Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio dies at 76

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, a prominent figure in Rhode Island politics for decades, dies at 76.

Ruggerio’s death was confirmed by his office this morning. He had been battling cancer and was recently hospitalized.

Ruggerio was first elected to the General Assembly in 1980 as a state representative for which he served two terms. Ruggerio then ran for and won a state senate position which he held since 1985.

After spending many years in a top position with the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), he left upon his election as Senate president in 2017.