Alberto Gutman
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 |
| Died | February 16, 2019 (aged 60) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Marci Rabinowitz |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Miami Dade College (AA) University of Miami (BBA) |
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.
Early life
[edit | edit source]He 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 | edit source]
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
[edit | edit source]He 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
[edit | edit source]Gutman died on February 16, 2019, at his home in Miami, Florida.[9]
Electoral history
[edit | edit source]| 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 | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ The Florida Senate Handbook 1996–1998
- ^ Archived copy Archived 2018-08-13 at the Wayback Machine, May 1, 2000, Tough Sentence For Corruption, [1]
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- 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
- 1959 births
- 2019 deaths
- American people of Cuban-Jewish descent
- Cuban emigrants to the United States
- Miami Dade College alumni
- University of Miami Business School alumni
- Republican Party Florida state senators
- Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
- Florida politicians convicted of crimes
- American politicians of Cuban descent
- Jewish state legislators in Florida
- 21st-century American Jews
- Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Florida
- 20th-century members of the Florida Legislature