Anthony Joseph Guarisco Jr., sometimes known as Tony Guarisco (born September 29, 1938), is a
Democratic former member of the
Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Louisiane) is the upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana. All senators serve four-year terms and are assigned to multiple committees.
Composition
The Louisiana State Senate is compose ...
from
Morgan City in
St. Mary Parish in south
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. He represented Senate District 21 from 1976 to 1988, which included the parishes of St. Mary,
Assumption
Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Assumption may also refer to:
Places
* Assumption, Alberta, Canada
* Assumption, Illinois, United States
** Assumption Town ...
,
Terrebonne
Terrebonne, meaning ''good earth'' in French, is a name of several places in North America:
;Canada
*Terrebonne, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal
**Terrebonne station, a commuter railway station in Terrebonne, Quebec
**Terrebonne City Council, the gov ...
, and
St. Martin, two precincts only.
Background
Guarisco is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
/
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
dual citizen as well as a citizen of the European Union, whose father was Anthony J. Guarisco, Sr. (1910–2002); his mother, the former Nathalie Verret (1913-1991).
["Miss Sherry Perdue and Anthony Joseph Guarisco Recently Married", ''Haskell Free Press'', ]Haskell, Texas
Haskell is a city in central Haskell County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,322. It is the Haskell county seat.
Geography
Haskell is located at (33.160152, –99.734572). U.S. Route 277 passes th ...
, March 21, 1968, accessdate=June 24, 2013 The Guariscos are a large extended
Sicilian American
Sicilian Americans ( Sicilian: ''Sìculu-miricani; Italian: Siculoamericani'') are Americans of Italian Sicilian birth or ancestry. They are a large ethnic group in the United States.
The first Sicilians who came to the territory that is now the ...
family in Morgan City. One of their progenitors, Victor Guarisco (1879-1972) established a large shrimp company in Morgan City and later the Gulf Marine Drilling Company to build offshore oil supply boats.
In 1960, Guarisco received his
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in business administration from
Nicholls State University
Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicholl ...
in
Thibodaux
Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...
, Louisiana. In 1966, after three years of study he received his law degree from
Loyola University in
, where he was a member of
Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi () is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the two major law fraternities to charter chapters (senates) in the United States at non-American Bar A ...
. While in law school, he was President of the Student Bar Association, Chief Justice of the Judicial Court of Honor and received Honorable Mention on the Moot Court team. He was admitted to the bar in 1966.
He also studied political science in 1977 and 1978 at the
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High rese ...
. Years later from 2008 to 2012, he studied at
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
and obtained a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in liberal arts, while still practicing law and engaged in real estate. Well into his seventies, he served for five months as a student body senator in 2012 at LSU.
[
On February 24, 1968, in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morgan City, Guarisco married the former Sherry Perdue, the daughter of Theodore Paul Perdue, Jr., and the former Peggy Palmer, both of Morgan City. She too graduated from Nicholls State University and became a classroom teacher.]
At the time of his marriage, Guarisco was affiliated with the Morgan City law firm Levy, Burleigh, Russo and Bourg.[ In a 1974 murder case, Guarisco successfully obtained the first verdict of "Not guilty by reason of insanity" in Louisiana criminal law history.
]
Political races
In 1972, Guarisco was elected on a non-partisan
Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party.
While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...
ballot as a delegate to the 1973 Louisiana Constitutional Convention held in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...
. where he served on the Declaration of Rights Committee.
He first won his seat in the 1975 election, the first in Louisiana under the nonpartisan blanket primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for the same elected office run against each other at once, regardless of the political party. Partisan elections are, on the other hand, segregated by political party. ...
format, and served three four-year terms. To win the seat, he defeated State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
Elward Thomas Brady Jr.
Elward Thomas Brady Jr. (September 9, 1926 – April 6, 2007), was a businessman from Houma, Louisiana, Houma in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972 to ...
, of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, who had worked to control the damage from the 1973 Mississippi River floods.
In 1978, Guarisco successfully sponsored a bill to permit physicians in Louisiana to prescribe marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
for therapeutic use glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...
or in treatment by chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
. Cases involving paralysis were later added. Governor Edwards signed Guarisco's bill into law. The Marijuana Control Board was created to monitor the law, but that panel never functioned and was abolished, along with many other inactive boards and commissions, in a 1989 law signed by Governor Buddy Roemer
Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III (October 4, 1943 – May 17, 2021) was an American politician, investor, and banker who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana from 1988 to 1992, and as a member of the United States House of Representatives fr ...
.
In 1980, Guarisco ran in a special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...
for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district
Louisiana's 3rd congressional district is a United States congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district covers the southwestern and south central portion of the state, ranging from the Texas border to the Atchafalaya River. ...
, a position vacated by incoming Republican Governor David C. Treen
David Conner Treen Sr. (July 16, 1928 – October 29, 2009) was an American politician and attorney at law (United States), attorney from Louisiana. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Treen served as United State ...
. The two major candidates were State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
Billy Tauzin
Wilbert Joseph Tauzin II (; born June 14, 1943) is an American lobbyist and politician. He was President and CEO of PhRMA, a pharmaceutical company lobby group. Tauzin was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1980 to ...
