Romano Mazzoli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Romano Mazzoli
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	William Cowger
Succeeded by	Mike Ward
Member of the Kentucky Senate
In office 1968–1970
Personal details
Born	Romano Louis Mazzoli (1932-11-02)November 2, 1932 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	November 1, 2022(2022-11-01) (aged 89) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Helen Dillon ​ ​ (m. 1959; died 2012)​
Children	2
Education	University of Notre Dame (BS) University of Louisville (JD) Harvard University (MPA)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1954-1956
Rank	Specialist Third Class

Romano Louis "Ron" Mazzoli (November 2, 1932 – November 1, 2022) was an American politician and lawyer from Kentucky. He was often called "Ron."

He represented Louisville, Kentucky, and its nearby areas in the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1995. He was a member of the Democratic Party. With Senator Alan Simpson, he helped create important laws about immigration.

Early Life and Education

Romano Mazzoli was born in Louisville. His father came to the U.S. from northern Italy. Romano went to St. Xavier High School and graduated in 1950. He was a good tennis player! He won the 1950 Kentucky high school doubles tennis championship.

He then went to the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. He graduated with high honors in 1954. Later, he went to the University of Louisville law school. He finished first in his class in 1960.

Before joining the U.S. House, Mazzoli served in the Kentucky Senate from 1968 to 1970.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Mazzoli was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970. He won by a very small number of votes, just 211! This was the closest House election that year. He served for 24 years.

Leading on Immigration Laws

For twelve years, he was in charge of the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Immigration, International Law, and Refugees. This meant he worked on laws about people coming to live in the United States.

He wrote a very important law called the Simpson-Mazzoli Immigration Reform and Control Act. He worked on this with Republican Senator Alan K. Simpson. This law was the first in the U.S. to fine businesses that hired people who were not legally allowed to work in the country. It also offered a chance for some people already living and working in the U.S. to become legal residents.

After five years of discussions and changes, the Simpson-Mazzoli Bill became law in November 1986.

Leaving Congress

Mazzoli decided not to run for reelection in 1994. He left office in January 1995. After he left, a law was passed to honor him. The Federal Building in his hometown of Louisville was renamed the Romano L. Mazzoli Federal Building. This happened on December 28, 1995.

Life After Congress

After leaving Congress, Romano Mazzoli continued to teach. He taught at Bellarmine University. He also taught law at the University of Louisville Law School.

In 2002, he was a special guest at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He went back to Harvard and earned a Master's degree in Public Administration in 2004. While studying there, he lived on campus. He met Pete Buttigieg, who was a student at the time. Years later, in 2012, Mazzoli helped swear in Buttigieg as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

In 2006, Mazzoli and Senator Simpson wrote an article together for The Washington Post. They wrote about their 1986 immigration law and what they had learned since then.

Family and Passing

Romano Mazzoli married Helen Dillon in 1959. They had two children. They were married until Helen passed away in 2012.

Romano Mazzoli died at his home in Louisville on November 1, 2022. He passed away just one day before his 90th birthday.

Images for kids

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  Romano Mazzoli