Bill de Blasio

de Blasio in 2013, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Warren Wilhelm, Jr.

Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: May 8, 1961

Ethnicity:
*father – German, French-Canadian, French, English, distant Irish, Welsh, Belgian Walloon, Breton, Cornish, Swiss-German, and Dutch, possibly 1/512 Iroquois Indigenous Canadian
*mother – Italian

Bill de Blasio is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Mayor of New York City, from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2021. He was previously a Member of the New York City Council, from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2009, and the 3rd Public Advocate of New York City, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013.

He was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 2020.

Bill was in Norwalk, Connecticut, and then Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bill’s father, Warren Wilhelm, was a World War II veteran who received a Purple Heart; he was a budget analyst for the U.S. Government and an economist for Texaco. He had German, French-Canadian, French, English, distant Irish, Welsh, Belgian Walloon, Breton, Cornish, Swiss-German, and Dutch, and possibly 1/512 Iroquois Indigenous Canadian, ancestry. Bill’s uncle, Donald George Wilhelm, Jr., was in the CIA.

Bill’s mother, Maria/Mary Angela (de Blasio), was of Italian descent. Bill’s mother wrote the book The Other Italy: The Italian Resistance in World War II (1988), was in the Office of War Information during WWII, and worked in public relations at the Italian consulate. Bill was brought up by his mother’s family. Bill changed his name to Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm in 1983, and became known Bill de Blasio in 2001.

Bill is married to writer, editor, communications professional, and political figure Chirlane McCray. Chirlane is black, of African-American, Barbadian, and Saint Lucian descent. The couple has two children. Bill is fluent in Italian.

He is six foot five.

Bill’s paternal grandfather was Donald/Donaldson George Wilhelm (the son of John Ricart Wilhelm and Agnes May Marantette/Marentette). Donald was born in Defiance, Ohio. John was of German descent, the son of Adam Wilhelm, who had roots in Munich, Upper Bavaria, Bavaria, and of Mary Ann Ricart/Rikart. Agnes was of French-Canadian ancestry, the daughter of Patrick Godet dit Marentette, from Assumption, Essex, Ontario, Canada, with family in Sandwich, Ontario, and of Françoise/Frances Mouton.

Bill’s paternal grandmother was Nina May Warren (the daughter of Solomon Sangston Warren and Emma Jane Prettyman). Nina was born in Iowa. Solomon was the son of WIlliam H. Warren and Helen Lutz. Emma was the daughter of Lewis Wyatt Prettyman and Hannah Rebecca Kintigh.

Bill’s maternal grandfather was named Giovanni “John” de Blasio (the son of Simone de Blasio). Giovanni was born in Sant’Agata de’ Goti, Province of Benevento, Campania, Italy.

Bill’s maternal grandmother was Anna Briganti (the daughter of Innocenzo Briganti and Maria Schiavone). Anna was born in Grassano, province of Matera, Italy.

Three people of significant Italian heritage have won a caucus, primary, and/or nominating ballot for a major American party’s Presidential nomination. The three are:
*Al Smith (who was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 1928, and was also a candidate for the 1920, 1924, and 1932 Democratic nominations for President: in 1928, he won 12 contests; in 1932, he won 4 contests; Smith’s paternal grandfather was Italian)
*Michael DiSalle (1960; Democratic; won 1 state, Ohio)
*Rick Santorum (Republican; ran in 2012 and 2016: in 2012, he won 11 contests; Santorum is of three quarters Italian descent)

Ted Cruz, whose maternal great-grandfather was Italian, won 11 contests in the 2016 Republican Party primaries.

Other people of significant Italian heritage who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States are:
*John A. Volpe (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination)
*James Traficant (who sought the 1988 Democratic nomination; Traficant’s father was of Italian descent)
*Rudy Giuliani (who sought the 2008 Republican nomination)
*Tom Tancredo (who sought the 2008 Republican nomination)
*George Pataki (who sought the 2016 Republican nomination; Pataki’s maternal grandfather was Italian)
*Chris Christie (who sought the 2016 and 2020 Republican nominations; Christie’s mother was of Italian descent)
*Richard Ojeda (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Ojeda’s mother is of at least three quarters Italian descent)
*Tim Ryan (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Ryan’s mother is of Italian descent)
*Ron DeSantis (who sought the 2024 Republican nomination)

Geraldine Ferraro, who was of Italian descent, was the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1984.

Sources: Genealogy of Bill de Blasio – http://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Bill’s paternal grandfather, Donald/Donaldson George Wilhelm (focusing on his own mother’s side) – http://www.genealogy.com

Death records of Bill’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Lewis Wyatt Prettyman and Hannah Rebecca Kintigh – https://www.findagrave.com

Bill’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org