| | 
Virgil P. Bernero (b. 1964) —
also known as Virg Bernero; "America's Angriest
Mayor" —
of Lansing, Ingham
County, Mich.
Born in Pontiac, Oakland
County, Mich., March
31, 1964.
Democrat. Member of Michigan
state house of representatives 68th District, 2001-02; member of
Michigan
state senate 23rd District, 2003-05; mayor
of Lansing, Mich., 2005-17; delegate to Democratic National
Convention from Michigan, 2008;
candidate for Governor of
Michigan, 2010.
Italian ancestry.
Still living as of 2017.
|
| |
Sonny Bono (1935-1998) —
also known as Salvatore Philip Bono; Sonny Christie;
Ronny Sommers; Prince Carter —
of Palm Springs, Riverside
County, Calif.
Born in Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., February
16, 1935.
Republican. Songwriter,
actor,
member of the Sonny & Cher singing and
comedy
duo;; restaurant
owner; mayor
of Palm Springs, Calif., 1988-92; candidate for U.S.
Senator from California, 1992; U.S.
Representative from California 44th District, 1995-98; died in
office 1998.
Catholic
or Scientologist.
Italian ancestry.
Killed in a skiing
accident, South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado
County, Calif., January
5, 1998 (age 62 years, 323
days).
Interment at Desert
Memorial Park, Cathedral City, Calif.
|
 |
Ignace A. Capizzi —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
Republican. Lawyer;
candidate for Michigan
state senate 3rd District, 1928.
Italian ancestry.
Burial location unknown.
| |  |
Image source:
Bench & Bar of Michigan (1918) |
|
| |
James Kinsman Constantini (1928-1993) —
also known as James K. Constantini —
of Iron Mountain, Dickinson
County, Mich.
Born in Iron Mountain, Dickinson
County, Mich., September
24, 1928.
Democrat. Member of Michigan
state house of representatives, 1961-62, 1965-66 (Menominee
District 1961-62, 109th District 1965-66); defeated, 1962 (Menominee
District), 1966 (109th District), 1968 (109th District), 1978 (109th
District), 1984 (109th District).
Catholic.
Italian ancestry.
Died in Iron Mountain, Dickinson
County, Mich., July 27,
1993 (age 64 years, 306
days).
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives:
Married 1952 to
Florence Pawler. |
|
| |
John Daprato (b. 1852) —
of Iron Mountain, Dickinson
County, Mich.
Born in Barga, Italy,
1852.
Republican. Hatter;
member of Michigan
state house of representatives from Dickinson County, 1913-20,
1931-34.
Italian ancestry. Member, Freemasons;
Knights
Templar; Scottish
Rite Masons.
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
Harry A. DeMaso (1921-2015) —
also known as Aristide Augustino DeMaso —
of Battle Creek, Calhoun
County, Mich.; East Lansing, Ingham
County, Mich.
Born in Battle Creek, Calhoun
County, Mich., February
24, 1921.
Republican. Served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II; supervisor
of Battle Creek Township, Michigan, 1952-65; member of Michigan
state house of representatives, 1957-66 (Calhoun County 2nd
District 1957-64, 45th District 1965-66); defeated in primary, 1954;
member of Michigan
state senate 20th District, 1967-86.
Methodist.
Italian ancestry. Member, Freemasons;
Order of the
Eastern Star; Veterans of
Foreign Wars; American
Legion; Kiwanis;
Elks.
Died in East Lansing, Ingham
County, Mich., January
9, 2015 (age 93 years, 319
days).
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
Dominick A. DeVarti (c.1924-2001) —
of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw
County, Mich.
Born in New Jersey, about 1924.
Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; restaurant
owner; candidate for mayor
of Ann Arbor, Mich., 1957 (Republican primary), 1957.
Italian ancestry.
Died, of heart
failure, in the University of Michigan Hospital,
Ann Arbor, Washtenaw
County, Mich., June 1,
2001 (age about 77
years).
Interment at Arborcrest
Memorial Park, Ann Arbor, Mich.
|
| |
Robert A. Ficano (b. 1952) —
also known as Bob Ficano —
of Livonia, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., July 19,
1952.
