American politician and graduate from Boston State College in 1974, Travaglini served as a Boston City Councilor from 1984-1993, when he was elected to the State Senate. In 1999, he became majority whip and held that post until his recent appointment as President of the Senate, vacated by Tom Birmingham, unsuccessful contender for the Democratic nomination for Governor in the 2002 gubernatorial election.
Travaglini is married with three children. At age 16, his father died, leaving his mom to raise their five kids. He credits his mother with helping him stay on the right path under the guidance of a neighborhood politico.
In March 2001, he had a cancerous thyroid gland removed and a few months later, he underwent an emergency quadruple bypass. While he considers himself healthy now, Travaglini said, “The whole experience has altered dramatically the way I look at the world.” His new appointment took many by surprise but all 34 Democrats in the Senate have signed pledge cards to him. He promises to manage with less centralized control than was exercised by Birmingham and is known as a “backroom player with a voracious appetite for patronage jobs for constituents.” He has also established a record as a champion for children, the disabled, the hungry, homeless and immigrants; he opposed the death penalty and supports abortion rights and has been a proponent of the racing industry and legalized gambling, as well as a lead advocate for healthcare reform.
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