Odoardo Di Santo
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Odoardo Di Santo | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office 1975–1985 | |
| Preceded by | Vern Singer |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Cordiano |
| Constituency | Downsview |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 25, 1934 |
| Party | New Democrat |
| Spouse | Maria Augimeri |
| Occupation | Paralegal |
Odoardo Di Santo (born June 25, 1934) 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. In Rome, Di Santo was a professional journalist as well as Press Secretary for the Italian Minister of Industry and Commerce. 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 founding member as well as a federal executive on the Congress of Italian-Canadians in this period. He was also a founding member of the Italian-Canadian Benevolent Corporation. He is married to Toronto city councillor Maria Augimeri.
Politics
He was 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.[1] He was re-elected by a greater margin in the 1977 election,[2] and defeated future federal cabinet minister Joseph Volpe by 653 votes in the 1981 election.[3] 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.[4]