Derby History Quiz

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Vincent Impellitteri

Vincent Impellitteri was the mayor of New York City from 1950-1953. The son of Italian immigrants, Impellitteri emigrated from Sicily, Italy to the United States in 1901, when he was just an infant. He grew up in Ansonia and entered the Navy after finishing high school. He attended Fordham Law School, where he received his law degree in 1924. He served as Assistant New York District Attorney from 1929 to 1938.

In 1945, Mayor O'Dwyer picked Impellitteri to run for Council President on the Tammany Hall slate. When O'Dwyer resigned five years later, Impellitteri served as acting mayor. Tammany Hall refused to nominate him for the special election in November, 1950, so Impellitteri ran as an independent and won his own term as the candidate of the "Experience Party."

Impellitteri's inauguration, held on November 14, 1950, was swift and simple, absent a band or a platform. Outside City Hall, he pledged to "do my level best to justify the confidence you have reposed in me." His one term as Mayor saw the initiation and completion of many public works projects, including the construction of 88 miles of highway and numerous housing projects. He is also credited with working to rein in budget costs, raising the bus and subway fare to fifteen cents and increasing the sales tax.

He ran for reelection in 1953, but was defeated by then Robert Wagner, who later appointed him to a judgeship. Impellitteri retired from the bench in 1965 and succumbed to Parkinson's disease on January 29, 1987 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is buried in Mt. St. Peter's Cemetery in Derby.

Correct answers were received from: Marsha Pettingill, Rick Dunne, Edward Baclawski,
Cyndi Poppa, Brian McMahon, Dominick Thomas, Gary Lungarini, Bill Lombardi, Robert Hyder, Walt Mayhew, Carolyn Nowakowski-Kovach, Kimberly Shelton, Vinny Minardi, Robert Loftus, Joan Driscoll, Tony Cannici, Joe Laskowski, Ben Jones, Millie from Ansonia, Normand Audet, Mary Lou Boroski, Frank from St. Pete, Gene Wajdowicz, Raymond M. Petrillo, Eileen Krugel, Ann Searles, Jack Kelleher, Jack Skelding, Henry Wajdowicz, and Mayor Marc J. Garofalo.

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