Judges Attend Memorial for Finnish born Judge John Pessala Founder of Finnish American Lawyers Association FALA

On March 31, 2019, a Memorial luncheon was held at Tesoro Restaurant in Westbury, Long Island New York, close to the Nassau County Family Court where Judge John Pessala presided in his courthouse for 13 years. Prior to that he was a District Court Judge and advisor to Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta. John was born in Oulu Finland on March 21, 1949. He was adopted and brought to the USA as a teenager. He was a strong supporter of the rights of adopted children and Finnish activities in New York. He sat on the Board of the Finnish American newspaper New Yorkin Uutiset in Brooklyn New York and was a founder of the Finnish American Lawyers Association (FALA). Whenever he saw a Finnish lawyer’s name in the news, he would call and recruit that person into the FALA. His most famous “recruit” was John Koskinen who became the head of IRS.
John died in 2014 at the age of 65. The luncheon was organized by his wife Elizabeth Dalal Pessala, Esq. to commemorate John’s 70th birthday, had he lived. Judges, members and friends of the Finnish American Lawyers Association FALA met for the event.

In the picture from left to right are the following: Hon. Stephen Bucaria, Nassau County Supreme Court Judge, currently sitting in the Commercial Part; Hon. John Marks, former District Court Judge, Family Court Judge and Supervising Judge of the Town and Village Courts of Nassau County, presently in private practice;  Hon. Robert Schmidt, former Appellate Division Judge of the 2nd Department N.Y.; Robert Alan Saasto, Esq., personal injury trial attorney and President of FALA; Hon. Carl Copertino, Suffolk County Babylon District Court Judge; and in front Hon. Elizabeth Dalal Pessala, Judge of Westbury Village Court, New York.

In addition to the above, family, spouses and “significant others” attended to enjoy the drinks, food, and most importantly, good company and memories.

Robert Alan Saasto, Esq.
President FALA