Dominick J. Ruggerio

Dominick J. Ruggerio (December 19, 1948 – April 21, 2025) was an American politician who was a Democratic member and president of the Rhode Island Senate, representing the 4th District from 1985. A member of the Senate since 1985, he was previously elected Majority Leader on November 10, 2010, having won election to his 14th term in the Senate on November 2, 2010. Ruggerio served as President of the Senate from 2017 until his death in 2025.

Background Dominick Ruggerio graduated from La Salle Academy in 1966. Ruggerio then attended Bryant College and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1974 from Providence College. He was a retired administrator for the New England Laborers Labor Management Coop Trust, as well as a member of the board of directors for the Wanskuck Library, the Sons of Italy, Loggia Vittoria, and the DaVinci Center Development Committee.

Personal life Ruggerio resided in North Providence and was the father of two children, Charles and Amanda.

Final years and death In April 2024, after concerns were raised about extended absences from the Senate, Ruggerio announced that he was undergoing treatment for cancer. He won another term in the Rhode Island Senate in the November 2024 election despite ongoing health challenges.

During the 2024 and 2025 legislative sessions, Ruggerio's illness increasingly limited his public appearances and participation in Senate business. He missed substantial portions of both sessions because of cancer treatments, hospitalizations, and related health complications.

On April 18, 2025, Ruggerio, was hospitalized again at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence after suffering complications related to his cancer treatment. Three days later, on April 21, he died at the age of 76.

Arrests and legal issues In November 1989, Ruggerio was charged with maliciously damaging the car of a Lincoln businessman, Nandy M. Sarda, in September of the same year. In February 1990, he was ordered to pay restitution and to stay away from Sarda.

In 2012, Ruggerio was arrested in Barrington, Rhode Island, and charged with DUI and refusal to submit to a breathalyzer. He later pleaded guilty to refusing the test, but the DUI charge was dismissed.