James Florio

James Joseph Florio (born August 29, 1937) is a Democratic politician. He served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position (he is of half Italian ancestry). He also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for 15 years between 1975 and 1990.
Florio was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His father was of Italian descent and his mother was of Scottish, Irish, and German descent. In Brooklyn, he attended Erasmus Hall High School.