, then a Democrat but later a Republican from Thibodaux and newly turned Republican Jim Donelon
Jim Donelon is an American politician. He is the Louisiana Insurance Commissioner, a role he has served in since 2006. He previously served as member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1981 to 2001.
Early life and education
Donelon g ...
of Jefferson Parish Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foot ...
, the current state insurance commissioner who had run unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in the 1979 general election when he was defeated by fellow Democrat Robert "Bobby" Freeman of Plaquemine
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. At the 2010 United States census, the population was 7,119; the 2020 census determined its ...
in Iberville Parish
Iberville Parish (french: Paroisse d'Iberville) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana, formed in 1807. The parish seat is Plaquemine, Louisiana, Plaquemine. At the 2010 U.S. census, ...
. Guarisco, considered a social liberal because of his earlier support of the failed Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...
to the United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...
, and Bob Namer, then a conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Democrat, rounded out the four-candidate field.['']Alexandria Daily Town Talk
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
'', April 17, 1980, p. 10D Treen endorsed Donelon, who switched parties on February 20. Treen's predecessor (and successor) as governor, Democrat Edwin Edwards
Edwin Washington Edwards (August 7, 1927 – July 12, 2021) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972– ...
, supported Tauzin, a former floor leader in the House. Edwards had first told Donelon, his former aide, that he would not become involved in the race, but Edwards changed his mind when Treen took an active stance for Donelon. Tauzin also had the support of Lieutenant Governor Freeman, U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Russell B. Long
Russell Billiu Long (November 3, 1918 – May 9, 2003) was an American Democratic politician and United States Senator from Louisiana from 1948 until 1987. Because of his seniority, he advanced to chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, servin ...
, and Representative John Breaux
John Berlinger Breaux (; born March 1, 1944) is an American lobbyist, attorney, and retired politician who was a member of the United States Senate from Louisiana from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives fr ...
from then Louisiana's 7th congressional district
Louisiana's 7th congressional district was a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana located in the southwestern part of the state. It last contained the cities of Crowley, Eunice, Jennings, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Sul ...
, who had succeeded Edwards in the U.S. House in 1972 and would follow Long in the Senate in 1987.
In the special congressional race, Guarisco carried the support of the ''New Orleans Times-Picayune
''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
'' and said that he did not want the support of either Treen or Edwards, adding that he was "independent of all that."[ In the first round of balloting on April 19, Guarisco was eliminated; he polled 8,927 votes (10.7 percent). Donelon led Tauzin 2.2 percentage points; both ran up large margins in their home parishes, but Tauzin fared much better in ]Lafourche
Lafourche Parish (french: Paroisse de la Fourche) is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, whi ...
than had Donelon in Jefferson Parish. In the runoff election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
on May 17, Tauzin prevailed, 53.1 to 46.9 percent.
Guarisco created and served as the first Senate parliamentarian, designed a process for confirming gubernatorial
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...
appointees. He founded the Endowed Chairs for Eminent Scholars program in higher education and the LSU Endowment for Excellence, pioneered admission standards for LSU, and laws regarding open meetings and public records. He was the lead author on legislation to prevent punitive damages on the press. In 1981, he was the floor manager for the impeachment
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
and removal of state Senator Gaston Gerald of Greenwell Springs, convicted of extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
.[
In 1983, Guarisco won his third term in the Senate, 59-41 percent over fellow Democrat John L. Hadel.
Guarisco was unseated in 1987 by the businessman and future ]Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Murphy J. "Mike" Foster Jr., then a Democrat but after 1995 a Republican.[ In that same election, ]Buddy Roemer
Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III (October 4, 1943 – May 17, 2021) was an American politician, investor, and banker who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana from 1988 to 1992, and as a member of the United States House of Representatives fr ...
was elected governor, and Foster won all four parishes in the district to unseat Guarisco, 24,183 (64 percent) to 13,599 (36 percent).
Guarisco today
Guarisco maintained a law practice at 266 Seyburn Drive in Baton Rouge, but it is unclear if he still has a law office at this address.[ He works primarily in personal injury, criminal defense, and mediation.][ Previously Guarisco served briefly on the boards of both the former Guaranty Bank and Trust Company and Citizen's Bank in Morgan City.][
Prior to 2011, Guarisco was the manager and minority owner of the former Guarisco-Evans Shopping Center located next to the Medicine Shoppe in Morgan City. Faced with condemnation and the expense of renovation, Guarisco sold the dilapidated structure to businessman Sidney Moffett, who declared the property structurally sound and pledged to restore it to use.
Guarisco, the owner since 1996 of Guarisco Enterprises LLC,][ and his second wife, the former Sherry Lynelle Spivey (born c. 1951), the owner of SSG Consulting Services, live in Baton Rouge. Guarisco has three children from his first marriage to the former Sherry Perdue: Carla Maria Guarisco, Anthony Guarisco, III, and Belinda P. Guarisco.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guarisco, Anthony Jr.
1938 births
Living people
People from Morgan City, Louisiana
Politicians from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Democratic Party Louisiana state senators
Nicholls State University alumni
Loyola University New Orleans alumni
University of New Orleans alumni
Louisiana State University alumni
Louisiana lawyers
American real estate businesspeople
American people of Italian descent