Dominick Ruggerio

Dominick J. Ruggerio was born on December 19, 1948, in Providence, Rhode Island. He resided in North Providence and was the father of two children, Charles and Amanda. Professionally, he worked as a retired administrator for the New England Laborers Labor Management Coop Trust. He served on the board of directors for the Wanskuck Library, the Sons of Italy, Loggia Vittoria, and the DaVinci Center Development Committee. Ruggerio was a member of the Democratic Party and described himself as a moderate Democrat. He passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 76, following hospitalization for cancer treatment.

Public records indicate several legal incidents during his life. In November 1989, Ruggerio was charged with maliciously damaging the car of a Lincoln businessman. In February 1990, he was ordered to pay restitution and to stay away from the individual. In September 1990, he was arrested for shoplifting condoms from a drug store in Cranston, Rhode Island, but was not prosecuted. In 2012, he was arrested in Barrington, Rhode Island, and charged with DUI and refusal to submit to a breathalyzer. He later pleaded guilty to refusing the test, while the DUI charge was dismissed.

Education

Ruggerio graduated from La Salle Academy in 1966. He attended Bryant College before earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College in 1974.

Political Experience

Ruggerio began his public service career as a policy adviser for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor from 1977 to 1981. He served as a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1981 to 1985, where he was a member of the House Labor Committee and House Corporations Committee.

In 1985, Ruggerio was elected to the Rhode Island Senate, representing District 4. He was briefly redistricted to Senate District 6 from 2002 to 2004 before returning to District 4. He became the Dean of the Rhode Island General Assembly, having served longer than any other member of the Senate or House. His leadership roles within the Senate included serving as Majority Whip from 2003 to 2010 and Majority Leader from 2010 to 2017. On March 23, 2017, he was unanimously elected President of the Senate, a position he held until his death in 2025. As Senate President, he served as an ex officio member of all standing Senate committees.

Throughout his tenure, Ruggerio held various committee assignments, including Vice Chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Labor and Transportation, and member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Rules Committee, and Joint Committee on Accounts and Claims. In later sessions, he served as Vice Chair of the Joint Legislative Services Committee.

Ruggerio won election to his 14th term in the Senate in 2010 and secured re-election in 2024. Regarding policy, he filed legislation in 2013 seeking a voter referendum to define marriage as between a man and a woman in the state Constitution and voted against gay marriage in 2010. He was endorsed by Rhode Island Right to Life. In 2020, he cited work on progressive issues such as the Equal Pay Act, Paid Sick Leave, and increasing the minimum wage. In January 2025, he was re-elected Senate president by 26 of 38 senators.