William L. Wollenberg, Former Judge and GOP Legislator Known For Fiery Speeches, Dies At Age 79

William L. Wollenberg, a former Republican legislator who was known for his fiery speeches on the House floor, died Monday at the age of 79. He would have turned 80 next week.

A lawmaker for 12 years, Wollenberg was nominated for a judgeship in December 1996 by then-Republican Gov. John G. Rowland in the same high-profile class of judges that included Democrat Barbara M. Quinn, who is now the chief court administrator, and Peter Zarella, a Republican who rose to the state Supreme Court.

Wollenberg, a conservative, often squared off on issues like the death penalty and gay rights in epic battles on judicial issues as he thundered on the House floor against Rep. Richard Tulisano, an equally fiery Democrat and civil libertarian. The peak of those battles was in the late 1980s and early 1990s when each of them delivered stentorian stemwinders on the House floor.

Sen. Martin M. Looney, who is now the Senate majority leader, has said that he ”learned as much law from Bill and Richard as I did in law school.”

After a career as a Superior Court judge at various courthouses, he became a trial referee in July 2002 and then chief administrative judge for the trial referees in 2007.

Born in Hartford, Wollenberg attended Farmington High School, Middlebury College in Vermont and the University of Connecticut law school. A former chairman of the Farmington school board, he started serving in the state House of Representatives in January 1983 and eventually became the co-chairman of the powerful judiciary committee when the Republicans controlled the House for two years. It was on that committee that he clashed philosophically with Tulisano, who reigned with far-reaching powers when  he served as judiciary co-chairman.

Wollenberg was known as one of the top debaters among the House Republicans until he became a judge. His nomination was approved by the judiciary committee – the same committee where he had served for years.

When Wollenberg came up for a judgeship, Tulisano – who was no longer on the committee at that point – testifed on his behalf. After his testimony, Tulisano walked over to the startled Wollenberg and gave him a traditional Italian kiss.

Funeral arrangements were not complete Monday evening.

Some Capitol insiders said after Wollenberg’s death that the legislature no longer has as many characters quite like Wollenberg, Tulisano, and others.

Nearly two months after his death in February 2008, Tulisano was remembered on the floor of the House of Representatives as a one-of-a-kind giant who loved life and always fought for the little guy.

Tulisano, who died at the age of 68, was hailed by his colleagues as a passionate and compassionate legislator who left his mark on many bills during a 26-year House career that included 14 years as the powerful co-chairman of the judiciary committee.

Tulisano was a Frank Sinatra fan who also had his own “rat pack” that included close friends such as Rep. William Dyson of New Haven, the former longtime co-chairman of the appropriations committee; Rep. Robert Frankel, the former majority leader; and Rep. Richard Balducci, the former House Speaker.

Among the remembrances from that day in 2008, Rep. Shawn Johnston recalled the homily at Tulisano’s funeral Mass at a Hartford church that recalled the huge number of young people whom Tulisano had helped. “Richard was a giant in the world outside this building,” Johnston said.

Rep. Pat Dillon, a longtime Democrat from New Haven, described Tulisano as “deeply Catholic, deeply Italian, a proud craftsman of the law.” A pro-life Catholic, he was known for being against the death penalty and against abortion. Dillon then told a tale of when she was “a very young hot head” who came to testify at the Capitol and ended up being taught a lesson by Tulisano many years ago.

While Tulisano was deemed by many as a liberal, Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, who succeeded Tulisano as chairman of the judiciary committee, said that characterization was overly simplistic.

“He was all over the place on many issues,” Lawlor said.

Dyson brought the chamber to a hush with a long speech about a legislative giant who came to be a close friend. In a classic trip overseas that was one for the ages, Dyson traveled to Italy with Tulisano and Balducci. Tulisano was at the wheel of a rental car, showing Dyson all of the great sights in Italy.

“Richard wanted nothing more than to show me the country,” Dyson said. “He loved being Italian! God, did he love being Italian! … He was forever the Italian. He was forever the historian. He was forever the culturalist.”

Dyson said he “idolized” Tulisano in the same way that others idolized Tuler in the Capitol.

“I loved him better than anybody I can think of who I’ve loved in my life,” Dyson said. “There will never be another Richard Tulisano.”

House Speaker James Amann – the final speaker of the day – started by saying that Dyson was a hard act to follow. Every baseball player, Amann said, wished that he had played one day with Babe Ruth or Ted Williams. Any player in any sport wished to have rubbed elbows with the greats.

“If there was a Hall of Fame [in the Connecticut legislature], Richard would be one of the first to be put there,” Amann said, adding that Tulisano was “one of the best ever.”

As a young legislator, Amann remembered seeing Tulisano one day in a scene of “yelling, screaming, doors slamming, papers flying” that legislators, lobbyists, and reporters have seen through the years.

“He’s legendary,” Amann said. “His spirit will live in this chamber forever.”