Alex Blanco was born in the Dominican Republic in 1972.[2] In 1984, when Alex was 12 years old, he emigrated from La Vega ProvincetoPassaic, New Jersey, with his mother, stepfather, and two siblings. Two of his siblings have recently moved with him as well.[2][4] Blanco's family struggled financially and received foodstamps for a time during Alex's childhood.[4] He was paid by the Passaic School Board for taking the SAT's.[4] Blanco graduated from Kean University and New York College of Podiatric Medicine.[2]
Blanco was first elected in November 2008 in a special election to complete the unexpired term of former Mayor Samuel Rivera, who resigned after pleading guilty to attempted extortion.[1] He received around twenty eight percent of the 13,769 votes.[1]
In April 2009, Blanco announced he was running for a full-term, and was endorsed by Senator Bob Menendez.[5] He won a full four-year term in the May election, defeating city supervisor Vincent Capuana.[3] Blanco was sworn on July 1, 2009, when he began serving his four-year term.[3]
Blanco was described as the "classic American success story" by Gary Schaer, whom Blanco replaced as acting mayor in the 2008 special election.[2]
In November 2016, Blanco pled guilty to a single federal count of bribery, agreeing to resign immediately.[6] Blanco admitted in court to accepting $110,000 in bribes from two unnamed housing developers in exchange for directing more than $200,000 in HUD funds to a failed low-income housing development.[7] He faced up to 10 years in federal prison upon sentencing, scheduled for February 2017.[8] He was succeeded by Passaic County Freeholder Hector Lora, in an appointment made by the City Council.
Blanco is the second consecutive elected mayor of Passaic, and the third in two decades (following Joseph Lipari and Sammy Rivera), to be convicted of or plead guilty to official misconduct charges.[7][9][10]
