By Cary Shuman
Tom Ambrosino, one of the most influential municipal leaders in the history of two communities, Revere and Chelsea, has announced that he will be retiring as the court administrator of the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Ambrosino said he notified court personnel that he will be retiring in the fall. “I haven’t yet submitted my paperwork to the state, but it’s sitting on my desk ready to be hand-delivered. I’ll probably retire sometime in September.”
From his office at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston, Ambrosino had a major responsibility in the Massachusetts judicial system: he oversaw 94 courts and 6,500 court employees.
“It definitely was an interesting job, but it’s time to go,” said Ambrosino. “I’ve been here three-and-a-half years.”
Prior to his job in the courts, Ambrosino served as city manager of Chelsea for seven-and-a-half years. He was previously the mayor of Revere for 12 years, following four years as a councilor-at-large and six years as a school committee member.
“I have great memories of my years in Revere and Chelsea,” said Ambrosino. “We accomplished a lot of good things.”
Ambrosino, who will turn 65 years old in November, still holds a special connection to Revere. His daughter, Alexandra Ambrosino Nader, is a teacher at the Hill Elementary School.
Ambrosino is a 1979 graduate of Revere High School where he was an outstanding student and a member of the National Honor Society. One of his favorite educators was Carol Tye, who has often praised Ambrosino for his academic excellence and studiousness.
“She was my tenth grade English teacher,” Ambrosino noted of Tye, who would later become the superintendent of schools and serve on the school committee.
Ambrosino went on to attend Boston University, graduating in 1983. He continued his education at Harvard Law School, earning his J.D degree in 1986.
Ambrosino said of his distinguished career, “I will miss public service but it’s been 37 years. It’s been a long time. I feel proud of my career. I did my best, that’s for sure.”
Ambrosino said he and his long-time partner, Laurie Giardella, intend to do a lot of traveling in his retirement years. But Ambrosino added that he hopes to eventually work in another field.
“I hope it’s not the end,” said Ambrosino. “I really would like to do something else but I’m not sure what. I don’t want to really stop working. It’s time to retire from state government.”
City Manager Fidel Maltez and former City Manager Jay Ash led a tremendous tribute from city and state dignitaries to Ambrosino’s career (see related sidebar).