Frank Seddio
Chair of the Kings County Democratic Committee
In office
September 19, 2012 – January 15, 2020
Preceded byVito Lopez
Succeeded byRodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Kings County Surrogate Court Judge
In office
January 2006 – May 2007
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 59th district
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 1, 2006
Preceded byJohn Lavelle
Succeeded byAlan Maisel
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 39th district
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2003
Preceded byAnthony J. Genovesi
Succeeded byJose Peralta
Personal details
Born (1946-10-14) October 14, 1946
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Joyce Becker-Seddio
​
(m. 1998)​
[1]
EducationBrooklyn College
St. John's University School of Law

Frank R. Seddio (born October 14, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the New York State Assembly representing southeastern Brooklyn from 1999 to 2005 before serving as a Kings County Surrogate Court Judge from 2006 to 2007.[2][3][4]

He served as the chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party from 2012 to 2020, when he resigned to focus on his legal business. He remains a district leader for the 59th Assembly District, an unpaid volunteer party position he serves in since 2010.

Personal life

Seddio was one of six children in a family that lived in Canarsie, then a largely Italian and Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. His father was a truck driver who left the family when Seddio was 10. His mother attempted to raise the family on welfare. To assist her, Seddio went into the workforce at age 12 at a local grocery store.[3]

Seddio is a graduate of Samuel J. Tilden High School, Brooklyn College and St. John's University School of Law. He lives and works in southeastern Brooklyn, where he makes annual headlines for an elaborate Christmas light display which is known to attract a large number of spectators, among them high-ranking elected officials such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.[5]

Career

Civil Service

Prior to elected office, Seddio held several government positions. The first as a caretaker in the New York City Housing Authority before he served as a police liaison in the New York City Police Department for the 67th Precinct from October 1967 to May 1980. There he was tasked with overseeing the annual West Indian Day Parade in Crown Heights, starting with the inaugural one in 1969. Seddio recalled of that parade "Everybody said 'Who’s going to come to Eastern Parkway? Are you crazy?' And that first year we got 50,000 people, and now it’s the biggest parade in the city of New York."[6][7][8]

From 1980 to 85 he served as district manager for Brooklyn Community Board 18 and later as chairman of the board from 1995 to 1998. He also served in the New York City Department of Transportation from 1985 to 1991, when he retired to start a law practice.

New York State Assembly

In 1999, Seddio succeeded Anthony Genovesi in the New York State Assembly representing the 39th Assembly District, which included parts of southeastern Brooklyn. After redistricting in 2002, the area became part of the 59th Assembly District, a district Seddio represented in the Assembly until his resignation in 2006 after he was elected Kings County Surrogate Court Judge.[9]

Kings County Surrogate Court

Seddio was elected in 2005 to the Kings County Surrogate Court to a twelve year term. However, he resigned in May 2007 after saying the job was not “as exciting as I imagined" and amid a looming investigation in campaign fund misuse.[10][11]

Brooklyn Democratic Party

Seddio was elected chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party in September 2012 after former Chairman Vito Lopez resigned following allegations of sexual harassment.

Unlike his predecessor, who was known to be vindictive, Seddio attempted to reach out to different factions within the party in what he called "cannoli diplomacy" saying "I would bring a couple dozen cannolis and go to their meeting and come in and get a chance to talk."[3]

The heavy use of consultants, specifically George Artz Communications, led to accusations of mismanagement of the party's funds.[12]

Despite resigning at party leader in 2020, he remains a district leader for the 59th Assembly District and one of the leading figures of the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Canarsie, which The New York Times described as being known as "among the strong political groups in Brooklyn".[13][14]

Private sector (2020–present)

Controversies

In November 2020 Seddio was seen at a birthday party without a mask with more than ten people, despite such gatherings being illegal at the time due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.[15]

In 2014, Seddio had a cameo in the political television show The Good Wife.[16]

In 2020, Seddio's Christmas house was featured on the reality television show The Great Christmas Light Fight.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Boro's brightest toast dem leader and wife on their anniversary • Brooklyn Paper". December 14, 2018.
  2. ↑ "New York State Assembly - Members". October 13, 2002. Archived from the original on October 13, 2002. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 cityandstate_admin (July 28, 2015). "Being Frank: How Seddio transformed the Brooklyn Democratic Party". CSNY. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Frank Seddio". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Canarsie holiday display honors late Thomas Seddio". Caribbean Life News. December 7, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ Lent, Jesse (June 24, 2011). "Star of Brooklyn: Frank R. Seddio". The Brooklyn Home Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Kelly Mena's Beat Of The Week Visits Frank Seddio". Kings County Politics. June 8, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  8. ↑ "A History of West Indian Carnival in New York City to 1978". employees.oneonta.edu. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. ↑ "February 28 Set For State Assembly Special Election". QNS.com. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Five Facts About Frank Seddio, a Leading Candidate to Replace Vito Lopez". Observer. August 28, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Seddio steps down from bench after short stint" (PDF). Canarsie Courier.
  12. ↑ Witt, Stephen (August 20, 2019). "Seddio Blasts Mosley, Calls County Dem Finances An Open Book". Kings County Politics. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  13. ↑ Hicks, Jonathan P. (September 15, 2007). "Democrats Clash in Brooklyn as Surrogate Judge Race Heats Up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ Amanda Salazar (January 17, 2020). "Seddio steps down as Brooklyn's Democratic Party Chair". Kings County Politics. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  15. ↑ Shahrigian, Shant. "COVID-19 rules appear ignored at birthday party featuring Brooklyn political players". nydailynews.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  16. ↑ Feeney, Sheila Anne (October 1, 2014). "Frank Seddio, the Brooklyn Democratic party boss, to appear in 'The Good Wife' on Sunday". amNewYork. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  17. ↑ December 9, Jaime DeJesus • (December 9, 2020). "Seddio house still brings holiday cheer, will be featured on ABC show". The Brooklyn Home Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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