Politics & Government
Cos Cob Field to be Named in Memory of State Rep
The field is a legacy to the man who engineered the deal for Greenwich to buy state land for the waterfront park.
The legacy of former Greenwich state Senator and state representative Emil ‘Bennie’ Benvenuto will live on in Cos Cob.
The man who led the charge to have the state of Connecticut sell the former Cos Cob Power Plant site and the Mianus Pond to the Town of Greenwich for $1 in 1989 will be honored in the nine-acre park that now sits on the power plant site.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to name the athletic playing field in the nine-acre park on Soundview Drive as “The Honorable Emil “Bennie” Benvenuto.
The request to dedicate the field came from Fred Camillo, who is now the state representative for the 151st District — the same Old Greenwich-Riverside neighborhoods that Benvenuto represented in Hartford for 12 years. Benvenuto passed away in October 2011 at the age of 80.
“Bennie was the key figure in securing the Cos Cob Power Plant and the Mianus Pond for $1. They had a value of $40 million back then. The park has become a crown jewel for the town,” Camilllo said. “He had the foresight and this is a great tribute and a wonderful legacy to him.”
One of Benvenuto’s closest friends and political allies, Sam Romeo, said, “I want to thank you all of you for doing something for Bennie. He has been a hidden jewel of the town of Greenwich. He helped countless people in the town of Greenwich on a personal level and on a political level.”
Before the board voted on the proposal, Romeo shared the story on how Benvenuto engineered the deal for the town to buy the land.
Before taking a dinner break during the legislative session, Benvenuto learned of the property’s availability. “During a dinner break from the session, he wrote the legislation for the sale on a dinner napkin. That’s how we got it for two bucks — one for the power plant and one for the pond,” Romeo explained.
He added, “Benvenuto in Italian means welcome. I think it’s very appropriate for it to be Benvenuto Field.”
Cos Cob Park was dedicated last March after years of planning and soil remediation. The park includes play areas for children, a pavilion, a tiered patio area overlooking Cos Cob Harbor, the Sept. 11 memorial and the 360-foot by 215-foot synthetic turf field that will be named in Benvenuto’s honor.
First Selectman Peter Tesei said the town will work with Camillo to arrange for signage at the field and to hold a formal dedication ceremony.
Photos: The athletic playing field, The Sept. 11 memorial and the pavilion at Cos Cob Park on Jan. 28, 2016. Credit: Barbara Heins.
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