Justice Michael Pesce came to the United States from Italy when he was just 12 years old and spoke no English. On Wednesday, he ended his almost 50-year career in public service with a retirement party at the Water Club in Manhattan where nearly 300 members of the legal community, friends and family members were on hand to say goodbye.

“What a life,” Hon. Lawrence Knipel said of Justice Pesce. “He was an immigrant, lawyer, state assemblyman, Civil Court judge, Supreme Court judge, administrative judge and finally presiding justice of our Appellate Term. All of these titles are impressive, but Michael is all the more impressive because he made each one meaningful.