Philip Giordano

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Philip Giordano (1963-) is the former Republican mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut and a convicted sex offender. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and his family moved to the United States when he was two years old.

A lawyer, former state representative and former Marine (1981 - 1985), Giordano served three terms as mayor after being elected for the first time in 1995. In 2000, he unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, losing to Joe Lieberman.

While investigating municipal corruption, the FBI discovered phone records of Giordano arranging meetings with a prostitute named Guitana Jones, her 17 year old niece, and her daughters, aged 8 and 10. He was arrested on July 26, 2001 and, in March 2003, was convicted of 14 counts of using an interstate device, his cell phone, to arrange sexual contact with children. He was also convicted of violating the girls' civil rights. He was sentenced to 37 years in prison.

During his time as mayor, he claimed to have balanced Waterbury's budget, but prior to his arrest a state oversight board had to intervene as a result of chronic pension underfunding and unaffordable union contracts. Upon Giordano's arrest in 2001, he was forced to step aside, leaving Alderman President (and State-Senator Elect) Sam Caligiuri as acting mayor.