Angelo Tomasso Jr. (March 17, 1925 – September 18, 2015) was a businessman and philanthropist from

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol ...

Early life and education

Tomasso was born on March 17, 1925, to Angelo and Nazzarena (Briganti) Tomasso. His parents were immigrants from the Italian region of

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

. He was a member of the second generation of the

Tomasso Tomasso is a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name: *Tomasso Amici, Italian sculptor active in Cremona in the late 15th century *Tomasso Gagliano (1884–1951), American mobster and boss of the Lucchese crime fa ...

construction dynasty. Tomasso attended St. Thomas Seminary and graduated from

New Britain High School New Britain High School is a public high school in New Britain, Connecticut, United States, part of the Consolidated School District of New Britain. New Britain High School is one of the largest high schools in the state. Notable alumni * A ...

in 1943. Following graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served as a communications officer in the Amphibious Corps aboard the in the South Pacific.

Business career

In 1949 Angelo Tomasso Sr was injured in a tragic accident at the

Tomasso Group The Tomasso Group is a family-run conglomerate focused on the construction and real estate industries based in New Britain, Connecticut. History Angelo Tomasso Sr. Angelo Tomasso immigrated to America from Abbateggio, Italy in 1910. Ange ...

’s Plainville quarry and died in 1952 leaving the next generation to take over the company. All four Tomasso brothers joined the company’s leadership with Angelo Tomasso Jr. taking over the Presidency and George A. Tomasso becoming treasurer. After WWII the company capitalized on the growth of

suburbia A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

in Connecticut by building roads and highways to support the new patterns of development. In 1972 the core construction business Angelo Tomasso, Inc was sold to Ashland Resources with Angelo Jr. staying on as senior vice president. During the 1990s and early 2000s the Tomasso family, including Angelo Jr., enjoyed a close relationship with

Connecticut Governor The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

John G. Rowland John Grosvenor Rowland (born May 24, 1957) is an American former politician, author, and radio host who served as the 86th governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004. Rowland served three terms representing Connecticut's 5th congressional distri ...

. On March 17, 2000 Governor Rowland declared it ''Angelo Tomasso Jr. Day''. In 1990 he became the Chairman of Tilcon Inc. the direct successor company of Angelo Tomasso, Inc. In 2000 Tomasso retired as Chairman of Tilcon Inc. Over the course of his business career he served as a director of the Connecticut Bank Federation, the New Britain Bank and Trust Company and

Connecticut Natural Gas Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) is a natural gas distribution company that delivers natural gas and energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Greater Hartford area and Greenwich, Connecticut areas. CNG is a subsid ...

Philanthropy

Tomasso was a founding members of the “Club with a Heart” which became The Hundred Club of Connecticut.

Awards and honors

On March 17, 2000, Connecticut Governor Rowland declared it ''Angelo Tomasso Jr. Day.'' In 2017 Angelo Tomasso Jr. was inducted into the Connecticut Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomasso, Angelo 1925 births 2015 deaths People from New Britain, Connecticut Auburn University alumni American people of Italian descent United States Navy sailors People of Abruzzese descent

Early life and education

Business career

Philanthropy

Awards and honors

See also

References