Representative Vito J. Fossella

Vito John Fossella Jr. (born March 9, 1965) is an American politician who has served as the Staten Island Borough President since January 1, 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he is best known for representing New York’s 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009, during which time he was the lone Republican member of Congress from New York City. A lifelong Staten Island resident, Fossella emerged from a local political tradition and built a career that combined city and federal service before returning to borough-wide office in the 2020s.

Fossella was born and raised on Staten Island, New York, into a family with deep roots in the borough and in New York City politics. He is the grandson of Vito John Fossella Sr., who served in the New York City Council, and he grew up in an environment that exposed him early to public affairs and civic engagement. His Staten Island upbringing, in a community that often felt distinct from the rest of New York City, would later shape his political identity and his emphasis on local infrastructure, land use, and quality-of-life issues.

Fossella attended local schools on Staten Island before pursuing higher education. He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After completing his undergraduate studies, he obtained a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. Trained as an attorney, he entered private practice and gained experience in corporate and financial matters, which later informed his work on economic and regulatory issues in Congress.

Fossella’s formal political career began in New York City government. He was elected to the New York City Council from Staten Island, where he focused on land use, education, and environmental concerns that were central to his constituents. During this period, he authored the legislation that led to the agreement to close the Fresh Kills Landfill permanently, a long-standing environmental and quality-of-life issue on Staten Island. He also conceived the idea of the South Richmond Rezoning Study, a comprehensive rezoning initiative on Staten Island designed to manage growth, protect neighborhoods, and guide future development. In addition, he played a role in securing funding for the construction of P.S. 56 and P.S. 6, the first new public schools built on Staten Island in over a decade, addressing overcrowding and educational infrastructure needs in the borough.

Fossella entered Congress after winning a special election in 1997 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Representative Susan Molinari. He took office that year as the Republican representative of New York’s 13th congressional district, which encompassed all of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. He was subsequently reelected to five full terms, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2009. His tenure in Congress coincided with a significant period in American history, including the late 1990s economic expansion, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As a member of the House, Fossella participated in the legislative process, represented the interests of his Staten Island and Brooklyn constituents, and was an active voice on issues of transportation, security, and economic policy.

During his congressional service, Fossella sponsored and cosponsored legislation with both local and national impact. He was a cosponsor of the SAFE Port Act, which strengthened port and maritime security in the wake of heightened concerns about terrorism and the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure. He also supported and helped secure federal funding for Staten Island–area infrastructure, including transportation projects that improved connectivity between Staten Island and Brooklyn. Fossella worked to help repair the 86th Street subway station in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn, a key transfer point where passengers connect to bus service to Staten Island over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. On the financial front, he played a leading role in passing the Investor and Capital Markets Fee Relief Act, which eliminated certain fees imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission and returned over $700 million to individual investors; the Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 16, 2002.

Politically, Fossella proved to be a resilient incumbent in a district that included both traditionally Republican Staten Island and more Democratic areas of Brooklyn. In 2004, he faced his first close contest against former state assemblyman and judge Frank J. Barbaro. Barbaro, who had represented much of the Brooklyn portion of the district in Albany for 23 years, won the Brooklyn side of the district by seven points, marking the first time Fossella had not carried that area. However, Fossella won Staten Island by a wide margin of 26 points, enabling him to secure a fourth full term with 59 percent of the vote districtwide. Observers speculated that he benefited from President George W. Bush’s 13-point victory on Staten Island that year. Fossella was at one point considered a possible Republican challenger to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the 2005 New York City mayoral election, though he ultimately chose not to enter the race. In 2006, he was reelected again, defeating Democrat Steve Harrison, a relatively unknown Brooklyn attorney, by a margin of 56.7 percent to 43.3 percent.

Fossella’s congressional career came to an abrupt turning point in 2008. In May of that year, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Alexandria, Virginia. The incident drew intense media scrutiny, and it was subsequently revealed that he had been engaged in an extramarital affair that had resulted in the birth of a child. The revelations generated significant controversy and political pressure. In the aftermath of his arrest and the public disclosure of his personal conduct, Fossella announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress in 2008, bringing his six-term tenure in the House of Representatives to a close in January 2009.

After leaving Congress, Fossella returned to private life and the private sector, working in business and consulting while remaining a recognizable figure in Staten Island political circles. He did not hold public office for more than a decade but maintained connections within the local Republican Party and civic organizations. In 2021, he reemerged as a candidate for Staten Island Borough President. Running as a Republican, he campaigned on issues of public safety, economic recovery, and advocacy for Staten Island’s interests within New York City. In November 2021, Fossella was elected borough president of Staten Island, and he assumed office in 2022, marking his return to elected office and continuing his long association with the borough he has represented at both the city and federal levels.