John Zaccaro
Encyclopedia
John Anthony Zaccaro is a real estate
developer and owner of P. Zaccaro & Company, which was founded by his father Philip Zaccaro in 1935. The company acts as a landlord for properties in the Little Italy
, Chinatown
, and East Side
areas of Manhattan
and in Queens. He is the widower of the late Geraldine Ferraro
, former U.S. House of Representatives member from New York
and the 1984 Democratic Party Vice Presidential nominee.
neighborhood, to Italian American
parents born in the U.S. When an infant the family moved, and he grew up in Forest Hills, Queens
. He attended Loyola School
and Rhodes Preparatory School
, both in Manhattan
. A severe football injury left him unavailable for the draft, but he nonetheless joined the United States Marine Corps
Platoon Leaders Class, becoming a second lieutenant. At the same time he attended Iona College
from 1951 to 1955 and graduated with a degree in business administration.
Zaccaro and Ferraro met in 1954, when she was a sophomore at Marymount Manhattan College
. They became engaged in August 1959, and married on July 16, 1960. They have three children, Donna (born 1962), John Jr. (born 1964), and Laura (born 1966).
By 1984, Zaccaro company owned or managed over 20 residential and commercial properties in Manhattan. His buildings had accumulated over 100 mostly minor code violations, although in some tenants complained of poor living conditions in apartments.
During his wife's campaign for vice president, he became the center of controversy due to their finances and his refusal to release his separately-filed tax returns. Ultimately they were submitted.
In January 1985, Zaccaro pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining bank financing in a real estate transaction and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service. Then in October 1986, he was indicted on unrelated felony charges regarding an alleged 1981 bribery of Queens Borough President Donald Manes
concerning a cable television contract. A full year later, he was acquitted at trial.
Zaccaro's business associations have also created controversy, and they and the couple's finances again became a damaging issue during her 1992 Senate Democratic primary campaign (which she entered as the front-runner, and lost by a close margin). Zaccaro was not an issue in her 1998 Senate Democratic primary campaign, which she also lost.
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developer and owner of P. Zaccaro & Company, which was founded by his father Philip Zaccaro in 1935. The company acts as a landlord for properties in the Little Italy
Little Italy, Manhattan
Little Italy is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan, New York City, once known for its large population of Italians. Today the neighborhood of Little Italy consists of Italian stores and restaurants.-Historical area:...
, Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, and East Side
East Side (Manhattan)
The East Side of Manhattan refers to the side of Manhattan Island which abuts the East River and faces Brooklyn and Queens. Fifth Avenue, Central Park, and lower Broadway separate it from the West Side....
areas of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and in Queens. He is the widower of the late Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
, former U.S. House of Representatives member from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the 1984 Democratic Party Vice Presidential nominee.
Biography
Zaccaro was born in the Bay Ridge, BrooklynBay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue and Dyker Heights on the east, The Narrows Strait, which partially houses the Belt Parkway, on the west and 86th Street and Fort Hamilton on...
neighborhood, to Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
parents born in the U.S. When an infant the family moved, and he grew up in Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
. He attended Loyola School
Loyola School (New York City)
Loyola School was founded in 1900 in the Upper East Side of New York City by the Society of Jesus. Originally a Catholic boys school, Loyola has been coeducational since 1973 and today Loyola is the only Jesuit, independent, and co-ed college preparatory secondary school in the Tri-State Region...
and Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School was a private school located at 11 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City, USA. There was a lower school with students in seventh and eighth grades and an upper school for students from grades nine through twelve. For a brief period in its history, there were also...
, both in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. A severe football injury left him unavailable for the draft, but he nonetheless joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Platoon Leaders Class, becoming a second lieutenant. At the same time he attended Iona College
Iona College (New York)
Iona College is located in New Rochelle, New York, 20 miles north of Manhattan in suburban Westchester County. The college occupies 35 acres on North Ave. The college also operates a Graduate Center in Pearl River, Rockland County, New York....
from 1951 to 1955 and graduated with a degree in business administration.
Zaccaro and Ferraro met in 1954, when she was a sophomore at Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, coeducational, independent, private, liberal arts college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York with a focus in performing arts. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual...
. They became engaged in August 1959, and married on July 16, 1960. They have three children, Donna (born 1962), John Jr. (born 1964), and Laura (born 1966).
By 1984, Zaccaro company owned or managed over 20 residential and commercial properties in Manhattan. His buildings had accumulated over 100 mostly minor code violations, although in some tenants complained of poor living conditions in apartments.
During his wife's campaign for vice president, he became the center of controversy due to their finances and his refusal to release his separately-filed tax returns. Ultimately they were submitted.
In January 1985, Zaccaro pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining bank financing in a real estate transaction and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service. Then in October 1986, he was indicted on unrelated felony charges regarding an alleged 1981 bribery of Queens Borough President Donald Manes
Donald Manes
Donald R. Manes was a controversial Democratic Party politician from New York City. He served as borough president of the New York City borough of Queens from 1971 until just before his suicide in 1986.-Career:...
concerning a cable television contract. A full year later, he was acquitted at trial.
Zaccaro's business associations have also created controversy, and they and the couple's finances again became a damaging issue during her 1992 Senate Democratic primary campaign (which she entered as the front-runner, and lost by a close margin). Zaccaro was not an issue in her 1998 Senate Democratic primary campaign, which she also lost.