Robert Castelli

Robert J. Castelli (born December 16, 1949) is an American security consultant, professor and media personality from Goldens Bridge, New York.

He served two terms as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing northeastern Westchester County, New York.

During the Vietnam War, he served with the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the United States Army.

Upon his separation from military, he became a member of the New York State Police, where he served with the elite Special Investigations Unit and the New York State Organized Crime Task Force for over two decades.

He dropped out of high school in 1967 and volunteered to join the United States Army, and was assigned to the 1st Air Cavalry Division as an infantryman.

He served in combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam from 1968 to 1969.

He received an honorable discharge in 1973.

Upon his return from his Army service, he worked as a Constable in South Carolina before returning to New York and beginning a 21-year career in the New York State Police, during which he worked as an intelligence officer with elite Special Investigations Unit and the New York State Organized Crime Task Force.

Castelli held the ranks of trooper, sergeant, investigator, and eventually was promoted to station commander.

He was involved in numerous high-profile arrests during his tenure with the State Police.

Castelli is a graduate of Palmer College, the Empire State College and Harvard Kennedy School, where he was named a Pickett Fellow in Criminal Justice Policy and Management by the National Institute of Justice in recognition of his contributions to the law enforcement community.

He was also once a nationally ranked competitive sport shooter.

After retiring from the State Police he began a career as an educator, teaching at Iona College for thirteen years and rising to become Chairman of the Criminal Justice Department.

The 89th Assembly District has over 10,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, and Castelli is the first Republican to hold the seat in seventeen years.

A graduate of Harvard Kennedy School, Castelli became an educator in 1996 went on to serve as Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Iona College.

He also worked as an adjunct professor at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Marist College from 1996 to 2010, where he lectured on a wide variety of criminal justice and security-related subjects including criminal investigation, organized crime, white collar crime, terrorism, security management and police procedures.

These credentials made him a popular guest as an expert commentator in print, radio, and television media programs throughout the United States.

Prior to his transition from public service to politics, Castelli was a regular contributor on network television including ABC, CBS, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and Court TV.

Castelli also owns a professional security consulting business, holding certifications as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Criminal Analyst, Certified Protection Professional, Certified Police and Security Officer Instructor, Certified Firearms Instructor and licensed and bonded Private Investigator.

Castelli, who calls himself a public servant, resides in the Goldens Bridge hamlet of Lewisboro, New York.

He has two sons, one of whom is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Special Forces and also a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School, and another who is an ordained Minister, serving a congregation in southern Florida.

A Republican, Castelli was elected as a town councilman in his home town of Lewisboro from 2000 to 2004.

He made his first run for the State Assembly in 2004.

Castelli previously ran for the seat in 2004, but was defeated by Bradley.

Political prognosticators viewed the suburban contest as a sign of a Republican resurgence and a barometer for coming fall elections, where Republicans would eventually go on to make large gains in the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and retake the New York State Senate.

Castelli described his victory as "an expression of voter discontent with the state capitol" and the corruption prevalent in New York's State Government.

After serving for only eight months, the freshman legislator had to run for a full term.

The previous incumbent, Democratic Assemblyman Adam Bradley, had resigned after he was elected Mayor of White Plains in 2009.

After holding elective office in local government, Castelli ran for and was elected to the State Assembly in a special election in February 2010, and was reelected just eight months later for a second, and this time full two-year term.

From February 2010 to January 2013, he represented Westchester County in the New York State Legislature, which includes the towns of Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, Pound Ridge and portions of the City of White Plains in Westchester County, New York.

He writes for Politico's Arena, a daily, cross-party and cross-discipline medium which the newspaper calls its "daily debate with policy makers and opinion shapers."

As Castelli counted New York State's Governor Andrew Cuomo amongst his constituents, he was generally portrayed as being closely aligned with the Governor, thus furthering the image of bipartisanship and reputation for working across the aisle he sought to cast.

He was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election on February 9, 2010, defeating County Legislator Peter Harckham in an upset victory.

In the 2010 general election, Castelli held the seat by defeating White Plains City Council President Thomas Roach.

His 2010 election and subsequent reelection are considered significant, as the 89th Assembly District seat to which he was elected is gerrymandered to be a Democratic district, and happens to be the home of prominent Democratic political figures including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and George Soros, billionaire financier of numerous progressive causes.

Castelli was also outspent by his opponents, although he attempted to overcome these disadvantages by running what he called a "grassroots, front-porch campaign."

As a Republican representing a heavily Democratic district, Castelli placed a large emphasis on bipartisanship.

Winning with a slim 112 vote margin, a month-long recount was necessary before Castelli could be declared the winner, thus earning him a full two-year term representing the 89th District.

He is also a columnist for the website Politico. He ran for the New York State Senate for the 40th district in 2014, but lost the Republican primary to Terrence Murphy.

Castelli was born in Jamaica, New York.