Ralph Falsetta
Ralph Joseph Falsetta, known as Big Ralph Falsetta (April 25, 1914 – May 13, 1999),[1] was a businessman from his native Donaldsonville in Ascension Parish near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who from 1975 to 1976 represented District 18 as a Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate.[2]
Ralph Joseph Falsetta | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Senator for District 18 (parts of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes) | |
| In office 1975–1976 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Lambert |
| Succeeded by | Joe Sevario |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 25, 1914 Donaldsonville Ascension Parish Louisiana, USA |
| Died | May 13, 1999 (aged 84) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Solange Simoneaux Falsetta |
| Children | Raphael Joseph "Rip" Falsetta Rosalyn F. Griffin |
| Parents | Anthony "Tony" and Rosa Regira Falsetta |
| Residence | Donaldsonville, Louisiana |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Background
Falsetta was the son of Anthony "Tony" Falsetta (1885-1963)[3] and the former Rosa Regira (1890-1966), both natives of Italy.[1] Tony Falsetta founded the Town and Country Club in Donaldsonville, where Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Irma Thomas often played during the 1950s.[4]
Ralph Falsetta and his wife, the former Solange Simoneaux (1911-1996), had three children, Raphael Anthony "Rip" Falsetta (1943-2009); Rosalyn F. Griffin, the widow of Charles Griffin; and Marilyn F. Diez and husband, Ronald.
Public career
Falsetta was the mayor of historic Donaldsonville,[3] which was from 1829 to 1831 the Louisiana state capital. In 1981, as the newly elected mayor, Falsetta appointed a bond committee and worked to extend the Donaldsonville city limits to accommodate Sam Walton's Wal-Mart, which two years later opened a 45,000-square-foot store built outside the corporate limits. Several local merchants, a department store owner and a mortician-businessman, E. J. Ourso, the benefactor of the Louisiana State University E. J. Ourso College of Business, fought against the bonds for Wal-Mart construction. When Falsetta and Ourso appeared before the Louisiana Bond Commission, the two men nearly came to a physical confrontation until chairman B. B. "Sixty" Rayburn of Bogalusa, a member of the state Senate, admonished the two to "wait till you get back to Donaldsonville. The folks down there might enjoy it."[5]
Falsetta filled the year remaining in the state Senate term of Louis Lambert, a Baton Rouge Democrat who was elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission.[2]
The Falsettas, who died three years apart, are interred at the Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church Cemetery in Donaldsonville.[3]
References
- "Ralph Joseph Falsetta". searchancestry.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- "Membership in the Louisiana State Senate since 1880:Ascension Parish" (PDF). senate.la.gov. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- "Ralph "Big Ralph" Falsetta". findagrave.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- "Smiley: Losing the Race (Music Makers section)". Baton Rouge Advocate. July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- Bob Ortega (The Wall Street Journal) (1998). In Sam We Trust: The Untold Story of Sam Walton and How Wal-Mart Is Devouring the World. Times Books. pp. 168–169. ISBN 0-7494-3177-6. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
| Preceded by Louis Lambert |
Louisiana State Senator for District 18 (Ascension, Livingston, and St. James parishes) Ralph Joseph Falsetta |
Succeeded by Joe Sevario |