Joseph Bevilacqua, Sr.

Joseph Anthony Bevilacqua Sr. (December 1, 1918 – June 21, 1989) was chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court from 1976 through 1986. His career was tarnished due to his association with organized crime.

Early life and career

Bevilacqua grew up in Silver Lake, an Italian-American neighborhood of Providence. He attended Providence public schools and received a Bachelor of Arts from Providence College in 1940.Joseph M. Muratore, ''Italian-Americans in Rhode Island, Volume 2'' (1999), p. 92.''Manual with Rules and Orders for the Use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations'' (1975), p. 237. He served in the Army from 1941 to 1946, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant and serving in the Italian Campaign (World War II) where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown Law School in 1948, and his clients and friends included organized crime figures.

Political career

Bevilacqua was elected to the Rhode Island House in 1954; he became majority leader in 1966 and Speaker in 1969. He worked for the passage of the state's medicare statute and for job retraining measures. He was elected by the General Assembly as Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court in 1976, and he promised to put aside "old friendships and causes." Privately, however, he reassured mobster Nicholas Bianco: "Don't worry, I'll still keep my connections."

Around this time, a number of allegations surfaced regarding Bevilacqua's ties to organized crime. The ''New York Times'' stated that allegations had been made in 1976 that he had harbored a fugitive from a 1963 department store robbery, and had accepted a payment of $2,000 from him. It also became public that he had written a letter to the State Parole Board in 1973 vouching for the integrity of crime boss Raymond L. S. Patriarca. The letter read, "To whom it may concern: I have known Mr. Patriarca for a good many years. I have found him to be a good person of integrity and, in my opinion, good moral character." Bevilacqua officiated at the wedding of Patriarca's chauffeur, who was under indictment for fraud. The State Commission on Judicial Tenure and Discipline investigated these incidents and took no action.

Impeachment proceedings and resignation

''The Providence Journal'' brought public attention to Bevilacqua's ties to organized crime figures in 1984. State police officers followed him as he visited the homes of crime figures, and he was also observed frequenting a mob-connected motel for mid-day trysts with women. The ''Journal'' ran a front-page photo of him zipping his pants fly while leaving the Alpine Motel in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

A judicial commission headed by former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg censured Bevilacqua for associating with criminals. The General Assembly began impeachment proceedings in 1986, the first such proceedings in the state's history, but Bevilacqua resigned during the proceedings, on May 27, 1986. He left office at the end of the court term, on June 30, 1986.

Death

Bevilacqua was hospitalized several times in his last few months, including for a heart attack in early May 1989. He was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital on May 30, 1989 and died there on June 21. His funeral mass was celebrated at Saint Bartholomew Church in Providence, Rhode Island and he is buried in Saint Ann Cemetery in Cranston, Rhode Island.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bevilacqua, Joseph A. Sr.
1918 births
1989 deaths
Lawyers from Providence, Rhode Island
Chief justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
20th-century American judges
Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
Speakers of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Providence College alumni
Georgetown University Law Center alumni
20th-century American lawyers
American people of Italian descent
20th-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly