Former Mass. Attorney General Frank Bellotti dies at 101

Frank Bellotti, a former Massachusetts attorney general and former lieutenant governor, died Tuesday at age 101, his family said in a statement.

Bellotti was unsuccessful in his three attempts to become governor, but still held an influential position in local politics. He is widely regarded as the person who transformed the attorney general’s office into a nonpartisan law firm in the 1970s and 1980s.

In a statement, his family said they were “deeply saddened” by the death of their father, who died almost two years after his wife Maggie. Bellotti left behind 11 children, 25 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, his family said.

“We will always be grateful to my father for his endless love and support. He has always been there as a guiding light for us in all our endeavors. “I learned from him the power of the law and the special responsibility of serving as an officer of the court,” said his son, former assistant district attorney and criminal defense attorney Peter Bellotti.

The World War II veteran was one of the original Navy Seals and returned to the state to begin a long political career that had a “significant” impact on law, politics and economics in Massachusetts.

Bellotti’s daughter, Sheila Bellotti-Marchetti, said the family was “heartbroken to say goodbye to our father and took comfort in the knowledge that he will join our mother Maggie in heaven.”

“Many remember him as Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General of Massachusetts, and we continue to hear stories from countless people who considered him a mentor. He shaped his politics with integrity and wisdom and always sought to positively impact the lives of those he served,” the family said in their statement.

Norfolk County Treasurer and former Norfolk Sheriff Michael Bellotti said his father was his “north star and always supported me, just as he did all of his children.”

“I will miss our conversations about its rich political history, which dates back to the 1960s, and we will forever remember the Sunday dinners together spanning over 50 years,” said Michael Bellotti.

This is a developing story…

Originally published: December 17, 2024 at 11:45 am EST