Felix Grucci
Felix Grucci | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Forbes |
| Succeeded by | Tim Bishop |
| Town Supervisor of Brookhaven | |
| In office 1996–2000 | |
| Preceded by | John LaMura |
| Succeeded by | John LaValle |
| Member of the Brookhaven Town Board | |
| In office January 5, 1993 – 1996 | |
| Preceded by | John Powell |
| Succeeded by | ??? |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Felix James Grucci Jr. November 25, 1951 Brookhaven, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Madeleine Grucci |
| Children | 2 |
Felix James Grucci Jr.[1][2] (born November 25, 1951) is an American politician from New York who served in the United States House of Representatives from New York's 1st congressional district as a member of the Republican Party.
Early life
Grucci was born on November 25, 1951, in Brookhaven, New York, to Felix James Grucci Sr. and Concetta DiDio. In 1970, he graduated from Bellport High School. After graduating from high school he started working for his family's business, Fireworks by Grucci.[3][4]
Career
Politics
From 1988 to 1991, Grucci served on the Suffolk County planning commission.[5][3]
In 1990, he received the Republican nomination to run in a special election for a seat in the New York State Assembly to replace John Powell, who had resigned after winning election to the Brookhaven Town Board. In the election he was defeated by former Assemblyman William Bianchi.[6][7]
From 1991 to 1993, Grucci served as the chairman of Brookhaven's Zoning Board of Appeals. On January 5, 1993, he was appointed to the Brookhaven Town Board to fill the vacancy created by John Powell after he accepted a position on the Suffolk County Board of Elections.[8] In 1995, he defeated Democratic nominee Thomas Oberle to win election as Brookhaven Town Supervisor.[9][5][3]
U.S. House of Representatives
2000
On March 20, 2000, Grucci announced that he would run for the Republican nomination in New York's 1st congressional district.[10] Incumbent Representative Michael Forbes, who had switched his political affiliation from Republican to Democratic, was defeated in the Democratic primary by Regina Seltzer.[11][12] In the general election Grucci defeated Seltzer with 133,020 votes to her 97,299.[13]
During the election Grucci was endorsed by Arizona Senator John McCain, Suffolk County Republican Chairman Tony Apollaro, Suffolk County Clerk Ed Romaine, Assembly-member Pat Accampora, Brookhaven Town Councilor John LaValle, Southold Town Councilor Bill Moore, and Southampton Village trustee Bill Manger.[14][15]
2002
During the 2002 congressional elections Grucci released a radio advertisement which stated that Tim Bishop had "turned his back" on rape victims at Southampton College. Grucci was criticized for the advertisement and Bishop filed a lawsuit to prevent the advertisement from being played.[16][17] Amy Walter stated that the advertisement was "a big turning point in this contest" as it was initially predicted that Grucci would easily win reelection.[18]
In the general election Bishop narrowly defeated Grucci with 84,276 votes to 81,524.[19]
Later life
In 2013, Grucci and his sister, Donna Grucci Butler, stepped down as presidents of Fireworks by Grucci and were succeeded by their nephew, Felix Grucci III.[20]
Political positions
On October 10, 2002, Grucci voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.[21]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Felix Grucci | 111,003 | 46.33% | |
| Right to Life | Felix Grucci | 8,746 | 3.65% | |
| Conservative | Felix Grucci | 7,569 | 3.16% | |
| Independence | Felix Grucci | 5,702 | 2.38% | |
| Total | Felix Grucci | 133,020 | 55.52% | |
| Democratic | Regina Seltzer | 97,299 | 40.61% | |
| Working Families | Michael Forbes (incumbent) | 6,318 | 2.64% | |
| Green | William G. Holst | 2,967 | 1.24% | |
| Total votes | 239,604 | 100.00% | ||
| Blank/scattering | Void | 29,574 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tim Bishop | 81,325 | 48.47% | |
| Working Families | Tim Bishop | 2,951 | 1.76% | |
| Total | Tim Bishop | 84,276 | 50.23% | |
| Republican | Felix Grucci (incumbent) | 64,999 | 38.74% | |
| Conservative | Felix Grucci (incumbent) | 6,116 | 3.65% | |
| Right to Life | Felix Grucci (incumbent) | 5,887 | 3.51% | |
| Independence | Felix Grucci (incumbent) | 4,522 | 2.70% | |
| Total | Felix Grucci (incumbent) | 81,524 | 48.59% | |
| Green | Lorna Salzman | 1,991 | 1.19% | |
| Total votes | 167,791 | 100.00% | ||
| Blank/scattering | Void | 10,739 | ||
References
- ^ "Fuse Lit for Regional July 4 Extravaganza". Hartford Courant. April 10, 1981.
- ^ "Felix James Grucci, Jr". Newsday. July 2, 1995.
- ^ a b c "GRUCCI, Jr., Felix J. (1951-)". Retrieved July 1, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "High school to business". The Post-Star. November 26, 2000. p. 47. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "Felix Grucci, Jr.'s Biography". Retrieved July 1, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Elections to fill 3 Assembly seats". Star Gazette. February 19, 1990. p. 10. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Winners of three state Assembly seats are death penalty supporters". The Journal News. February 21, 1990. p. 12. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Hempstead GOPers select Mondello aide". Daily News. January 6, 1993. p. 556. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Landslide surprise for Gaffney". Daily News. November 9, 1993. p. 177. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Fireworks king Grucci to run for Forbes seat". Daily News. March 21, 2000. p. 644. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "6 members of House win city primaries". Daily News. September 13, 2000. p. 383. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Forbes loses to former librarian". Democrat and Chronicle. September 20, 2000. p. 8. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "2000 election results" (PDF).
- ^ "Brookhaven GOPer wins county nod". Daily News. January 31, 2000. p. 228. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "McCain ready to rumble for Rudy". Daily News. March 31, 2000. p. 7. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Polls determine party spending". The Ithaca Journal. October 28, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Political ad court hearing rescheduled for Monday". The Post-Star. October 3, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "New York Congressional races could help shape Capitol Hill". The Post-Star. November 3, 2002. p. 6. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "2002 election results" (PDF).
- ^ "Felix Grucci is new CEO at Grucci Inc". Newsday. January 19, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Iraq attack OK'd on Hill". Daily News. October 11, 2002. p. 8. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
External links
- United States Congress. "Felix Grucci (id: G000547)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN