Extending His Mother’s Generosity
Tony Scavongelli, JD ’89, has worn many hats over the years. He taught English in Italy, bartended at Boston’s legendary Cheers bar, and was an assistant district attorney for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These days, Tony sports a hat that says CEO. In January 2024, he became the chief executive officer of Trusted Resource Underwriters Exchange, a reciprocal insurer offering customizable protection packages to homeowners in storm-prone regions of the country.
Tony has always been a go-getter, and Suffolk Law nurtured his intrepid spirit. A native of Medford, Massachusetts, Tony chose Suffolk due to its proximity to home. What he experienced there was far and away a world-class legal education.
“Suffolk was wonderful,” Tony recalls. “The school prepared me well for the bar exam and offered many opportunities to flex my litigation muscles through mock trial competitions and the defender program.”
As an attorney, Tony specialized in insurance regulatory matters. After many years working around the corner from Suffolk, at Homesite Insurance, he reconnected with his alma mater in 2019, after gift officer Kathy Tricca, BSBA '82, reached out to him. Inspired by the great strides Suffolk was making, Tony became an annual donor and joined the Summa Society, an organization that honors alumni who philanthropically invest in the University. Three years later, Tony made his greatest contribution: establishing the Rosemary Scavongelli Memorial Scholarship Fund, an endowment in his mother’s name that supports first-generation Suffolk undergraduates.
The scholarship is a fitting tribute to an inspiring woman. Rosemary Scavongelli, who passed away in 2007, was a beloved figure in her Medford community, a passionate teacher and mentor who created a language program that helped local children bolster their reading skills.
“My mother preached education in every way, shape, and form,” Tony says. That dedication to her community—and her family—had a huge impact on him.
“She was why I went to law school,” Tony says. “Growing up in Medford, we were public school kids. I doubted myself: Could I really go to law school? Was I at that level? Mom always believed in me. She would tell me, ‘Yes, you can do it.’”
That kind of encouragement leads to more than just academic achievement—it instills a lifelong sense of self-worth. Tony mentions that he has spent his career surrounded by other high-ranking executives, and many of them have said how a teacher’s belief in their potential gave them the extra push they needed on their path to success.
“It might've been a second-grade teacher, it might've been a college professor,” Tony says. “And it wasn’t merely that these educators taught math or science. What truly mattered was that they had some belief in you that you didn't necessarily have in yourself, a belief that gave you the confidence to proceed.”
Tony views philanthropy as behind-the-scenes mentorship. Although he isn’t directly engaging with students like Rosemary was, he’s championing them in his own way. Tony’s scholarship fund extends the generosity, the giving spirit, that began with his mother.
Rosemary Scavongelli uplifted her community and encouraged Tony to go out and make a mark in the world. Now Rosemary’s vision lives on through the scholarship her son founded in her memory. In that respect, she continues to inspire students, well beyond Medford. Thanks to her and Tony, generations of Rams will have the chance to pursue their dreams.
“I believe in Suffolk; I think it does great work,” Tony says. And Suffolk will continue to do great work, thanks to Tony’s philanthropic gifts and his mother’s legacy.