VITO MARCANTONIO: A SUCCESSFUL NEW YORK CITY RADICAL POLITICIAN.
Item
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Title
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VITO MARCANTONIO: A SUCCESSFUL NEW YORK CITY RADICAL POLITICIAN.
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Identifier
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AAI8423092
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identifier
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8423092
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Creator
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MEYER, GERALD J.
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Contributor
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Irwin Yellowitz
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Date
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1984
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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History, United States | Biography
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Abstract
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Vito Marcantonio (1902-1954) represented East Harlem (in 1944 his district was expanded to include an equally populous area to the south) in the House of Representatives from 1934 to 1936 and 1938 to 1950, when running solely under the banner of the American Labor Party he was defeated by a coalition candidate of the Democratic, Republican, and Liberal parties. In terms of the positions he advocated in Congress and his general political activities, Marcantonio was closely identified with the Communist Party. Writing in Why They Call It Politics (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1979, p. 75), Robert Sherrill stated: "Of the dozens of thousands of men and women elected to Congress, only one--Vito Marcantomio--ever publically acknowledged sympathy for the Communist Party USA." This work examines the major components which account for his unique electoral successes as a radical politician.;Most important was the loyalty of his major bases of support, East Harlem's Italian (Italian Harlem) and Puerto Rican (El Barrio) communities. Italian Harlem was the largest Italo-American community in the United States at that time. Marcantonio's rootedness in this community allowed him to convert its alienation from the American mainstream into a fierce loyalty for its native son. El Barrio was the largest Puerto Rican community on the continental United States and the largest community of first generation immigrants in New York City. Reflecting the political currents on the island, it had a significant left-wing component. Marcantonio's legislative work on behalf of Puerto Rico and his involvement in the independence cause galvanized this community's support.;These communities' support was realized by means of a classical political machine which delivered services on a mass scale and maximized the registration/voter turnout of his supporters. The Communist Party and various organizations under its influence provided the manpower and money for this enterprise.;Finally, the qualites of Marcantonio himself are assessed as part of the concaternation of factors accounting for this unique phenomenon.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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History
