Odoardo Di Santo
Encyclopedia
Odoardo Di Santo is a politician and administrator in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1975 to 1985, as a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Di Santo was born in Rocca Pia
, Italy
, and educated at the University of Rome
. He was a member of the Family Services Association of Metro Toronto
in 1974-75, and was an advisor to the Board of Community Workers at George Brown College
. Di Santo was also a federal executive on the Congress of Italian-Canadians in this period.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
, defeating Liberal
candidate Mike Spensieri by 68 votes in Downsview
as part of an NDP breakthrough in Toronto's Italian community. He was re-elected by a greater margin in the 1977 election
, and defeated future federal cabinet minister Joseph Volpe by 653 votes in the 1981 election
. He supported Bob Rae
for the party leadership in 1982.
Di Santo was narrowly defeated in the 1985 election
, losing to Liberal candidate Joseph Cordiano
by 221 votes. After the election, the Liberals and NDP signed a two-year pact which ended forty-two years of Progressive Conservative
rule. After leaving the legislature, Di Santo was appointed director of the Office of the Worker Adviser.
The New Democratic Party won a majority government under Bob Rae
's leadership in the 1990 provincial election
, and Di Santo was appointed as chair of Ontario Workers' Compensation Board in 1991. His tenure in office proved controversial, with the WCB taking on a significant debt burden. In 1994, Rae transferred Di Santo to the Liquor License Board of Ontario.
He campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1997 federal election
, but finished third against Independent candidate John Nunziata
in York South—Weston
.
He is married to Toronto city councillor Maria Augimeri
.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1975 to 1985, as a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Di Santo was born in Rocca Pia
Rocca Pia
Rocca Pia is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. His territory extended up to the level of Cinquemiglia...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and educated at the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
. He was a member of the Family Services Association of Metro Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1974-75, and was an advisor to the Board of Community Workers at George Brown College
George Brown College
George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...
. Di Santo was also a federal executive on the Congress of Italian-Canadians in this period.
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, defeating Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
candidate Mike Spensieri by 68 votes in Downsview
Downsview (electoral district)
Downsview was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1963 provincial election, and was retained until redistribution in 1999...
as part of an NDP breakthrough in Toronto's Italian community. He was re-elected by a greater margin in the 1977 election
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and defeated future federal cabinet minister Joseph Volpe by 653 votes in the 1981 election
Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. He supported Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
for the party leadership in 1982.
Di Santo was narrowly defeated in the 1985 election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
, losing to Liberal candidate Joseph Cordiano
Joseph Cordiano
Joseph Cordiano is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was formerly a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Early life:...
by 221 votes. After the election, the Liberals and NDP signed a two-year pact which ended forty-two years of Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
rule. After leaving the legislature, Di Santo was appointed director of the Office of the Worker Adviser.
The New Democratic Party won a majority government under Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's leadership in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, and Di Santo was appointed as chair of Ontario Workers' Compensation Board in 1991. His tenure in office proved controversial, with the WCB taking on a significant debt burden. In 1994, Rae transferred Di Santo to the Liquor License Board of Ontario.
He campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1997 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, but finished third against Independent candidate John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
in York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
.
He is married to Toronto city councillor Maria Augimeri
Maria Augimeri
Maria Augimeri is a city councillor in Toronto, Ward 9 representing one of the two York Centre wards.-Background:Augimeri moved to Canada with her family at age two. Before entering politics, she was a Social Anthropologist at York University...
.