David Margolis Memorial Scholarship

David Margolis led a remarkable life. He graduated from The Loomis School (today The Loomis Chaffee School), Brown University, and Harvard Law School. David began his 50-plus-year career in government in the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he gained prominence as a criminal prosecutor. Late one summer day, he was contacted by an armed fugitive, who would surrender only to him. They met on the Loomis baseball diamond in Windsor, where David had played ball years before. David convinced the armed man to surrender his weapon and to turn himself into the police. A legend was born.

 

An engaging man with a colorful career, David Margolis served as a U.S. government attorney who prosecuted mob members and investigated political corruption. He had success fighting crime syndicates in Connecticut and Cleveland and in 1979 took charge of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, which he ran for 14 years at a time when the government was stepping up its pursuit of senior gangsters through the application of a law known as the Rico Act, allowing prosecutors to link mob leaders to the crimes of the rank-and-file members of their organizations. New York City’s “Five Families” were seriously weakened when “Fat Tony” Salerno, John “Teflon Don” Gotti, Frank “Funzi” Tieri, and Carmine “the Snake” Persico were convicted during David’s tenure.

 

David became an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Head of the Organized Crime Task Force, and ultimately rose to the position of Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States. Throughout his storied career, he demonstrated dedication, ethics, and courage. He was known both as the “history” of the Justice Department and “Yoda” for his wisdom. Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch called him the “commensurate public servant." He was a major factor in bringing criminals to justice and preserving freedom in our country. An award for exemplary service and a room in the Justice Department have been named in his honor.

During the span of his service with Justice, he worked under the auspices of 19 Attorneys General. On his LinkedIn profile, he described his occupation as “manager for a major non-profit.” When asked, during a Senate hearing, how many people work at the Justice Department, he replied, “About 60 per cent.” 

Donors to David's beloved Loomis Chaffee have established a named endowed scholarship honoring his life. If you choose to contribute by clicking on the link below, please be sure to indicate in either the “Comments” or “Tribute” box that your donation is intended to support the David Margolis '57 Memorial Scholarship. Thank you.  Donate to the scholarship fund here.