Honoring John’s wishes, there will be no services. Donations in John’s honor can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital,www.stjude.org, an organization close to his heart. Arrangements in care of Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull. To offer online condolences please visit https://abriola.com
John Ricci, the shrewd political agent who worked for 10 mayoral administrations dating back to 1963, including for Democrats and Republicans, and most recently helmed Public Facilities, passed away on Saturday. He was 81.
In recent months Ricci became ill and was tight lipped about his condition, even with some of his closest friends.
Ricci was something of a Swiss army knife in politics, an operative in tweed hat involved in just about every aspect of building a political organization. He was the survivor among survivors, a chameleon of sorts who knew how to ingratiate himself with the task at hand.
You could say Ricci’s number was on speed dial of municipal government. His service to the city dated back to 1963 when he first worked in the engineering department of municipal government during the administration of Mayor Sam Tedesco. Ricci tested for the civil service job and got it. He worked for nine other mayors after that.
In 2013, then Mayor Bill Finch fired Ricci, head of the airport, over a controversial runway safety project that involved a developer friend. Ricci asserted he was a scapegoat. He was allowed to retire in lieu of a wrongful termination. Ricci, cunning in his revenge, didn’t go away. He teamed up with Joe Ganim’s return to the mayoralty in 2015, advising the mayor on a number of campaign issues.
Ricci was appointed head of Public Facilities.
As a department head, Ricci received high scores leading the city’s super agency, which oversees public works, sanitation, engineering, the airport, parks, department of aging. And to boot, he sat on the board of the Water Pollution Control Authority, the royal flush of departments.
Almost everyone rated Ricci high on competency rankings. The knock? He plays on the edge. He knows the guys and dolls of the city.
During Ganim’s return, some government controversies had piled up under Ricci. A sunshine fund in violation of city policy from public works scrap-metal sales was used to pay for meals, event tickets and other morale-boosting activities for department employees.
The feds came calling but no one was charged criminally.
“I did, in fact, continue an ongoing process that was in place which was in violation of an existing city ordinance,” Ricci stated in 2019. “I did not take any money for any personal use. It was used for morale purposes.”
Ricci forfeited four weeks pay as a disciplinary matter.
In addition, allegations of workplace discrimination filed by two female underlings did not help matters. Ricci also had a poor relationship with City Council President Aidee Nieves.
After his 2019 divorce with Ganim, Ricci announced it as a retirement from government, something he had done before, but declared it for good.
Was the political warhorse pushed out?
No, he said, “I did this on my time.”
Ricci’s public statement: “The time has come for me to retire. I want to be out of the public spotlight and spend my retirement years in quiet enjoyment.”
It was hard to believe Ricci would ride off into the Gary Cooper sunset on Saturday afternoons, nibbling porchetta sandwiches, like some lonely fly searching for gossip at Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa’s bar.
As so many in politics, Ricci was a score keeper. His last campaign was on behalf of John Gomes who lost to Ganim in the protracted mayoral battle of 2023 that lasted into 2024 following the absentee ballot controversy
He became a senior advisor to Gomes’ mayoral campaign and a key fundraiser. Gomes had supported Ganim’s return in 2015, received an executive position but also butted heads with Ganim.
The 2023 mayoral cycle was arguably the most controversial ever, not only because of the ballot snafu. Many ex allies of Ganim had embraced Gomes who came close to taking out Ganim in the Democratic primary and then again in the first general election.
Ganim got his act together for the primary redo ordered by a state judge and second general election, defeating the money-challenged Gomes handily.
While a key operative for Gomes, Ricci did not stick around for the second general election that Ganim won by 20 points in early 2024. Gomes’ money had dried up because there’s only so many times you can dip into the fundraising well.
There was a pragmatic side to Ricci who loved the political action. He told Gomes he was headed for a big loss. Gomes did not listen, opting to run in the second general election.
Even in his last campaign affiliation, Ricci was prescient.
“A sunshine fund in violation of city policy from public works scrap-metal sales was used to pay for meals, event tickets and other morale-boosting activities for department employees.”
The “sunshine fund” was NEVER used for the above mentioned purposes. If it was, why did the whistle-blower (a long time transfer station employee) report the activities taking place?
“The feds came calling but no one was charged criminally.”
Tell that to A.J. Perez. Metal Gate was supposed to be the subject of the meeting Perez had with an FBI agent set-up be an old female colleague who worked at the States Attorney Office. I should out her by name, she owes me a 🍩 and ☕️.
“You could say Ricci’s number was on speed dial of municipal government.”
It sure as he’ll was. It was Ricci who made a deal with former Public Works Director Craig (lis) Nadryzny to get the video showing Wanda Geter stuffing the AB Ballot box. Get me the video and you stay as Public Works Director. I of course threw a wrench into that plan. Nadrizny had no other choice than to submit his retirement papers. That what he gets for crossing this Janitor. By the way Lennie, I divorced Joke Ganim about a week ago.
John was a personal and political powerhouse. Even if you didn’t like the man you had to respect his abilities. Rest in Peace. A true warrior.
The last time I spoke to him, he stated the I worked for him. I responded, “I never worked for you, I worked for the City of Bridgeport.” I don’t hate or dislike much, always given people the benefit of my doubts. I lose respect for anyone who takes food from my family’s table, regardless they do it under some one else’s order. During the last 17 years alone of my 26 years of service, I got very little Respect, Curtesy and Peace from the Sacred Cows and their farmers. I’m I clear?