30 Facts About Robert Castelli

Robert J Castelli was an American security consultant, academic, and media personality from Goldens Bridge, New York.

Robert Castelli served two terms as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing northeastern Westchester County, New York.

Robert Castelli was a columnist for the website Politico and served as the shooting instructor at the Camp-Fire Club of America.

Robert Castelli dropped out of high school in 1967 and volunteered to join the United States Army, and was assigned to the 1st Air Cavalry Division as an infantryman.

Robert Castelli served in combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam from 1968 to 1969.

Robert Castelli held the ranks of trooper, sergeant, investigator, and eventually was promoted to station commander.

Robert Castelli was involved in numerous high-profile arrests during his tenure with the State Police.

Robert Castelli had two sons, Christian, a retired Army Special Forces Colonel who was the 2022 Republican Party nominee in North Carolina's 6th congressional district, and Paul, an ordained Minister in Florida.

Robert Castelli was a graduate of Palmer College, the Empire State College and Harvard Kennedy School, where he was named a Pickett Fellow in Criminal Justice Policy and Management by the National Institute of Justice in recognition of his contributions to the law enforcement community.

Robert Castelli was once a nationally ranked competitive sport shooter, and was a life member of the Explorers Club, and the Camp Fire Club, where he served as a shooting instructor.

Robert Castelli worked as an adjunct professor at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Marist College from 1996 to 2010, where he lectured on a wide variety of criminal justice and security-related subjects including criminal investigation, organized crime, white collar crime, terrorism, security management and police procedures.

Robert Castelli owned a professional security consulting business, and held certifications as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Criminal Analyst, Certified Protection Professional, Certified Police and Security Officer Instructor, Certified Firearms Instructor and licensed and bonded Private Investigator.

Robert Castelli made his first run for the State Assembly in 2004.

Robert Castelli was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election on February 9,2010, defeating County Legislator Peter Harckham in an upset victory.

Robert Castelli previously ran for the seat in 2004, but was defeated by Bradley.

Robert Castelli described his victory as "an expression of voter discontent with the state capitol" and the corruption prevalent in New York's State Government.

The 89th Assembly District has over 10,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, and Robert Castelli was the first Republican to hold the seat in seventeen years.

Robert Castelli decried the 2012 redistricting process as partisan gerrymandering, for which he was named a "Hero of Reform" by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.

Robert Castelli voted against the final redistricting bill, which further gerrymandered and renumbered his district from the 89th to the 93rd Assembly District, added the town of North Salem, and significantly reoriented the portion of the City of White Plains contained within the district, which packed more Democratic-leaning voters into the already heavily Democratic district which Robert Castelli, a member of the Republican Party, represented.

Robert Castelli sought to earn a reputation as a reformer and frequently challenged Albany's infamous "dysfunction" in his campaign rhetoric.

Robert Castelli ran for the New York State Senate for the 40th district in 2014, but lost the Republican primary to Terrence Murphy.

Robert Castelli was known as a staunch fiscal conservative and held strong pro-business, anti-tax and limited government positions.

Robert Castelli's score led all Republican lawmakers in both houses in each of his three years in office.

Robert Castelli was credited with building the coalition that saved the five New York State Veterans Homes from elimination in the 2011 New York State budget.

Robert Castelli showed an uncanny ability to pass his own prime-sponsored legislation despite being a member of the Assembly's minority, which has a reputation for legislative powerlessness amid the control of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

In 2011, Robert Castelli became the first member of the Minority since 2007 to pass a "statewide" bill, a veterans protection measure which prohibited public employers from abolishing positions of persons absent on military duty.

Six other Robert Castelli bills have been signed into law, making him one of the more productive junior lawmakers in Albany.

Robert Castelli cosponsored and passed a bill to increase funding for the state's Environmental Protection Fund, and conduct a health impact assessment of hydrofracking before the state considers whether or not to allow the controversial process to go forward.

Robert Castelli authored a bill to eliminate the Mount Kisco Urban Renewal Agency, a moribund public authority, which was called an "unnecessary mandate" for the village, that successfully passed both houses of the legislature in 2012.

Robert Castelli authored and passed legislation to rename portions of New York State Route 120 in Chappaqua and Purchase for Staff Sergeant Kyu Hyuk Chay, and Specialist Anthony Kalladeen, soldiers from those communities who were killed in action during the wars in Afghanistan, and Iraq, respectively.