Anthony Seminerio
Encyclopedia
Anthony S. Seminerio was an American politician from Queens, New York. He represented parts of Queens in the New York State Assembly
for thirty years, notably the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill
and Glendale
. He resigned on June 23, 2009, following an indictment for alleged Honest services fraud
delivered by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
. In June 2009, he pleaded guilty to taking large sums of money from hospitals through a consulting firm while still a member of the New York State Assembly. He would later appeal this conviction unsuccessfully.
First elected to the New York Assembly in 1978, Seminerio previously served as an executive board member representing the Corrections Officers Benevolent Association where he engaged in negotiations that forced him to travel between New York City
and the state capital of Albany, New York
. In addition to being the collective bargaining
negotiator for members of the Dept. of Corrections Seminerio also served as the founder and treasurer of the New York State Peace Officers Association.
As a member of the New York Assembly, he was one of the more conservative members of the New York City delegation. He opposed abortions, supported capital punishment, and took a tough stance on crime. Thus often at odds with Speaker Sheldon Silver
, he endorsed several prominent Republican candidates in the past, including Rudy Giuliani
, George Pataki
, and Al D'Amato
.
Seminerio graduated from the New York Institute of Technology
with a Bachelor's degree
.
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
for thirty years, notably the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Queens
Richmond Hill is a neighborhood in central-southern Queens, New York City, USA. It is bordered by Kew Gardens to the north, Woodhaven and Ozone Park to the west, South Ozone Park to the south and South Jamaica to the east...
and Glendale
Glendale, Queens
Glendale is a neighborhood in the west-central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bounded by Cooper Avenue to the north, Woodhaven Boulevard to the east, Myrtle Avenue to the south and Fresh Pond Road to the West...
. He resigned on June 23, 2009, following an indictment for alleged Honest services fraud
Honest services fraud
Honest services fraud refers to a 28-word sentence of , added by the United States Congress in 1988, which states: "For the purposes of this chapter, the term, scheme or artifice to defraud includes a scheme or artifice to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services."The statute...
delivered by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight New York counties: New York , Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. Preet Bharara, who was appointed by Barack Obama in 2009 is the U.S. Attorney for the...
. In June 2009, he pleaded guilty to taking large sums of money from hospitals through a consulting firm while still a member of the New York State Assembly. He would later appeal this conviction unsuccessfully.
First elected to the New York Assembly in 1978, Seminerio previously served as an executive board member representing the Corrections Officers Benevolent Association where he engaged in negotiations that forced him to travel between 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...
and the state capital of Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. In addition to being the collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
negotiator for members of the Dept. of Corrections Seminerio also served as the founder and treasurer of the New York State Peace Officers Association.
As a member of the New York Assembly, he was one of the more conservative members of the New York City delegation. He opposed abortions, supported capital punishment, and took a tough stance on crime. Thus often at odds with Speaker Sheldon Silver
Sheldon Silver
Sheldon "Shelly" Silver is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New York. He has held the office of Speaker of the New York State Assembly since 1994.- Personal life :...
, he endorsed several prominent Republican candidates in the past, including Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, and Al D'Amato
Al D'Amato
Alfonse Marcello "Al" D'Amato is an American lawyer and former New York politician. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999.-Early life and family:...
.
Seminerio graduated from the New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational research university in New York City. NYIT has five schools and two colleges, all with a strong emphasis on technology and applied scientific research...
with a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
.