Romano Mazzoli (born November 2, 1932 in Louisville, Kentucky) represented Kentucky's Third Congressional District (Louisville, Kentucky and other parts of Jefferson County, Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1971 through 1995. He was the primary architect, with Sen. Alan Simpson, of important immigration reform legislation. Mazzoli was born in Louisville. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame Magna Cum Laude in 1954 and from the University of Law School, first in his class, in 1960. Mazzoli served in the Kentucky Senate from 1968 through 1970.
Mazzoli was Chairman of the House of Representatives' Immigration, International Law and Refugees Subcommittee for twelve years. He also served on the Small Business, Intelligence and District of Columbia Committees.
Mazzoli authored the Simpson-Mazzoli Immigration Reform and Control Act and co-sponsored it with Republican Senator Alan Simpson. The bill sanctioned employers who hired undocumented aliens and granted an amnesty for aliens already living and working in the United States. After five years of debate and compromise, the Simpson-Mazzoli bill was ultimately signed into law on November 7, 1986.
Since leaving Congress, Mazzoli has taught at Bellarmine University and was the Ralph S. Petrilli Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Louisville Law School for the Fall 1995 semester, returning later to the law school as faculty.
Mazzoli and his wife, the former Helen Dillon, have two children (Michael Mazzoli and Andrea Mazzoli Doyle) and two granddaughters (Katie and Courtney Doyle).
