Nancy Pelosi's Brother, Former Baltimore Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro III, Dead At 90
Rest in peace, Thomas D'Alesandro III.
Wikipedia Before Nancy Pelosi became Madame Speaker and hero of the American democratic experiment, her family was making strides in the political world, as well. That's why her brother's recent death at the age of 90 shocked the political world. But how did Thomas D'Alesandro III die?
There are a number of reasons to love Nancy Pelosi, but not the least of which being that she comes from a distinguished and accomplished political family. Like her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, she grew up in a political family. The elder D'Alesandro was a congressman and, eventually, a three-term Mayor of Baltimore, and that's a role that the younger D'Alesandro eventually assumed, as well. Nancy D'Alesandro, of course, went on to get married and become Nancy Pelosi, and she became the Speaker of the House not once, but twice.
But let's look at what we know about the unfortunate passing of Nancy Pelosi's brother, and the former mayor of Baltimore.
1. He was considered "the mayor of the people."
CBS Baltimore, which was one of the first outlets to confirm Thomas D'Alesandro III's death, identified him as a "mayor of the people." The outlet, which spoke to several of his longtime neighbors, said that he was just as much a part of the city as Maryland crab cakes, and just as authentic. If you lived in Baltimore, they said, you knew the man that everyone knew as "Tommy."
2. Nancy Pelosi released a statement about Thomas D'Alesandro III's death.
WBAL-TV published an official statement from Madame Speaker, in which she discussed the impact her brother had on her life. "Tommy was the finest public servant I have ever known. His life and leadership were a tribute to the Catholic values with which we were raised: faith, family, patriotism. He profoundly believed, as did our parents, that public service was a noble calling and that we all had a responsibility to help others. All who were blessed to know and to love Tommy mourn with his wife Margaret, his children Thomas, Dominic, Nicholas, Patricia and Gregory, and his grandchildren whom he adored, and are praying for them at this sad time," it read, in part.
3. His time as mayor was a short one, marked by tumult.
Even though Thomas D'Alesandro III was a beloved mayor, his term in office was very short. According to The Baltimore Sun, he was only a one-term mayor, serving from 1967 until 1971. But in that time, the Baltimore Riots of 1968, racial tensions and strife between the labor unions were all a part of his term.
4. Naturally, Donald Trump took the time to attack Nancy Pelosi while she was mourning her brother.
Because the current president of the United States is a sociopath, Donald Trump made sure to take to Twitter to attack Nancy Pelosi while she mourned the loss of her brother. You can read President Petty's latest diatribe below.
5. But Christine Pelosi fired back.
Christine Pelosi is her mother's daughter and clapped back at President Petty on Twitter with a classy retort of her own.
6. Thomas D'Alesandro III died from complications due to a stroke.
"Thomas J. D’Alesandro III, a former Baltimore mayor, City Council president and the brother of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, died in his North Baltimore home on Sunday. He was 90. He died from complications of a stroke, Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi’s office, said," reported The New York Times.
Our thoughts are with Thomas D'Alesandro III's family, Nancy Pelosi, and her family, during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.