NEW YORK — Mario Biaggi, a former 19-year congressman whose career ended in disgrace after a pair of corruption convictions, has died. He was 97.
Biaggi died Wednesday at his Bronx home, said Mortimer Matz, his longtime spokesman.
A highly decorated New York City police officer prior to his political career, Biaggi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1968 from a Bronx district later redrawn to include a portion of Yonkers.
He was easily re-elected nine times, but his political career began unraveling in the mid-1980s amid corruption allegations.
Biaggi was wounded 10 times in the line of duty and received 28 citations, including the department's highest award.
