THE ELMHURST PRESS - Friday, May 21, 1999

Posted here with permission of Press Publications. Thanks to Classmates Jane McGrew for providing the 'clipping' and Mike McLane for providing the computer scan from our 1954 yearbook.

Before the bench

This is the ninth of a 12-part series focusing on York High School graduates of 1954 who are preparing to celebrate their 45th reunion. Some have gone on to fame and fortune, while others have stayed in Elmhurst and tried to make a difference In their hometown. Today's installment features Judge Mchael Galasso of the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. Galasso, raised in Chicago and Villa Park, entered York in his sophomore year. After getting in trouble for playing pranks, Galasso buckled down to his studies and even became the mysterious advice columnist MadamoiseUe Felicity for the school newspaper, "York HI."

In his Wheaton chambers, Judge Michael Galasso discusses a law brief with attorney law clerks Charmaine Tellefsen (left) and Jeff Jens. Galasso, who graduated from York High School in 1954, was known for his stint a Madamoiselle Felicity, an unseen advice columnist for students. Today, Galasso is a judge for the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. Judge Michael Galasso recalls his teenage days at York By Marie Lazzara Press Publications

Thanks to an encouraging.college professor, he was steered to study law. Afterwards, he attended Chicago-Kent Law School. In the 1970s, Galasso set up his own Villa Park practice. When he became a judge in the 1980s, he worked on making positive changes in the way custody cases are handled in divorce situations.

When Michael Galasso graduated as valedictorian from Chicago-Kent Law School in 1961, he remembered some stinging and sobering advice from William Mueller, assistant dean of boys at York High School.

Mueller knew about the mischief Galasso had gotten into with his high school hi-jinks. His message was to shape up or ship out

"He told me I should quit school and just go be a mechanic because I would never amount to anything," Galasso said. "I got a little angry. I felt that his re-sponsibility was to encourage and help as opposed to say give up. I think it was reverse psychology.

"I channeled that anger into energy to show that he was wrong."

Galasso worked hard to prove Mueller wrong. Along the way, he learned that an education has its advantages.

On that graduation day from Chicago-Kent Galasso recalled the words of encouragement he shared with his fellow, newly minted attorneys -- the image of Mueller not far from his mind.

"Even though some people give up on you, we shouldn't give up on ourselves because we all have potential to do good things as lawyers," he said. "We have the opportunity to help society."

Moving out west
The Galasso family came from a tough neighborhood on the Northwest side of Chicago. It was home to mostly Italian and Irish families. When Michael was a teenager, the Galassos packed their bags and headed to Villa Park for better surroundings.

Galasso transferred to York from St. Patrick's High School. Coming to the suburbs and going to a public school were eye-openers for the Chicago resident.

Instead of wearing the formal shirts and pants required in Catholic school Galasso's new uniform consisted of black shirts, jeans and blue suede shoes as he entered York. One of the first things he did was join the basketball team. His career was short-lived after being caught smoking in the boys' room with another player. He was kicked off the team.

His penchant for pranks grew, much to the dismay of teachers. In fact, Galasso was involved in the Class of '54's most infamous prank - removing the school's Abraham Lincoln statue.

"We didn't steal it; we too it out to have it refurbished," he said. "We had such a lack of intelligence, that we brought the statue and put it in the guy's backyard that lived next door to the assistant principal. It was quickly returned to the high school. I was caught and suspended for a couple of days."

Other pranks included absconding with a peach pie from the home economics classroom. "I was asked to explain who ate the pie and I made sure that one of the people who ate the pie was one of the faculty," he said. "I ratted on the faculty guy and not my buddies."

Most of Galasso's interests came in the form of cars, clothes and camaraderie. His popular hangout was the Ice Box, a hamburger joint in Elmhurst. Other fun activities included piling friends in cars for rides, listening to love songs and ballads by famous crooners such as Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra.

The drive-in was alive and well. Galasso recalled seeing the films of John Wayne, Lana Turner and Victor Mature at the Sky-Hi Drive-In where the Oak Brook-based Drury Lane Theater stands today.

