Augusto Sorriso
Augusto Sorriso (born January 25, 1948) is an Italian and American politician and entrepreneur. He is a former mayor of Licata, Sicily, and has sought election to the Italian parliament.
Early life, education, and political career in Italy
Sorriso was born in Licata. He took a political science degree at the University of Florence and later returned to the city of his birth, where he worked in his family's construction business. He was a successful municipal politician with the Christian Democratic party, holding the city's mayoralty and other positions.[1]
He ran for a seat in the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 1994 general election as a candidate of the Solidarieta' Occupazione Sviluppo party and finished fourth in Licata's single-member division.[2]
Later career in America
Sorriso moved to New Jersey with his family in 1994 and started a successful franchise of salad restaurants.[3] He has been active in the Italian community, serving with the Confederation of Sicilians in North America and as an executive member of the General Council of Italians Abroad.[4]
He ran for the Italian Senate as a Forza Italia candidate in the 2006 general election, the first in which Italian citizens outside the country were allowed to vote in international divisions. His party list was defeated by Romano Prodi's coalition, The Union.
Sorriso later ran for Berlusconi's People of Freedom coalition in the 2008 election. The list won a narrow victory, but Sorriso was outpolled by his running-mate, Basilio Giordano, for the seat. He later broke with Berlusconi's party and sought election to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 2013 Italian general election as a candidate of Mario Monti's With Monti for Italy. Although the party list won a seat, Sorriso was again outpolled by one of his running mates, Angela Rosaria Nissoli.
Electoral record (partial)
| Party | Votes | % | Senators | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People of Freedom | 38,896 | 44.96 | 1 | |
| Democratic Party | 38,103 | 44.04 | ||
| Union of the Centre | 7,330 | 8.47 | ||
| The Right–Tricolour Flame | 2,193 | 2.53 | ||
| Total valid votes | 86,522 | 100.00 | ||
| People of Freedom candidate preference votes | |
|---|---|
| Basilio Giordano (elected) | 13,083 |
| Augusto Sorriso | 8,699 |
| Democratic Party candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| (x)Renato Turano | 15,223 | |
| Marina Piazzi | 7,431 | |
| Union of the Centre candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Massimo Seracini | 2,194 | |
| Vittorio Coco | 1,791 | |
| The Right–Tricolour Flame candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Giuseppe Cirnigliaro | 544 | |
| Franco Misuraca | 461 | |
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Senato 13/04/2008, Area ESTERO, Ripartizione AMERICA SETTENTRIONALE E CENTRALE, Ministerio dell'Interno, Government of Italy, accessed 27 July 2011. Voters were not required to give a preference vote for any candidate.
| Party | Votes | % | Senators | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Union | 32,036 | 38.03 | 1 | |
| Forza Italia | 25,556 | 30.33 | ||
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia | 11,604 | 13.77 | ||
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 9,412 | 11.17 | ||
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad | 3,191 | 3.79 | ||
| Northern League | 1,389 | 1.65 | ||
| Tricolour Flame | 1,061 | 1.26 | ||
| Total valid votes | 84,249 | 100.00 | ||
| The Union candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Renato Turano (elected) | 12,097 | |
| Rocco di Trolio | 7,675 | |
| Forza Italia candidate preference votes | |
|---|---|
| Augusto Sorriso | 8,898 |
| Liborio Zambito | 5,387 |
| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia candidate preference votes | |
|---|---|
| Carlo Consiglio | 5,446 |
| Vincenzo Centofanti | 2,531 |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vittorio Coco | 3,906 | |
| Bernardo Paradiso | 2,885 | |
| Independent Alternative for Italians Abroad candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Domenico Serafini detto Dom | 1,471 | |
| Sonia Marcella Spadoni | 922 | |
| Northern League candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Salvatore Rappa | 807 | |
| Tricolour Flame candidate preference votes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alfredo Viti | 415 | |
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Senato 09/04/2006, Area ESTERO, Ripartizione AMERICA SETTENTRIONALE E CENTRALE, Ministerio dell'Interno, Government of Italy, accessed 27 July 2011. Voters were not required to give a preference vote for any candidate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance of Progressives | Carmelo Incorvaia | 23,843 | 43.47 | |
| Union of the Centre Forza Italia National Alliance Christian Democratic Centre Polo Liberal Democratico |
Giuseppe Graci | 15,521 | 28.30 | |
| Pact for Italy | Michele Di Franco | 6,628 | 12.09 | |
| Solidarieta' Occupazione Sviluppo | Augusto Sorriso | 4,527 | 8.25 | |
| Italian Socialist Party | Calogero Schembri | 4,325 | 7.89 | |
| Total valid votes | 54,844 | 100 | ||
Source: ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Camera 27/03/1994, Circoscrizione SICILIA 1, Collegio Licata, Ministerio dell'Interno, Government of Italy, accessed 3 August 2011.
References
- ↑ Liliana Rosano, "La Csna conta oltre 30 mila soci e centinaia di associazioni", Quotidiano di Sicilia, 26 March 2011, accessed 1 August 2011.
- ↑ ARCHIVIO STORICO DELLE ELEZIONI - Consultazione dati: Camera 27/03/1994, Collegio Licata, Ministero del Interno, accessed 1 August 2011.
- ↑ William Conroy, "Central New Jersey Salad Works franchiser had foresight," Asbury Park Press, 2 September 2004.
- ↑ Liliana Rosano, "La Csna conta oltre 30 mila soci e centinaia di associazioni", Quotidiano di Sicilia, 26 March 2011, accessed 1 August 2011.