Candidate for
For City Attorney; City of Oakland

John Russo's parents came to New York in 1958 -- five

months before he was born in February 1959. His father,
Nicola, was a construction worker; mother Maria was
trained as a dressmaker. Neither had been to college but in
their tiny apartment, above Sal's Butcher Shop in
Brooklyn, they instilled in their children high expectations
and academic discipline.

John left Brooklyn to attend Yale University, where he
graduated with honors with a B.A. in Economics and
Political Science. He returned home and earned his law
degree from New York University School of Law in 1985.

After law school, John moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he
worked for two years as a Legal Aid attorney representing
victims of consumer fraud. He stopped home foreclosures,
defended single mothers from unethical car salesmen and
voided loans from predatory lenders. He felt then, as he does today, that every lawyer should perform
service for those who cannot afford attorneys.

John moved to Oakland in 1987 and soon became active in his community. He served as a member of
the Oakland Environmental Affairs Commission and on the board of the East Oakland Youth
Development Center. He was president of Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation and treasurer of
the East Bay League of Conservation Voters. In addition he frequently did pro bono work for
community and neighborhood organizations needing legal advice or representation.

In January 1995, John was elected to the Oakland City Council, representing District 2 (Grand Lake,
Chinatown and East Lake). He became an immediate advocate for open government and fiscal
accountability, and has led the reform of Oakland's government.

As a City Councilmember, John has been an outspoken advocate for neighborhood empowerment and
government reform. He implemented community policing, worked with the Oakland League of Women
Voters to pass laws requiring public access and review of city documents, introduced legislation to
minimize the influence of special interests in campaigns, and required balanced budgets and
performance standards from city staff.

In his district, John collaborated with Lakeshore Avenue's property owners to create Oakland's first
commercial business improvement district where owners assess themselves to create a more vibrant,
neighborhood shopping district. He also worked closely with local merchants and the East Bay Asian
Local Development Corporation to form the East Lake Merchants Association, which brings together
people from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds to organize around common goals. ELMA has
made great strides in improving Clinton Park and its surround area in the East Lake neighborhood.
John also helped establish the first neighborhood resource center in the city -- the Grand Lake
Neighborhood center. It is a unique venture jointly owned by the city and community, which share the
responsibility of running the center.

John lives in Oakland with his wife, Chris, and their twin sons.