City Hall felt more like a family reunion Monday night as legislative and municipal colleagues, family members and long-time friends gathered to bid farewell to Ward 8 Councilman Joseph Gallucci, in what would be his final City Council meeting about 40 years after he was first elected to join the honorable body.

Gallucci opted not to run for his seat this past election, and councilman-elect Anthony Sinapi will take his post over Ward 8, which includes some of the most financially important properties in the city as it contains the Route 2 corridor of dense commercial development. According to his colleagues, Gallucci’s departure means much more than just a familiar face no longer being present at council meetings.

“Over the years we have all used Councilman Gallucci's knowledge of what had happened in the past,” said City Council President Steve Merolla. “One of my favorite history professors used to always say that history repeats itself. When you have a resource like Councilman Gallucci, he can tell you what actually happened in the past. You can really prevent and not re-live mistakes in the past. To say that he's going to be sorely missed would be an understatement.”

Mayor Joseph Solomon, who for many years worked alongside Gallucci on the council, reflected on the days before he entered politics, when Gallucci was simply known to him as one of his family’s best friends. He also said he wouldn’t miss Gallucci, because he knows that his involvement in the city doesn’t end with his council participation.

“Joe Gallucci was my father-in-law's [Walter Santos] best friend, he was there when my son, Representative Solomon, was first born. He was at my wedding at my marriage to my lovely wife Cyndi. Joe was there. Joe is an extension of my family, and he always will be an extension of my family,” he said. “I look forward to each and every day that I'm in office for Joe Gallucci to stop by my office and participate in the Solomon government. I look for his advice. I look for his guidance. I look to bounce ideas off of him.”

Solomon mentioned Gallucci’s tenured history of involvement within the city, including work as clerk of the board of canvassers, Director of the Department of Human Services and his stalwart position representing Ward 8 – a post he held three separate times from 1977 to 1984, from 1990 to 1994 and then again from 2015 until his final year in 2018. Gallucci also worked at the department of business regulations for the state of Rhode Island and is on the board of the Kent County Water Authority. He is a veteran of the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

“I always called him my little mayor,” said Ward 6 Councilwoman Donna Travis. “Not because he was little, but because he was always in the background. He was my friend, he was my mentor, he was the guiding light that no matter what subject it was – it could be the water department or sewer authority, who do I talk to or where do I go – [he would say] 'Oh just do this and don't worry about it, you'll be fine.' We laughed together, we cried together, we had good times and I'm going to miss you so much.”

Gallucci’s presence as a steadying force of calm collectedness was a common theme among the outpouring of kind words he received.

“You've been truly a mentor to me,” said Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur, who said Gallucci’s guidance began by imploring that he knock on every door in his ward if he wanted to win his election. “You never once, ever said to me ‘This is how you do it.’ It was always a suggestion, and it always came from the heart and your experience and the history you amassed over the years. To say that the respect is abounding for you, surely is an understatement from me and from everyone else.”

In addition to appreciating his leadership, colleagues spoke about Gallucci’s kindness and benevolence for both his friends and his constituents throughout the city.

“I can't remember him saying a bad word about anyone, and that is a quality that is to be admired and commended and also to be emulated by other future generations and our council and future politicians,” Merolla said.

“One of the most important virtues of Joe Gallucci is his compassion,” said Solomon. “His compassion for the community, his compassion for his friends and his compassion for his family. Joe has always been dedicated to all those things. That is something that I will miss.”

Gallucci received a slew of proclamations and resolutions of recognition for his civil service. He received commendations from the Rhode Island Congressional delegation, from Governor Gina Raimondo, the state legislature and, of course, the Warwick City Council.

While the man of the hour did not take a microphone to respond to the comments – though he was visibly emotional as he listened silently throughout the cascade of compliments – his friends and colleagues made it apparent that it would not be the last time Gallucci involved himself in serving Warwick.

“One of the famous Gallucci sayings I will always recall is, 'Yesterday is a cancelled check, today is cash and tomorrow is a promissory note.' You, sir, have a lot of promise going forward,” said Ladouceur. “I'm sure you're going to stay plenty busy and you're going to stay involved in continuing to make the city of Warwick a better place to work and live.”

“It has been an honor to serve with you, it's been an honor and a gift to have you as my friend, it's been an honor and a gift to have you as an extension of my family,” said Solomon. “I look forward to many, many years working with you in this great city to make it even better.”