Giorgio Mammoliti ( , ) (September 20, 1961—February 25, 2026) was a politician in Toronto who served a term in the Ontario legislature and then was a municipal politician for two decades. Early career Prior to entering politics he was a landscaper with the then Metro Toronto Housing Authority and a labour union president, rising to become head of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 767. He represented the riding of Yorkview for the New Democratic Party in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, and Ward 7 York West on the Toronto City Council from 2000 to 2018, running unsuccessfully for mayor of Toronto in 2010 and 2023. In 2003, he changed his name from the anglicized George to the Italian Giorgio.
Ontario Legislative Assembly At age 28, Mammoliti ran for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the riding of Yorkview in the 1990 provincial elections for the Ontario Legislative Assembly. He won, upsetting the Liberal incumbent Claudio Polsinelli by 1,619 votes. The governing Liberals had initially been leading in polls but were beset by several scandals, as well as public cynicism due to an early election call. The NDP won majority government and on October 1, 1990, Mammoliti was appointed parliamentary assistant to the minister responsible for the provincial anti-drug strategy. He later served as the parliamentary assistant for two other ministers.
While in the legislature, Mammoliti was one of the strongest critics of same-sex marriage. He said: "I believe that children pick up from their parents and if we extend the definition of spouse and open up traditional families, those children will be influenced in a way that we'll never, ever forget."Robyn Doolittle. Toronto election: A look at each candidates' personality. Toronto Star. May 7, 2010. He was one of 12 NDP Members to break ranks and vote against the Rae government's proposed Bill 167, leading to the Bill's proposal to grant same-sex marriage rights being defeated on June 9, 1994.David Rayside, On the Fringe: Gays & Lesbians in Politics.
In the 1995 provincial election, Mammoliti was defeated by Liberal city councillor Mario Sergio by almost 3,000 votes. Sergio left his North York council seat to move to the Ontario Legislature, and Mammoliti decided to run in the by-election to replace him in North York. He was opposed by his old rival Polsinelli, but won the election without difficulty.
Toronto City Council Mammoliti represented Ward 7 York West, one of the two York West wards, from 1995 to 1998. When North York and other municipalities were merged to form the new City of Toronto in 1997, Mammoliti was elected to the newly constituted Toronto City Council.
Mammoliti was generally considered a right-leaning and socially conservative member of council and was an outspoken supporter of Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino, spearheading an unsuccessful effort to pressure the Toronto Police Services Board to renew Fantino's contract.Daniel Dale and David Rider. Ford unswayed by 22 hours of talk, teen's tears. Toronto Star. July 30, 2011. During his time on the council, he quit the NDP and joined the Liberal Party, a decision which did not affect his standing on council as all Toronto councillors are elected as independents.
On council, he was noted for his unsuccessful attempt to lure a National Hockey League team to North York, and his highest profile role was as the chair of the Board of the Toronto Zoo. He also served as Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, Co-chair of Canada Municipalities Housing Action Network for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and Chair of Toronto's International Committee.
Mammoliti had an ongoing and bitter dispute with fellow councillor, and later mayor, Rob Ford. Although the two represented neighbouring wards and were both generally right-wing, they were frequently in conflict, mostly over Ford's fiscal conservatism and Mammoliti's office budgets. In one argument Ford reportedly called Mammoliti "Gino Boy", which was taken as an anti-Italian slur. As a result of Ford's comment, Mammoliti filed a human rights complaint against Ford. Mammoliti's son Michael filed papers to run against Ford in the 2003 municipal election but withdrew at the last moment, with Mammoliti instead supporting John Tory's bid to become mayor and displace Ford. In 2007, Mammoliti called for an investigation of Ford and Doug Holyday after they filed total 2006 expenses of $0 and $1,471 respectively.Royson James. How city hall rewards thrift. The Toronto Star. May 2, 2007.
He was a member of the Mayor's executive committee until he resigned on November 26, 2012, when then-mayor Rob Ford was found guilty of governmental conflict of interest. Ford was ordered removed from office due to a complaint regarding his use of city stationery to raise money for his own charity. This order was suspended and the initial judgement was overturned on appeal, with Mammoliti re-joining the executive committee in October 2013.
Mayoral campaigns
On January 5, 2010, Mammoliti filed his nomination papers to run for mayor in the 2010 City of Toronto elections. His platform included building a floating casino, introducing a municipal lottery, reversing tax increases he had he previously voted for, creating a red light district for prostitution, an 11.00 pm curfew for children under the age of 14, and giving guns to by-law enforcement officers."Councillor unveils 'drastic' platform for mayoral bid", National Post, October 15, 2009 He promised budget cuts targeting the $40 million in annual city grants to arts, cultural and community groups, but opposing cuts to salaries for elected officials. He called for cars to be banned from the Gardiner Expressway, the converting of the thoroughfare into a garden, and implementing road tolls on other major routes. After campaigning for six months without polling above single digits, Mammoliti announced his withdrawal from the contest on July 5, 2010, in order to run for re-election as a city councillor.
