[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2465-S2466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING RICKY DEL FIORENTINO

 Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, today I ask my colleagues to join 
me in paying tribute to Sheriff's Deputy Ricky Del Fiorentino, an 
exceptional law enforcement officer, a devoted and loyal friend, and 
most of all a dedicated family man, who was tragically killed in the 
line of duty on March 19, 2014.
  Ricky Del Fiorentino was born and raised in Napa, CA, where he 
excelled in both football and wrestling at Napa High School. His high 
school football coach called him the best lineman he had ever trained. 
Ricky also placed second in the heavyweight division of the State 
wrestling championship in 1982 and later earned a scholarship to 
wrestle at the University of Oklahoma. In 1998, he was inducted into 
the Napa High Athletic Hall of Fame.
  After graduating from the Napa Valley Police Academy, Ricky joined 
the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. His distinguished 26-year law 
enforcement career in Mendocino County included 10 years with the Fort 
Bragg Police before he returned to the sheriff's department in 2000. 
Residents of the Mendocino coast remember Deputy Del Fiorentino as a 
calm, towering presence and a guardian of the community. At a 
candlelight vigil in his honor, many community members described him as 
gentle, helpful, trusting, loving, and caring, relating personal 
interactions that had stayed with them for years.
  Deputy Del Fiorentino was a respected and experienced leader, 
passionate about his work and never hesitant to help someone in need. 
In 1992, he dove into the Noyo River to rescue a young man who had 
jumped off the

[[Page S2466]]

Noyo Bridge. In 1998, he again showed his courage by rescuing four 
people who had been swept into the water at Pudding Creek by a sneaker 
wave. These heroic acts were second nature to Deputy Del Fiorentino, 
who received many official commendations from the community he served.
  Deputy Del Fiorentino's friends say he had a ready smile, was quick 
to laugh, was an avid outdoorsman and a devoted husband, father, and 
brother. When he was not on duty he spent as much time as he could with 
his friends and family.
  Ricky Del Fiorentino devoted his life to his family, his community, 
and his country. His dedicated and courageous service will not be 
forgotten. On behalf of the people of California, whom he served so 
bravely, I extend my gratitude and deepest sympathies to his family, 
friends, and colleagues.

                          ____________________