110833841
To the Editor:
I met Judge Anthony DeFino in 1972 when he and his wife Rose attended my wedding. After I passed the bar in ’76, we would often see each other in Philadelphia City Hall, each of us busy trial lawyers. The difference, of course, was that I was the young upstart while he was the seasoned master. He was always ready to put his arm around me, calm my nerves and lend some fatherly legal advice.
I will never forget my first opportunity to appear before Judge DeFino after he was elected to the Court of Common Pleas in ’88. I wasn’t just appearing before a judge, I was appearing before my friend and mentor. Judge DeFino was a tall man, impeccable dresser, always perfectly groomed, handsome, with a full head of perfectly combed black hair. When he stood up behind that bench, with his hands on his hips, he towered over the courtroom. He had a habit of looking back and forth across the room like a general reviewing his troops. He was the iconic vision of a judge, very imposing. Then he spied me walking into the courtroom, and that signature smile broke out and then came the words, uttered with a South Philly accent, “What can we do for you today, Mr. D?”
In my 40 years as a Philadelphia lawyer, he was the finest judge to grace the bench of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. He started promptly at 9:30 a.m. and expected everyone, lawyers, as well as the court personnel to be ready to go. He worked incessantly, even if he was sick. He knew how to try a case because he was a trial lawyer himself. He knew how to work through and resolve legal issues so as not to delay the trial. He was kind and courteous to everyone in his courtroom. Judge DeFino was a man who fixed problems, and he fixed them with South Philly Italian practicality. He was courteous to the lawyers who appeared before him. He was compassionate as well in his sentencing policies. He wasn’t about warehousing human beings.
Off the bench, Judge DeFino was a gregarious, raconteur often seen holding or smoking one of his long favorite cigars. He always had an ear for a great joke, to which he would react with a high-pitched laugh. He enjoyed spending summers with his family and his many grandchildren at the Shore. He also loved eating in Italian restaurants in South Philly, especially his son’s restaurant. I am truly honored to have known and befriended this great man. What a tremendous tribute and legacy to be able to bring smiles to the faces of all who knew Judge DeFino at the mere mention of his name.
Perry de Marco Sr.
Overbrook
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