Carl Gatto
{{Short description|American politician (1937–2012)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Carl J. Gatto
| image = Carl Gatto.jpg
| imagesize = 220px
| smallimage =
| caption =
| order =
| office =
| state_house = Alaska
| state = Alaska
| district = 13th
| term_start = January 21, 2003
| term_end = April 10, 2012
| president =
| predecessor = Scott Ogan
| successor = Shelley Hughes
| birth_date = December 29, 1937
| birth_place = New York City
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|04|10|1937|12|29|mf=y}}
| death_place = Seattle, Washington
| nationality = American
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| relations =
| children =
| residence = Palmer, Alaska
| alma_mater = {{Plainlist|
- Brooklyn Polytechnic (BS)
- California State University, San Jose (BA)
- Northern Arizona University (MS)}}
| occupation = Paramedic/Fire Officer
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
| width = 150
}}
Carl J. Gatto (December 29, 1937 — April 10, 2012) was a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 13th District since 2002.{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Carl_Gatto |title=Carl Gatto |publisher=Ballotpedia |date=2010-07-30 |accessdate=2010-08-19}} Before public office Carl Gatto was a paramedic and fire officer for the Anchorage Fire Department.{{cite web |url=http://housemajority.org/gatto/index.php?p=bio |title=Rep. Gatto's Biography – 26th AK Legislature House Majority |publisher=Housemajority.org |date=1937-12-29 |accessdate=2010-08-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624210518/http://www.housemajority.org/gatto/index.php?p=bio |archivedate=June 24, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}
Early life
Carl J. Gatto was born on December 29, 1937, in New York City. He first attended Brooklyn Technical High School and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic. Gatto went on to study at California State University in San Jose, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in physical science and biology, along with teaching certifications for high school and special education. He later obtained a Master of Science in biology from Northern Arizona University.
After relocating to Alaska in 1968, Gatto continued his education at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he earned an Associate of Arts in paramedicine and completed Fire Instructor certifications at levels I, II, and III. His early professional background included work as a military jet engineer at General Electric, contributing to the development of military aircraft engines.
Political career
Gatto was a politician of the Republican Party. He was first elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 2002{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Staff |title=Alaska lawmaker Carl Gatto dies at 74 |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/nation-world/2012/04/11/alaska-lawmaker-carl-gatto-dies-74/15164839007/ |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |language=en-US}} and took office in 2003.{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Casey |date=2012-04-11 |title=Rep. Carl Gatto Dies |url=https://alaskapublic.org/news/2012-04-10/rep-carl-gatto-dies |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Alaska Public Media |language=en}} He served as Chair of the Military & Veterans' Affairs Special Committee, and was a member of the Judiciary Committee, State Affairs Committee, Administrative Regulation Review Committee and the Legislative Council. He also served on the Military & Veterans' Affairs, Natural Resources and the Revenue Finance Subcommittees, for the 26th Legislature.{{cite web |title=Rep. Gatto's Staff & Committees – 26th AK Legislature House Majority |url=http://housemajority.org/gatto/index.php |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516023547/http://housemajority.org/gatto/index.php |archivedate=May 16, 2011 |accessdate=2010-08-19 |publisher=Housemajority.org |df=mdy-all}}
Gatto received several awards in recognition of his service, including the Defender of Democracy Award (2004), the Frontiersman's Most Trusted Elected Official (2006), and Ag Legislator of the Year (2007). Governor Sean Parnell credited him for his dedication to education, veterans' issues, and public safety.
In 2011, Gatto introduced a bill in the Alaska House of Representatives that aimed to restrict the collective bargaining rights of many public employees. The proposed legislation would have limited bargaining to wages only, removing the ability to negotiate over hours, benefits, and working conditions. Firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians were exempted from the bill, as they are legally barred from striking under Alaska law. Gatto stated that the bill was modeled on similar legislation passed in Wisconsin earlier that year and said it was intended to help curb state spending.{{Cite web |title=Alaska GOP lawmaker seeks to curb collective bargaining rights |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/22/alaska.collective.bargaining/index.html |access-date=2025-06-18 |website= |publisher=CNN |language=en}}
Later life
Gatto was married to Cathy and had four children: Kip, Antonia, Samantha and Gabriel.{{cite web |url=http://house.legis.state.ak.us/rep.php?id=gat |title=The Alaska State Legislature |publisher=House.legis.state.ak.us |date=1937-12-29 |accessdate=2010-08-19 |archive-date=June 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610181704/http://house.legis.state.ak.us/rep.php?id=gat |url-status=dead }} Gatto died on April 10, 2012, in Seattle, after suffering from prostate cancer and kidney failure.{{Cite web |title=Our view: Carl Gatto |url=https://www.adn.com/voices/article/our-view-carl-gatto/2012/04/11/ |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110516023547/http://housemajority.org/gatto/index.php Alaska State House Majority Site]
- [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=27296 Project Vote Smart profile]
- [http://100years.akleg.gov/bio.php?id=716 Carl Gatto] at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatto, Carl}}
Category:San Jose State University alumni
Category:Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)
Category:Republican Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Alaska Legislature
Category:Northern Arizona University alumni
Category:People from Palmer, Alaska
Category:University of Alaska Anchorage alumni
Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in the United States
Category:Health professionals from New York City
Category:Politicians from New York City
Category:Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni