Retired Worcester firefighter Joseph Casello, a lawmaker in Florida, dies of heart attack
He was 73.
Casello, a Democrat, was a sitting member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 90. He lived in Boynton Beach.
He was hospitalized after a heart attack in early July and passed away on Friday, July 18, according to The Palm Beach Post newspaper. He had been on life support.
He spent more than three decades with the Worcester Fire Department, having grown up in the city. He also worked as an electrician.
After retiring from the department, he moved to Boynton Beach, in Palm Beach County. Within a few years he won a seat as a city commissioner. He was elected by three votes.
He was first elected to the House in 2018. He was serving his fourth term.
Before moving to Florida, Casello made a bid for Worcester City Council. He lost to incumbent Jofferey A. Smith in the 2007 race for the District 1 seat.
Prior to being taken off life support, Casello released a statement:
"My life has always been about public service and meeting the needs of my community. Serving as both a firefighter for 33 years and an elected official for 13 years has been the greatest honor of my life. Representing the people — through times of unity and division, triumph and challenge — has been a privilege I will always cherish."
Casello, who retired from the Worcester Fire Department as a lieutenant, was stationed on Park Avenue the morning of March 7, 1990, when fire broke out in an apartment house on Florence Street. A mother and three young children died in the blaze. Casello later said the fire had deep and continuing affect on him.
A photo of Casello, tired and distraught, appeared in the next day's newspaper.
Casello's time as a Worcester firefighter was referenced in remarks by Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic party.
She said: "Joe Casello was the kind of public servant every community hopes for," Fried wrote. "As a firefighter for 33 years, he literally ran toward danger to protect others. As an Air Force veteran he understood how important it was to serve selflessly. As a city commissioner and state legislator, he brought that same courage and steady leadership to the halls of government."
Material from The Palm Beach Post was used in this report.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Ex-Worcester firefighter Joseph Casello, lawmaker in Fla., dies of heart attack
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