James Gattuso
{{Short description|American academic (1957–2020)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = James Gattuso
| image = James Gattuso publicity shot.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Gattuso in March 2011
| birth_name = James Leslie Gattuso
| birth_date = {{birth date|1957|12|1|df =yes}}
| birth_place = Lynwood, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|7|23|1957|12|1|df=yes}}
| death_place = Kennebunkport, Maine, U.S.
| education = J.D., UCLA School of Law
| alma_mater = University of Southern California, UCLA
| occupation = Senior Research Fellow, Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies
| years_active =
| employer = The Heritage Foundation
| website =
}}
James Leslie Gattuso ( December 1, 1957 – July 23, 2020) was a senior research fellow for the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in regulatory issues and telecommunications policy. Gattuso authored articles for The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Times, and other publications.{{cite news | title=An Agenda Too Big | first=James | last=Gattuso | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704160504574641240820553458 | newspaper=Wall Street Journal | date=20 January 2010 | access-date=5 May 2010}}{{cite news | title=Private sector is better | first=James | last=Gattuso | newspaper=USA Today | date=19 November 2001 }}{{cite news | title=What's the Big Idea: Congress should rein in the regulators | first=James | last=Gattuso | url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/8/gattuso-congress-should-rein-in-the-regulators/ | newspaper=Washington Times | date=9 December 2010 | access-date=5 March 2011}}
Early life and education
Gattuso was born on December 1, 1957, in Lynwood, California. He attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1979. He attended UCLA School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1983.{{cite web | url=http://www.heritage.org/About/Staff/G/James-Gattuso | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130414220907/http://www.heritage.org/About/Staff/G/James-Gattuso | url-status=unfit | archive-date=April 14, 2013 | title=James Gattuso | publisher=The Heritage Foundation | access-date=5 March 2011}}
Career
Gattuso was a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation from 1985 to 1990, where he focused on telecommunications, transportation, and antitrust policy.{{cite news | title=Heritage Foundation: Success in Obscurity| first=Philip | last=Boffey | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/17/us/heritage-foundation-success-in-obscurity.html | newspaper=New York Times | date=17 November 1986 | access-date=5 March 2011}}
From 1990 to 1993, Gattuso served as deputy chief of the Office of Plans and Policy at the Federal Communications Commission. During part of his tenure, he was appointed associate director of the President's Council on Competitiveness, working for Vice President Dan Quayle.{{cite news | title=In Regulatory Assault, GOP Has a Lot to Be Thankful For | first=Cindy | last=Skrzycki | newspaper=Washington Post | date=2 December 1994 }} In 1993, Citizens for a Sound Economy named Gattuso vice president of policy development, a position he held until 1997.{{cite news | title=Movers and shakers | first=Beverley | last=Collins | newspaper=Washington Times | date=9 February 1993 }} He then served as vice president of policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Gattuso rejoined The Heritage Foundation in 2002 as a senior research fellow. In 2009, he received the Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award, presented each year by The Heritage Foundation for "outstanding contribution to the analysis and promotion of the Free Society". He is also a regular contributor to the Heritage Foundation's blog and previously to Bloomberg's online service, Bloomberg Government.{{cite web|url=http://about.bgov.com/2011/04/15/top-bloomberg-government-stories-16/ |title=Top Government Stories |date=4 April 2011 |work=Bloomberg Government |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=6 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723191203/http://about.bgov.com/2011/04/15/top-bloomberg-government-stories-16/ |archive-date=23 July 2011 }}
Gattuso favored limiting regulations at the federal level. Specifically, Gattuso tended to favor decreased government involvement when it came to regulatory, transportation and telecommunication policy, arguing instead for private enterprise solutions.{{cite news | title=Bailouts: Picking winners and losers | first=James | last=Gattuso | newspaper=Washington Times | date=18 January 2002 }} He also opposes net neutrality, calling it a "regulatory overreach".{{cite web | url=http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/03/Net-Neutrality-Time-for-Congress-to-Act | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309145941/http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/03/Net-Neutrality-Time-for-Congress-to-Act | url-status=unfit | archive-date=March 9, 2011 | title=Net Neutrality: Time for Congress to Act | author=James Gattuso |date=7 March 2011 | publisher=The Heritage Foundation | access-date=5 March 2011}}
In 2011, Gattuso was influential in stopping the SOPA/PIPA online copyright legislation, authoring a report for The Heritage Foundation criticizing the proposals.{{cite news | title=Pro-copyright group takes SOPA to task | first=Declan | last=McCullough | url= http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57346829-281/pro-copyright-group-takes-sopa-to-task}}
Along with his colleague Diane Katz, he authored "Red Tape Rising", an annual review on trends in federal regulation, which became a widely cited barometer of regulatory activity.{{cite web | url=http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/red-tape-rising-regulation-in-obamas-first-term| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505105938/http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/red-tape-rising-regulation-in-obamas-first-term| url-status=unfit| archive-date=May 5, 2013| title=Red Tape Rising: Regulation in Obama's First Term | author=James Gattuso and Diane Katz |date=1 May 2013 | publisher=The Heritage Foundation | access-date=30 January 2014}}
In 2011, Gattuso was featured on The Tonight Show when Jay Leno showed a video of Gattuso on an earlier Fox News segment, and asked the question, "Would his hair look better as a beard?" digitally moving his hair around to his chin, leaving him bearded and bald.
Death
On July 23, 2020, Gattuso died of cancer, in Kennebunkport, Maine, at age 62.{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Kay C. |title=Heritage Mourns Loss of James Gattuso |url=https://www.heritage.org/press/heritage-mourns-loss-james-gattuso |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726051600/https://www.heritage.org/press/heritage-mourns-loss-james-gattuso |url-status=unfit |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |website=heritage.org |access-date=26 July 2020}}[https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/james-gattuso-obituary?id=2226942 "Obituary"] at The Washington Post, August 6, 2020
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/james-gattuso-obituary?id=2226942 Obituary] at The Washington Post
- {{unfit|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100310225004/http://www.heritage.org/about/staff/JamesGattuso.cfm Heritage Foundation bio page]}}
- {{C-SPAN}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gattuso, James}}
Category:Mackinac Center for Public Policy