Lawrence Alioto

1942 - 2022

Lawrence Alioto
May 11, 1942 - August 10, 2022
Lawrence E. Alioto, Sr., a favorite son of San Francisco, passed away early in the evening of August 10, 2022. Born May 11, 1942 to Joseph Lawrence Alioto and Angelina Alioto (nee Genaro) in the Marina District, Lawrence grew up in Presidio Heights attending St. Vincent de Paul through grammar school and graduating high school from Saint Ignatius. While at Saint Ignatius Lawrence met Ann Mussallem, the love of his life, whom he would marry when they were just 21 years old. Lawrence and Ann went on to raise their two sons, Joseph Lawrence Alioto II and Lawrence E. Alioto, Jr., in Pacific Heights. Lawrence's last several decades were spent in North Beach where his grandparents settled from Sicily in the late 1800's.
Lawrence lived up to the highest traditions of Italian-American pride and hard work. He started his higher education at Notre Dame, but returned to be with Ann after one semester. Transferring to Stanford University, he completed his undergraduate studies in just three years. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from Boalt Hall Berkeley in 1966, passed the bar in Fall of that year, and practiced law for the next 56 years without interruption. Lawrence loved the law and had a gifted legal mind. He relished his family's tradition of taking on bullies, winning landmark cases over entrenched interests throughout a remarkable legal career. Lawrence was also a terrific athlete: a basketball star in his younger years, a dedicated open water swimmer with the Dolphin Club, and an avid golfer throughout.
But at the end of the day, Lawrence was not defined by academics or career or even his undying love of golf. He will be remembered by those who knew him best as an intellectual powerhouse and a true Renaissance man. As early as high school, he gladly scaled back the popularity of athletics in favor of stage acting with the drama club or esoteric intellectual pursuits like chess matches conducted exclusively in Latin with his Jesuit professors. A master of language, Lawrence became fluent in French through his studies at Stanford. Later he taught himself and mastered reading and writing in Russian, which he cultivated conversationally via weekly visits to San Francisco's Russian Center. It was not at all uncommon for Lawrence to memorize Shakespearian plays while on a bus to Santa Cruz en route to watch them performed live "in the park". One could only know this side of him if you knew Lawrence, as all his pursuits were for his own edification. If asked, he would willingly share but never with condescension. He was truly the purest of intellectuals.
In many ways, Lawrence Alioto was a dichotomy. An intellectual heavyweight who would laugh uncontrollably while reciting a Johnny Carson joke or watching Chevy Chase slapstick. A worldly man who did not much care for travel. A man who embraced solitude but was the life of every party.
Then there was family. Lawrence's love and gratitude for his grandparents' accomplishments and sacrifices always shined through as he would detail their journeys to a better life via San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf and the produce markets of Dallas. His love and admiration for his parents and siblings was unparalleled, and he would regularly recount with great pride their formidable legal, professional, and political triumphs. He relished his childhood, reminiscing of his summers in Los Gatos and Dallas – Ben Hogan, Fritos, Dr. Pepper, and 36 holes with his brother Joe. But above all others, Lawrence loved Ann, Joe II, Lawrence Jr., daughter-in-law Cathy and his grandchildren, Trey, Isabella, Eva, Anthony, and Alessandra. Their well-being was of utmost importance to him, and his legacy lives on through them.
Our family, our community, and San Francisco herself have lost a fascinating and uniquely talented man who upheld all of our finest traditions.
Lawrence is survived by his loving family: sons Joseph L Alioto II and Lawrence E Alioto Jr., daughter-in-law Catherine Alioto (nee Cogliandro), grandchildren Joseph "Trey" Alioto, Isabella Alioto, Eva Alioto, Anthony Alioto, and Alessandra Alioto, siblings, Joseph M. Alioto (Michele), Angela Alioto Veronese, Michael Alioto, Patrick Alioto, Domenica Alioto (Michael), sisters-in-law Linda Marchese Alioto, Madeline Giardina Alioto, Nelda Jones, brothers-in-law Neil Mussallem (Loret), Greg Mussallem (Patricia), Larry Mussallem (Maria), Michael Dunne (Julianne), 33 nieces and nephews, and scores of cousins and extended family. Lawrence was predeceased by his parents, brothers John and Thomas, brothers-in-law Adolfo Veronese, Richard Mussallem, sister-in-law Joan Dunne, in-laws Richard Edward Mussallem and Edith Mussallem (nee Farrell), and his former wife, Ann Mussallem Alioto.
Sincerest thanks go out to the wonderful team at Kaiser Permanente, notably Drs. Andrea Hartzark, Meredith Heller, Sheryl Goldyn, Melissa Mariano, Mike Yang, Counselors Jennifer Steele, Kristi Dravland, and all the nurses and aids. And lastly, deepest gratitude to dear Rosario Cano, Lawrence's devoted friend and housekeeper of forty-three years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to the library at the Russian Center of San Francisco.