Magazine, The Immigrant Experience
The people of Italian ancestry have left their mark on every field. Whether it’s making scientific inventions, breaking records in sports, producing evergreen literature, campaigning for the rights of people, or adding new and attractive values to the American culture, they have always remained active and in the limelight.
Just like other sectors, Italian Americans have also enjoyed prominent positions in US politics. They made it to the US Congress as both Republican and Democratic leaders. In this short article, you’ll read about Nancy Pelosi – the first woman and Italian American Speaker of the House of Representatives – and other well-known Italian American politicians.
Nancy Pelosi
She is a famous Italian American politician who has served as US Representative from California since 1987 as a Democrat. Nancy is currently serving as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019. She has served on the same portfolio previously from 2007-2011. She also has the title of the first Italian American woman who holds the speakership. Her mother was also an active politician associated with the Democratic Party.
Mike Pompeo
Michael Richard Pompeo is an American politician, diplomat, businessman, and attorney, who served as the 70th US Secretary of State from 2018 to 2021. Pompeo was born in Orange, California to Dorothy and Wayne Pompeo. His paternal great-grandparents, Carlo Pompeo and Adelina Tollis were born in Pacentro, Abruzzo, Italy, and emigrated to the US in 1899 and 1900, respectively.
Robert Fioretti
Robert Fioretti, the son of an Italian immigrant, is an American attorney and politician who studied political science at the University of Illinois and remained active in student politics. He also holds a Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois University’s College of Law.
Fioretti served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council for the 2nd Ward. He also remained as 2nd Ward Democratic Committeeman in the Cook County Democratic Party.
Donald Carcieri
Carcieri is an Italian American politician and corporate executive who studied International Relations at Brown University and started his career as a teacher. He remained the 73rd Governor of Rhode Island from 2003-2011 and the last Republican who had served as Governor of Rhode Island. He also contributed to society as a bank executive, relief worker, and activist.
Ella Grasso
Grasso was an Italian American politician, who started her political career as a member of the League of Women Voters and a democratic speech writer. She is also known as the first elected woman Governor of the US (Governor of Connecticut from 1975-1980). She was suffering from ovarian cancer and had to quit her long and eventful career in American politics. After her death, Ronald Regan (40th President of the US) conferred upon her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
Mario Cuomo
Cuomo is an Italian American politician and lawyer widely known for his liberal views and public speeches as a member of the Democratic Party. He gained fame for his fight against the conservative representation of Italian Americans. He served as the 52nd Governor of the US for three terms from 1983-1994. After he retired from politics, he joined the New York Law Firm of Willkie.
Paul Cellucci
Cellucci was a respectable Italian American politician who belonged to a political family and was a member of the Republican Party. During his political career, he remained the US Ambassador to Canada and served as the 52nd Governor of Massachusetts.
