Salvatore DiMasi

Infobox State Representative

---

name =Salvatore F. DiMasi
state_house =Massachusetts
district =3rd Suffolk
term_start =1979
term_end =
preceded =
succeeded =
speaker = The
state_house = Massachusetts
term_start2 = 2004
term_end2 =
predecessor2 = Thomas Finneran
successor2 =
birth_date = August 11, 1945
birth_place = North End, Boston, Massachusetts
death_date =
death_place =
nationality =
party = Democrat
spouse =
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = Boston College
Suffolk University Law School
occupation =
profession = Laywer
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Salvatore F. DiMasi (born 1945) is a Democratic politician from Massachusetts, who currently serves as Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He has held the position of Speaker since 2004, and been a member of the House since 1979. He went to college at Boston College and studied law at Suffolk University Law School.

DiMasi was born and raised in the North End of Boston, home to Boston's Italian-American community for over 100 years. Speaker DiMasi is the first Italian-American to be elected speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He lives in Boston with his wife and two children.

Early Life & Education

Salvatore F. DiMasi grew up in a cold-water flat in Boston’s North End where he lived with his parents Celia and Joseph DiMasi, his two brothers, and Italian immigrant grandparents. DiMasi graduated from Christopher Columbus High School (1963) and went on to earn a BS in accounting from Boston College (1967), and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School (1971). [>cite web |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/king_sal/|title=King Sal|author=Paul McMorrow|date= |publisher=Boston Magazine |accessdate=2008-2]

Professional Career

From 1974-1976, DiMasi served as a Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney. During the same period, DiMasi co-founded the North End Neighborhood Task Force, with neighborhood activist Emile Pugliano, to address issues of zoning, gentrification and crime in Boston’s North End. He also opened a private law practice, focused on criminal defense cases.

In 1976, DiMasi ran for state representative against three term incumbent O. Roland Orlandi (D-North End). DiMasi’s 1976 state representative campaign was unsuccessful. Two years later, DiMasi ran again for the third Suffolk County state representative seat--and won. In 1979, DiMasi took office as state representative.

Since taking office in 1979, DiMasi has served as chairman of the committees on Banks and Banking, the Judiciary and Criminal Justice. He eventually rose to among the ranks to become Assistant Majority Whip, Majority Whip and Majority Leader. In September 2004, DiMasi was elected Speaker of the House.

[>cite web |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/king_sal/|title=King Sal|author=Paul McMorrow|date= |publisher=Boston Magazine |accessdate=2008-2]

Healthcare Reform

Soon after becoming Speaker of the House, DiMasi sponsored legislation to make quality health insurance available and affordable to every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth. DiMasi worked with legislative leaders and a coalition of diverse stakeholders, from the health care and business community, to craft Massachusetts’s landmark health care law. In April 2006, Governor Mitt Romney signed the first-in-the-nation universal health insurance bill into law. As a result of the law, Massachusetts reduced the number of uninsured adults by nearly half within the first year of mandatory health coverage and increased the percentage of people receiving routine preventive care, according to the first major study of the 2006 law conducted by the Urban Institute. [>cite web |url=http://www.governing.com/poy/2006/dimasi.htm |title=The Deal in the Details|author=Alan Greenblatt |date= |publisher=Governing Magazine |accessdate=2006] [cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/health/policy/03health.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin |title=Study Finds State Gains in Insurance|author=Kevin Sack|date=2007-09-18 |publisher=New York Times |accessdate=2008-06-3]

Casino gambling

In 2007, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick submitted a bill that would allow the construction and operation of three resort-style casinos in the state. He argued that these casinos would generate $2 billion for the state economy and add $400 million in annual casino revenue and $200 million in fees per license to the state coffers as well as add $50 million to $80 million in sales, meal, and hotel taxes. He also touted that the casinos would create 30,000 construction jobs and 20,000 permanent jobs. [cite web |url=http://boston.com/business/gallery/topstories2007?pg=21 |title=Casinos considered for state |author=David L. Ryan |date= |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/18/governor_predicts_a_jackpot/ |title=Governor predicts a jackpot: Millions targeted for road, bridges, property tax relief: Proposal is hailed, faces turbulence on Beacon Hill |author=Frank Phillips and Andrea Estes |date=2007-09-18 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23]

Patrick's proposed that the revenue generated would be spent to beef up local law enforcement, create a state gambling regulatory agency, repair roads and bridges ($200 million), gambling addiction treatment ($50 million) and the remainder would go towards property tax relief. [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/06/patrick_sends_lawmakers_brochure_lauding_casino_plan/ |title=Patrick sends lawmakers brochure lauding casino plan: Softens figures on job creation |author= Matt Viser |date=2008-03-06 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/10/homeowners_could_get_casino_payout/ |title=Homeowners could get casino payout: Patrick bill to share windfall via tax cut |author=Andrea Estes |date=2007-10-10 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23]

DiMasi strongly opposed the plan, questioning the governor's projections on new jobs projections, revenues to be generated and was opposed to what he referred to as a casino culture, saying: "Do we want to usher in a casino culture -- with rampant bankruptcies, crime and social ills -- or do we want to create a better Massachusetts for all sectors of the society?" [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/04/dimasi_scoffs_at_casino_job_plan/|title=DiMasi scoffs at casino job plan: Says governor's bid 'losing credibility' |author=Sean P. Murphy |date=2008-03-04 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/13/casino_supporter_says_bill_has_only_outside_chance_of_passing/ |title=DiMasi dismisses Patrick casino claims as "just rhetoric" |author=Steve LeBlanc |date=2008-03-13 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23]

On March 20, 2008 the Massachusetts House of Representatives rejected Patrick's casino bill by a vote of 108 to 46. [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/21/house_rejects_casino_bill_backers_vow_to_roll_again/ |title=House rejects casino bill; backers vow to roll again: Racetracks, unions, tribe pursue strategies |author=Matt Viser |date=2008-03-21 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23] Despite the overwhelming vote, questions were raised by critics of DiMasi as to the tactics he used to win. These included allegations that he promised a subsequent vote on a bill that would allow slot machines at the state's four racetracks and the pre-vote promotions of six lawmakers who had been thought to support the bill, but either abstained or voted against the bill. DiMasi denied that any promise had been made on the race track bill and denied that the promotions were connected to the casino bill vote. [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/21/charges_of_deals_promised_fulfilled_and_broken_in_casino_debate/ |title=Charges of deals promised, fulfilled and broken in casino debate |author=Glen Johnson |date=2008-03-21 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/politics/view.bg?articleid=1082009 |title=Pols tapped by Sal changed vote on casinos |author=Casey Ross |date=2008-03-22 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/politics/view.bg?articleid=1082011 |title=DiMasi’s deep six |author=Casey Ross |date=2008-03-22 |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-03-23]

References

External links

* [http://www.mass.gov/legis/member/sfd1.htm Legislative homepage]