Mario Biaggi, former congressman from NYC, dies at 97

A highly decorated New York City police officer prior to his political career, Biaggi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1968 from a Bronx district later redrawn to include a portion of Yonkers.

The final blow came in 1988 when he was convicted of extorting $3.5 million in cash and stock from Wedtech Corp., a machine shop that had obtained millions of dollars in no-bid defense contracts.

For Biaggi, the descent into disgrace was rapid and painful after a long career as a popular public servant.

Wedtech was Biaggi's second felony conviction, coming about a year after his conviction for obstructing justice and accepting an illegal gratuity in the form of a paid Florida vacation.

While still a police officer, Biaggi persuaded the American Bar Association to let him attend law school despite his lack of a college diploma.

In 1973, he was the favorite for the Democratic mayoral nomination, but his candidacy was destroyed by a series of investigations and allegations of lying.