{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Nicholas Mavroules |image = Nicholas Mavroules1.jpg |state = [[Massachusetts]] |district = {{ushr|MA|6|6th}} |term_start = January 3, 1979 |term_end = January 3, 1993 |predecessor = [[Michael J. Harrington]] |successor = [[Peter Torkildsen]] |title2 = Mayor of [[Peabody, Massachusetts]] |term_start2 = 1967 |term_end2 = 1979 |predecessor2 = Edward T. Meaney |successor2 = Peter Torigian |office3 = Member of the Peabody City Council |term_start3 = 1958 |term_end3 = 1965 |predecessor3 = |successor3 = |birth_name = Nicholas James Mavroules |birth_date = {{birth date|1929|11|1}} |birth_place = [[Peabody, Massachusetts]], U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2003|12|25|1929|11|1}} |death_place = [[Salem, Massachusetts]], U.S. |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |spouse = Mary Silva }} '''Nicholas James Mavroules''' (November 1, 1929 – December 25, 2003) was an American [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] politician from [[Massachusetts]]. He served as Mayor of [[Peabody, Massachusetts]] for a decade, then represented Peabody and much of the surrounding [[North Shore (Massachusetts)|North Shore]] region in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1979 until 1993. In 1993, he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of racketeering and extortion and later served 15 months in prison.
==Early life and career== Mavroules was born in [[Peabody, Massachusetts]], November 1, 1929.
He graduated from [[Peabody Veterans Memorial High School|Peabody High School]] and was employed by [[Sylvania Electric Products]] from 1949 to 1967 as supervisor of personnel.
He was elected to the [[Peabody, Massachusetts|Peabody]] Council and served from 1958 to 1965. In 1966, he was elected mayor of Peabody and served until his election to Congress in 1978. He was a delegate to the [[1976 Democratic National Convention]].
==Congress== In 1978, he won the election to take over the seat of retiring Rep. [[Michael J. Harrington]]. After his election, an FBI informant testified that he had offered Mavroules a $25,000 bribe when he was the mayor of Peabody in connection with liquor licensing. Mavroules denied the accusations and the FBI did not charge him in the matter.<ref name=obit/>
In Congress, he was a longtime member of the [[United States House Committee on Armed Services|House Armed Services Committee]] and chaired the Subcommittee on Investigations, where he led the House investigation into the deadly [[USS Iowa turret explosion]].<ref name=Iowa>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/25/us/navy-reopens-iowa-blast-inquiry-after-ignition-in-gunpowder-test.html |title=Navy Reopens Iowa Blast Inquiry After Ignition in Gunpowder Test |work=New York Times |date=1990-05-25}}</ref> He also helped expose cost overruns in the Navy’s aircraft programs.<ref name=NYTimesObit>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/27/us/nicholas-mavroules-74-ex-representative.html |title=Nicholas Mavroules, 74, Ex-Representative |work=New York Times |date=2003-12-27}}</ref> He was also instrumental in making certain that the crew of {{USS|Pueblo|AGER-2|6}} obtained [[prisoner of war]] status.
During the 1980s, Marvoules was a leading supporter in the House for a [[nuclear freeze]] and an opponent of the [[LGM-118 Peacekeeper|MX missile]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barone |first1=Michael |author-link1=Michael Barone (pundit) |last2=Ujifusa |first2=Grant |title=[[The Almanac of American Politics|The Almanac of American Politics 1988]]|publisher=[[National Journal]] |year=1987 |page=559}}</ref>
In August 1992, a federal grand jury indicted Mavroules on 17 charges of bribery, racketeering and extortion. The allegations against him included extortion, accepting illegal gifts and failing to report them on congressional disclosure and income tax forms.<ref name=Prison>[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/03/us/ex-congressman-to-go-to-prison.html Ex-Congressman to Go to Prison], [[New York Times]], 3 April 1993. Retrieved 25 May 2017.</ref> He survived a Democratic primary election the following month, but was defeated by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Peter G. Torkildsen]].
==Conviction== In April 1993, after his departure from Congress, Mavroules pleaded guilty to 15 of the 17 counts and was sentenced to a fifteen-month prison term. At his sentencing, he apologized to his family "who have endured enormous, enormous pain" and to supporters and friends "for any hurt I have brought upon them".<ref name=obit/><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com | 6 July 1994 | Mavroules moves to halfway house | Former congressman will finish his sentence in Boston | Davis Armstrong | Globe Staff | [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33115981/mavroules_to_halfway_house/]</ref> He served his prison term at the [[Federal Correctional Institution, McKean|federal penitentiary at Bedford, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=Prison/>
==Death== Mavroules died on December 25, 2003, in [[Salem, Massachusetts]] after gastric surgery.<ref name=NYTimesObit/><ref name=obit>http://www.boston.com, 12/26/03, {{cite news |url=https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2003/12/26/nicholas_mavroules_at_74_served_7_terms_in_us_house/ |title=Nicholas Movroules, at 74: served 7 terms in US House |first=David |last=Abel |publisher=Boston Globe}}</ref> He was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, [[Peabody, Massachusetts]]. Over 6,000 people attended his wake and funeral which was held at [[St. Vasilios Church (Massachusetts)|St. Vasilios Church]] [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] church in Peabody. Several current and former members of Congress attended the services. The eulogy at the funeral mass was offered by [[Rudy de Leon]], a former staffer. At the graveside service, another eulogy was made by local reporter and talk show host [[Dan Rea]].
==See also== *[[List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071007105151/http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter23/in013003pueblo.html USS ''Pueblo'' Incident] * [http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/program.pl?ID=127462 ABC News Report on the USS ''Iowa'' Explosion] * [https://www.dailypress.com/1990/02/12/lawmaker-dogs-navy-over-iowa-inquiry/ "Lawmaker Dogs Navy Over Iowa Inquiry"] * [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2D91E38F936A35752C1A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "Navy Finding on Iowa Blast Is Drawing Criticism"], ''New York Times'', November 5, 1989 * [https://fas.org/news/skorea/1990/900406-rok-usia.htm "House Panel Raises Concerns About Korean Fighter Deal"] {{CongBio|M000264}} * {{C-SPAN|2062}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=[[Michael J. Harrington]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from Massachusetts|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Massachusetts's 6th congressional district]]|years=1979–1993}} {{s-aft|after=[[Peter Torkildsen]]}} {{s-end}}
{{USRepMA}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mavroules, Nicholas}} [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:2003 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American criminals]] [[Category:American people of Greek descent]] [[Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from Massachusetts]] [[Category:Peabody, Massachusetts City Council members]] [[Category:Massachusetts politicians convicted of corruption]] [[Category:Mayors of Peabody, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Politicians convicted of racketeering]] [[Category:20th-century Massachusetts politicians]] [[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]