Vincent Anthony Ragosta[1][2] (February 12, 1924 – August 9, 2017)[3] was an American lawyer and jurist from Rhode Island. He was a former Rhode Island Superior Court justice.[4]

Vincent Ragosta
Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court
In office
1988 – June 2008
Appointed byEdward D. DiPrete
Associate Judge of the Rhode Island District Court
In office
1978–1988
Appointed byJ. Joseph Garrahy
Personal details
Born
Vincent Anthony Ragosta

(1924-02-12)February 12, 1924
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2017 (aged 93)
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
SpouseCarmela C. Bruno (m. 1953)
Children4
EducationUniversity of Rhode Island (BS)
Boston College (LLB)
AwardsKnight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
RankStaff Sergeant
UnitIntelligence Corps
Battles/warsWorld War II

Biography

edit

Early life, education & military service

edit

Ragosta was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1924. He attended the University of Rhode Island before being drafted into the United States Army during World War II and was stationed in Okinawa, in preparation to invade Japan, until the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945. He was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant and continued to graduate from the University of Rhode Island in 1949. In 1951, he graduated from Boston College Law School, earning his Juris Doctor. He was a recipient of the Polygon Prize and was elected into the national honorary societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma. He also attended Johns Hopkins University and The Citadel.

Career

edit

Ragosta worked as an assistant city solicitor in the city of Providence from 1953 until 1966.[5] He had a very successful law practice in Providence for 27 years. He also served on the state Family Violence Unit Advisory Panel (which was part of the office of the Rhode Island Attorney General) and on the state Advisory Council on Social Welfare.[6][7]

In 1978, he was appointed to the state District Court by then-governor J. Joseph Garrahy. In 1988, he was appointed to the state Superior Court by then-Governor Edward D. DiPrete and later retired from the bench in June 2008.[8] At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest judge in the state of Rhode Island.

Marriage and children

edit

Ragosta was married and had four sons. He died on August 9, 2017, at the age of 93.

Honorary Awards

edit

In 1975 he was awarded the Star of Italian Solidarity with the rank of Knight by the President of Italy Giovanni Leone.

References

edit
  1. ^ University of Rhode Island (Class of 1949) Yearbook
  2. ^ Boston College Bulletin, Law, 1952
  3. ^ "The Honorable Vincent A. Ragosta's Obituary on The Providence Journal". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  4. ^ The American Bench. Reginald Bishop Forster & Associates. 2007. p. 2215.
  5. ^ Boston College Alumni News Magazine (April, 1969)
  6. ^ Domestic Violence Prevention and Services Act, 1980: hearing before the Subcommittee on Child and Human Development of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session, on S. 1843 and related bill, February 6, 1980
  7. ^ Manual, with rules and orders, for the use of the General Assembly of the state of Rhode Island (1961-1962)
  8. ^ "Rhode Island's oldest judge retires at age 84". Boston Globe. 2008-05-31.
edit