{{Short description|American sheriff}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Robert A. Ficano | image = Robert A. Ficano b1eb7800d1c3e6a639390e600e9ae2a2 (1).jpg | caption = Ficano in 2011 | image_size = | office = Wayne County Executive | term_start = January 1, 2003 | term_end = January 1, 2015 | predecessor = Edward H. McNamara | successor = Warren Evans | office2 = Wayne County Sheriff | term_start2 = 1983 | term_end2 = January 1, 2003 | predecessor2 = William Lucas | successor2 = Warren Evans | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1952|7|19}} | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan | death_date = | death_place = | constituency = | spouse = {{marriage|Rosemarie B. Jarocha|1979|2004|end=div}} | children = 2 | party = Democratic | profession = Politician | alma_mater = Michigan State University <br> University of Detroit Mercy }} '''Robert Anthony Ficano''' (born July 19, 1952) is an American attorney and politician who served as the county executive of Wayne County, Michigan from 2003 until 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Ficano previously served as the sheriff of Wayne County from 1983 until 2013.<ref>http://sheriff_ficano.tripod.com/id20.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
==Early life== Ficano was born in Detroit, Michigan. He received his BA in 1974 from Michigan State University, and his JD in 1977 from University of Detroit. He worked as an attorney, and was assistant city attorney for the city of Westland, Michigan. He was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Michigan House of Representatives from the 36th District in 1980.
==County Executive== After years as an attorney in private practice in Westland, Michigan, Ficano was appointed to deputy County Clerk under then County Clerk James Kileen. When William Lucas left the office of Wayne County Sheriff in 1983 to run for Wayne County Executive, Ficano was appointed Wayne County Sheriff in 1983, and elected in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000. In the history of electoral politics in Wayne County, no one has ever been elected sheriff without being appointed to the job prior to an election.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} In 2002, Ficano was elected county executive, and took office in 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/11/30/robert-ficano-wayne-county-executive-career/19677761/ | title=Scandals behind him, Ficano looks to the future }}</ref>
As county executive, he generated controversy in 2004 with his veto of a proposed ordinance to ban smoking in most workplaces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1116947/posts|title=Wayne County smoking veto stands|publisher=|accessdate=28 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/Michigan/2004/08/30/Michigan-counties-fight-smoking.html|title=Michigan counties fight smoking|author=George J. Tanner|date=30 August 2004|work=Toledo Blade|accessdate=28 December 2015}}</ref>
He is of Italian descent and lives in Livonia. Ficano has long held ties to the organized labor and the UAW in particular.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20111216/NEWS02/112160392/Wayne-County-AFSCME-deal-ends-years-of-fighting|title=Wayne County-AFSCME deal ends years of fighting|work=Detroit Free Press|accessdate=28 December 2015}}</ref> His father was a custodian (and union member) in Livonia Public schools and his grandfather worked in the Ford Rouge factory.
Wayne County, which includes the city of Detroit and its western and southern suburbs, is one of the nation's largest population counties, with 1.8 million people.
===FBI investigation=== In October 2011, Ficano was served with subpoenas by the FBI for records related to "pay to play" allegations, where constituents felt forced to contribute to designated "charities", which employed friends of his, and also his office's authorization of a $200,000 severance payment to Turkia Awada Mullin, an employee who resigned. After local media reported it to the public, Mullin agreed to return the money.
During a special meeting on October 31, 2011, the Wayne County Airport Authority announced the termination of Turkia Mullin as CEO of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Shortly after Mullin's termination, Thomas Naughton was selected by the Airport Board as Interim CEO until a permanent replacement is announced. Naughton's history with the Wayne County Airport Authority extends back to 2002, where he's served as both Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/metro-airport%27s-board-will-meet-to-discuss-turkia-mullin%27s-future |title=Metro Airport's board votes to fire CEO Turkia Mullin; taxpayers may end up paying the price |accessdate=November 1, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101173335/http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/metro-airport%27s-board-will-meet-to-discuss-turkia-mullin%27s-future |archivedate=November 1, 2011 }}</ref>
===Charges against former employees=== In May 2012, Laura Cox, a Republican on the County Commission, called for the immediate resignation of Ficano due to corruption charges against his former aide, David Edwards.<ref name="Charged">{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20120509/NEWS02/205090435/Former-aide-to-Robert-Ficano-charged-in-federal-corruption-probe| title=Former aide to Robert Ficano charged in federal corruption probe| author=John Wisely| publisher=Detroit Free Press| date=9 May 2012}}</ref>
Edwards, who resigned in August 2012 from the department of technology, was charged on 8 May 2012 with one count of bribery. He allegedly misappropriated $13,000 from a county contractor.<ref name="Charged" />
===2014 defeat=== On August 5, 2014, Ficano lost his bid for a fourth term as County Executive as he finished fourth in the Democratic primary, which was won by former Wayne County Sheriff and Detroit Chief of Police Warren Evans, taking just 6% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/article/20140806/NEWS02/308060081/ |title=Warren Evans wins Wayne County executive Democratic primary |author=Marlon A. Walker |work=Detroit Free Press |date=August 6, 2014}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} * Who's Who in American Politics, 1993
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311075809/http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060205%2FOPINION01%2F602050380%2F1213%2FNEWS24 Challengers backing away from running against Ficano], Observer & Eccentric newspapers, February 5, 2006{{dead link|date=August 2017}} *[http://www.detnews.com/2004/editorial/0411/12/A14-2033.htm Ficano Should Round Up Fake Badges], Detroit News editorial, November 11, 2004 (Google cache){{dead link|date=August 2017}} *[http://www.detnews.com/2004/editorial/0404/03/a08-108071.htm Ficano Was Right To Veto Countywide Smoking Ordinance], Detroit News editorial, March 31, 2004 (Google cache){{dead link|date=August 2017}} *[http://www.detnews.com/2003/metro/0306/22/a01-199145.htm Ficano Probes No-Bid Deals], Detroit News, June 22, 2003 (Google cache){{dead link|date=August 2017}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20141006083106/https://myspace.com/waynecountyguardian Ficano Bad for Labor], Wayne County Guardian, April 22, 2010 (Record Added)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ficano, Robert A.}} Category:County executives in Michigan Category:Sheriffs of Wayne County, Michigan Category:Michigan Democrats Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Michigan State University alumni Category:University of Detroit Mercy alumni Category:People from Livonia, Michigan Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Radio personalities from Detroit