Fire truck will transport former chief’s casket

YOUNGSTOWN — Rocco “Rocky” Russo’s casket will be carried on the Youngstown Fire Department’s 1952 parade truck today in a procession.

There will be a prayer service at noon at Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home, 4700 Market St. in Boardman, followed by a funeral service at 1 p.m. at the Western Reserve United Methodist Church on Canfield Road.

The procession from the funeral home, led by fire trucks, will make its way downtown and past No. 1 station on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard before heading west to the church.

Russo joined the department in 1952 and retired in 1988, having been appointed chief in 1978. He died Monday at 84.

Fire Chief John J. O’Neill Jr. said he will offer a eulogy for his close friend and mentor and likely talk about his long-time friendship with Russo.

“We will give him chief’s honors and he’ll have military honors with a gun salute,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill, a past union president, said he learned a lot from Russo, who once served as president of Youngstown Firefighters Local 312 and vice president of Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters. He was an active member in the International Association of Fire Fighters.

The YFD and Austintown Fire Department honor guards will attend the funeral, with the YFD honor guard serving as pall bearers, O’Neill said. Six hotel rooms were reserved for state union dignitaries who worked with Russo.

“He was just a legend in a lot of different ways, very well liked, well respected,” O’Neill said. “He was active with the Democratic party, many politicians knew he was an important call to make if they wanted labor support.”