Alberto Gutman (January 4, 1959 – February 16, 2019) was a Cuban-American politician. Born to a Jewish[1] family in Havana, Cuba, he moved to the United States when he was 6 years old.
Alberto Gutman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 34th district | |
| In office 1992–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Lincoln Díaz-Balart |
| Succeeded by | Alex Díaz de la Portilla |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 105th district | |
| In office 1984–1992 | |
| Preceded by | Harold W. Spaet |
| Succeeded by | Michael I. Abrams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 4, 1959 Havana, Cuba |
| Died | February 16, 2019 (aged 60) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Marci Rabinowitz |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Miami Dade College (AA) University of Miami (BBA) |
Early life
editHe lived and went to school in Miami Beach, Florida.
He entered politics and became a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Member of Florida House of Representatives, 1984–92;[2] member of Florida Senate 34th District, 1992–99.[3]
He was a member of the Freemasons, B'nai B'rith, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Theta Kappa.[4]
He was married and had two daughters.
Career
edit
In 1992 he won his first election to the Florida Senate defeating Democrat Kendall Coffey.
Gutman accused his opponent in the 1998 senatorial election of using voodoo against him after Santería paraphernalia was tossed at him and scattered on his vehicle by his opponent's supporters;[citation needed] Gutman won the election.
Resignation and Conviction
editHe was indicted on 32 counts for benefiting from a fake health care company that he had set up to defraud Medicare of $15,000,000. Gutman then resigned his post as Chairman of the Florida Senate Health Care Committee over alleged improprieties in brokering a Medicaid health plan during his term as vice chairman of the committee.
He was charged with conspiracy, money laundering, and witness tampering. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison with three year’s probation, ordered to pay victims $98,175 in restitution and fined $50,000 in 1999.[5][6][7][8]
Death
editGutman died on February 16, 2019, at his home in Miami, Florida.[9]
Electoral history
edit| Date | Position | Status | Opponent | Result | Vote share | Top-opponent vote share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | State Representative | Incumbent | Harold W. Spaet (D) | Elected | 58.01%[10] | 41.99% |
| 1986 | State Representative | Incumbent | A. J. Daoud (D) | Re-elected | 63.40%[11] | 36.60% |
| 1988 | State Representative | Incumbent | Ran unopposed | Re-elected | 100.00%[12] | 0% |
| 1990 | State Representative | Incumbent | Steve Leifman (D) | Re-elected | 58.89%[13] | 41.11% |
| 1992 | State Senator | Open-seat | Kendall Coffey (D) | Elected | 56.68%[14] | 43.32% |
| 1994 | State Senator | Incumbent | Ran unopposed | Re-elected | 100.00%[15] | 0% |
| 1998 | State Senator | Incumbent | Agustin "Gus" Garcia (D) | Re-elected | 50.23%[16] | 49.77% |
References
edit- ^ Ovalle, David (February 18, 2019). "Alberto Gutman, popular Miami state lawmaker who went to prison, dies at 60". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "House of Representatives". 13 January 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Florida Senators". 13 January 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018.
- ^ The Florida Senate Handbook 1996–1998
- ^ Archived copy Archived 2018-08-13 at the Wayback Machine, May 1, 2000, Tough Sentence For Corruption, [1]
- ^ "The Political Graveyard: Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Florida". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ MIKE CLARY, TIMES STAFF WRITER (June 18, 1998). "Corruption Count Rising in Florida". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Ex-Florida State Senator Gets 5 Years for Fraud". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 29, 2000.
- ^ "Alberto Gutman Obituary (1959 - 2019) - Miami, FL - the Miami Herald". Legacy.com. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 105 Race - Nov 06, 1984". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 105 Race - Nov 04, 1986". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 105 Race - Nov 08, 1988". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 105 Race - Nov 06, 1990". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 34 Race - Nov 03, 1992". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 34 Race - Nov 08, 1994". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 34 Race - Nov 03, 1998". www.ourcampaigns.com.
External links
edit- Project Vote Smart – Alberto Gutman (FL) profile
- Our Campaigns – Alberto Gutman (FL) profile
- "Governors pledge to reach out and touch", Chuck Shepherd, Orlando Weekly, November 30, 1998.
- "All-American Al", BILL DURYEA, St. Petersburg Times, April 14, 2000