To buy his own wheels, Galasso worked at a Villa Park Phillips 66 gas station changing tires and pumping gas. His first car was a 1946 2-door green Mercury Coupe. It was cool to have your own transportation but in the eyes of his parents it was a "further distraction to school and I think they were probably right," he said.

Galasso said that senior year was a turning point for him. It was a change for the better academically.

In his last year he enrolled in a journalism class taught by Eleanor Davis -- a teacher he respected and admired. He said she encouraged him to become involved in learning.

Davis talked to Galasso about doing a special project becoming an advice columnist whose identity was a mystery to everyone in the school. To capture this character, he dressed in a veil and makeup for a column photo.

From the 1954 year book, his role of Felicity is described this way: "The latest addition to the York Hi's already varied material is a column written by Mademoiselle Felicity, an otherwise

Mike Galasso in 1954

unidentified journalist. Mademoiselle attempts to answer all questions sent to her by curious or bewildered students."

With sincerity and honesty, Galasso tackled questions which honestly concentrated on the dating game.

"If a guy was having trouble getting a date with a girl (I would suggest that he) go out and meet her parents and show them that you're a nice guy," he said. "If the parents like you, they'll say to their daughter 'Why don't you go out with him?'"

While giving the lovelorn advice, Galasso himself was struck with Cupid's arrow when he met fellow student journalist Joyce Stebel.

His own advice may have helped him woo her.

"She's a very attractive young lady and I tried for months to get a date from her, but my reputation of being a sleazy guy (did not help)," he said. "I would offer her a ride, but she would say no. She still wouldn't go out with me.

"Her mother got sick and I went to visit her in the hospital and I bought her some flowers. Her mom said, 'You should go out with that kid.'"

Stebel finally gave him a chance. They were married in 1956. Over the years, they had three children: Mark, Keri and Kristin.

Attorney at law
Galasso attended St. Procopius College, known today as the Lisle-based Benedictine University, then finished his studies at Elmhurst College.

Galasso chose business administration as his major, but quickly changed his mind thanks to the guidance of Elmhurst lawyer and business law teacher Bill Bauer. Bauer saw potential and helped Galasso gain entrance to the Chicago-Kent Law School. Galasso enjoyed his time there and worked various jobs such as a shoe salesman at the Elmhurst-based Ruby's Department Store and the Chicago-based Marshall Field's.

After law school, he worked with Norman Miller, a fellow lawyer. They became partners in 1967 practicing criminal cases and personnel injury work.

In 1973, he split the partnership amicably and formed a Villa Park practice tackling among other things, divorce cases. In 1984, Galasso became an associate judge in divorce court in DuPage County.

"I was rather vocal about the fact that we should have a better quality bench and some of my friends said 'The only way you get a better quality bench is if you get lawyers who want to do it Don't complain about it unless you want to do something about it.' "

Your honor
In court he saw firsthand how warring couples dealt with the painful effects of divorce and custody issues.

Early in his position, he saw an arguing couple literally having a tug of war with their child in the courthouse. That scene prompted Galasso to take action in helping couples with custody disputes.

He and other judges constructed a conciliation program in 1986. Galasso is very proud of this accomplishment.

"Any time there was a custody dispute, the case had to go to a licensed clinical psychologist that we trained and made part of the program," he said. "That psychologist had to see what was in the best interest of the kids so we were basically creating a child advocate in the court system.

"I was in charge of it in DuPage County and it was the first of its kind in the state and maybe in the country. We used to get letters all the time from other, jurisdictions around the country saying 'Can you send us a copy of your program?"'

Galasso added that the pro gram had an effect on how people looked at the issue of divorce.

After leaving his position in divorce court in 1992, he was a presiding judge in the civil law division in DuPage County. From 1995 to earlier this year, he was chief judge of the DuPage County Court system. Since February, Galasso has been in his current judicial position.

Galasso gave his own thoughts about divorce, family and York.

"The one thing about York, the friends and the acquaintances that I dealt with, is that they were all from a family unit," he said. "I didn't see a lot of dysfunctional families and everything was geared around the family."

He and his wife look forward to the Class of '54s September reunion, to seeing old friends who have gone their separate ways.