Casa Emigranti Italiani 

No single politician is as beloved as Billy Ciotto, former CT state senator from 1994 to 2006.

He not only is not shy in calling himself a politician but he will tell you that he is proud of his accomplishments. His motto was simple: Government should help those who cannot help themselves and he as a political leader worked to make sure that Government was as responsive to its citizens no matter what their position may have been.

Born in 1929 in Hartford he was the only child of Italian immigrants and lived mostly on Park Road although the family would make very frequent visits to the East Side of Hartford and the Front Street area.

He graduated from Bulkeley high school in 1947 and got a midnight shift job  at the Department of Motor Vehicle.

Tired of the night shift he was almost ready to quit his job and look for another position  when his much wiser father suggested he talk to the supervisor to see if he could get a day job within MDV.

Billy would spent the next 40 plus years there , the last three as Deputy Commissioner, and his name was so synonymous with the MDV that the State baptized the MDV offices the Billy Ciotto Building.

Following his "retirement" from politics he was hired to work part time for U.S. Representative Larson, a position he continues to occupy to this day.

They keys to his success? A very likeable personality and a family ( wife and five children)  that keep him grounded to reality at all times.

Bill was very fortunate to meet the love of his life, the former Jeanne Miller, in 1950 on a double date and they have been together ever since. They will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in January 2015!

Bill's and Jeanne's other love? Music! For over 42 years Bill played the fisarmonica ( accordion) in a band! And Jean would at times sing with the group, a passion she has retained to this day: we last heard her voice last August at the annual picnic of the Italian American Society.

Billy Ciotto, an institution, a beloved politician who got along well with both Republicans and Democrats, always willing to help the needy, to speak for the less fortunate!

A second generation Italian American who has contributed much to the success of the melting pot that is America!

 





 

MAY 3, 2006

HARTFORD COURANT

 The Senate spent 70 minutes hailing the career of Sen. Biagio "Billy" Ciotto, a Wethersfield Democrat who will not seek re- election after 12 years in the Senate. Members offered anecdotes and memories regarding Ciotto's career in "the circle," as the insiders refer to the Senate. In a highly unusual move, Gov. M. Jodi Rell came to the Senate chamber and recalled the days when she presided over the Senate as lieutenant governor. She described Ciotto as "the kindest, most gentle, sweetest" individual that she knows.

HARTFORD COURANT

MAY 3, 2006

Veteran state Sen. Biagio "Billy" Ciotto announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in November, ending months of speculation."My career has soared above and beyond anything I could have dreamed or imagined 60 years ago, when I was just out of school and the perky product of working class, immigrant parents," said Ciotto, a six-term Democrat whose 9th District covers Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield.Ciotto had been close-mouthed in recent weeks about his political future."From my parents I learned two things," said Ciotto, who made his announcement at the beginning of an afternoon Senate session at the Capitol. "To cherish the freedoms and opportunities we have here in this country, and second, that there is honor and dignity to hard work," he said. "Any success I've had is simply the result of hard work over time and honest dealings with the people I've met and worked for."Ciotto, a former deputy commissioner at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, was elected to the Senate after he retired from his state job. The 76-year-old Wethersfield resident, who was born in Hartford, was best known for his visibility, his willingness to work on behalf of his constituents and his recent support of the $3.6 billion state package to fund highway and mass transit improvements.Over the years, however, critics said that he was not aggressive enough when it came to resolving many of the state's transportation problems. He also came under fire for using his power as transportation committee chairman to push through legislation that resulted in the seemingly arbitrary naming of dozens of state bridges and roadways in memory of former residents, including several who were department friends or political allies of his or other legislators.On Tuesday, however, there were only good words about Ciotto, who stood with his wife and children before a packed Senate chamber and beamed during the 5-minute standing ovation from fellow legislators and others who were clearly emotional following his announcement."You are a true gentleman," said President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams, D-Brooklyn, who was one of many Democrats and Republicans in the chamber to sing Ciotto's praises. "You stood up for those who needed help."Ciotto's announcement also served as the starting gun for a heated contest among those who want to become the party's endorsed candidate for the seat. Among those who attended Ciotto's announcement were several state representatives who have all been quietly eyeing the seat and waiting for the veteran senator to make his decision."I'm weighing my options and will make a decision in the next 10 days," said state Rep. Tony Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, one of those who is expected to consider a run. Also mentioned are state Reps. James O'Rourke, D-Cromwell, and Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield. Doyle, along with former Newington mayor and former Hartford city councilman Thomas McBride, are likely to be the frontrunners for the party endorsement, scheduled to take place in two weeks. McBride, who is fighting a December arrest for allegedly driving under the influence, said he has the backing of the Newington delegation, the largest in the district, and is moving forward in his bid to get the party nod."I feel that once I talk to the other town committees and delegates that I can convince them I would be a good candidate for the position," he said.Both McBride and Doyle said they would be prepared to go to a primary if necessary.



