Peter V. Cacchione Papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Peter V. Cacchione was a labor leader, communist and New York City councilman. He took advantage of New York City's proportional representation system, and ran (unsuccessfully) for city council on the Communist Party ticket in 1937 and 1939. He was elected in 1941, 1943 and 1945 and served until his death in 1947. The collection includes his correspondence, speeches, wiritings, clippings, etc. from 1936-1947. Researchers must use microfilm (R-7823), except for series V, Scrapbooks.
Historical/Biographical Note
Peter V. Cacchione (November 1, 1897 - November 6, 1947) was a labor leader, communist and New York City councilman. He was born of immigrant parents in Syracuse, New York in 1897, and grew up in Sayre, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school in 1915 he worked as a railroad trainman and repairman, and at other blue-collar jobs. In 1932 he moved to New York, where he joined the progressive movement and in 1935 was elected National Commander of the Workers' Ex-Servicemen's League. In 1936 he became chairman of the Communist Party in the Bronx.
After moving to Brooklyn, he took advantage of New York City's newly instituted proportional representation system and ran (unsuccessfully) for city council on the Communist Party ticket in 1937 and 1939. He was elected in 1941, reelected in 1943 and 1945, and served until his death in 1947, two days after proportional representation was repealed. The New York City Council refused to seat the Communist Party's choice to serve the remaining fourteen months of Cacchione's term, his campaign manager (and biographer) Simon W. Gerson.
Sources:
Simon W. Gerson. Pete: the Story of Peter V. Cacchione, New York's First Communist Councilman, New York: International Publishers, 1976.
Arrangement
Organized into five series: I. Correspondence; II. Speeches and Writings; III. Topical Files; IV. City Council; V. Scrapbooks (not microfilmed).
Folders are arranged alphabetically within each series.
Scope and Content Note
The Correspondence series, arranged chronologically, includes John Cashmore, Luther Hill, Paul O'Dwyer, Michael J. Quill, Leo Rayfield, Nathan Sobel, Andrew Sommer, Henry Stimson, Harry S. Truman, Robert F. Wagner, Henry A. Wallace, and Walter Wilson.
The Speeches and Writings series contains It Happened at City Hall (Cacchione's Daily Workercolumn) and other articles, radio addresses, news releases, two unpublished Cacchione play typescripts, "Builders of America" and "Pageant for Columbus Day," and two book-length unpublished typescripts "What is Public Speaking?" and "A Few Simple Hints to Speakers," which are notable (especially the latter) for their use of 'how-to' examples based on numerous accounts of contemporary political issues, many at the grassroots level and ephemeral in nature.
The Topical Files series (arranged alphabetically) contains multiple files on discrimination, electoral campaigns (PVC, others), the five cent (bus and subway) fare, housing, proportional representation, resolutions (City Council and other) wartime price controls, and individual files on other local issues, and on Cacchione's 1947 national speaking tour.
The City Council series largely consists of PVC-issued Budget Questionnaire forms completed by officials of several hundred New York State cities, towns, and villages, and various documents and ephemera.
The last series consists of scrapbooks and loose material removed from scrapbooks (not microfilmed) documenting Cacchione's political career from 1939 to 1945.
Subjects
Genres
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by Peter V. Cacchione was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Dorothy Cacchione, 1978. The accession number associated with this gift is 1978.012.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Due to the fragile nature of the original materials, researchers must use the microfilmed version, with the exception of Series V: Scrapbooks. The microfilm call number is Film R-7823, Reels 1-4.
About this Guide
Processing Information
In 2014, clippings from scrapbooks were re-foldered. Additional description for the scrapbooks was added to the finding aid.
