Augusto Sorriso

Background

Sorriso was born in Licata.

Career

He is a former mayor of Licata, Sicily, and has sought election to the Italian parliament. He was a successful municipal politician with the Christian Democratic party, holding the city"s mayoralty and other positions. Sorriso moved to New Jersey with his family in 1994 and started a successful franchise of salad restaurants.

He ran for the Italian Senate as a Forza Italia candidate in the 2006 general election, the first in which Italian citizens outside the country were allowed to vote in international divisions.

His party list was defeated by Romano Prodi"s coalition, The Union. Sorriso later ran for Berlusconi"s People of Freedom coalition in the 2008 election.

He later broke with Berlusconi"s party and sought election to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 2013 Italian general election as a candidate of Mario Monti"s With Monti for Italy.

Achievements

• The list won a narrow victory, but Sorriso was outpolled by his running-mate, Basilio Giordano, for the seat. Although the party list won a seat, Sorriso was again outpolled by one of his running mates, Angela Rosaria Nissoli.

Politics

He took a political science degree at the University of Florence and later returned to the city of his birth, where he worked in his family"s construction business. He ran for a seat in the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 1994 general election as a candidate of the Solidarieta" Occupazione Sviluppo party and finished fourth in Licata"s single-member division.

Membership

He has been active in the Italian community, serving with the Confederation of Sicilians in North America and as an executive member of the General Council of Italians Abroad.