Lawyer, Judge, Politician Dirosa Is Dead At 81
Submitted By N.O.V.A.
Times Picayune 	01- 8-1997


*************************************************
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************  


Joseph Vincent DiRosa, a lawyer, judge and former City Council member who narrowly
lost a 1977 race for mayor of New Orleans, died Monday of cancer at his home. He
was 81.

A New Orleans native and Loyola Law School graduate who grew up in what was once
the "Little Italy" section of the lower French Quarter, Mr. DiRosa prided himself
on being the voice of the "little man," especially on regulatory and tax matters,
during 1962-66 and 1970-78 stints as an at-large council member.

He said he entered the mayoral contest, which he lost to then-4th Circuit Court of
Appeal Judge Dutch Morial, to carry out his father's instruction: "Joe, I want you
to fight for the little guy. The rich can take care of themselves."

One of his former council colleagues, Mike Early, said Mr. DiRosa may be best
remembered for a battle he lost: to prevent the removal of streetcars from Canal
Street. Noting that the city is about to get federal money to reinstitute the
streetcar line, Early said, "They're bringing them back; he (Mr. DiRosa) will be
watching."

Former Lt. Gov. James Fitzmorris, who served with Mr. DiRosa on the council and
campaigned for him many times, lauded his longtime friend "for his warm and
friendly association with people. He loved people and he had a great knack of
getting along with people. I think he'll be remembered for that."

Fitzmorris said 1996 was the first year that Mr. DiRosa failed to show up for an
annual dinner reunion of the council members and mayors who served with Fitzmorris
from 1952 to 1966.

"We all said a prayer for him because Jimmy Fitzmorris knew he was quite ill at
that time," said 4th Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Philip Ciaccio, another of Mr.
DiRosa's former council colleagues who attended the gathering a few weeks ago.

"We faced many crises together, and I always found him to be a dedicated and
diligent public servant," Ciaccio said of Mr. DiRosa. "I think his presence on the
scene will be sorely missed."

Mr. DiRosa, a Warren Easton High School graduate, was an ensign in the Coast Guard
in the Pacific during World War II. He worked as an assistant state attorney
general assigned to the Mineral Board for several years after receiving accounting
and law degrees from Loyola University.

During his political campaigns, he often emphasized that he was both an accountant
and a lawyer, able to deal with two major aspects of government's business.

He was elected to the council in his first try for public office in 1961, but lost
the seat four years later. When Mayor Victor Schiro was ill during the 1965
campaign, Mr. DiRosa spent considerable time campaigning for Schiro, a political
ally. He later said those efforts caused him to neglect his own re-election
campaign.

Mr. DiRosa regained the council seat in 1969, narrowly defeating Morial in a
runoff.

But eight years later, he lost the biggest political contest of his life to
Morial, who edged him for mayor by about 5,400 votes.

In 1978, Mr. DiRosa lost a bid for a seat on the state Public Service Commission.

The following year, he was elected to a Civil District Court judgeship. He was
later re-elected to the court but resigned in 1986 to run for the District A City
Council seat. He lost to Peggy Wilson in a runoff.

Since then, Mr. DiRosa served frequently as a temporary judge in New Orleans and
Jefferson Parish courts by appointment of the state Supreme Court.

In addition to his elected positions, Mr. DiRosa had been at various times a
member of the Orleans Levee Board, the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board and the
Superdome Commission.

He was a former president of the New Orleans Athletic Club and a former Man of the
Year of the Young Men's Business Club.

Survivors include his wife, Lucille Mittelstaedt DiRosa; four sons, Donald DiRosa
of Houston and Michael, Richard and Joseph V. DiRosa Jr.; two brothers, Louis A.
DiRosa, also a Civil District Court judge, and Frank DiRosa Jr.; two sisters, Anna
Maria Mariano and Isabelle Barback; and eight grandchildren.

A private funeral will be held today. Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home is in charge
of arrangements.