Dominic J. Lodato – U.S. Navy 1943-46

Dominic Lodato’s father had served in the Navy in World War I. So, following in his father’s footsteps, Dominic enlisted in the Navy as soon as he graduated from Boy’s High School in Brooklyn in 1943. He was only 17 and had to get his parents’ permission.

After basic training Dominic went to Quartermaster School in Newport RI and volunteered for PT Boat service, eventually being assigned to PT Boat 507, part of Squadron 34. He arrived in Normandy after D-Day in July 1944. “The area was still buzzing with activity, with freighters and troop ships constantly arriving at the beachhead. The job of the PT boats was to keep the German E-boats away from those ships and keep the port open. The Squadron was constantly chasing off E-boats who would then be pursued by U.S. destroyers.”

After the war, he came home and furthered his education. He went first to Siena College in upstate New York and graduated in 1950 with a B.A. degree in sociology, a pre-law degree.

He graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1953 and set out to practice law. in 1975 Dominic was appointed to the Criminal Court as a judge by Mayor Abe Beame. “I was nominated and ran for the Supreme Court in 1977,” Judge Lodato said. “I was elected and sworn in January 1978, for a fourteen-year term.”

When Judge Lodato first served on the bench, he was assigned the David Berkowitz, AKA Son of Sam, case. Judge Lodato was instrumental in making sure that Berkowitz could not profit from his crimes in any way.