NIAF Mourns the Passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia (March 11, 1936 - February 13, 2016)

Attribute to NIAF Chairman Joseph V. Del Raso and NIAF President John M. Viola

“On behalf of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Board of Directors, we are deeply saddened by the passing of the United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Scalia family. Justice Scalia died at the age of 79 on February 12, 2016, in his sleep after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas.

According to Joseph Del Raso, “I am personally heartbroken over this loss. Justice Scalia was not only the most respected member of the Italian American community having been the first Italian American Justice nominated and confirmed to the Supreme Court, but he was also a true friend and respected scholar. He was always there for our community, and participated at so many NIAF-sponsored events. On a personal note, I will always cherish the memories of spending time with he and his wife, Maureen, here in the United States and during our trips to Italy together.”



“Today the Italian American community has lost one of the most iconic figures in our history,” John Viola said. “I think it's hard to quantify how important his elevation to the Supreme Court was for our community, and Italian Americans of all political persuasions were incredibly proud of this man and his vast contributions to our nation. This is a loss that is deeply felt in the NIAF Family and throughout the Italian American community.”


“His indelible legacy will be long remembered with great affection and admiration.”

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to persevering the heritage of Italian Americans. Visit www.niaf.org. 

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BIO

Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice,

was born in Trenton, New Jersey, March 11, 1936. He married Maureen McCarthy and has nine children - Ann Forrest, Eugene, John Francis, Catherine Elisabeth, Mary Clare, Paul David, Matthew, Christopher James, and Margaret Jane. He received his A.B. from Georgetown University and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and his LL.B. from Harvard Law School, and was a Sheldon Fellow of Harvard University from 1960–1961. He was in private practice in Cleveland, Ohio from 1961–1967, a Professor of Law at the University of Virginia from 1967–1971, and a Professor of Law at the University of Chicago from 1977–1982, and a Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown University and Stanford University. He was chairman of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law, 1981–1982, and its Conference of Section Chairmen, 1982–1983. He served the federal government as General Counsel of the Office of Telecommunications Policy from 1971–1972, Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States from 1972–1974, and Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel from 1974–1977. He was appointed Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1982. President Reagan nominated him as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and he took his seat September 26, 1986.