Person Record
Images
Metadata
Name |
Fossi, Louis J. |
Othernames |
Lou King Lou |
Born |
4/30/1930 |
Birthplace |
Ridgefield, CT |
Places of residence |
Ridgefield, CT Montgomery, AL (where he was stationed in the Air Force, met his wife, and had his first two children) retired to Indian Land, SC |
Titles & honors |
First Selectman of Ridgefield, CT |
Father |
Domenico "Dominic" Fossi |
Mother |
Ida (Montanari) Fossi |
Education |
Graduated Ridgefield High School in 1949 |
Notes |
Two months after he took office as First Selectman, nature gave Fossi his first test as a leader - the extraordinary December 1973 ice storm (which inspired the Ang Lee movie) devastated the area, knocking out power for as much as a week in some areas while temperatures dipped to minus 2. Fossi, working closely with the Town crew led by Frank Serfilippi, helped to minimize the damage and speed the recovery. In a time of change and challenge, his administration had many accomplishments: it built the town's first senior citizen housing complex, Ballard Green. It helped bring Boehringer Ingelheim to town, breathing new life into the old high school building on East Ridge in the process. It replaced the sanitary landfill (called, in those days, the "dump") with a transfer station, and moved the police from their cramped quarters beneath Town Hall into their own headquarters. |
Occupation |
Served in the US Air Force and was stationed at Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL First Selectman of Ridgefield, CT Salesman of shoes, insurance, groceries, and real estate Worked at Fossi's Famous Footwear Sold insurance for Prudential Sold houses throughout town Operated Wayside Market Fossi served eight years in the 1960s as the lone Democrat on the Ridgefield Board of Selectmen, two years on the Board of Finance, and then four consecutive terms as First Selectman, from 1973 to 1981. |
Relationships |
Louis was the fourth of seven children of Ida and Dominic Fossi. |
Spouse |
Mary Ann "Ann" (Sweeney) Fossi |
Children |
Mary Catherine Gregory, daughter Margaret Ann Oldham, daughter Lawrence Fossi, son Joseph Fossi, son Daniel Fossi, son Loretta Jouanno, daughter James Fossi, son |
Related Records
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2012.312.3186 - Print, photographic
Misc. photos of Ron Sarazin, Louis Fossi, Elizabeth Leonard, George Bush, Sylvia Latanzi, Lowell Weiker
Record Type: Archive
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2013.-322.3117 - Print, Photographic
Ridgefield Boys Club Basetball Team - 1954
Record Type: Archive
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2022.057.105 - Document
Documents for $3,660,000 bond sale by Town of Ridgefield. September 14, 1965
Record Type: Archive
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