Meade Esposito

Meade Esposito
Photo of Meade Esposito by Ken Regan
Personal details
Born	Amadeo Henry Esposito 1907 (1907) Brownsville, Brooklyn
Died	September 3, 1993 (aged 86) Manhasset, New York
Political party	Democratic
Children	1
Profession	Brooklyn Democratic leader

Amadeo Henry "Meade" Esposito (1907 – September 3, 1993) was an American politician who was a Brooklyn Democratic leader and political boss. Esposito served as leader of the Kings County Democratic Committee from 1969 to 1984. As a leader, he was known as a political fixer, and honored loyalty, running a system involving gratuity exchanges ultimately resulting in multiple municipal corruption scandals. Critics called him a "medieval king holding court with his barons by sections of the press". In 1983, investigations into his activities mounted. Esposito retired in January 1984. Three years later, he was convicted in the Brooklyn Federal District Court of bribery having given Representative Mario Biaggi of the Bronx a spa vacation to Florida. Esposito was respected and feared for his street style management, intimidation tactics and criminal connections running politics similar to a junket.

Amadeo "Meade" Esposito was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn in 1907. He was the son of Giuseppe Esposito and Felicia. His grandfather came to America from Italy in 1885. His father followed his grandfather in 1900 and arrived in America at the age of 18. Giuseppe became a saloon owner. Meade lived with his two sisters above the saloon. Meade claimed to have been working since he was child.

Meade grew up in a predominately Jewish neighborhood and received his nickname "Meade" during elementary school. He went to Manual Training High School, now known as John Jay Educational Campus, but dropped out at the age of 14. Meade was married at the age of 18 and became a father by 19.

After dropping out of high school Esposito found employment at an insurance business operated by Jim Powers, a former United States Marshal and local Democratic leader. There Esposito met Hyman Schorenstein whose management style later influenced him. At the age of 18, Esposito "got a couple of dozen of the guys together" and started the Progressive Democratic Club on Fulton Street.

During the Great Depression he became a beer salesman and bail bondsman. He met many of his future connections through his bondsman business. Esposito developed ethnic and community ties encouraging more Italian Americans to move into politics. He launched the career of Abe Stark and assisted in electing Alfred Lama. In 1958 at the age of 49, Esposito seriously entered politics and ran for district leader and co‐leader in Canarsie with Shirley Weiner. They narrowly lost; however Esposito's influence behind the scenes grew.