The longest-serving sheriff in Berkshire County history died last week, leaving a complicated legacy.
Carmen Massimiano, who died June 25th at 75, held the position from 1978 to 2010, when he chose not to run for re-election. 1st Berkshire District State representative John Barrett – who knew and worked with Massimiano for decades – described him as the ultimate public official.
“He had a commitment not only to law enforcement but to innovative programs, which a lot of them are being employed today," said Barrett. "He also was very active in education, serving on the school committee in Pittsfield.”
Massimiano was also on the board of trustees of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams.
In 2010, he denied published reports that he had sexually assaulted a man twice in the 1970s.
