Michael Rainone, 94, champion of causes

YOU MAY NEVER have heard of Cesare Beccaria, but if you visit the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center you'll find a bust of him.

The 18th-century Italian legal scholar was a hero to Michael C. Rainone, a prominent Philadelphia lawyer who wanted to honor the memory of Beccaria, known for his humane philosophy of penology.

Rainone established an award in Beccaria's honor, as well as one to honor the memory of another hero, the late Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Michael A. Musmanno.

Mike Rainone was proud of his Italian heritage and wanted to keep in the public memory the accomplishments of the many Italian-Americans who made their mark on Philadelphia, the nation and the world.

"When Mike Rainone set out to accomplish something, nothing could stand in his way," said longtime friend, Daniel A. Cirucci, public-relations executive and occasional Daily News op-ed columnist.

Michael Rainone, who served as president of a number of Philadelphia legal societies, was a former secretary and longtime board member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, a mentor to young people seeking to become lawyers and a champion of numerous causes to benefit the needy, died Wednesday. He was 94 and living in Binghamton, N.Y., where he moved to be close to his daughter.

He was a native South Philadelphian and later lived in Merion.

"He believed passionately that you should never back down from something that you believe is right," said his daughter, Francine Rainone. "And he never did."

"He was never not working," she said. "When he died, he had a number of open cases."

She said that when diabetes affected her father's vision in recent years, he told her, " 'I can't see, but I can think.' "

Mike had an office in Center City, and also maintained an office in West Philadelphia because he wanted to help people living there.

"He once came home with a chicken," Francine said. "That was his legal fee."

She said that he was contemplating an autobiography that he would call Champion of Causes.

"That title summed up his life's work," Francine said.

Mike was president of the National Italian American Bar Association, the Lawyers' Club of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.

He was international president of the Orphans of Italy, regional vice president of the National Italian American Foundation and president of the Columbus Day Committee of Pennsylvania.

Mike was instrumental in the renaming of Front Street as Columbus Boulevard in 1990, and in the erection of the Columbus Memorial at Penn's Landing.

He was founder and president of two lodges of the Order Sons of Italy in America, and was a board member of the Philadelphia Opera Company.

When the Union League decided against admitting women in 1983, Mike saw to it that the Lawyers' Club would not hold its usual receptions for new judges there. (The Union League later changed its policy.)

"Mike did nothing in an inconsequential way," Dan Cirucci said. "He conducted his life on a grand stage and demanded as much of himself as he did of others. He dreamed no small dreams and he brought to every task the wherewithal to make big things happen."

As a lawyer, Mike set legal precedents in cases involving domestic relations, workers' compensation and personal injury.

He served as counsel to many community, charitable and nonprofit groups, including the Commonweath Lodge Foundation, the Ernest L. Biagi Scholarship Foundation, the Italian Folk Art Federation, the Piccolo Opera Company and the Dante School Committee.

Mike received numerous awards over the years, including the ranks of Cavalier and Commander bestowed by the government of Italy.

He was born in South Philadelphia to Sebastiano and Maria Rainone. His father was an immigrant from Naples. Mike graduated from Roman Catholic High School and La Salle University. He received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

He married the former Ledena Tonioni in 1967.

Besides his wife and daughter, he is survived by a son, Sebastian; a sister, Connie; two grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

Services: Funeral Mass 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Nicholas Church, 1718 S. 9th St.