduate of St. Francis Prep High School, New York University and Georgetown University Law School. He worked his way through college as a janitor and elevator operator and member of Local 32BJ. He worked as a law clerk during law school in the White House under President Bill Clinton. He has also worked in his family's florist in Woodside, which has operated on Roosevelt Avenue for over 100 years. He worked in the private practice of law in Manhattan and on the presidential campaign of Al Gore in 2000.
Gioia has become well known as an advocate for the hungry, and has written laws to alleviate child hunger and protect the environment. The New York Times called him "energetic" and "a natural" and he has improved schools and fought for affordable and middle class housing in his district. He founded a youth baseball league and brought a bank to Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City. He is the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Committee, and has conducted over 50 investigations leading to the passage of laws that protect homeless people with HIV and AIDS, increase government accountability and transparency, and register young people to vote.
As a councilman he has been known as an ally of current Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former Speaker Gifford Miller.
