Anthony Galluccio – Investing in Relationships and Building Community

Anthony Galluccio Good and Practical ideas require consensus building. The best ideas are ahead of their time and are difficult to implement. The status quo is always protected and jealousy, defensiveness and resentment often stop new ideas. Collaboration, consensus building and community building are critical. Political capital to lead and effectuate change requires a community to buy into trust and relationships.

Today, Galluccio is a law partner at Galluccio & Watson LLP in Cambridge. He focuses on land use and permitting law. Before that, he spent years in public office. Along the way, returned thousands of phone calls and responded with help, coached and mentored kids, used his power to support affordable housing, immigrants and education for kids who need it most and built charities that deliver real support. He worked daily to maintain relationships across a diverse set of friends.

“I’ve always believed ideas only matter if you can make them work,” Galluccio says. Being the smartest kid in class does not get things done. If you cannot help one person you cannot help many.“Otherwise, it's just theoretical.”

Early life in Cambridge and learning responsibility early

Galluccio grew up in Cambridge in a household shaped by public service. His father was an Italian immigrant who was a political figure and served as a campaign secretary to John F. Kennedy after meeting him at Harvard. Civic life was part of daily conversation. My father understood his identity as a poor Italian immigrant who was orphaned in Italy. Going on to help change the History of our nation gave him a very romantic view of what is possible. My father, an orphan brought here at age 5, had a very romantic sense of who could change the world. He imparted many lessons on Anthony before his untimely passing. 

That changed suddenly. Galluccio’s father died when Anthony was 11.

“When you lose a parent that young, you often expect the worst from then on in. You realize life is fragile and the need for real friendships and bonds that can endure trauma”. We were in every after school and summer program available while my mother worked long hours. We relied on the community as a safety net. My Mother was heroic. A true warrior.”

Sports became a stabilising force. At Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, Galluccio was a three-sport varsity captain, with baseball at the centre. Coaches became mentors. Teammates became brothers. Each team was a family.

He carried those lessons to Providence College and later to Suffolk University Law School, where he graduated cum laude. I worked many jobs and made friends at both college and law school. I have worked since I was 12 years old and saw work as an opportunity to make friends. My first job was working for Joe Calutti, a famous Harvard Square tailor. He knew I had lost my Dad and treated me with love. He always reminded me how strong my mother was. My baseball coach who was later the City Manager treated me like a son and drove me to games. The Corner Pizza store Armando, also treated me like family. Once, when I picked Armando up to attend my being awarded man of the year, he came out in his kitchen apron. I said to Armando, ‘Do you want to change?’ He said ‘No, I am a pizza maker and I will never forget where I came from’. My best friend's parents took me to their summer homes and let me hang around after school. Looking back they knew what I was going through. It all reinforced that life's real currency is relationships. Invest in them and they will return the investment 5 fold.

“My father told me friendship was everything and my mother told me to do what you say you're going to do.” Those were my values.

Public service and seeing how decisions are made

Galluccio entered public life young. He served on the Cambridge City Council from 1994 to 2007. He was the Mayor of Cambridge from 2000 to 2001. He was the youngest Mayor elected under the plan E form of Government. He came into his own fighting for kids as chair of the school committee. Later, he served as a Massachusetts State Senator from 2007 to 2010 and chaired the Senate Higher Education Committee again fighting for lower income kids trying to get an education and career training. “I always remembered being a kid with a working mom who could not afford fancy programs and most colleges. My Dad always reminded me someone had it worse and I always carried that so Inspiring and supporting kids was my passion.”

Those years shaped how he thinks about leadership. I was able to be Mayor and become chair of Higher education not because I was the smartest kid in class. It was trust and relationships across a diverse group of people. 

“You learn quickly that good intentions aren’t enough,” he says. “People have to like and respect you. Trust, respect and listening matters.”

He saw how zoning, development, and community concerns collided in real time.”I have always embraced the democratic process. I have faith in people who are much smarter than most in power believe.” That faith and experience would later become the foundation of his legal career.

“My instincts come from real experiences in countless political campaigns and moving the dial in Government,” Galluccio says. “Books cannot teach you about human nature, everything is intrapersonal. Relationships are kinetic.”