Edition of this Guide
Note Statement
Repository
Series I: Correspondence
Correspondence, Outgoing, Sep 10, 1943-Jan 29, 1946
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Outgoing, Feb 7, 1946-Jan 20, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Outgoing, Jan 31, 1947-Mar 19, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Outgoing, Mar 20, 1947-Oct 31, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Incoming, May 1, 1943-Jan 5, 1946
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Incoming, Jan 14, 1946-Oct 31, 1946
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Incoming, Nov 11, 1946-May 6, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Incoming, May 12, 1947-Nov 18, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Correspondence, Third Party, Apr 1, 1943-May 15, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Series II: Speeches & Writings
Radio Addresses, Oct 20, 1937-Aug 1, 1939
General note
Reel 1
News Releases, Dec 12, 1944-Apr 3, 1946
General note
Reel 1
News Releases, May 17, 1946-Jun 25, 1947
General note
Reel 1
Articles, Jan 8, 1945-1946
General note
Reel 1
Articles, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 1
Public Speaking: A Guide Book (by PVC). Workers Library Publishers, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 1
"What is Public Speaking?" (typescript, approx 170 p.), undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 1
"A Few Simple Hints to Speakers" (typescript, 94 p.), 1938, inclusive
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall" (PVC Daily Worker column), Jan 2, 1944-Mar 12, 1944
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Mar 19, 1944-May 21, 1944
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", May 28, 1944-Aug 13, 1944
General note
Reel 1
It Happened at City Hall", Aug 20, 1944-Oct 29, 1944
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Nov 5, 1944-Jan 21, 1945
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Feb 4, 1945-Apr 1, 1945
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Apr 8, 1945-Jan 27, 1946
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Feb 3, 1946-Jun 23, 1946
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Jun 30, 1946-Sep 27, 1946
General note
Reel 1
"It Happened at City Hall", Oct 7, 1946-Jan 4, 1947
General note
Reel 1
PVC Plays: Builders of America, Pageant for Columbus Day, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 1
Series III: Topical Files
Antonini, Luigi, Apr 6, 1943-May, 1943
General note
Reel 2
Ballots & Nominating Petitions, 1945, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Baseball, Jun 7, 1943-May 22, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Bilbo - Piccolo, 1945, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Brooklyn History - Sketches, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Budget (PVC re NYC budget), May 24, 1944-Oct 17, 1946
General note
Film R-7823, Reel 2
Child Care, Dec 26, 1944-Sep 9, 1947
General note
Reel 2
City Departments, Jan 5, 1945-May 9, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, General, Mar 25, 1942-Feb 24, 1944
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, General, Feb 25, 1944-Feb 6, 1945
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, General, Mar 19, 1945-Sep 7, 1946
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, General, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, Black, Jan, 1940 -May 9, 1946
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, Black, Feb 17, 1947-Oct 8, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, Education, May 25, 1940-May 9, 1946
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, Education, May 13, 1946-Mar 13, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, Education, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Discrimination, Textbooks, Mar 21, 1946-Jun 30, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Displaced Persons, Nov 25, 1946-Dec 31, 1946
General note
Reel 2
Dog Vaccine, Jan 21, 1947-Feb 4, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Drew Case, Jan 27, 1943-Feb 20, 1944
General note
Reel 2
Education, General, Apr 1944 -Jul 5, 1946
General note
Reel 2
Education, General, Jul 12, 1946-Sep 29, 1947
General note
Reel 2
Election, General, Oct 17, 1937-Nov 20, 1942
General note
Film R-7823, Reel 2
Election, General, Sep 14, 1943-Oct 31, 1947
General note
Film R-7823, Reel 2
Election Pamphlets - English Language, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election Pamphlets - English Language, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election Pamphlets - English Language, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election Pamphlets - Black, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election Pamphlets - Hispanic, Polish, Hebrew, Italian, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election Pamphlets - Non-Cacchione, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election, Statistics, 1937-1943, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Election, Statistics, 1944-1946, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Electric Company, 1936-22-Sep-42, inclusive
General note
Reel 2
Electric Company, Nov 6, 1942-1946
General note
Reel 2
Five Cent Fare, 1937-Mar 14, 1944
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Mar 15, 1944-Mar 21, 1944
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Mar 23, 1944-Apr 11, 1944
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Apr 12, 1944-Feb 18, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Feb 19, 1945-Mar 2, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Mar 4, 1945-Mar 16, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Mar 16, 1945-Mar 22, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Mar 22, 1945-Aug 16, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, Oct 29, 1946-Mar 7, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Five Cent Fare - PVC Statement to Board of Estimate, Feb 11, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Flatbush Water, Jan 3, 1946-Jul 1, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Foreign Born, May 28, 1946-May, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Gas Companies, Apr 28, 1947-May 12, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Housing, Mar 23, 1944-Dec 19, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Housing, Jan 9, 1946-May 2, 1946
