Giglio recently retired from two decades of service to the 148th Assembly District
From former members of Assemblyman Giglio’s staff: Wendy Brand, Heidi Hartley, and Jenifer Pratico
Do Something Good Every Day. A sign bearing these words met everyone who entered the office of Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio in the last few years of his service as representative in the 148th Assembly District. Assemblyman Giglio lived by this mantra and insisted that his staff members do the same.
Assemblyman Giglio served in a way that most people don’t associate with politicians – public service was his number one priority (spoiler alert: he wasn’t a politician – he was a public servant). He worked diligently to ensure that his local bills to improve the lives of the people living within the borders of the 148th District were advanced. He worked across the aisle, treating others with respect regardless of political party and earning theirs in return.
There were few things that Assemblyman Giglio avoided. He would rally for any worthy cause, especially if it would help the people he represented. He was not, however, someone who loved fanfare, issuing a lot of press releases or standing in front of cameras to let the world know what he was up to. He preferred to stay behind the scenes and work quietly to complete the task at hand. He always stayed humble. In fact, he would sometimes attend meetings or events with other officials and avoid recognition until introductions.
Soon after taking his seat in a special election in the summer of 2005, he was told by a colleague that “there are 150 ways to do this job.” Assemblyman Giglio certainly did the job with distinction. He worked tirelessly to bring local bills to the floor of the Assembly so they could be voted upon and ultimately benefit communities in his Assembly District. The people he represented were always his first priority.
Despite his distaste of publicizing his accomplishments, there are some high-profile projects of which Assemblyman Giglio was especially proud. Among these were his leadership of the Medicaid Redesign Team to find and correct Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse. The Medicaid Redesign Team uncovered $2.5 billion of overspending in its two-year efforts.
In his work to protect victims of crime, Assemblyman Giglio traveled across the state while serving as co-chair of the Minority Task Force on Preventing Domestic Violence in efforts to end cycles of abuse and streamline services to victims of domestic violence. He also served on the Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction & Community Response to work with first responders, law enforcement, medical professionals, families, and rehabilitation professionals and facilities to combat the problem of addiction in our communities.
He collaborated with his colleagues on the Assembly Minority Conference Criminal Justice Reform Study to close the loopholes of the state’s criminal justice and bail reform measures, which did more to protect criminals than victims.
He worked with educators, parents, law enforcement, and administrators as co-chair of the Assembly Minority Conference Task Force on School Safety & Security to address concerns about acts of violence committed in school and to help develop safety plans and measures for students and educators. He also helped organize and lead a series of roundtable discussions centered around post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its effect on veterans, law enforcement, health care, and emergency service personnel.
On a more local level, Assemblyman Giglio fought for local businesses and individuals. He would meet with statewide officials, state agency commissioners and representatives, and elected officials at all levels from the highest state level to town or school board. If he thought he could assist in any way, he would do just that.
Constituent service was always a priority for Assemblyman Giglio. Whether it was an individual needing help with personal issues, such as confusing forms, or a Scout Troop seeking recognition for an Eagle Scout, or a town or village looking for grant monies or asking for assistance in dealing with State or Federal agencies, Assemblyman Giglio was available to help.
He especially liked finding funds to support his constituents in various ways. From helping to fund emergency response projects such as gates for Limestone to prevent access on highways during dangerous storms, or renovating fire department facilities in Little Valley, or aiding preservation efforts like the Hollywood Theater, or providing generators for emergency shelters, he did it all. He especially loved libraries, directing funds to the library systems in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties, as well as assisting individual libraries in his district to renovate facilities or expand their collections. For many years, he held a community open house as a collection point for people to bring gifts for the Toys for Tots campaigns.
Assemblyman Giglio served with heart and distinction for nearly twenty years. He absolutely did
something good every single day. Thank you for your dedicated service to the 148th Assembly District. Your good deeds have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
