(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) The new US ambassador to Trinidad & Tobago Joseph Mondello arrives next month, US Charge D’Affairs John McIntyre said yesterday.
Brooklyn-born, Mondello, 80, was confirmed as Ambassador in June. He is the Trump administration choice as Ambassador, replacing John Estrada. The latter left T&T immediately after Trump won in 2017.
Mondello, a politician, attorney and university professor, was interviewed within the US Senate committee screening process earlier this year. He was asked about T&T in relation to Venezuela and about reports that over 100 T&T nationals had joined ISIS.
Soon after being confirmed in June, Modello said he was anxious to get to T&T and was in touch with US officials here daily. He also said he had undergone seven weeks of training including counter-terrorism.
Mondello served as Counsel at Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy, & Fenchel, PC of Garden City, New York since 1997.
He was chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee in Westbury, New York since 1983.
From 2006 to 2009, he was concurrently chairman of the New York Republican State Committee. Mondello also served as an airman in the New York Air National Guard (1955-1956), a corporal in the US Army (1956-1958) and in the New York Guard for 25 years, attaining the rank of Major General.
He earned a BA from Hofstra University and a Juris Doctor degree (equivalent to a British LLB degree) from the New England School of Law.
US articles describe Mondello as having served as a primary schoolteacher and a US Navy intelligence officer, and that his voluntary activities ranged from the Boys Scouts of America to various RC charities and organisations.