Robert Shapiro

By ALEX MALM

For years the road off Centerville Road that leads its way past The Impossible Dream to Winman and Toll Gate Schools has had no name.

Now the road is named for someone who used the road everyday for years.

On Monday at 10 a.m. a ceremony will take place to commemorate the naming of the road for the late Robert Shapiro, a 50 year employee of Warwick schools and the first principal of Toll Gate High School  serving in that capacity for 19 years.

Ward 8 Councilman Anthony Sinapi explained that the request originally came from the Impossible Dream. Since there was no official road name the non-profit  struggled for years with deliveries for the schools ending up in their parking lot or things intended for Impossible Dream winding up on top of the hill at one of the schools.

Sinapi said that he discussed the possibility of naming the road during the previous Administration, however it eventually stalled out. When Mayor Frank Picozzi took office he said he renewed the conversations.

Picozzi was on board with the idea but had one request.

“He suggested naming it after Robert Shapiro and here we are,” said Sinapi.

Picozzi said the Toll Gate auditorium is named the Robert J. Shapiro Cultural Arts Center but it would be torn down if new Toll Gate and Pilgrim high schools are built.

Shapiro and Picozzi’s relationship goes back decades. When Picozzi was Chairman of the School Committee Shapiro was the superintendent.

During an interview on Tuesday Picozzi said that one of his favorite stories about Shapiro was when it came to snow storms.

“Bob took it very seriously; he would drive around,”  said Picozzi.

In fact Picozzi said that he would drive from Woonsocket to Narragansett in order to check on the road conditions.

“All the other superintendents would stay in bed because they would call Bob to see what his call was. He was never wrong,” said Picozzi.

Picozzi said that when he was acting superintendent he made the wrong call once when it came to canceling school. He vowed to never let it happen again.

“He was just so passionate about his job and so dedicated,” said Picozzi.

Picozzi also recalls that he gave away Sweeners chocolates as presents. Picozzi’s wife Kim received chocolates from Shapiro and to this day Picozzi said he still has to buy her those chocolates for holidays and birthdays.

“Everyone loved him, he was beloved. There probably wasn’t another character like him in Warwick history,” said Picozzi.

While Shapiro lived in the Garden City section of Cranston Picozzi said that he spent most of his time in Warwick whether it was in his office or at different events.

“He could’ve been mayor had  he lived in Warwick,”  said Picozzi.

Picozzi said he made sure to invite the Toll Gate band to the ceremony, something that Shapiro was passionate about.

“He used to love the Toll Gate band,” said Picozzi.

The dedication is slated to take place at the Robert J. Shapiro Cultural Arts with a reception at Tides Restaurant at the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center afterward.