John Joseph Santucci (April 2, 1931 – June 26, 2016) was an American lawyer and politician.
Life
The son of
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 ...
immigrant parents, Santucci was born on April 2, 1931, in
Ozone Park, Queens
Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States. It is next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, a popular spot for Thoroughbred racing and home to the Resorts W ...
, New York City.
[John Santucci dies; former Queens DA was 85](_blank)
Jo Napolitano, '' Newsday'' (June 27, 2016) He attended Public Schools No. 123 and 155, and
John Adams High School. He graduated from
St. John's University, and in 1953 from
St. John's University School of Law. He practiced law in New York City, and entered politics as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
On April 14, 1964, Santucci was
co-opted to the
New York City Council (6th D.), to fill the vacancy caused by the appointment of
Eric J. Treulich to the New York City Civil Court.
On February 20, 1968, Santucci was elected to the
New York State Senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of
Irving Mosberg to the New York City Civil Court. He remained in the Senate until 1976, sitting in the
177th,
178th,
179th,
180th, and
181st New York State Legislatures. He was re-elected in November 1976, but resigned his seat before the next Legislature met.
On December 30, 1976, Santucci was appointed as
District Attorney of Queens County, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of
Nicholas Ferraro to the New York Supreme Court. In November 1977, Santucci was elected to succeed himself, defeating anti-corruption crusader
Maurice H. Nadjari. In 1980, Santucci ran in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by
Jacob K. Javits but was defeated by U.S. Representative
Elizabeth Holtzman
Elizabeth Holtzman (born August 11, 1941) is an American attorney and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from New York's 16th congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party from 1973 to 1981. She the ...
. Santucci was re-elected as D.A. in 1981, 1985, and 1989. He tendered his resignation on May 1, 1991, to take effect on June 1. He died aged 85 at
Winthrop-University Hospital on June 26, 2016 after going into cardiac arrest at his home in
Garden City, New York.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santucci, John J.
1931 births
2016 deaths
People from Ozone Park, Queens
Democratic Party New York (state) state senators
St. John's University School of Law alumni
Queens County (New York) District Attorneys
New York City Council members
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
John Adams High School (Queens) alumni
American people of Italian descent