Sam Pirozzolo is the Assemblyman for District 63, which encompasses Richmond Country in Staten Island. His office would be difficult to distinguish from any other house on Victory Boulevard if not for the large sign in the window, brandishing his name and the title “New York State Assemblymember” bolded below. A newcomer is greeted by three wooden desks in the foyer and patriotic decor abounds. Pirozzolo and his Chief of Staff, Nicholas Robbins, sit around Robbins’s desk, discussing their most recent newsletter.
After office hours, a constituent knocked on Pirozzolo’s door. She told Pirozzolo her concerns about the development of a school nearby, the potential harmful congestion, and gas emissions. Pirozzolo immediately called the mayor’s office to get more information and promised to assist his constituent. When the woman noticed a newsletter regarding veteran support, she inquired whether this would benefit her brother, a Vietnam veteran who suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Pirozzolo offered his support and put her brother into contact with another veteran to help cope.
“I appreciate you listening even though you were closed,” the constituent said.
An assemblyman is a legislative assembly member representing a certain district, which the New York Assembly website describes as, “introducing, sponsoring and voting on legislation, negotiating the state budget and providing legislative oversight of various state agencies.” Pirozzolo was first elected for this position in November 2022, and as his two-year term comes to an end, he is running for re-election this year. Pirozzolo entered the political arena in 2012 when he ran and lost for Assembly. Again, in 2020, he ran for City Council and lost, which he believes is due to his position as a newcomer in the political field.
“I was new to the scene. I was running against a well-established candidate and it took time to build up my name and political acumen,” said Pirozzolo. He ran for the Assembly again in 2022 and won, making him the first Republican to hold this seat since it was created roughly twenty years ago.
About a year prior to his election, Pirozzolo announced his candidacy, and he does not believe there is a particular timeframe in which individuals should announce their intentions to run for office. “It is more about how you feel about what is going on in the political atmosphere.” When describing how he implements his campaigning strategies, such as his utilization of data, fundraising, and newsletters, as opposed to other candidates, he said, “The strategies are the same. How everybody implements them is different. So I could not say.”
Pirozzolo continues by sharing that a good campaign staff is crucial to the success of a campaign. The number of staff, which are all volunteers, can vary but Pirozzolo maintains a group of core people. This group consists of Nicholas Robbins, his chief of staff, his two friends, and Angela Mirizzi, his fundraising manager. “I do occasionally have a campaign manager. That is the one person to wrangle us all together,” said Pirozzolo.
Pirozzolo circulates information throughout his community through newsletters. “Part of good government is that we provide updates on things we have accomplished in Albany or what is happening in the community. Then, we send them out to our constituents,” he said. The purpose of these mailers is to help keep the neighborhood informed and offer them support.
Although they are not considered a form of campaigning, these mailers still benefit Pirozzolo as they get him in front of the public eye. They contain a variety of information, from announcements about Family Funday to information about public safety. However, Samantha Scott, a supporter of Pirozzolo, receives his newsletters but never reads them. Many things just get “tossed in the mail,” she said. While Pirozzolo recognizes that few people acknowledge the mailers, he states “We send them because they are the least expensive way of getting my name in front of your eyes,” he said. “Even if you look at it to throw it out, you at least see Sam Pirozzolo.”
Communicating with the public allows politicians to express their values and persuade voters. His role as an elected official requires him to be conscious about his commentary, as he must represent his district’s collective values. “It is a self-imposed restriction. No one says I can not do it, but I am in a position where I represent my entire district whether they voted for me or not,” he said. “It is difficult because things go on every day that I want to say something about but would take away from my message. It would give people an opportunity to attack me. You can be your own worst enemy sometimes.” An article published through Staten Island Live states, “since taking office, Pirozzolo has become a bit less brash, albeit still willing to get vocal about policies he disagrees with.” Pirozzolo said he typically chooses what to say based on instinct.
Data mining is essential to Pirozzolo’s campaign strategy. Data mining companies collect raw data from electronics and turn it into information about an individual. This information can be bought by politicians to target potential supporters. “They can substantially track you. Data is the number one thing you spend your money on,” Pirozzolo said. He uses this data to get his advertisements out to unaffiliated voters and members of the Republican Party.
He believes fundraising is difficult for a non-incumbent. He also states that people are inclined to donate greater amounts to someone running for national office than those running for state politics. Therefore, Mirizzi, in her position as a professional fundraiser, is essential to the campaign. “This race is restricted on how much one person can give,” Mirizzi said. “If you do not get someone who knows the community, the voters, and where the money is, you are not going to be able to [raise money].” To find donors, she continued, “you try to target people with the same values and initiatives.” One of the big things our campaign is very active in is finding the small donors. If you’re getting a local in-district person giving you five dollars, that means a lot because you know you’re getting a vote.”
Pirozzolo hopes that through a second term as Assemblyman, he can continue to make strides to benefit his community. These initiatives include a heavy focus on ending sanctuary city policies and repealing bail laws. However, Pirozzolo can not achieve this without the support of the majority of assembly members at the capitol. “Being in the minority makes it more complicated, but certainly not impossible,” said Pirozzolo. He recognizes the interconnectedness between different roles in government, and how they aid each other in success. “I think we need pressure [to get things done]. This is where the president could help with that on a national level,” said Pirozzolo. “For the President to get [things] done, he needs support and pressure from the local level.”
