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April 2, 2024

Trailblazing attorney Vincent Trantolo dies at 78

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED (From left) Scott, Keith and Vincent Trantolo of Hartford-based law firm Trantolo & Trantolo.
By Andrew Larson

An attorney who led the Hartford-based law firm Trantolo & Trantolo for decades, and who was seen as a visionary and a pioneer in marketing, has died. 

Vincent Trantolo died March 25 after a battle with congestive heart failure, according to his obituary. He was 78.

He was the son of the firm’s founder, Joseph Trantolo Sr., and took helm of the firm with his brother, Joseph Trantolo Jr., in 1971 when their father became ill.

Vincent Trantolo was known to say: “We are trial lawyers, compassionate with those who seek our help, and relentless against those who would seek to harm them,” according to a statement released by the firm.

He was dedicated to social improvement and helped more than 20,000 clients throughout his five-decade career, the firm said. 

Vincent Trantolo believed attorneys had the right to advertise like other businesses and defied a state prohibition by running several advertisements on TV in 1981.

Although he was sanctioned, he appealed and won a state Supreme Court case in 1984, setting a precedent allowing attorneys to advertise on television, which remains in effect today.

“He was a pioneer,” Scott Trantolo, CEO of Trantolo & Trantolo, and Vincent’s son, recently told the Hartford Business Journal. “He was a leader in marketing, and it was something that he believed in so much so that he was willing to put his license and his livelihood on the line to fight for what he believed was his right: the opportunity to market to people to let them know that he could provide them legal services and for a reasonable cost.”

Vincent Trantolo also won the largest police pursuit settlement in Connecticut history, which forced the State Police to change their methods for restraining children.

“Throughout his illustrious career as a personal injury attorney, Vincent’s immeasurable influence extended far beyond the boardroom and courtroom walls, inspiring countless individuals,” Trantolo & Trantolo said in a statement. “He was a mentor, trailblazer and beacon of integrity, setting the standard for ethical practice and compassionate leadership.” 

Vincent Trantolo graduated from Fairfield University in 1968 and Suffolk University Law School in 1971.

In 1999, he co-founded the Hartford County Bar Foundation, a charitable organization that provides support programs for people who are homeless, hungry, sick, disabled, unemployed or otherwise disadvantaged. 

Vincent Trantolo was a member of the CT Trial Lawyers Association, National Mentors Association and an instructor at the Connecticut Police Academy.

He also created a program with the late Hartford Mayor Michael Peters to promote youth bicycle safety, called “Heads Up For Safety.”

Trantolo & Trantolo was founded by Joseph Trantolo Sr. in 1938. The firm, which has seven offices in Connecticut and New York, is now led by the third generation of Trantolos, attorney Keith Trantolo and Scott Trantolo, who is the firm’s CEO.

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