Two former presidents of the Italian American Lawyers Assn. attorney and co-founder Michael Angelo Pontrelli and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Crispo — have become life members of the IALA.
Pontrelli, one of six founders, was the club’s second president, serving in 1978. He was the first to serve a full-year term, his predecessor, co-founder Paul Caruso, having been elected in June, 1977.
Crispo was president of the group in 1984. He is one of three past presidents to become a Superior Court judge, the others being Bruce Sottile and George Schiavelli.
Also paying a one-time $1,000 dues assessment was Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marlene Kristovich.
Pontrelli, Crispo and Kristovich are among four persons to become life members in the past few months. The first was Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Nancy Brown.
Up until last summer, judges were ineligible for membership, at any level, in the IALA. Several have become members since the restriction was lifted.
Aside from student membership, the three categories of members are "regular," "sustaining," and "life." Sustaining members pay voluntarily at a $100, rather than $75, level.
There are now 15 life members. Co-founders who are life members, in addition to Pontrelli, are Caruso, Gene Carloni and Carl Capozzola.
Of the two other co-founders, one, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mario Clinco, is deceased, and another, Eugene Damiano, resides out of state.
Other life members are President Jo-Ann W. Grace; past presidents Schiavelli (who signed up before ascending to the bench), George West Sr., and Diana Carloni; and Christopher Angelo, Edward C. Baretta, Maristina Galasso Johnson, and George West Jr.
The IALA recently acquired seven new student members, all of whose dues were provided by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Luros.
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