Vito Marcantonio | |
|---|---|
 Marcantonio in the 1930s | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York | |
| In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1951 | |
| Preceded by | James J. Lanzetta |
| Succeeded by | James G. Donovan |
| Constituency | 20th district (1939–1945) 18th district (1945–1951) |
| In office January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1937 | |
| Preceded by | James J. Lanzetta |
| Succeeded by | James J. Lanzetta |
| Constituency | 20th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vito Anthony Marcantonio December 10, 1902 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 1954 (aged 51) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | American Labor (1937–1954) Republican (1935–1937) |
| Spouse |
Miriam A. Sanders (m. 1925) |
| Alma mater | New York University School of Law |
Vito Anthony Marcantonio (December 10, 1902 – August 9, 1954) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the socialist leader of East Harlem for seven terms in the United States House of Representatives.[1]
For most of his political career, he was a member of the American Labor Party, believing that neither major American political party supported the interests of the working class. For two years prior to his party switching to Labor, he was a New Deal coalition member of the progressive branch of the Republican Party as a supporter of Fiorello LaGuardia (the progressive, pro-New Deal Republican mayor of New York at the time). Marcantonio was a socialist and avid supporter of political causes and positions which he deemed in the interests of the working class, poor, immigrants, labor unions, and African-American civil rights.[2]
Marcantonio represented the neighborhood of East Harlem in New York City (containing the smaller neighborhoods of Italian Harlem and Spanish Harlem), which was home to many ethnic Italians, Jews, African-Americans, and Puerto Ricans. He spoke Spanish, Italian, and English. Marcantonio advocated fiercely for the rights of African-Americans, Italian-American immigrants, and Puerto Rican immigrants in Harlem, as well as for unions and workers in general.
- ^ Minton, Bruce (November 1936). "That Man Marcantonio" (PDF). New Masses: 3–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ Serby, Benjamin (December 20, 2018). "New York's Last Socialist Congressperson". Jacobin. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022.