Pedro Espada Jr.

Pedro Espada, Jr. is an American politician and former Democratic member of the New York Senate for the 33rd Senate District. He was the New York State Senate Majority Leader and Vice President Pro Tempore for Urban Policy of the Senate. He was at the center of the June 2009 change in power in the Senate, one of two Democratic senators who voted to appoint Republican Dean Skelos as Majority Leader Espada himself was chosen to be Temporary President. After his return to the Democratic caucus on July 9, 2009, Espada was chosen Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. Dogged by scandals, Espada was defeated by Gustavo Rivera on September 14, 2010, in a primary election in his bid to retain his state senate seat 32.66 to Riveras 62.21. He was indicted on six federal counts of embezzlement and theft on December 14, 2010, and stripped of his leadership position in the State Senate the same day.

Espada was born in Coamo, Puerto Rico in 1953 and moved with his family to New York City at the age of five. His family settled in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, where he attended the New York City Public Schools. He attended Fordham University, where he graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Espada subsequently took graduate level coursework at the Hunter College School of Social Work and also received graduate training certificates from open enrollment programs at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and received certification in 1990 from the Real Estate Institute at NYUs School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Source: Wikipedia