LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Joseph A. Tauriello, former
New York State Senator

WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of Joseph A. Tauriello, noting the significance
of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, A lifelong West Side Buffalo resident, Joseph A. Tauriello
attended Grover Cleveland High School and was appointed to the United
States Military Academy at West Point, but instead enrolled at the
University of Buffalo; and
WHEREAS, In 1958, Joseph A. Tauriello began a 10-year stint with the
Buffalo Fire Department as a firefighter; he eventually rose to the
position of arson investigator in the Fire Prevention Bureau; and
WHEREAS, Inspired by his uncle, a former councilman and member of
Congress, Joseph A. Tauriello won the 27th Ward seat of the Board of
Supervisors in 1965, where he was a key figure in bringing Off Track
Betting to Erie County, in Erie Community College affairs, and in the
long controversy that eventually established the home of the Buffalo
Bills in what is now Ralph Wilson Stadium; and
WHEREAS, In 1973, Joseph A. Tauriello was elected to the New York
State Senate and emerged as a major Buffalo voice in the legislature and
served as the minority whip; he was nominated to the New York State
Workers' Compensation Board in 1980 by former Governor Hugh L. Carey;
and
WHEREAS, A major figure in local and state Democratic politics for
more than four decades, Joseph A. Tauriello never lost his political
touch; he continued meeting and talking every day with voters in the
coffee shops and gathering places in his longtime West Side political
base; and
WHEREAS, Joseph A. Tauriello also had a long relationship with the
military, joining the United States Army and graduating from Officer
Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a first lieutenant; he
later served as company commander of the 3rd Brigade Headquarters of the
New York National Guard's 27th Division; and
WHEREAS, A member of the Western New York Reserve Officers Associ-
ation, 74th/174th Infantry Regiment Veterans Association and the Holy
Name Society of Holy Angels Catholic Church, Joseph A. Tauriello was
part of a group of politicians, judges, newspapermen and others who
gathered each Saturday for lunch and conversation about the affairs of
the past week, where his political predictions proved almost always 100
percent accurate; and
WHEREAS, Joseph A. Tauriello is survived by his brother, Daniel; a
sister, Lucille Mancinelli; and his longtime companion, JoAnn R. Joyce,
all of whom felt privileged to be a part of his life and rejoiced in his
many achievements; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Joseph A. Tauriello leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Joseph A. Tauriello, former New York State Senator;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Joseph A. Tauriello.