Cloture Motion

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator Whitehouse to pay tribute to a legendary police officer, Vincent Vespia, Jr., whose distinguished career in Rhode Island law enforcement spanned 57 years, from a young State trooper, to a top organized crime investigator, to chief of police.

Vin passed away suddenly on January 24, 2023, at the age of 84, and we wanted to take a moment to honor this great hero--a police officer who was so beloved and respected by all, who practiced and taught the art of community policing, and who truly made a positive difference in the lives of countless Rhode Islanders.

Vin was a dear friend, and I will always remember with great fondness the time we spent together, especially when he came down to Washington with his fellow chiefs of police. I deeply admired the chief, not just as a police officer but as a person with wisdom like no other.

In 2012, Chief Vespia, who was still actively serving as South Kingstown's police chief, was honored as the first-ever inductee into the Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame.

At that time, he was well known for fearlessly pursuing investigations into organized crime and corruption and had already served 30 years as the chief of the South Kingstown Police Department. And he continued in that role for another 4 years.

Vin's courage and integrity made him, quite deservedly, one of the most respected and revered members of the State's not only law enforcement community but of the State overall.

As Stephen Pare, the former commissioner for public safety for the city of Providence put it, Vespia was ``relentless and honest, and as strong as you can be as a police officer.'' He described him as a ``no- nonsense chief'' who was comfortable talking with anyone on the force. ``He commanded respect because he gave respect,'' Pare said.

And that is an apt description and high praise, indeed, but well deserved.

Vincent Vespia grew up on Federal Hill and then the East Side of Providence. He served in the Army for 2 years and worked at the then ``new'' Bostitch factory in East Greenwich before finding his true calling in law enforcement.

Beginning as a motorcycle trooper in 1959, he served in the elite Rhode Island State Police for two decades before becoming chief of police of South Kingstown.

During his 21 years with the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit, he focused on combating organized crime. Throughout the 1960s and seventies, Vin Vespia helped coordinate State and local efforts to successfully track, disrupt, and dismantle organized crime.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mike Stanton chronicled some of those stories noting that, in his words:

Vespia grew up playing in the street with some of the wise guys he would later pursue as a cop.

Stanton tells the story of how, as a young trooper, Vespia arrested a former playmate from his old neighborhood with a truckload of stolen furs. Recognizing his childhood friend, the perpetrator asked Vespia:

How can you arrest me? We played kick the can together.

Vespia replied:

You went one way, I went another.

Indeed, he took the high road in everything he did.

In one of his most notable cases, Vin Vespia worked for years to gain the trust of a known hit man in order to collect evidence leading to the arrest and prosecution of notorious organized crime leader Raymond Patriarca, the head of organized crime in New England.

In addition to being an outstanding police officer, Vin Vespia was an incredible mentor. He taught generations of law enforcement officers the finer points of police work and leadership.

Toward the end of his career, a local television station asked the chief about his legacy, and he replied:

Forget about what I've done, what my rank was, where I've worked, and the cases I've made . . . forget about all that . . . if somebody would remember me as . . . a guy who tried to be a good cop, [then] I'm happy.

Mr. President, Vin Vespia was not only a guy who tried to be a good cop, he was a great cop.

And when he finally hung up holster and badge, the Providence Journal proclaimed:

Hail to the chief: Vincent Vespia, Jr., ``most admired law enforcement officer'' in R.I., retires after 35 years as town's top cop.

Along with Senator Whitehouse, I want to express our condolences and gratitude to Chief Vespia's beloved wife and partner Judy. A police officer's family makes sacrifices so that their loved one may serve, and that is certainly true for Vin's beloved family.

And I want to recognize his children, including Renee Caouette and her husband Ron, Robin Vespia, and the late Rhonda Vespia.

Chief Vespia was also a doting and devoted grandfather to his grandchildren: Dylan, Tyler, Dante, and the late Chad O'Brien.

And I also salute his dear brothers, Jay and the late Robert Vespia.

And now, I yield to someone who worked closely with Chief Vespia in a variety of capacities--as the attorney general of the State of Rhode Island, as a Federal attorney for the District of Rhode Island, as one of the most successful, effective attorneys and Federal officers, as well as State officers, in the history of our State--my colleague Senator Whitehouse.

With that, I yield to Senator Whitehouse.

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