Imagine being called "the Honorable …" at the age of 25. Hilton resident Michael Sciortino recently earned that title at the tender age of 25 by being appointed as Parma's new town justice. The appointment may make him the youngest to ever hold that position in New York state. Sciortino took the seat of the Honorable James Connelly who retired as a Parma justice. Following Connelly's retirement, the town placed a help wanted ad in the newspaper. Sciortino responded and was chosen by the Town Justice Selection Committee. "Without a doubt, this is the biggest honor of my life," Sciortino said. "I applied because I sincerely want to contribute to my native community that has been so supportive of me over the years." Sciortino grew up in Spencerport with his two older twin brothers, John and Sam, and his two sisters, Maria and Melissa. His parents, Salvatore and Vivian, raised their family after emigrating from Sicily. Sciortino said he is close to his family, including his cousin Giuseppe Bellanca, who also emigrated from Sicily. Sciortino graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School in 1993 and the University of Rochester in 1997. From there he went on to Albany Law School, where he graduated with is Juris Doctor degree. Today, Sciortino is an associate attorney at Chamberlain D'Amanda Oppenheimer and Greenfield by day and a town justice by night. The self-described "ambitious" young judge spends more than 50 hours a week working at the firm and the majority of the rest of his time fulfilling his duties as town justice. When he's not splitting his time between his two careers, he's occupied with the Sicilian Sports Club, Italian American Club, Casa Italiano or the Boy Scouts Troupe 92 where he serves as an assistant leader. Somewhere in all of that he tries to find time for his fiancée, Tara Angelo, who is also an attorney. Indeed his climb to the bench has been swift, but Sciortino is the first to admit that he couldn't have done it alone. "My parents have always instilled traditional values in each of their children," he said. "I'm indebted to them for life." Sometimes, however, instilling the virtues of hard work and responsibility could be pretty tough. His mother said they focused on the basics. "We made sure that he never, never skipped school," Vivian said. Sciortino can recall, with a laugh, an embarrassing ride to school back in the first grade at Spencerport's Bernabi School. Like many kids his age, he dreaded getting dressed and ready in the morning. One day, after several warnings from his mother to be prepared in time for the bus, Sciortino was still in his pajamas. Ready or not, Vivian marched her future town justice out to the bus stop and he spent the day at school dressed quite casually -- in his pajamas. However, Sciortino would argue that it might have been the day he spent in his pajamas that kept him focused enough to someday don a robe. Sciortino hopes his focus will someday carry him even farther up the judicial ladder. "While I know it's a long way off, I hope to some day sit on the New York State Court of Appeals," he said. |
