Career
He served two terms until he was denied renomination in the 1971 Democratic primary by Sherman A. Bernard, a house mover from Westwego in Jefferson Parish. Guglielmo, who was of Italian ethnicity, went to work in 1930 for the administration of Governor Huey Pierce Long, Junior. He held the position of administrator of personnel and finance until 1940, when Sam Houston Jones succeeded Earl Kemp Long as governor.
Thereafter, he served in numerous state appointed posts.
Guglielmo succeeded Rufus Doctorate. Hayes as insurance commissioner in 1964. Hayes did not seek a second elected term in the position.
Among the losing candidates were State Representative Jack M. Dyer of Baton Rouge and state senator Speedy O. Long of Louisiana Salle Parish, the choice of John McKeithen, the successful gubernatorial candidate that year. Speedy Long went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives.
The Long-Guglielmo rivalry reflected the split in the Long ranks which had surfaced in the first primary held in December 1963.
Guglielmo carried the backing of defeated gubernatorial candidates Shelby M. Jackson, Robert F. Kennon, Claude Kirkpatrick, and Gillis Long. Gillis Long appointed G. F. "Coach" Sweetman, who later worked for Guglielmo"s company, to the United States Air Force Academy. In Guglielmo"s second term, several insurance companies failed to pay claims in a timely manner and forced the insured to accept lower amounts by with-holding payment until the insured was desperate.
Guglielmo worked to require claims be paid more faithfully and also backed the claims of numerous insurance agents against a number of the companies.
His failure to clarify and advertise these actions may have cost him a third term. In 1971, Guglielmo faced the combined competition of once again John West. Davidson as well as Jerry Galliano and Sherman Bernard.
Guglielmo was defeated in a runoff election by Bernard, who subsequently went to prison for extortion in connection with his insurance commissioner duties. Guglielmo subsequently ran an agency which serviced insurance companies.
He hired Coach Sweetman as an investigator, who provided behind-the-scenes detailed records.
In 2004, Guglielmo was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in the Long"s native Winnfield, the seat of Winn Parish. "I"m just very honored to even be here", said Guglielmo, a 42-year state employee. "I had no idea they had such a place.
This goes back to Huey P. Long".
Guglielmo described Huey Long as "the best campaigner I ever saw. He would get out in those trucks with the horns and get his message to people.
Today, politics has changed. They do it on television". Guglielmo lived in Baton Rouge.