Family, friends and politicians reflect on legacy of former Hartford Mayor Ann Uccello

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Former Hartford Mayor Ann Uccello has died. She was 100.

Uccello was a pioneer, the first woman to be elected mayor of Hartford and the first woman to be elected mayor of a capital city in the US.

Uccello was born and raised in Hartford. She was the second of five daughters in a closely-knit Italian family.

“She was a trailblazer. Not just because of her gender but also because of her real accomplishments, the way she worked with the community, what she did for housing,” said David Gustafson, Ann Ucello’s nephew.

One of her closest friends, and author of her biography, The Exceptional Miss Uccello: the legacy of Hartford’s first female mayor, shared his memories with Eyewitness News, telling us, the title was a no brainer.

“The Exceptional Miss Uccello, and she was. There is no other way to say it. She was one of a kind,” says Paul Pirrotta. “All I have to say about Ann and myself, it was just very special. We will miss her dearly. My wife and I.”

Holding a hand drawn photo of Ann that Uccello herself gave to him -- Paul Pirrotta remembers their ten year friendship, and his decision to write a book on the trailblazer.

“It really was a joy that I would never have expected to experience in life,” says Pirrotta.

In a city run by Democrats, Uccello was not only a Republican running for Mayor in 1967, but a female. She won: twice.

“All of a sudden they came out and they said ‘Miss Uccello is the next mayor’ and people started singing ‘for she is the mayor of Hartford. For she is the mayor of Hartford.’ That’s what I remember myself,” said David, Ucello’s nephew.

She then went on to work in the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations. She persevered through adversity as a woman in politics.

“People were calling her the ‘little girl mayor,’ and [saying] ‘why are you doing this job?’ So she had to put up with some discrimination, real discrimination, real people that felt she didn’t belong. But she was tough, and she had to be,” David said.

“That means a lot that it was a woman. In the 60′s that did it on her own,” says Carole Mulready of the CT League of Women Voters in Greater Hartford. “This was a challenging time, and she took the reins, so I can be proud of that as a citizen of Hartford for many many years.”

In 2008, Hartford’s Ann Street was renamed Ann Uccello Street.

“I think it’s a reminder to people as they’re driving to Hartford that hey, we had a trailblazer right here in our capitol city,” said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

Pirrotta says getting to know her story, it was clear she always followed her faith and heart, not politics.

“Ann is the paradox, a person who will make a decision truly based on her beliefs and let the consequences fall where they may,” says Pirrotta. “The focus that she had, it’s incredible. I read back some of her speeches. She was one of the first ones to talk about lead poisoning.”

Uccello was also one of the first to talk about affordable housing in Hartford.

Governor Lamont speaking on Uccello’s accomplishments saying, “... She fought to expand housing, ensure that children have access to essential services, and encouraged job growth and opportunities in Hartford .....”

With Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz adding, “..... Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when the threat of riots overcame Hartford, Ann took to the neighborhoods to speak and mourn with residents, encouraging peace. She served with a level of empathy, understanding, and care that is so needed in politics ...”

Current Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin noted, “Ann Uccello broke glass ceilings, but beyond that— she led Hartford through an enormously challenging & consequential time with courage, clarity, and compassion ....”

“It wasn’t just the fact that she was a female. That was almost secondary to her. She was focused on policy and the right policy and didn’t matter where they came from. That was Ann,” says Pirrotta.

Here’s our full interview with Paul Pirrotta, the author of The Exceptional Miss Uccello: The Legacy of Hartford’s First Female Mayor.

Several lawmakers reacted to the news of her passing.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said in part: “Ann Uccello broke glass ceilings, but beyond that— she led Hartford through an enormously challenging & consequential time with courage, clarity, and compassion.”

Governor Ned Lamont stated: “Ann Uccello was a trailblazer who was born and raised in Hartford and dedicated her career in public service to the city she loved. She fought to expand housing, ensure that children have access to essential services, and encouraged job growth and opportunities in Hartford.”

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said in part: “Ann Uccello made history as the first woman to serve as mayor of a capitol city, shattering glass ceilings and commanding attention not just here, but across the globe.”

Ann Uccello’s funeral will be held next week. Her family says services will be open to the public.

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