A Sad Weekend in Connecticut Politics With Deaths of Billy Ciotto and David Pudlin.

Former House Majority Leader David Pudlin and former state Senator Billy Ciotto have died.

Pudlin, 68, a New Britain Democrat, succumbed to a fall down stairs. Ciotto, a Democrat beloved far beyond his hometown of Wethersfield, had been suffering from Parkinson’s. He was 91 years old. Ciotto recently enjoyed the elixir of a call from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Many will recall that Billy played the accordion with verve. Few will remember that he once accompanied the irrepressible Bernie Bernacki and me as we made our way through a humorous song at our first (and my only) Senate dinner. He served in the Senate for 12 years.