Philip Foglia

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'''Philip F. Foglia''' (c. 1951 – April 21, 2020) was an American lawyer, [[prosecutor]], civic activist, politician, and advocate for [[Italian-American]] rights issues. Most recently, Foglia led a campaign to construct a statue honoring [[Frances Xavier Cabrini]], an Italian-American [[Catholic]] [[nun]] more commonly known as [[Mother Cabrini]], after the proposal was initially rejected by a [[New York City]] commission.<ref name=nypost>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

==Biography==
Foglia was raised in [[Belmont, Bronx|Belmont]], a neighborhood of [[The Bronx]] with a large Italian American and [[Italian Americans in New York City|Italian immigrant community]].<ref name=nypost/> His childhood friends included actor [[Chazz Palminteri]].<ref name=nypost/> He graduated from [[Mount Saint Michael Academy]] in the Bronx.<ref name=nyccfb/> Foglia received his [[bachelor's degree]] from [[Lehman College]] before completing his [[juris doctorate]] from [[Pace University School of Law]].<ref name=nyccfb>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

===Prosecution career===
He was hired out of law school as a prosecutor for the office of the [[Bronx County District Attorney]], where he prosecuted [[public corruption]] cases.<ref name=nypost/> In addition to his work in the Bronx, Foglia was cross-designated as an Assistant [[United States Attorney]] for the [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] during the 1980s when the office was headed by [[Rudy Guiliani]].<ref name=nypost/> The Southern District office assigned Foglia to its [[organized crime]] and public corruption strike force.<ref name=nypost/>

In recent years, Foglia became a leading member of the [[New York State Inspector General's Office]].<ref name=nypost/> During his tenure, Foglia uncovered a bidding scandal at the first company to run the [[Aqueduct Racetrack]]'s casino, which opened in 2011.<ref name=nypost/> The casino's initial bids were redone following Foglia's report.<ref name=nypost/>

Foglia attempted to move from the prosecutor's office into elected politics. In 2005, Foglia ran as a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], [[Conservative Party of New York State|Conservative]] and [[Independence Party of New York|Independence]] parties for the [[New York City Council]]'s open 13th Council District seat, which was being vacated by outgoing councilwoman [[Madeline Provenzano]], who was [[term-limited]].<ref name=nyccfb/> Foglia was defeated by [[James Vacca]], a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], in the general election.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

===Italian American activism===
Philip Foglia became a major [[Italian American]] civic and community leader in the Bronx and [[New York City]].<ref name=nypost/> He established the Italian-American Legal Defense and Higher Education Fund.<ref name=nypost/> Foglia campaigned against negative [[Italian Americans#Discrimination and stereotyping|Italian American stereotypes and discrimination]]. He also sought to elevate and protect the image of major Italian historical figures, ranging from [[Mother Cabrini]] to [[Christopher Columbus]].<ref name=nypost/>

During the 1990s, Foglia filed a federal [[lawsuit]] against [[City University of New York]] (CUNY), alleging that the university routinely [[Employment discrimination|discriminated]] against Italian Americans in its hiring practices. Foglia reached a [[Settlement (litigation)|legal settlement]] with CUNY, which required the university to officially recognize Italian Americans as a under represented demographic group in its staff hiring decisions.<ref name=nypost/>

In 2017, in the aftermath of a [[Unite the Right rally|violent march by white supremacists]] in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]], [[New York City Mayor]] [[Bill de Blasio]] created a [[public design]] commission, called the Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers, to review "all symbols of hate on city property.".<ref name=nypost/> Following Charlottesville, activist groups began calling for the removal of monuments to [[Christopher Columbus]] in New York City, including the Columbus statue at the center of [[Columbus Circle]].<ref name=nypost/> Foglia and other Italian American activists defended the statues and lobbied the mayor to preserve the monuments, calling them a symbol of Italian American heritage.<ref name=nypost/> The commission and Mayor de Blasio ultimately decided to keep the Columbus statues.<ref name=nypost/>

Philip Foglia died at the age of 69 on April 21, 2020, at [[Columbia Presbyterian Hospital]] in [[Washington Heights]], [[Manhattan]], following a five-week illness with [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nypost/> Foglia's health had improved enough that he was taken off a [[ventilator]], but his condition rapidly declined soon afterward. He was survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and their two sons.<ref name=nypost/>

==References==



[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:American prosecutors]]
[[Category:New York (state) lawyers]]
[[Category:Lawyers from New York City]]
[[Category:American civil rights activists]]
[[Category:Pace University School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Lehman College alumni]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:People from the Bronx]]
[[Category:Deaths from the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New York City]]

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