Since 2003 Vacca has served as an adjunct professor at CUNY Queens College, where he teaches a variety of courses in the social sciences.

Continuing his work from his days in the New York City Council as chairperson of technology, he is a member of the Queens College Tech Incubator Advisory Board.

[2] In early 2005, with Councilwoman Madeline Provenzano term-limited out of office, Vacca announced his candidacy for the 13th Council District seat.

Already an established public figure in the East Bronx due to his years as district manager, he was endorsed by Congressman Joseph Crowley and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, as well as dozens of community and civic groups, and The New York Times.

[4] In the general election, he defeated Philip Foglia, candidate of the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party lines, with 64% of the vote.

[5] In 2009, facing a little-known challenger running on the Conservative Party line, Vacca was easily re-elected to a second term, winning 92.8% of the vote.

[7] After months of informal meetings with educators, union leaders, Administration officials, advocates, and parents, the Working Group issued its report in June 2009.

[22] Researcher Julia Powles, assessing the amended bill in The New Yorker, predicted that the task force's findings will have significant international and domestic impact, but warned that the bill's lack of reporting requirements for city agencies means the task force will need to rely on agencies' voluntary disclosures, which may be sparse.