Mario Biaggi
Encyclopedia
Mario Biaggi is a former U.S. Representative
from New York
(served from 1969 to 1988) and former New York City
police officer. He was elected as a Democrat
from The Bronx
in New York City. In 1987 and 1988, he was convicted in two separate corruption trials, and he resigned from Congress in 1988.
, on 26 October 1917, to poor Italian
immigrants. His father, Salvatore Biaggi, was a marble setter. His mother, Mary, worked as a charwoman.
At age 18, Biaggi became a substitute letter carrier for the U.S. Post Office
. Later, he became a regular letter carrier; 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 Post Office and, in a preview of things to come, became an activist in Branch 36 of the National Letter Carriers Association.
. His police career spanned 23 years. He retired from the Department in 1965, with the rank of Detective Lieutenant, and was then declared the most decorated police officer in the United States. Among his many exploits was the rescue of a young girl from a runaway horse, which trampled him, causing a permanent limp.
granted him a special dispensation to study law even though Biaggi did not have an undergraduate college degree.
Biaggi attended New York Law School
, and received a full scholarship thanks to Dean Daniel Gutman. Studying days, nights and weekends, Biaggi completed 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.
seat in the U.S. House became open when 8-term Republican incumbent Paul Fino resigned to become a New York Supreme Court Justice. Biaggi ran as a Democrat, and won easily, with 60.5% of the vote in what had been a traditional Bronx Republican stronghold.
He was easily re-elected in 1970. From 1972 onward, he was nominated by the Republicans as well, and was effectively unopposed. In 1968, 1970, and 1972, he also got the Conservative nomination, but this support ended after his abortive run for mayor in 1973. From 1978 onward he got the Liberal nomination.
In the redistricting after the 1970 census, Biaggi's district was renumbered the 10th
, and included part of Queens
. In the redistricting after the 1980 census, his district was renumbered the 19th
, and included part of suburban Westchester County.
In 1975 Biaggi introduced a joint resolution of Congress, Public Law 94-479, to posthumously promote George Washington
to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States
and restore Washington's position as the highest ranking military officer in U.S. history. This was passed on January 19, 1976, approved by President Gerald Ford
on October 11, 1976, and formalized in Department of the Army Order 31-3 of March 13, 1978, with an effective appointment date of July 4, 1976, the United States Bicentennial
.
Biaggi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
for his work towards ending the violence in Northern Ireland
. He sponsored the bill for the construction of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
in Washington, D.C.
However, it was leaked that he had invoked his Fifth Amendment
privilege to avoid testifying before a grand jury
some years prior. In light of this scandal, Biaggi withdrew from the Democratic primary. The Conservative Party also accepted his withdrawal, and nominated State Senator John Marchi
.
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. He was convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity and obstruction of justice
, sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, and fined $500,000. The House Ethics Committee recommended that Biaggi be expelled — the most severe penalty.
In 1988, Biaggi was charged in the Wedtech scandal
of having accepted bribes for assisting Wedtech in getting Federal procurement contracts. He was convicted of 15 counts of obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gratuities.
Biaggi, who was about to be expelled from the House, now resigned his seat. Since primary election petitions were aleady filed, Biaggi remained on the ballot for the Democratic and Republican nominations in the 19th District. He did not campaign, and lost the Democratic primary to then-Assemblyman Eliot Engel. Although the 19th District was still relatively conservative at the time, Bronx Republican Chairman and State Senator Guy Velella
chose not to field another candidate to run for the seat and left Biaggi on the ballot. In the general election, Engel easily defeated Biaggi.
reported that some of Biaggi's former constituents wanted to vote for him but could not. In the redistricting after the 1990 census, parts of Biaggi's former district (Throggs Neck and Morris Park
) had been shifted to other districts.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(served from 1969 to 1988) and former New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
police officer. He was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
in New York City. In 1987 and 1988, he was convicted in two separate corruption trials, and he resigned from Congress in 1988.
Early years
He was born in East Harlem, New YorkManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, on 26 October 1917, to poor Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrants. His father, Salvatore Biaggi, was a marble setter. His mother, Mary, worked as a charwoman.
At age 18, Biaggi became a substitute letter carrier for the U.S. Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
. Later, he became a regular letter carrier; 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 Post Office and, in a preview of things to come, became an activist in Branch 36 of the National Letter Carriers Association.
Police
In 1942, Biaggi joined the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
. His police career spanned 23 years. He retired from the Department in 1965, with the rank of Detective Lieutenant, and was then declared the most decorated police officer in the United States. Among his many exploits was the rescue of a young girl from a runaway horse, which trampled him, causing a permanent limp.
Lawyer at age 49
At the age of 45, and near the end of his distinguished police career, Biaggi entered law school. The American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
granted him a special dispensation to study law even though Biaggi did not have an undergraduate college degree.
Biaggi attended New York Law School
New York Law School
New York Law School is a private law school in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. New York Law School is one of the oldest independent law schools in the United States. The school is located within four blocks of all major courts in Manhattan. In 2011, New York Law School...
, and received a full scholarship thanks to Dean Daniel Gutman. Studying days, nights and weekends, Biaggi completed 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.
