Hon. Joseph J. Esposito ’79 was featured in the Queens Tribune about his background and judicial experience.
“It’s what you see in the people immediately around you that impact who you are and who you become,” said Esposito.
His parents, who operated a family deli on Ditmars Boulevard in 1949 known as Carl’s Dairy, worked seven days a week. Esposito noticed his parents’ hard work and, by choice, would devote his time after school to working at the family business.It was working in his neighborhood and making sure that the customers were satisfied that led to his career in serving the public and teaching him to respect everyone.
Esposito’s education began in Queens, where he attended K-12. After high school, he attended Niagara University and then transferred back home to St. John’s University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1972. Esposito then furthered his career at The New School for Social Research, where he obtained his master’s degree in political science.
Esposito studied political science because he originally wanted to teach on a college level and had plans on getting his PhD. However, it was his love for his community and helping others that drove his interest in law. Esposito then went to Fordham Law School in Lincoln Center, where he studied in the evening because he worked during the day for former New York City Council President Paul O’Dwyer.
Esposito said had he chosen to go to an Ivy League University or grown up in Manhattan, he might or might not have had his “nose in the air.” According to Esposito, “it all depends on the parents” that are responsible for instilling humbleness into their children.
After graduating from Fordham Law School in 1979, he was admitted into the New York State Bar Association the following year. He later began a short career in the private sector, went on to be appointed as the Court Attorney of the City of New York in 1981, worked for former Supreme Court Justice Justin S. Naro, worked in the Supreme Court of Queens County for 18 years, was a law secretary, got elected into the Civil Court of the City of New York, worked in the court for approximately 12 years and was elected in November 2016 to the State Supreme Court. On Jan. 12, he was sworn in as the Supreme Court Justice.