Stefano Cusumano

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Stefano Cusumano, generally known as Nuccio Cusumano, (born 1948-10-16) is an Italian politician. He was most recently elected in 2006 representing the UDEUR party as one of the senators for the Campania constituency.

Born in Sciacca in Sicily, he holds a law degree and has worked as an entrepreneur and as a journalist.

He has held several government positions, including during the D'Alema premiership between 1998 and 1999 as Under Secretary of State at the Treasury Ministry, then headed by Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

In 1994, when a member of the Italian People's Party (PPI), he helped prime minister Silvio Berlusconi survive a vote of confidence. He was one of four PPI senators who, against the instructions of their party, left the Senate chamber thus making the senate inquorate.

In 1999, while a junior Treasury Minister, he was arrested in connection with allegations of corruption in relation to construction contracts for a hospital in Sicily. In 2007, the court in Catania exonerated him completely.^[1]

On 24 January 2008, in the 2008 Italian political crisis, Cusumano voted in support of prime minister Romano Prodi on a vote of confidence, against the instructions of his party, UDEUR. Another UDEUR senator, Tommaso Barbato, launched a vicious verbal attack, and had to be restrained from attacking him physically. Cusumano appeared to faint and was carried out of the chamber.^[2]

Cusumano was expelled from UDEUR and joined the Democratic Party.