40 Under 40 The Class of 2015

Joseph Ruggeri

Owner, Ruggeri Real Estate; Age 37

Joseph Ruggeri

Joseph Ruggeri

Joseph Ruggeri’s life has been rife with opportunity. His family owned a business, he attended private school, and he was able to travel. “It was a given that I would go to college, do well, have a career, and make money. My life has been very fortunate,” he said.

However, he knows that many people lack the same opportunities, and as a result, Ruggeri says he has devoted his life not only to “establishing his reputation as a hardworking, fair, and trustworthy member of the community,” but also to opening doors for others.

He volunteers for many organizations, but he says his most important assignment is to be a good father and family man. Ruggeri and his wife Taffy have a 4-year daughter, Sofia, and a 1-year-old son, Anthony. “I regard the measure of my success by how I raise my kids and the quality of my family life,” he said.

Ruggeri took over his grandfather Alfonso’s real-estate business and said he was an excellent role model. Today, he takes pride in helping people purchase homes. “When someone buys a home, they are investing in the future,” he said. “A home is something that can appreciate in value.”

Ruggeri serves on the board of Greenfield Public Library, Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, and the Greenfield Community College Foundation, and is co-chairing its annual fund-raising campaign for the third year.

“The library is important; some people can’t afford a computer or even to buy a book, and it gives them access to those things, while GCC provides the opportunity to get an affordable education,” he explained. “It can break cycles in families when a person earns a college degree.”

He added that GCC also allows teens in high school to take classes before graduation and helps people get the education or training they need to enter a new profession.

He is proud to be an elected clerk of the Greenfield Board of Assessors, and has held the position for six years. Ruggeri is also a two-year appointee of the Greenfield Building and Construction Committee and former member of the Greenfield Sustainable Master Planning Committee.

“But, most of all, I am a proud father,” he said. “My family and wife motivate me and give me purpose in life, and I want my children to have opportunities here in the future.”

— Kathleen Mitchell

Photo by Denise Smith Photography