An aspiring Republican congressman who called her opponent “the creator of the crime wave” is married to a serial criminal and her son also served time in prison for drug-related offenses.
Tina Forte, 52, blames the rising crime rates on the bail laws that New York State liberalized four years ago and says she will crack down on crime more harshly than her rival, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
But in her campaign against AOC, she has failed to reveal that her husband, Joseph “Joey Snapple” Galdieri, 55, has been in and out of jail multiple times.
She has been accused in the past of using her maiden name to distance herself from her “crime family,” with the “Galdiericrimefamily” hashtag circulating widely across the internet.
Forte has boasted about growing up in the Bronx as part of her campaign to become US Representative. writes on her website that she and her husband have set up their own beverage distribution company.
Her son, Joseph Jr., 28, and her husband were implicated at the center of a federal drug and gun bust at the soda warehouse in 2019 – resulting in both pleading guilty.
She has slammed AOC-backed bail reform, telling Fox News: “I grew up here, I own a business here, I raised my family here. i can see the difference
“We have the criminals released immediately as a result of the AOC-backed bail reform.”
Tina Forte, 52, has declared war on crime in her bid to be elected to Congress in the Bronx but did not reveal that both her husband Joseph Galdieri, 55, and their son Joseph Jr., 28, both Serial criminals with federal charges are against them
Galderi Sr. (right) was convicted of second-degree assault in 2013, while his son (left) has multiple states with drug abuse convictions
Forte has attributed the rising crime rates to bail laws approved by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Forte also claimed that crime in the region was spiraling out of control in a series of interviews in which she slammed her Democratic incumbent.
An FBI investigation found that Galderi Jr. arranged for $150,000 worth of marijuana to be dropped off over the phone while security cameras paced his father at their business address.
The investigation also alleges that Galderi Sr. gave a co-conspirator a plastic bag full of cash, according to the Daily Beast.
He was also caught on camera opening a drawer containing a semi-automatic pistol whose serial number had been illegally ground off in a drawer.
Both father and son were already convicted felons at the time of the crime, so neither could legally own a firearm.
Galderi Snr was previously found guilty of second-degree assault, while Galderi Jr. has been charged with drug offenses in multiple states.
She has been accused in the past of using her maiden name to distance herself from her “crime family,” with the “Galdiericrimefamily” hashtag circulating widely across the internet
Her husband and son were caught on surveillance footage at their soda drink store handling an illegal firearm and handing over sacks of cash
In a statement, Forte said her son’s “mistakes had better be ended or he’ll have more to worry about than the police.”
His father was sentenced to serve prison time, two years probation and a $20,000 loss of his criminal winnings.
In June of that year, Galderi Jr. attempted to have his 18-month sentence reduced by claiming that prisons were unable to accommodate his “allergies” and medical needs. The request was rejected.
A judge also noted that he “insisted on criminal conduct even during the pretrial release” by continuing to deal in marijuana.
He has since been released from prison, and Forte said in a statement that her son’s “mistakes are better ended or he has more to worry about than the police.”
She added: “One of my three children, Joseph, made some very bad decisions. In 2019, at the age of 25, he committed a nonviolent marijuana offense and possessed a firearm.
She has slammed AOC-backed bail reform, telling Fox News: “I grew up here, I own a business here, I raised my family here. I see the difference’
As part of her promise to become a representative, Forte is calling for the “erasure of records of nonviolent marijuana possession charges.”
Galderi Sr. was sentenced to serve his sentence plus two years probation and forfeit his $20,000 in criminal earnings. Pictured: the family home in Nanuet, New York
“Joseph paid the price in fines, legal fees and time behind bars. My husband was unaware of our son’s crimes.
“He was only charged because my son used our business location for a single shipment of marijuana.
“My son’s behavior turned our lives upside down. My son knows that he no longer has a chance with me.
“This experience gave me insights into the reforms we desperately need, including decriminalizing marijuana, eliminating marijuana violations and restoring rights to nonviolent offenders.”
As part of her promise to become a Representative, Forte is requesting that “the record of nonviolent marijuana possession charges be erased.”
New York legalized recreational cannabis in 2021 but still does not allow unlicensed sale of the drug.
Her website does not comment on federal gun charges or violent crimes, such as her son’s 2013 assault charges, and her son’s previous convictions involve drugs other than marijuana.
