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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | Ricardo J. "Ricky" Bordallo |
| Address |
, Guam , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 11, 1927
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| Died | January 31, 1990
(62 years)
|
| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Modifed | Juan Croniqueur
Dec 11, 2023 12:30am |
| Tags |
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| Info | Ricardo Jerome "Ricky" Bordallo (December 11, 1927-January 31, 1990), U.S. Democratic Party politician, He served as Governor of Guam from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1987.
Ricardo Bordallo was born in Hagatna, Guam. He attended the University of San Francisco, before returning to Guam and becoming a successful businessman. He served in the territorial legislature from 1956 to 1970, and twice served as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Guam.
Despite the governor's popularity, he was convicted on ten counts of corruption and was sentenced to nine years in prison and fined more than $100,000, in February, 1987. His convictions on eight counts of bribery and extortion were overturned in August, 1988, leaving charges of obstruction of justice and witness tampering. On December 13, 1989, he was sentenced to four years in prison on the remaining charges.
The former Governor committed suicide in Hagatna, Guam, hours before he was scheduled to report to a minimum-security federal prison in California, by wrapping himself in a Guam flag, chaining himself to a statue of Chief Kepuha (or Quipuha, Guam's first Roman Catholic chief) located on Marine Drive (the island's primary thoroughfare), and shooting himself in the head, all during rush hour traffic.
His widow, Madeleine Bordallo was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor in 1990, and in 2002 was elected to the island's non-voting delegate seat in the United States House of Representatives. In 2005, the governor's complex in Hagatna was renamed in his honor.
Bordallo, Ricardo J(erome), also called Ricky Bordallo (b. Dec. 11, 1927, Agana [now Hagåtña], Guam - d. Jan. 31, 1990, Hagåtña), governor of Guam (1975-79, 1983-87). A powerful force in politics who many described as politically invulnerable, he was indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office on 10 counts of corruption just three days before the 1986 primary election. He refused to appear before a grand jury and blasted the proceedings as "colonialism bordering on racism." U.S. District Judge Cristobal Duenas presided over the proceedings, which heard talk of bribes, including the passing of an envelope filled with $10,000 by a local businessman, with what he said in court as having no strings attached. FBI recordings were played with Bordallo admitting to accepting large amounts of cash from businesspeople though he denied ever exchanging government contracts in return. Testimony also included word of kickbacks. Top Bordallo aide Herman Sablan testified that some of the kickbacks were returned to a Bordallo campaign war-chest though such activity was all based on rumour. And a Korean business owner testified on Ylow, a $60,000 bribe linked to a $200,000 payment toward the lease of land in Cabras for a scrap metal yard. After days of emotional testimony and scathing criticisms of the media's coverage of the trial, on Feb. 13, 1987, Bordallo was convicted on all 10 counts of corruption. Though he was eventually acquitted on 7 counts, Judge Duenas sentenced him to 9 years in prison and he was ordered to pay over $114,000 in fines. After failed appeals he was ordered to report to a federal penitentiary in Boron, Calif., but never made the trip. Instead he chained himself to the statue of Chief Quipuha in the capital village of Hagåtña, drew a .38-calibre pistol, and shot himself once in the head, taking his own life.
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