Elected to Congress
In 1968, the 24th DistrictNew York's 24th congressional district
The 24th Congressional District of New York includes all or parts of Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins counties.This district is currently represented by Republican Richard L...
seat in the U.S. House became open when 8-term Republican incumbent Paul Fino resigned to become a New York Supreme Court Justice. Biaggi ran as a Democrat, and won easily, with 60.5% of the vote in what had been a traditional Bronx Republican stronghold.
He was easily re-elected in 1970. From 1972 onward, he was nominated by the Republicans as well, and was effectively unopposed. In 1968, 1970, and 1972, he also got the Conservative nomination, but this support ended after his abortive run for mayor in 1973. From 1978 onward he got the Liberal nomination.
In the redistricting after the 1970 census, Biaggi's district was renumbered the 10th
New York's 10th congressional district
New York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...
, and included part of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. In the redistricting after the 1980 census, his district was renumbered the 19th
New York's 19th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, New York District 19 is located in the southern part of the state of New York. District 19 lies north of New York City and is composed of parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, in addition to the entirety of Putnam County.District 19...
, and included part of suburban Westchester County.
In 1975 Biaggi introduced a joint resolution of Congress, Public Law 94-479, to posthumously promote George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States
General of the Armies
General of the Armies of the United States, or more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest possible officer rank of the United States Army.Only two soldiers have been granted the rank of General of the Armies; John J...
and restore Washington's position as the highest ranking military officer in U.S. history. This was passed on January 19, 1976, approved by President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
on October 11, 1976, and formalized in Department of the Army Order 31-3 of March 13, 1978, with an effective appointment date of July 4, 1976, the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
.
Biaggi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
for his work towards ending the violence in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He sponsored the bill for the construction of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, honors the nearly 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout history. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was established by former U.S...
in Washington, D.C.
1973 mayoral campaign
In 1973, Mario Biaggi declared his candidacy for Mayor of New York City. He entered the Democratic primary, and also sought the Conservative nomination. Biaggi was a fairly conservative Democrat by New York City standards, and had received the Conservation nomination for Representative three times. Conservative Party leaders supported him and planned to make him their nominee regardless of whether he received the Democratic line.However, it was leaked that he had invoked his Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
privilege to avoid testifying before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
some years prior. In light of this scandal, Biaggi withdrew from the Democratic primary. The Conservative Party also accepted his withdrawal, and nominated State Senator John Marchi
John Marchi
John J. Marchi was a New York State Senator who represented Staten Island for a record 50 years. Marchi , a Republican, retired on December 31, 2006, from the seat that he had held since January 1, 1957....
.
Corruption convictions
In 1987 Biaggi was charged with corrupt actions. He had accepted free vacations from former BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
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. He was convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity and obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
, sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, and fined $500,000. The House Ethics Committee recommended that Biaggi be expelled — the most severe penalty.
In 1988, Biaggi was charged in the Wedtech scandal
Wedtech scandal
The Wedtech Scandal was the name of an American political scandal that came to light in the late 1980s involving the Wedtech Corporation.The company had been founded in Bronx County, New York by a Puerto Rican immigrant named John Mariotta, and originally manufactured baby carriages...
of having accepted bribes for assisting Wedtech in getting Federal procurement contracts. He was convicted of 15 counts of obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gratuities.
Biaggi, who was about to be expelled from the House, now resigned his seat. Since primary election petitions were aleady filed, Biaggi remained on the ballot for the Democratic and Republican nominations in the 19th District. He did not campaign, and lost the Democratic primary to then-Assemblyman Eliot Engel. Although the 19th District was still relatively conservative at the time, Bronx Republican Chairman and State Senator Guy Velella
Guy Velella
Guy John Velella was a Republican New York State Senator from The Bronx.A political leader, state assemblyman, and state senator for over 30 years, Velella was indicted in 2002 with 25 counts of bribery and conspiracy for allegedly accepting at least $137,000 in exchange for steering public-works...
chose not to field another candidate to run for the seat and left Biaggi on the ballot. In the general election, Engel easily defeated Biaggi.
1992 run for Congress
In 1992, Biaggi attempted a political comeback. He sought his old seat in Congress, challenging his successor, Representative Engel, in the Democratic primary. Biaggi claimed that many of his former constituents asked him to run, and that Engel had a poor record on constituent service. Despite the enthusiasm of some of his supporters, Biaggi raised little money. Engel, who raised more money and cited Biaggi's criminal convictions, won easily. After the election, the Bronx NewsBronx News
The Bronx News is a weekly newspaper that covers the entire Bronx. Founded in 1975, the Bronx News is known for its headlines and reporting. News stories range from crime, sports, entertainment and politics. The front page appears in color, but photos inside the newspaper appear in black and...
reported that some of Biaggi's former constituents wanted to vote for him but could not. In the redistricting after the 1990 census, parts of Biaggi's former district (Throggs Neck and Morris Park
Morris Park, Bronx
Morris Park is a neighborhood in the Bronx borough of New York City . The neighborhood is part of Community Board 11 in the East Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Pelham Parkway to the north, the Amtrak Northeast Corridor tracks to the east and south, and...
) had been shifted to other districts.