Land use and permitting as a practical discipline

In 2010, Galluccio co-founded Galluccio & Watson LLP. He moved from writing laws to helping clients navigate them. My law partner is a well respected woman of color who is beloved. She was a high school friend who became a respected city solicitor and family law litigator”

Our firm serves the community in all facets of law. Now His practice focuses on land use, zoning, and permitting. He represents institutional clients, landowners, and developers working through complex approval processes. His value lies in understanding how decisions actually move forward. “Projects have to be good for the community and the developer. It must be a win-win.”

“Permitting isn’t fast work,” he says. “It’s trust-based work.”

Galluccio believes land use law is often misunderstood. To him, it is less about conflict and more about collaboration

“My job is to help projects move forward and that starts with trust.” He says the community may already trust me but I have to show them they can trust my client. Also, I make sure whatever commitments get made last beyond the players at the table, community leaders must also be protected and respected”.

He defines success simply.

“In my career, winning means my clients get approved,” Galluccio says. Having a project that when built improves the community is my real standard. I tell my clients that I will be here long after this project is complete. It's personal. “That’s the result that matters.”

Youth sports as an idea that scaled

While building his legal practice, Galluccio stayed close to the field. He has coached youth baseball and football since 2003. He served as head coach of Cambridge Pop Warner Football from 2009 to 2015 and founded the city’s first unlimited-weight team. Most years he coached two and sometimes three or four teams in one year.

In baseball, he coached Little League, summer All-Stars, travel teams, and high school players. He has coached more than 450 baseball games as a head coach and organised free professional clinics serving over 300 children.

“Coaching is leadership with no buffer,” Galluccio says. “Kids know right away if you care.”

Coaching is the opportunity to build genuine relationships with young people. You get a text or call from former players on Christmas or New Year's Eve, and you know you are a successful coach.

“You are a huge part of children and families lives. Sometimes you are the first non family member to notice sadness or that a kid needs help and support. It's a precious position of trust to be honored and cherished.”

Cancer-focused charities built around partnership and collaboration

In 2009, Galluccio founded Ashley’s Angels, a charity supporting paediatric cancer care. The organisation has donated more than $350,000 in support through partnerships with Dana-Farber and local organizations in the Dominican Republic. It was not just donations, I played Santa every Christmas, visited homes, held the hands of dying kids and followed up with families after their kids beat or succumbed to cancer. I work closely with Dominican leaders in Boston and a dedicated group of Volunteers based at the Oncology unit at the Arturo Grullon Hospital for children in Santiago RD. “I learned Spanish to talk to the children more than anything else but honestly the kids understood me before my Spanish got better.”

He also leads Galluccio Associates, a 501(c)(3) that has donated almost $400,000 to youth sports and scholarships. Another initiative, Hope for the Holidays, supports around 40 families each year with direct aid. Galluccio Associates collaborates with almost every sports league in Cambridge, Hope For the Holidays collaborates with the public schools, nonprofits and a number of human service agencies.

“I didn’t want charities that just raised awareness,” he says. “I wanted ones that delivered help and became part of a fabric of support and collaboration.”

His approach is steady and long term.

“Year after year through good and bad times. We have continued these donations no matter what me or my family was going through. People notice that. It shows you realize no matter what others need you.”

A career shaped by perseverance and determination. My greatest strength is the ability to pivot

As Mayor, he told kids about his setbacks and political campaign losses. A setback is a set up for a comeback. Galluccio avoids calling his career a success story. He prefers to talk about the ability to pivot when things get tough. “As imperfect as I am, I strive to improve daily and pivot as fast as anyone when circumstances change, and trust me they always do.”

Life is a marathon not a sprint. “Every day is like a game,” he says. "Some games you are down 10 runs, others you start with a lead.” String together good quarters or innings, and then string together wins. More importantly, learn from losses and find opportunity in adversity.

In Politics, sports, Legal situations or charity the ability to pivot and change directions is essential. That is my greatest strength. I lost what. I failed now. What is the new opportunity presented?

“I’ve taken every setback and reinvested it into the work,” Galluccio says. “That’s how ideas become real. I want them to say that kid is tough and proved that he really cares. He never gives up. No matter what.” 

It is not a loud career or a simple one, but it is a durable one.