Former City Sheriff David Goodman

Friends and family are reporting on Facebook that former Republican City Sheriff David S. Goodman, 41, died suddenly Saturday night in his South End home. Charlie Coviello, a 2015 mayoral candidate, with whom Goodman ran for reelection as a candidate for sheriff on the New Movement Party line, also reported to OIB of Goodman’s death. Coviello said he had dinner with Goodman at the New Colony Diner Saturday night. Goodman was found by a family member after collapsing, according to Coviello and Facebook postings.

Stout in build and a heavy smoker, Goodman served a couple of terms as a Republican city sheriff, an elected position whose job responsibilities include serving legal papers. On occasion he’d call OIB with story tips, sometimes those that had an ambitious bent to put together.

One of those stories involved former state sheriff and state marshal Charlie Valentino who was embroiled in an alleged towing scam involving the cars of delinquent taxpayers.

In 2014 Goodman had complained to police that long-time Republican political operative Valentino was still claiming to be a state marshal and doing evictions. Valentino entered a guilty plea last week to criminal charges of impersonating a state marshal and forgery. He faces up to a year in prison under a plea deal with state prosecutors.

Whether it was that case or other issues, Goodman had a falling-out with local Republican political leadership. He was not endorsed for another term as sheriff. Bridgeport has three Democratic and three Republican sheriffs. Goodman’s father has also been a Republican candidate for City Council in the 131st District.

According to Coviello, Goodman got his start in city politics as a teenager involved in the mayoral candidacy of Republican Mary Moran who served for one term after defeating Democrat Tom Bucci in 1989. Moran was defeated by Democrat Joe Ganim two years later.

“I consider David one of my best friends,” says Coviello, a multi-mayoral candidate, who formed the New Movement Party with Goodman in a failed effort to defeat the respective party establishment. “He was always there. He fought a lot of those fights that I fight for the little person. His legacy was that he never backed down from a fight and it was always a fight on behalf of someone who had less than he did. That’s who was was. He fought for the little guy.”

As a sheriff Goodman served eviction papers. “He struggled to throw people out of a house,” says Coviello. “He helped them find other housing and get them past their problems. No other sheriff did that and that’s what made him special.”

A Go Fund Me page has been set up because the family has no funds for the funeral, according to a Goodman family friend Maria Lebron. “I am praying that people of Bridgeport will pull through,” Lebron wrote to OIB. “He helped many in this community.”