Mario Biaggi
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| Mario Biaggi | |
| Preceded by | Paul A. Fino |
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| Succeeded by | Eliot L. Engel |
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| Born | October 26, 1917 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Bronx, New York |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Mario Biaggi (born October 26, 1917) is a former American politician.
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[edit] Early years
He was born in East Harlem, New York on October 26, 1917, to poor Italian immigrants, who worked hard in order to maintain a strong family unit.[citation needed] His father, Salvatore Biaggi, was a marble setter. His mother, Mary, worked as a charwoman. He soon began working as a substitute letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. Later, Biaggi became a regular letter carrier and as he proudly recalls, his mail route included the home of one of his heroes, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. He served nearly six years with the Postal Service and, in a preview of things to come, became an activist in Branch 36 of The National Letter Carriers Association. While in Congress, Biaggi was considered one of the postal workers’ closest friends.[citation needed]
[edit] Police Legend
In 1942, Biaggi joined the New York City Police Department. His police career spanned 23 years, and his exploits as a hero cop made him a legend in his own time.[citation needed] By the time he retired from the New York City Police Department with the rank of Detective Lieutenant in 1965, he was declared the most decorated police officer in the United States.[citation needed] Two stories are told most often of Biaggi’s police days,[citation needed] including one about the time he rescued a terrified young girl from a runaway horse, only to be trampled by the animal for his trouble, leading to an injury that left him with a permanent limp.
[edit] Lawyer At Age 49
At the age of 45, and near the end of his distinguished police career, Biaggi entered law school. This was only made possible when the American Bar Association granted him a special dispensation to study law even though Biaggi did not have an undergraduate college degree.
Thanks to Dean Daniel Gutman, Biaggi received a full scholarship to attend New York Law School. Studying days, nights and weekends, Biaggi managed to complete the three-year law degree program in only two and one-half years. In 1966, at the age of 49, he was admitted to the New York Bar and founded the law firm Biaggi and Ehrlich.
[edit] Elected to Congress
Breaking the Republican pattern, in November 1968, Mario Biaggi became the first Democrat in 16 years to be elected from a traditional Bronx Republican stronghold. He was re-elected in each successive Congress by overwhelming margins. During his time in office, Mario experienced various redistricting changes. As a result, he represented persons from the Bronx, Queens and Yonkers during various years while in Congress.
[edit] 1973 Mayoral Campaign
In 1973, Mario Biaggi threw his hat into the race for Mayor of New York City. His original plan was to enter the Democrat Primary, while also seeking the nomination of the Conservative Party. At the outset, the leadership of the Conservative Party supported him and planned to make him their nominee regardless of whether he received the Democrat line. After it was leaked that he had invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege to avoid testifying before a Grand Jury some years prior, Mario Biaggi's mayoral ambitions were effectively destroyed, and he backed away from his candidacy as a Conservative. In light of the scandal cloud now surrounding their hero, the Conservative Party accepted his declination of the nomination and ended up nominating State Senator John Marchi of Staten Island, whom they had supported against Mayor Linday four years earlier.
[edit] Corruption Convictions
Biaggi was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison and fined $500,000 for accepting an illegal gratuity and obstructing justice in 1987. He had accepted free vacations from former Brooklyn Democratic leader Meade Esposito in exchange for using his influence to help a ship-repair company that was a major client of Esposito's insurance agency.[1] The House Ethics Committee recommended that Biaggi be expelled — the most severe of penalties.
In 1988, Biaggi was forced to resign his seat after he was convicted a second time in federal court of 15 felony counts for obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gratuities, stemming from Biaggi's acceptance of bribes in exchange for federal construction contracts in the so-called Wedtech scandal.[2] He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1992 for nomination to the 103rd Congress.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Roth, Mitchel P. (2001). Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement. Greewood Press. ISBN 0-313-35060-9.
- Trager, James (2003). The New York Chronology: The Ultimate Compendium of Events, People, and Anecdotes from the Dutch to the Present. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-052341-7.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Paul A. Fino |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 24th congressional district 1969-01-03–1973-01-03 |
Succeeded by Ogden R. Reid |
| Preceded by Emanuel Celler |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 10th congressional district 1973-01-03–1983-01-03 |
Succeeded by Charles E. Schumer |
| Preceded by Charles B. Rangel |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 19th congressional district 1983-01-03–August 5, 1988 |
Succeeded by Eliot L. Engel |
