He never formally declared his candidacy and, in fact never collected signatures to have his name on the ballot, but on Sept. 13 Salvatore “Sal” DeLuise became the Democratic candidate for Ward 4.

In an interview Sunday DeLuise said he started considering a run for the seat when he learned that Michael Penta, who is moving to East Greenwich, would be pulling out of the race less than two weeks ago. He didn’t have long to think about it. The party had to fill the ballot vacancy or independent candidate Joanne Miller would win the seat as the only declared candidate for the post.

But DeLuise is accustomed to making quick decisions and filling in when needed. That’s what happened on Sunday. He thought he had the day off until he got a call that an employee couldn’t come into his business — DeLuise Bakery in Providence — to prepare for Sunday operations. DeLuise went in at 1 a.m. to start the oven and give time for the dough to rise for spinach pies and a wide range of pastries. He was working by himself.

It’s the kind of experience he feels makes him qualified to serve on the City Council although in all the years he’s lived in Warwick, he has yet to attend a council meeting.

“From the early mornings at the bakery to the long hours I put in each day, I know what it means to be dedicated and driven,” DeLuise said in a release issued last week.  “As someone who has served on Warwick’s zoning board for six years, I’m committed to making our city stronger, more prosperous, and better for all of us. My campaign is built on the values of hard work, dedication, and service to the community.”

He planned to launch his door-to-door campaign yesterday with Senate District 29 candidate Peter Appollonio and Ward 9 Councilman Vincent Gebhart, and has a fundraiser planned for Oct. 23 at Lemongrass, 1138 Post Rd.

Soon after his appointment to the Zoning Board six years ago, DeLuise initially felt intimidated when large crowds turned out in opposition to development proposals. He even wondered if he might find his tires slashed. As he attended more meetings and became familiar with the work he realized listening to the people and doing what was best for them and the city was what he wanted. He recalled the hottest issues to come before the board was a plan to transform Pond Plaza on Post Road into a storage facility. Area residents vehemently opposed the plan forming the Save Sand Pond association. The battle involved multiple hearings and court actions. Eventually developers dropped the plan.

DeLuise is the third generation owner of the bakery that his grandfather started in 1938. His father had not planned that and insisted that he attend college hoping he would find another line of work. Almost immediately after graduating from URI, however, DeLuise was back at the bakery.

As the owner of a small business, DeLuise believes Warwick could use more small businesses. That is something he would like to work on should he be elected. He knows personally of the tribulations of small businesses, having opened a branch of the bakery in Conimicut. After counting 1,000 cars passing the West Shore Road storefront hourly, procuring all the permits (a process that he feels is too long) and investing in the equipment he figured it would be a success. But, as he learned, the passing cars were commuters and few stopped at the bakery outlet. He closed after losing a big chunk of dough. In addition to making life easier for small businesses, DeLuise’s platform includes keeping a close watch on the construction of Warwick’s new high schools so that they stay on budget and on time and the promotion of fair and inclusive housing policies that ensure access to quality housing.

DeLuise’s son, Alex, hasn’t chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps. He is employed at Electric Boat.

DeLuise has a long time connection with Conimicut Point where he now lives. As a young boy his family lived in Johnston and spent their summers in a Conimicut beach home. In fact his late mother was living in the house when Superstorm Sandy hit. DeLuise, who was closely following the weather forecasts, advised her and family members to evacuate, but they thought they would be fine. They were rescued in a city front-end loader when the storm surge flooded the property. DeLuise found them at Veterans Memorial High School that was being used as an emergency shelter.

Miller response

Miller said that after DeLuise was officially announced as Penta’s replacement on the ballot, she was contacted by different people who believed laws about the placing of a replacement candidate on the ballot were not followed. After contacting the Secretary of State’s office, she said she was directed towards RI General Law § 17-15-38. That law states that should a candidate for office die, remove themselves from the ballot, or become physically or mentally disabled, the state party that they belong to, or a subcommittee of that party, can replace their name with another nominee’s no later than 4 p.m. on the third day following the primary.

She disagreed with their assessment of the law.

“This one provision creates an exception for death only,” Miller stated. “And, in fact, this provision actually limits that exception — noting that if the death occurs after the third day, OR if the secretary of state determines that time prevents such action, then the name of the replacement shall not appear on the ballot.”

Miller said she contacted Penta after he dropped out, telling him that he was “an extraordinary man” and that she would have felt that Ward 4 was in good hands even if she lost to him.

While she disagreed with the decision to put DeLuise on the ballot, she said that making sure her ideas reached and resonated with voters in Ward 4 is her top priority, and she would not spend additional time contesting his placement on the ballot.

“The decision was made by the Secretary of State's office to put him on the ballot,” Miller stated. “While it's a little disconcerting that it may not have been the legally correct one, my energies will be to present my ideas to the citizens of Ward 4 and defer to their vote on November 5th.”

DeLuise, too, is in it to win it.

“I’m excited about running,” DeLuise said. “I just want to help in any way to make the right decisions.”