Tosi Running for County Surrogate

If you haven’t met Larry Tosi, you, and everyone else in the county, might someday.

Tosi, a 21-year Wayne resident, is running for Passaic County Surrogate. He is running against fellow Republican Michael McLaughlin, a Clifton police detective, in the primary election.

The surrogate is a constitutional officer. He or she is the judge of the Surrogate’s Court. He or she appoints guardians to minors and supervises adoptions and the execution of wills.

“It is a position of trust,” said Tosi. “When you meet a surrogate it is usually at a critical time in someone’s life."

Unlike other administrative positions within county government, the surrogate regularly interacts with the public. The person has a direct impact on people’s lives on a daily basis. Joan Marchese, a Democrat, is the acting surrogate.

“It’s critical that you want to deal with someone who is knowledgeable of the law,” Tosi said. “You have to be personable, caring, and have compassion.”

Tosi is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. He was a captain in the Army. He obtained Master of Science in Management and Master of Business Administration Degrees. Tosi received his Jurist Doctorate from Seton Hall. As a practicing attorney, he has dealt with the surrogate’s office many times throughout his career.

Although it is an elected position, Tosi said the surrogate is an apolitical position.

“You have to be able to look at a person separate from political parties,” Tosi said. “I don’t want the office to turned into a patronage mill.”

Tosi is an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s National Honor Society. He was president of for five years. He is married with three daughters.

“I think being involved in my community for as long as I have been says a lot about me,” Tosi said. “There is a law within Scouting that says we are to be helpful, kind, and courteous and that’s one of the reasons why I want to be surrogate.”