Phil Giordano

Philip Anthony Giordano (born March 25, 1963) is the former Republican mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, and a convicted sex offender.

He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, to Italian parents and his family moved to the United States when he was two years old.

A lawyer, former state representative and former Marine (1981–1985), Giordano served three terms as mayor after being elected for the first time in 1995.

He attended Holy Cross High School, however he wasn't able to graduate with his class in 1981 after getting caught smoking marijuana.

He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1981 until 1985.

He attended Naugatuck Valley Community College, before transferring to the University of Connecticut.

He graduated with an undergraduate degree in political science in 1988.

Thereafter, he attended Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.

After law school, he worked in the Waterbury corporation counsel's office until 1992.

In 1993, there was a special election in the 71st district of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

It occurred after the incumbent, Donald J. Davino, died in a car accident.

Giordano lost the election to Davino's son, Robert.

After he lost on election night, he had what one onlooker described as "a major meltdown".

He ran for the position again the 1994 general election and won.

Giordano was elected mayor in 1995, defeating seven-term Democratic Mayor Edward "Mike" Bergin by 52% to 45%.

He won reelection in 1997.

He considered running for the United States House of Representatives against Congressman James H. Maloney in the 1998 election.

He also considered running for Connecticut State Treasurer that same year.

He was reelected to a third term with 53% of the vote in 1999.

During his time as mayor, he claimed to have balanced Waterbury's budget, but prior to his arrest a state oversight board had to intervene as a result of chronic pension underfunding and taking money out of the pension fund to balance the general fund.

In 2000, he unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the United States Senate, losing to Joe Lieberman.

Giordano was born in Caracas, Venezuela to Rocco and Olimpia Giordano.

He has one older sister and one younger brother.

In 2000, Senator Joe Lieberman was chosen by Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore to be his vice presidential running mate—and Lieberman also chose to run for a third term to the Senate (Connecticut law permits candidates running for both offices).

Having little chance to defeat the very popular centrist Lieberman, few Connecticut Republicans wanted to take him on.

Finally, the state GOP settled on Giordano.

Lieberman focused on his vice presidential run and refused to show up at debates; Giordano, mostly ignored by the press, received some coverage by debating alone and mocking Lieberman.

In the end, it mattered little, as voters returned the incumbent to the Senate by a nearly two-to-one margin (63% to 34%).

While investigating municipal corruption, the FBI discovered phone records and pictures of Giordano with a prostitute, as well as with her 10-year-old niece and her eight-year-old daughter.

On July 18, 2001, Giordano announced he would not seek a fourth term as Mayor.

Upon Giordano's arrest in 2001, he was forced to step aside, leaving President of the Board of Aldermen Sam Caligiuri as acting mayor.

In order to save the municipal corruption investigation, Giordano was apprehended by the FBI on July 23, 2001.

After he was taken by the FBI, he worked with federal agents to tape various associates making incriminating statements regarding kickbacks in exchange for contracts.

A high target on the list was Joseph Pontoriero, president of Worth Construction and associate of the Genovese crime family.

A FBI agent testified that Giordano said Pontoriero had wanted to privatize and control a waste treatment plant in the North End of Waterbury.

Giordano showed agents cash and suits he received from Pontoriero during his cooperation.

Giordano also made calls to Michael Horton, an executive at Northeast Energy Partners.

He tried to solicit a $25,000 payment from Horton in return for a $2 million contract to supply gas to the city.

However, Horton did not make the payment.

In 2003, his law license was suspended and he was subsequently disbarred from practicing law in the state of Connecticut for 18 years in 2007.