NOVEMBER 2006

HARTFORD COURANT

State Sen. Biagio "Billy" Ciotto is really not retiring.Sure, there was a sold-out crowd of 1,100 people at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of Southington on Tuesday to honor the veteran Democratic lawmaker on his decision to step down from his 9th Senate District seat in a few weeks.But the truth is, he is stepping into Congress."When I step down from the Senate circle I'll be moving over to U.S. Congressman John Larson's office in Hartford," said Ciotto, who greeted a seemingly unending line of well-wishers at the sold-out event. "I wanted something to do, and he approached me about being an assistant and I said `yes.'"But new career plans aside, the senator, who turns 77 on Christmas Day, spent much of the evening reminiscing about his 12 years in the Senate and taking good-natured jibes from those who have worked with him along the way."When Billy started at the Department of Motor Vehicles, he was 6- foot-5," said former Speaker of the House Richard Balducci, alluding to Ciotto's 5-foot-4 frame and the toll his work at the DMV and then in the Senate had taken on him.The roster of speakers read like a who's-who in Connecticut politics, including fellow Democratic state Reps. Bill Dyson of New Haven and Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, who was elected in November to succeed Ciotto in the Senate seat; Lt. Gov. Kevin Sullivan, who is also leaving his seat and is scheduled to be feted at his own going- away party in December; and Senate Minority Leader Louis Deluca, R- Woodbury.But for many, the night was not about being politically correct but rather an opportunity to say "well done" to an old friend."I was the DMV commissioner when Billy was working for the department," said Robert Leuba, now a Superior Court judge in New London."All I can say about his retirement is, `It's about time,'" he said, smiling.Ciotto who has a political history filled with accolades and arrows, had his share of both at Tuesday's fete. Among the gifts presented to the outgoing senator was a host of bogus, bright green bridge, ramp and road signs bearing his name.The tongue-in-cheek "gifts" were actually a joke referring to the repeated uproar over the senator's feel-good legislation as transportation committee chairman resulting in the controversial naming of bridges, ramps and roads in the state after people some felt were anything but prominent residents.Ciotto, however, had no ill will for the jokes and was humble when it came to the compliments."I have no regrets; I did the best I could," he said. "It's been an honor to serve 12 beautiful years."

HE WON'T HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE:DMV HEADQUARTERS NAMED FOR FORMER STATE SEN. BIAGIO 

Keating, Christopher. Hartford Courant [Hartford, Conn] 04 Mar 2008:

During his days in the state legislature, Sen. Biagio "Billy" Ciotto was the king of naming roads, bridges and highways after Connecticut citizens.The honor is normally reserved for the dead and those who were giants in their day, such as the Wilbur Cross Parkway/Highway and the Ella Grasso Turnpike in Grasso's hometown of Windsor Locks.On Monday Ciotto joined the select few who have received the honor during their lifetime when the state Department of Motor Vehicles building in Wethersfield was named after him.Hundreds of Ciotto's friends and family members jammed into the public room at the DMV to hear speeches aboutCiotto's 42 years as a department employee and 12 years as a state senator.Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, who offered his congratulations in Italian, then asked Ciotto how many commissioners he had served under during his DMV career."Nine?" Fedele repeated, after hearing the number. "But your name's on the building."It was a testament to Ciotto's outgoing, colorful personality that his name is now emblazoned across the top of the pillars at 60 State St. in Wethersfield instead of those who held higher positions.Some of Ciotto's former DMV bosses - going back to the 1970s - attended the hour-long ceremony, including Robert C. Leuba and Stanley J. Pac, a former New Britain mayor who also became commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection.Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, who served with Ciotto for 12 years, said Ciotto was a powerful, behind-the-scenes advocate in the caucus room who gained respect in the Senate in the same way that he did in his hometown of Wethersfield."What a great feeling - driving in front of the building and seeing that name, Biagio 'Billy' Ciotto," Williams told the crowd. "He has always been a leader. And you know what else? He's always been loved. How many times can you say that about someone in public life?"Known as one of the legislature's top cigar smokers, Ciotto once said that he voted against the cigar tax "on the merits" when the issue arose in the Senate. That theme came up Monday when House Speaker James Amann stepped to the microphone. Reaching into his pocket and waving a cigar that he said he received from Ciotto, Amann said, "It's like visiting Castro when you go see Billy Ciotto."When Ciotto first walked into the DMV a virtual lifetime ago in 1947, he worked as a mailroom clerk and a midnight teletypist. He rose to deputy commissioner in 1987 through the appointment of then-Gov. William A. O'Neill and served two years in that role. Ciotto, who turned 78 on Christmas Day, now works as an aide for U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, the fifth-highest-ranking Democrat in the House.In sometimes emotional remarks Monday, Ciotto said his immigrant parents "drove by this building many times" and could never have imagined that it would be named after their son."I spent about 34 percent of my life in this building, and I lost about 70 percent of my hair in the process," Ciottotold the crowd. "I don't know if I deserve such an honor, but to be honest, it feels pretty damn good."He said that only in America could a state building be named after a man with a humble upbringing named BiagioCiotto."Only in America!" Ciotto told the crowd. "You know that, and I know that."Ciotto's wife of 53 years, Jeanne, was asked to say the final words.She then stepped to the microphone and began singing "God Bless America." The crowd sang along.