New London — Angelo G. Santaniello, a retired senior associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, died Sunday morning at the age of 90.

He passed away while surrounded by family, according to Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home owner John Malia.

Santaniello’s family had not yet finalized arrangements with the New London funeral home as of Sunday night, according to Malia, but he said he expected a funeral would take place within the week.

Santaniello graduated from Georgetown University Law School in 1950, according to the website of the Connecticut State Library. That year, he began practicing as an attorney in his hometown of New London.

Santaniello was appointed Circuit Court judge in 1966 and judge of Common Pleas in 1971, and sat as a Superior Court Judge from 1973 to 1985. Then-Gov. William A. O’Neill appointed Santaniello to the state’s highest court in 1985. In 1987, Santaniello stepped down from that position to become a senior associate justice, which is a part-time position.

As an associate justice and senior associate justice, he wrote more than 100 majority opinions, according to the transcript of then-Chief Justice Ellen A. Peters’ remarks preceding Santaniello’s final participation as a senior associate justice in January 1994.

In her remarks, Peters described Santaniello as unique in his ability to devote himself to multiple aspects of his career at once. He sat with the court on a monthly basis, contributed to the writing of opinions and spearheaded the Supreme Court on Circuit program through in which select court sessions served as educational programs for students.

Santaniello was credited with streamlining the court system in New London by sending cases to the lower court judges in the afternoon as well as instituting a system of hearing uncontested divorces within a day or two rather than keeping litigants waiting.

He was also responsible for a dormant case program that required participants in longstanding cases to appear and dispose of them when ordered or face having them dismissed.

Santaniello was also known for his community involvement. He was honored in 1983 by March of Dimes with the organization’s Humanitarian of the Year Award. During his acceptance of the award, he credited research supported by the organization for successful medical treatment of his youngest daughter.

When Santaniello retired in 1994, he said at the time that he planned on a working retirement in which he would work on a program that attempted to resolve civil cases being appealed and assist an administrative judge by hearing domestic and pre-trial civil cases.

He mediated civil lawsuits in Superior Court in the 1990s after retirement. He was known to take off his jacket during mediation, roll up his shirt sleeves and call everyone involved by their first names.

In 1997 the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association honored the judge for his contributions, bestowing him with the Judicial Award.

“Respect is earned. It has nothing to do with wearing a black robe,” Santaniello said at the time.

“Respect is not in a uniform,” he said.

t.townsend@theday.com

Twitter: @ConnecticuTess