Felix Joseph Aulisi (June 18, 1901 in

Laviano Laviano is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

– September 20, 1976) was a

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

in the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

from 1952 until his retirement in 1971.

Biography

During his youth, he lived in Italy with his mother after his father emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to seek the family's fortune. At the age of 12, the future justice followed his father to the city of

Amsterdam, New York Amsterdam is a city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The City of Amsterdam is surrounded on the northern, eastern ...

, where he helped in his father's shoemaker shop. Following graduation from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

and

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at Al ...

Union University Union University is a private Baptist Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It is ...

, he was admitted to the New York State Bar on September 15, 1925. He began the practice of law in Amsterdam with the law firm of Conover, Myers and Searle, where he worked for five years before entering solo practice. After serving as an assistant district attorney, Justice Aulisi commenced his judicial career first as Montgomery County Surrogate Judge, followed by his election as Montgomery County Court Judge in 1949, and then his election to the

in 1952. Justice Aulisi's reelection to the Supreme Court in 1966 set a record for vote margin of victory. Justice Aulisi was appointed to the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court in 1964, where he served until his retirement in 1971. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Justice Aulisi served three years in the Army in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

and

, attaining rare distinction as a much decorated military judge with the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

occupation forces in Italy as a captain and then major. When Justice Aulisi volunteered for military service in 1943, the 42-year-old judge was married with three children and held an exempt position as a judge of a court of record. In 1944, when his surrogate judgeship came up for election, he was returned unopposed for a third term ''in absentia'', the oath of office being delivered to him in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. He was married to Rose Pipito Aulisi and has three children: Rosalie Aulisi Riccio, Nancy Aulisi Catena and Joseph G. Aulisi. His brother,

Arthur Aulisi Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more ...

, was also a justice of the New York Supreme Court. His two sons-in-law, Michael J. Riccio and Gene L. Catena, have served as judges in Montgomery County, New York. His nephew, Richard T. Aulisi, is currently a justice of the New York Supreme Court, and his grandson, Felix J. Catena, is currently Montgomery County Court Judge.

External links

History of the Third Department
- Historical Society of the Courts of the State of New York {{DEFAULTSORT:Aulisi, Felix J. 1901 births 1976 deaths Italian emigrants to the United States People from Amsterdam, New York New York (state) state court judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American judges American politicians of Italian descent American lawyers and judges of Italian descent