Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.

Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.
39th Mayor of Baltimore
In office May 16, 1947 – May 16, 1959
Preceded by	Theodore R. McKeldin
Succeeded by	J. Harold Grady
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1939 – May 16, 1947
Preceded by	Vincent L. Palmisano
Succeeded by	Edward Garmatz
Member of the Baltimore City Council
In office 1935–1938
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
In office 1926-1933
Personal details
Born	Thomas Ludwig John D'Alesandro Jr. August 1, 1903 Baltimore, Maryland
Died	August 23, 1987 (aged 84) Baltimore, Maryland
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Legislator, politician
Religion	Roman Catholic

Thomas Ludwig John D'Alesandro Jr. (August 1, 1903 – August 23, 1987) was an American politician who was a U.S. Representative from Maryland's 3rd congressional district (1939–47) and subsequently the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland (1947–59). He was the father of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Biography

D'Alesandro was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Maria Petronilla (née Foppiani) and Tommaso G. D'Alesandro, who were born in Montenerodomo, Abruzzo, South Italy. He was married to Annunciata M. ("Nancy") Lombardi^[1] (March 25, 1909 – April 3, 1995) ^[2] who was born in Campobasso, Molise, South Italy,^[3] and she emigrated to USA with her parents in 1911. The couple had six children: five sons and a daughter. D'Alesandro attended Calvert Business College in Baltimore. Before beginning his political career, he worked as a broker and in insurance, a career he returned to after his political service.

A Democrat, D'Alesandro served as a member of the Maryland State House of Delegates from 1926 to 1933. After serving in Annapolis, D'Alesandro was then appointed as General Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, a post in which he served during 1933–1934. He then was elected to serve on the Baltimore City Council from 1935 to 1938.

D'Alesandro was then elected to the 76th Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1939, until he resigned on May 16, 1947. While in Congress, D'Alesandro strongly supported the Bergson Group, a "political action committee set up to that challenged the Roosevelt Administration's policies on the Jewish refugee issue during the Holocaust, and later lobbied against British control of Palestine" despite his equally strong support for Roosevelt's other policies.^[4] Following his service in Congress he was Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years from May 1947 to May 1959. He was defeated for renomination by the Democrats in the March 1959 primary election. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1958.

D'Alesandro ran for Governor of Maryland in 1954, but was forced to drop out due to being implicated in receiving undeclared money from Dominic Piracci, a parking garage owner convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.^[5]

D'Alesandro was a delegate to every Democratic National Convention from 1944 to 1968 and also served on the Federal Renegotiation Board from 1961 to 1969 before retiring from political life.

D'Alesandro lived in Baltimore until his death there in 1987. He was buried at New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore.

Legacy

• D'Alesandro's daughter, Nancy Pelosi, is a Representative from California, who served as the House of Representatives House Minority Leader between 2003–2007 and from 2011–present, and was the Speaker of the House from January 4, 2007 until January 3, 2011.
• D'Alesandro's son, Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971.

See also

• Thomas D'Alesandro Stadium

References

1. Baltimore Sun, 1 October 1928, p. 20.
2. Ancestry of Nancy Pelosi
3. Date and place of birth found on Ancestry.com. Annunciata M. Lombard, born in Campo Basso, Italy on 25 Mar 1909. Annunciata married Thomas John D Alesandro and had 6 children. She passed away on 3 Apr 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
4. Medoff, Rafael, "Pelosi's father and the Holocaust." Jerusalem Post. 11 April 2007. 16 April 2007.
5. "The Little World of Tommy" Time. 26 April 1954.

External links

• United States Congress. "Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. (id: D000007)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. at Find a Grave
• "T. D'Alesandro Jr., a Baltimore Mayor, Dies". The New York Times. August 24, 1987.