Thomas Gulotta

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Thomas Gulotta was the Republican county executive of Nassau County, New York from 1987 to 2001.

Gulotta is the son of former Nassau County district attorney and former New York State Supreme Court judge Frank Gulotta. He was raised on Long Island and in 1976 was elected to the New York State Assembly representing a district that included his hometown of Lynbrook, New York. In 1987, he was elected county executive and was sworn into office by his father.

At first, Gulotta was a popular county executive, reelected easily three more times. During the 1990's, Nassau County became increasingly plagued by budget problems. Nassau had the lowest bond rating in the country and was forced to near bankruptcy. Nassau County, once the epitome of suburban life, had notoriously high taxes and growth was at a standstill compared with next door Suffolk County, New York.

By the end of his fourth term, Gulotta's popularity had plummeted and the Democratic Party had taken control of the county legislature for the first time in a generation. Gulotta, persuaded by some of his fellow Republicans, opted not to run for a fifth term in 2001. His successor was Democrat Thomas Suozzi.

On December 20, 2004, Gulotta's son Thomas Gulotta Jr was found dead near a school in Elmont, New York of an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound.