Tony Marcella, 43; active in Democratic politics

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, March 13, 2008

BY MICHAEL P. McKINNEY

Projo.com staff writer

Marcella
Tony Marcella, a former chief aide to U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy whose work extended to working as a lobbyist and Democratic consultant, died Tuesday from complications associated with ALS, often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 43.

A native of Everett, Mass., Marcella was described by friends yesterday as a man who thoroughly enjoyed politics on the inside and outside, starting in the 1980s with the former speaker of the House in Massachusetts, George Keverian.

After working on U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s reelection campaign in 1988 and serving in the senator’s Boston office, Marcella moved to Rhode Island to work with Kennedy’s son, Patrick, who was in his third year as a state legislator representing voters in Mount Pleasant.

By then, says another former Kennedy aide, Chris Vitale, Marcella was convinced that Patrick Kennedy should be in Congress and managed the 1994 election that took both of them to Washington. As Kennedy’s spokesman and chief of staff until 2001, he undertook duties such as coordinating the visits to Rhode Island of two heads of state — the presidents of Portugal and Italy.

Marcella returned to State House politics to work for two years as executive assistant to Rhode Island House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, D-Providence.

“Politics was truly in his blood and he loved every detail,” Kennedy said in a statement yesterday. “It is with a heavy heart that I bid goodbye to my dear friend.”

Although he struggled with some symptoms associated with ALS for two or three years, he was diagnosed with the disease only a few months ago. He left Newport, where he headed the lobbying and consulting group Strategic Associates and managed Guillaume de Ramel’s failed race against A. Ralph Mollis to become the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, to go back to Boston to be with his parents, Angela and Anthony Marcella Sr., his sister Kim, and brother-in-law, Chris.

In a statement yesterday, Fox said Marcella’s political instincts were second to none. “But what I will always remember the most about Tony was his ability to laugh and to have fun.

“There is a very social aspect to politics and Tony thoroughly enjoyed planning and attending events and functions, or just going out to dinner with a group of his Rhode Island political friends. He was truly one of a kind.”

The funeral will be at Immaculate Conception Church, 487-489 Broadway in Everett, Saturday at 11 a.m. Calling hours at Frederick Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, 65 Clark St., Everett, are 4 to 8 p.m. tomorrow.


— With reports from staff writer Richard Dujardin

mmckinne@projo.com