Guy John Velella (September 25, 1944 – January 27, 2011) was an American Republican politician serving as a New York State Senator from the Bronx.

[2][3] As part of the plea agreement reached with the Manhattan District Attorney, Velella resigned his seat in the State Senate and his position as Chairman of the Bronx County Republican Party.

[6] After losing that election by a wide margin, Velella told the Bronx News, a local weekly newspaper, that he was done with politics.

He resigned his seat on May 14, 2004, as part of a plea bargain reached on criminal charges that he took bribes to help businesses win lucrative state contracts.

Over the decades, many Democrats in the Assembly often turned to Velella to introduce their legislation in the New York State Senate, which was controlled by the Republicans from 1966 until 2009.

Victor B. Tosi, Velella's executive assistant and a long-time Bronx Republican activist, served as Lauder's campaign manager.

While serving in the state legislature, Velella also maintained a thriving law practice, which benefited from his Senate role as Insurance Chairman.

The year before, Velella's supporters distributed campaign literature that championed him as an advocate of family values and criticized liberal Democrats for undermining sexual morality.

[11] In 1981, then-Assemblyman Velella ran for New York City Council President against the incumbent Democrat Carol Bellamy and lost.

In 1985, Velella ran for New York City Comptroller against the three-time Democratic incumbent, Harrison J. Goldin, but lost again, by a wide margin.

Critics charged that Velella did nothing to build the local GOP and maintained a "non-aggression pact" with the Bronx County Democratic organization.

Although he maintained a cordial and mutually-beneficial relationship with the Bronx Democratic political machine, Velella did work hard to get Republicans elected to prominent offices.

In 1992, Velella campaigned for Senator D'Amato, who was facing a tough re-election fight against Democratic challenger, New York Attorney General Robert Abrams.

In 2001, Velella endorsed former Bronx Borough President and Congressman Herman Badillo, who became a Republican in the 1990s, in the race to succeed the term-limited Mayor Giuliani.

The site reportedly contained pornographic images, racial and ethnic jokes and insults, and criticism of local businesses, community leaders and politicians, including Velella.

Velella announced that he would draft legislation that would require web site operators to register with the New York State Attorney General.

The New York Post pasted Velella's face on a Monopoly "Get Out of Jail Free" card and published it daily in its opinion section.

The city's Department of Investigations, which looked into the matter, found that the Local Conditional Release Commission had violated established procedures when it granted Velella's request.

Guy Velella received slot #94 in reporter and conservative commentator Bernard Goldberg's book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, citing his change in stance of crime and justice issues before and after his incarceration [1].