General note
Reel 3
Housing, May 11, 1946-Aug 10, 1946
General note
Reel 3
Housing, Oct 25, 1946-Mar 2, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Housing, Mar 13, 1947-Jun 10, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Housing, Jun 12, 1947-Jul 18, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Housing, Jul 23, 1947-Oct 16, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Housing, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Invitations, Oct 19, 1941-Nov 9, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Italy & Italian Americans, Mar 3, 1939-Oct 12, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Jews & Palestine, Sep 22, 1938-May 26, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Libraries, Feb, 1945-Jul 8, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Literacy Tests, 1937-1944, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Long Island Railroad, Jan 13, 1947-Apr 4, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Milk, Feb 14, 1943-Oct 22, 1947
General note
Reel 3
National Tour, Jul 24, 1947-Sep 30, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Police, Sep 16, 1946-Sep 26, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Poll Tax, Jan 6, 1943-Feb 9, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Prices, Food, Office of Price Administration, Dec 22, 1942-Aug 23, 1944
General note
Reel 3
Prices, Food, Office of Price Administration, Sep 26, 1944-May 11, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Prices, Food, Office of Price Administration, May 14, 1945-Jun 7, 1945
General note
Reel 3
Prices, Food, Office of Price Administration, Jun 8, 1945-Jul 14, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Prices, Food, Office of Price Administration, Jul 22, 1947-Aug 12, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation - National Municipal Survey, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation - National Municipal Survey, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation...Survey, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation...Survey, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation...Survey, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation, Jul 7, 1947-Oct 31, 1947
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation - Pamphlets, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Proportional Representation - Guides, 1937-1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Religion, 1946-1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council, 1942-1943, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council, 1944, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council, 1945, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council, 1946, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council - Misc. & Taken Over Bills, 1944-1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, City Council - Letters, May 16, 1944-Aug 24, 1944
General note
Reel 3
Resolutions, Letters, Jan 29, 1946-Jul 22, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Resolutions, Letters, Jul 24, 1946-Jan 14, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Resolutions, Letters, Jan 21, 1947-Mar 10, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Resolutions, Letters, Mar 10, 1947-Mar 19, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Resolutions, Letters, Mar 19, 1947-Mar 24, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Resolutions, Letters, Mar 26, 1947-Apr 15, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Resolutions, Letters, May 22, 1947-Oct 29, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Sales Tax, Mar 16, 1943-Apr 4, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Sales Tax, Apr 5, 1946-Dec 3, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Seamen, Nov 27, 1944-May 8, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Schwellenbach Proposal to Outlaw CPUSA; Clemente Bill, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Social Services, Jun 27, 1945-Mar 6, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Spellman, Cardinal, Mar 5, 1946-May 19, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Statistical Reports, 1940-1947
General note
Reel 4
Statistics (Electoral) on the Communist Party, undated, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Subscriptions (PVC to various periodicals), 1947
General note
Reel 4
Succession, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Teacher Salaries, Nov 27, 1945-Feb 10, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Tenants' Organizations, Feb 6, 1946-Oct 28, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Transit & Transportation Problems, 1944-1946
General note
Reel 4
Walter Wilson Public Relations, Jan 7, 1946-Feb 27, 1946
General note
Reel 4
Veterans Affairs, Mar 20, 1944-Feb 10, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Veterans Affairs, Feb 26, 1947-Sep, 1947
General note
Reel 4
YMCA Strike, Mar 15, 1947-Jun 7, 1947
General note
Reel 4
Yugoslavia, 1946, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Series IV: City Council
City Council, 1942-1943, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
City Council, 1944-1946, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire (New York State: Towns, Villages & Cities), 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Budget Questionnaire, 1947, inclusive
General note
Reel 4
Miscellaneous Documents and Materials, 1943-1947, inclusive
Series V: Scrapbooks, 1939-1948, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
This series contains materials from disassembled scrapbooks. It includes clippings, election materials related to Cacchione's run for councilman, holiday cards, correspondence, event invitations and programs, flyers related to Communist Party campaigns and events, and articles by and about Cacchione. The series also contains an oversized Scrapbook which includes clippings, flyers, press releases, and a small number of photographs relating to Cacchione's political career.