On October 22, 2018, Mammoliti lost his re-election bid for Toronto City Council. He then announced he would re-enter provincial politics, and seek the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario nomination in Brampton Centre. Thirteen days later he decided against such a run, citing his "difficult decision to continue to represent the City of Toronto" by remaining in municipal politics.Jennifer Pagliaro. Giorgio Mammoliti won't run for a seat in provincial election after all | Toronto Star. Toronto Star. April 2, 2018. In 2018, Mammoliti moved from the Greater Toronto Area to Wasaga Beach, Ontario and in the spring of 2022 again registered as a candidate for Mayor of Wasaga Beach in the 2022 Simcoe County municipal elections. His platform included lowering property taxes, improving municipal services, and opposing the sale of beachfront property to developers. He placed third in the race with 2,363 votes, constituting 0.15% of the vote. Following this campaign, he announced his retirement from municipal politics, but still ran as the People's Party of Canada candidate for the federal electoral district of Simcoe—Grey in the 2025 Canadian federal election.
On March 15, 2023, Mammoliti announced his entry in the 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election race, but on June 23, he suspended his campaign and announced his endorsement of Anthony Furey. As the voter list had been finalized on May 26, Mammoliti's name remained on the ballot. He received 1,105 votes, finishing in 13th place.
Controversies Mammoliti was no stranger to controversy, and the timeline of his political career can be measured by the contentious issues in which he was involved.
In June 2010, Mammoliti and then-fellow councillor Rob Ford co-sponsored a motion to deny city funding to the Toronto Gay Pride Parade if it did not ban the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) from participating. On July 3, he attended the 2010 Toronto Dyke March where he was seen recording the presence of QuAIA with a video camera.
In March 2011, Mammoliti attracted attention for proposing a red-light district on the Toronto Islands, a proposal that was opposed by both island residents and sex workers. Mammoliti argued that it would generate tourism and make it easier for the city to tax and regulate brothels.
In July 2011, the executive committee of Toronto City Council heard deputations by 169 Toronto citizens on the hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts suggested by KPMG consultants. Mammoliti claimed there were "very few" worthwhile deputations and described the event as a "socialist party".
In August 2011, in response to the July executive committee meeting being late, Mammoliti launched a "Save the City ... Support the Ford Administration" Facebook group .Patrick White. Facebook group not for layabouts and 'communists:' councillor. Globe and Mail. August 9, 2011. He indicated that he created the group so that the "taxpayer" would have an opportunity to comment on how municipal taxes should be spent in Toronto and stated: "If you smell like someone who can be a part of the Communist Party you're not going to be welcome on the site."Natalie Alcoba. Marxist doesn't like the sound of Mammoliti's Facebook comments. The National Post. August 11, 2011. On August 11, Mammoliti suggested the "communist movement" hides in the NDP and added that he wants to "weed out the communists in this city."Natalie Alcoba. 'Communist movement' hiding in NDP, Mammoliti warns. The National Post. August 12, 2011.
On February 4, 2013, the city's compliance audit committee voted to commence legal proceedings against Mammoliti after an audit found his 2010 election campaign exceeded the authorized spending limit by more than $12,000. On October 12, 2013, the Toronto Sun published an op-ed by Mammoliti, opposing plans to build the Finch LRT.
In December 2013, the City of Toronto's integrity commissioner opened an investigation into a $5000-a-table Mammoliti fundraiser attended by lobbyists that netted him $80,000. On July 9, 2014, Toronto City Council voted to suspend Mammoliti and withhold his salary for three months for holding the fundraisers, also authorizing a review of the fundraisers for any criminality.
In June 2014, Mammoliti angered many people when he suggested Parkdale was a district full of paedophiles, and that all-ages shows attract paedophiles.
In a 2017 episode of the television series Political Blind Date, Mammoliti and Matt Brown discussed their differing perspectives on the issue of safe injection sites."Political Blind Date series hopes opposites attract, or at least get along". Toronto Star, November 4, 2017.
In an appearance on the right-wing website The Rebel Media during the lead-up to the 2018 Toronto municipal election, Mammoliti was criticized by his constituents for likening social housing residents with criminal records to cockroaches. In an election ad in September 2018, Mammoliti was shown as ready to swing a sledgehammer under the words, "Saving our community begins with knocking down social housing". In a subsequent interview however, the candidate clarified his position: "This ad speaks to two things. First is the sledgehammer because we need to eliminate the segregation at Jane and Finch which has been the poor pocket of the city for 50 years. Four generations of children are angry, segregated and shooting each other. The decrepit housing has mould and needs to come down the way things happened in Regent Park and Lawrence Heights. It's our turn now". Mammoliti refused to apologize after being asked to in a debate with opposing candidate Tiffany Ford, and went online to attack Ford on her own campaign Facebook page. "At least I have a plan to take you out of segregation, a white man does. Your black candidates don't speak of how they will do that. They will just keep you bottled up in a poverty, segregated world with no hope. Wake up!!!!!", he wrote.