Democrat. Lawyer;
candidate for Michigan
state house of representatives 36th District, 1980; Wayne
County Sheriff, 1983-2002; delegate to Democratic National
Convention from Michigan, 1996
(alternate), 2000,
2004,
2008;
Wayne
County Executive, 2003-; member of Democratic
National Committee from Michigan, 2008.
Catholic.
Italian ancestry. Member, Phi
Kappa Phi; Optimist
Club.
Still living as of 2008.
|
| |
Michael A. Guido (b. 1954) —
of Dearborn, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born July 3,
1954.
Mayor
of Dearborn, Mich., 1986-.
Italian ancestry.
Still living as of 2005.
|
| |
Dominic J. Jacobetti (1920-1994) —
also known as D. J. Jacobetti; "Pooga";
"King Jake" —
of Negaunee, Marquette
County, Mich.
Born in Negaunee, Marquette
County, Mich., July 20,
1920.
Democrat. Representative,
United Steelworkers of America; member of Michigan
state house of representatives, 1955-94 (Marquette County
1955-64, 108th District 1965-92, 109th District 1993-94); died in
office 1994; delegate to Democratic National Convention from
Michigan, 1960,
1964.
Catholic.
Italian ancestry. Member, United
Steelworkers of America; Moose; Eagles;
Knights
of Columbus; Elks; Lions.
Died November
28, 1994 (age 74 years, 131
days).
Entombed in mausoleum at Northland
Chapel Gardens, Negaunee, Mich.
|
| |
Louis Charles Miriani (1897-1987) —
also known as Louis C. Miriani —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., January
1, 1897.
Republican. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War I; lawyer; mayor
of Detroit, Mich., 1957-62; indicted
in 1966 for evading
federal taxes on income he failed to report in 1959-62; tried and
convicted
in 1968; following unsuccessful appeals, he served almost a year in
federal
prison; released in 1971.
Italian ancestry.
Died in Pontiac, Oakland
County, Mich., October
18, 1987 (age 90 years, 290
days).
Entombed in mausoleum at Holy
Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield, Mich.
|
| |
Peter Finley Secchia (1937-2020) —
also known as Peter F. Secchia —
of Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich.; Ferrysburg, Ottawa
County, Mich.
Born in Englewood, Bergen
County, N.J., April
15, 1937.
Republican. Chief executive, Universal Forest
Products, 1971-89; owner of restaurants;
real
estate developer; member of Republican
National Committee from Michigan, 1980-88; delegate to Republican
National Convention from Michigan, 1984,
2000
(alternate), 2004;
candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan; U.S. Ambassador to
Italy, 1989-93.
Italian ancestry.
Died, from COVID-19
and other health issues, in East Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich., October
21, 2020 (age 83 years, 189
days).
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
Francis R. Spaniola (b. 1935) —
also known as Bus Spaniola —
of Corunna, Shiawassee
County, Mich.
Born in Corunna, Shiawassee
County, Mich., June 8,
1935.
Democrat. School
teacher; chair of
Shiawassee County Democratic Party, 1961-62, 1970-74; member of
Michigan
state house of representatives 87th District, 1975-90; defeated,
1972; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1976,
1980.
Catholic.
Italian ancestry. Member, Lions; Sons of
Italy; Knights
of Columbus; National
Education Association.
Still living as of 2017.
|
| |
Marlo Thomas (b. 1937) —
also known as Margaret Julia Thomas —
of Beverly Hills, Los
Angeles County, Calif.; Manhattan, New York
County, N.Y.
Born in Deerfield, Lenawee
County, Mich., November
21, 1937.
Democrat. Actress
in television shows and movies; delegate to Democratic National
Convention from California, 1972.
Female.
Catholic.
Lebanese
and Italian ancestry.
Still living as of 2014.
|
| |
Vincent Vario —
of Laurium, Houghton
County, Mich.
Born in Italy.
Republican. Postmaster at Laurium,
Mich., 1911.
Italian ancestry.
Burial location unknown.
|
|
|
![[Amazon.com]](https://politicalgraveyard.com/images/a150X70b.gif)