V.J. Bella

Vincent Joseph Bella, known as V. J. Bella (born July 29, 1927),^[1] is a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 50 in Iberia and St. Mary parishes, whose service extended from 1972 to 1990.^[2] Thereafter, Bella served in Baton Rouge as the appointed state fire marshal from 1990 to 1992 and again from 1996 to 2004. As a representative, Bella was a pioneer in fire sprinkler legislation.^[3]

Legislator

In 1942, Bella as a teenager joined the fire department in Berwick in St. Mary Parish. Soon called into World War II, Bella served in the United States Marine Corps from 1945 to 1946. Thereafter, he was long-term member of the American Legion. Bella returned in 1947 to the Berwick Fire Department, at which he was elevated in 1951 to the position of chief. He also served as an alderman in Berwick and attended barber college though it is unclear if he ever worked as a barber.^[4]

In 1972, he was elected as a Democrat to the Louisiana House. A dozen years later, he switched to Republican designation. In 1987, Bella only narrowly won his final term in House District 50 as the GOP candidate because his district was still heavily and traditionally Democrat. Bella defeated Jack D. Smith, 7,348 votes (51 percent) to 7,053 (49 percent).^[5]

In the House, Bella was chairman of the House Retirement Committee, a position previously held by Shady Wall of Ouachita Parish. He served on these committees: (1) Transportation, Highways, and Public Works, (2) Ways and Means, (3) the Administration of Criminal Justice, (4) Appropriations, and (5) Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.^[3] C.B. Forgotston, a government watchdog attorney in Hammond in Tangipahoa Parish, describes Bella as a critic of excessive government spending and waste, along with colleagues Ed Scogin of Slidell and Raymond Laborde of Marksville.

In 1988, Bella co-authored legislation to bar the placing of obscenities on automobile bumper stickers. The legislation forbids "patently obscene words, photographs or depictions displayed to members of the public not occupying such vehicles."^[6]

Jack Smith won the House seat which Bella vacated over another Democrat in a special election held on March 23, 1991.^[7]

Fire marshal

Bella then joined the administration of Governor Buddy Roemer in the role of fire marshal, an officer who serves at the pleasure of the governor. He replaced retiring Fire Marshal Carroll Herring while still serving as a Louisiana representative. A special election was held for Bella's replacement.^[8] Governor Edwin Washington Edwards removed Bella as fire chief, but Republican Governor Murphy J. Foster, Jr., also from St. Mary Parish, recalled him for eight years.^[9] Then Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco removed him again in September 2004. Bella said that he thought he had a good relationship with Blanco, whom he supported in 2003, rather than the Republican favored by Foster and Blanco's successor as governor, Bobby Jindal.^[10]

Marshal Bella worked for the purchase of equipment for investigations and inspections, establishment of an Arson Strike Force, development of the Louisiana Fire Information Council, and the formulation of a statewide building code. Bella's professional organizations include the Louisiana Firemen's Association, the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, the National Fire Proection Agency, and then International Fire Marshal's Association. The V.J. Bella Central Fire Station in the town of Berwick is named in his honor. V. J. Bella Drive is at the entrance of the Louisiana State University Fire Training Center.^[3] In 1998, Bella came under scrutiny for reportedly abusing his power by interfering on behalf of a prison inmate to whom he was friendly.^[11]

A year before he left office as fire marshal, Bella launched a fund-raising campaign to construct the Louisiana Firefighters Memorial on the grounds of the Department of Public Safety off Independence Boulevard in Baton Rouge. In November 2003, he dedicated a new Fire Marshal Building to correspond with the 100th anniversary of the office. Bella envisioned the memorial as a "place for remembrance and reflection of firefighters" and added that "it should have been done years ago."^[12] Bella sought donations from corporations, fire departments, and interested citizens. Included in the memorial is a wall of granite etched with the twenty-eight names of Louisiana firefighters who were killed in the line of duty. The names date to 1970, the earliest year for which state fire department records exist. Bella convinced Governor George Pataki of New York to send a piece of steel from the former World Trade Center for another part of the memorial. Flag poles around the perimeter hold different banners from Louisiana fire departments.

Family and legacy

In civic matters, Bella has been affiliated with the Jaycees, Lions International,^[3] and the fight against juvenile diabetes, which claimed the life of his 11-year-old son, Brad Joseph Bella (1990–2001).^[13] V. J. Bella is married to the former Grace Parrino (born January 1960), by whom he has two living children, Megan Bonnie Bella (born ca. 1986) and Beau Michael Bella (born ca. 1998). His other children from the first marriage to the former Dorothy Parro (born August 1930) are Marsha B. Graham, Chad Gerard Bella (born ca. 1955), Blaise V. Bella (born August 1959), and Bridget B. Poleman (born December 1962) of Caddo Parish.^[3]

In 2005, the state legislature, on a resolution introduced by Bella's friend, Peppi Bruneau of New Orleans, commended the former lawmaker and fire chief for his service to the state. Having left state service, Bella has been employed as a business consultant.

He remains an active member of the Louisiana Life Safety & Security Association, the Louisiana Association of General Contractors, and the National Association of State Fire Marshals.

Awards

Cross of Merit - Louisiana National Guard, 1973 Devoted Service Award - Bishop Schexnayder Award, 1974 Citizen of the Month - Morgan City/Berwick Professional Women, 1961 Citation of Merit - Law Enforcement & Firemen’s Training, 1966 Citation of Merit - Muscular Dystrophy Association, 1961 Outstanding Jaycee of the year, 1961 Legislator of the Year Outstanding Civic Leader of America Lifetime Support of the Fire Service, 7th District Fire Department, Ascension Parish 1992 Loyal and Dedicated Service Award, City of Baldwin Distinguished Service for Passage of Act 454 - Bayou Cane Volunteer Fire Department 84th Louisiana Firemen’s Association Conference Dedication 1993 Convention Dedication - Louisiana Fire Chief’s Association State Marine of 1995 Commandant of Marine Corps League, 1990-1991 "Devil Dog of the Year", 1995 State Marine of the Year, 1995 Choctaw Detachment Honor Platoon, 1992-1995 Honored by V. J. Bella Central Fire Station Honored by naming of Bella Drive at the L.S.U. Fireman Training facility 96th Louisiana Firemen’s Association Conference Dedication Honored Italian American Digest (Fall 2004) Greater Baton Rouge American Italian Association 1st Distinguished Service Award, National Association of Fire Protection (NFPA) Fire Official of the Year, National Burglar and Fire Association Person of the Year, Automatic Fire Alarm Association Fire Service Person of the Year, American Fire Sprinkler Association & LA Fire Sprinkler Association For State Service, House of Representative, HCR 14 Military Order of Devil Dogs, Pound Dog of the Year 2008-2009 Military Order of Devil Dogs, Pack Dog of the Year 2009 Marine Corps League, Distinguished Service Award 2009 Presidential Service Award 2012, Louisiana Life Safety & Security 7th Annual Olin Greene Outstanding Fire Prevention Service Award 2014, National Association of State Fire Marshals

References