Joseph John DioGuardi (; born September 20, 1940) is an American certified public accountant and a Republican politician. DioGuardi served in the House of Representatives representing the 20th Congressional district of New York from 1985 to 1989. He was the first Albanian American voting member of Congress. He was also the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in New York during the 2010 special election, but lost to incumbent senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
DioGuardi, a former partner at Arthur Andersen & Co., also serves as president of the Albanian American Civic League, an organization he runs with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi. He is the father of songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi.
Early life, education, and business career
DioGuardi's father, Joseph Sr., immigrated to the United States from Greci, Italy. The family traces its roots to the Arbëreshë (Albanian) minority in Italy. His father eventually established a grocery and vegetable store in East Bronx. The family moved to Westchester County, New York, in 1957. Joseph Sr. married Grace Paparella on January 8, 1939, and the couple settled in Orchard Hills in White Plains. Their son, Joseph J., is the oldest of three DioGuardi children. After the family's move to Westchester, he attended Fordham Preparatory School. In 1957, he landed a summer job as a busboy for Elmwood Country Club in Westchester County. He advanced to a waiter position..
DioGuardi graduated from Fordham University in 1962. After college, he was hired at Arthur Andersen & Co. He became a Certified Public Accountant and achieved partner status at age 31, after 10 years at the firm. DioGuardi specialized in federal and state taxation for non-profit organizations, as well as the tax economics of charitable giving.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
1984
Incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman Richard Ottinger of New York's 20th congressional district decided to retire in 1984. The Democratic leaning district had a sizable minority population in the cities of Mount Vernon, Yonkers and New Rochelle. DioGuardi decided to run as a Republican and defeated Oren Teicher 50%-48%.
1986
DioGuardi won re-election to a second term, defeating former U.S. Congresswoman Bella Abzug, who had relocated from Greenwich Village in Manhattan to Mount Vernon, 54%-45%.
1988
DioGuardi ran for re-election to a third term but lost to Nita Lowey, the Assistant Secretary of State of New York, 50%-47%. Controversy During the campaign, the Gannett-owned Gannett Suburban Newspapers accused one of the Westchester area's largest car dealers, Crabtree Automotive, of skirting federal election laws by funneling into DioGuardi's campaign. The New York Times reported: "Several employees explained in interviews that they were given $2,000 each in company checks and were asked to deposit them into their own bank accounts and then write personal checks for the same amount to the DioGuardi campaign. Joseph Crabtree, the company's chief executive, and his son Robert, the company's president, served on the campaign's finance committee." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission and Mr. Crabtree resigned from the campaign. DioGuardi steadfastly denied the charges and his campaign also filed its own complaint with the State Board of Elections that argued, contrary to his opponent's commercial, that the employees in question put funds in a separate "People For DioGuardi" campaign account as required by law.
1992
After redistricting, Lowey decided to run in the newly redrawn New York's 18th congressional district. DioGuardi challenged her in a rematch and lost again, this time 56%-44%.
1994
Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Hamilton Fish IV of the neighboring New York's 19th congressional district decided to retire in 1994. DioGuardi ran in the crowded six-candidate Republican primary, which was won by Sue W. Kelly 23%-20%. DioGuardi then ran again in the general election as the Conservative Party nominee. Kelly won the general election with 52% of the vote. Hamilton Fish V, the Democratic nominee, ranked second with 37%, DioGuardi ranked third with 10%, and Catherine Portman-Laux ranked last with 1% of the vote.
1996
DioGuardi challenged Kelly in a rematch in 1996 and lost again 53%-42%. He ran in the general election on the lines of the Conservative Party and the Right-to-Life Party. He got 12% in third place, while Kelly won re-election with 46% of the vote.
2000 (U.S. Senate)