Rainaldi’s fete has Italian flavor

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — Red Rock Park had a little Italian flavor — Gallup style — on Saturday evening.

The occasion was the retirement celebration honoring Lidio G. Rainaldi, Gallup’s state senator and longtime magistrate judge. About 350 family members, friends, political supporters, and well-wishers attended the celebration, which included a dinner, dance, and remarks by guest speakers.

In addition to the normal retirement dinner honors, the celebration included some Italian music, a sprinkling of Italian sayings, classic Frank Sinatra songs, and a number of personal glimpses into Rainaldi’s life.

Although Rainaldi most recently served as a Democratic state senator from Gallup, he became well-known across McKinley County for the 40 years he served as a magistrate judge, from 1958 to 1998. Before that, he served in the U. S. Navy during the Korean War and then worked in veterans’ services.

Sen. Michael S. Sanchez, D-Belen, the majority floor leader for the New Mexico Senate, presented Rainaldi with a certificate and praised him as “the most honorable senator to serve in the senate of New Mexico.” Joking about Rainaldi’s diplomatic statement about New Mexico politicians’ ability to “play nice” and reach agreement with each other, Sanchez said, “He can herd cats better than anyone I know.”

Sanchez, along with a number of other speakers, recognized Rainaldi’s wife of 53 years, Helen, and the couple’s very close and supportive relationship. In his own concluding remarks, Rainaldi credited Helen for his success and said she should be called “Senator Helen Rainaldi.”

Dr. Barbara McAneny, CEO of the New Mexico Cancer Center, thanked Rainaldi for helping to bring the New Mexico Cancer Center to Gallup, and Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Board President Louie Bonaguidi recognized Rainaldi for helping draft legislation placing the Ceremonial under the state’s Tourism Department.

Bonaguidi gave Rainaldi a framed 2008 Ceremonial poster, and Gallup Mayor Harry Mendoza presented Rainaldi with a proclamation from the city, along with a key to the city featuring four stones that represent the four sacred mountains of the Navajo people.

In a recorded message, former Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., offered his congratulations to Rainaldi, another fellow “newly minted retiree,” and credited Rainaldi’s success “to his strong Italian work ethic.”

Rainaldi was part of a group of “young Turks” in Gallup in the 1950s that decided to run for public office to overthrow the existing local political regime, said retired District Judge Louis “Ed” DePauli. While most local residents are familiar with Rainaldi’s long record of public service, he said, they are less familiar with his earlier years. DePauli then proceeded to share some humorous stories from Rainaldi’s premagistrate court years.

Jay Mason said he came to Gallup 32 years ago as an Irish Catholic attorney only to discover Gallup’s judges at the time — DePauli and Rainaldi — were both Italian-American. “I knew I was in the wrong place,” Mason joked.

“I had to become Italian in a real hurry.”

In addition to acknowledging the state honors Rainaldi received as magistrate judge, Monica Martinez, Rainaldi’s chief clerk for 25 years, shared a tale about her former boss chasing an irate truck driver through Magistrate Court after the man had thrown his traffic ticket in Martinez’s face. With his judicial robes flying, Martinez recalled, Rainaldi caught the truck driver and made him apologize to her. “Who needed court security when we had Judge Rainaldi?” Martinez said.

Rainaldi’s son-in-law, Don Devoti of Albuquerque, provided the most emotional moments of the evening when he spoke on behalf of the Rainaldi family. Calling Rainaldi “Papa,” Devoti said Rainaldi was admired by his grandchildren for being a man devoted to his family, a man of his word, a man of faith, and a man of integrity.

Referring to recent news stories about investigations into government officials, Devoti said, “We all need more officials ... like my father-in-law.”

In comments made during a break in the program, Gallup businessman Joe DiGregorio talked about what he most appreciated about Rainaldi. As a magistrate, Rainaldi treated people fairly, DiGregorio said, and as a state senator he maintained an open-door policy.

“He may not always agree with you,” DiGregorio said, “but he’s always willing to listen to you.”