Hon. Gino L. DiVito 1937-2026

The Honorable Gino L. DiVito passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on April 20, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. A deeply respected leader in Chicago's legal community for over half a century, he was renowned for his devotion to his family, his sharp intellect, and his unforgettable warmth and humor.

Gino Louis DiVito was born in Chicago on July 24, 1937, the first child of Gino and Mary Christine (Clarizio) DiVito. He was raised in a proudly Italian American family on Chicago's West Side. His parents worked on the Nabisco factory floor. Gino often fondly recalled the life-changing moment when a nun recognized his intellectual potential and recommended him as a candidate to attend St. Ignatius College Prep. The nun's judgment proved sound. Gino excelled at the school's rigorous classical honors curriculum. After studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, Gino attended the Loyola University Chicago School of Law and earned his law degree in 1963.

Upon graduating from law school, Gino joined the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and served there for 14 years. He would later say that the letters "ASA" (Assistant State's Attorney) were emblazoned on his heart. At the State's Attorney's Office, Gino tried over 100 felony cases, including a large number of murder cases. After he successfully prosecuted the killers of two Chicago police officers, the families of those officers gave Gino a plaque to honor his efforts. That plaque hung on Gino's office wall for the rest of his career. Within the State's Attorney's Office, Gino was a leader and an innovator. He founded the Office's Felony Review Unit and served as Chief of the Office's Criminal Division, where he supervised the work of over 330 assistant state's attorneys. He recalled his years in the State's Attorney's Office as among the happiest of his long career.

Gino became a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1977 and spent many years presiding over criminal trials at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse. He built a reputation for fairness, diligence, and legal scholarship, and he mentored scores of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and younger judges. Recognizing his talent as a judge, the Illinois Supreme Court selected Gino to serve as a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court in 1989. Gino sat on the Appellate Court for over eight years and shaped the law significantly by authoring hundreds of opinions on nearly every facet of Illinois law. As in earlier stages of his career, Gino was a leader among his peers, serving as the presiding justice of his appellate division and as a member of the Executive Committee of the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court.

Upon his retirement from the bench, Gino resumed his work as a lawyer. He quickly became a sought-after appellate and trial attorney. In 2001, Gino co-founded the Chicago law firm of Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC with his friends Caesar A. Tabet and Michael I Rothstein. Gino practiced law at Tabet DiVito & Rothstein with his cherished colleagues for the rest of his life.

While at Tabet DiVito & Rothstein, Gino argued landmark cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, advised many clients on high-stakes litigation and appeals, and served as an officer and board member of many bar associations and civic organizations. Gino was particularly proud of his role as a founding member of the Illinois Judges Association and as a President of the Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois. He was a tireless advocate for judges and the organized bar. One highlight of his post-judicial career was his co-chairmanship (with former Governor James Thompson) of the Criminal Law Edit, Alignment and Reform (CLEAR) Commission, which initiated much-needed reforms in Illinois criminal law. He also served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court's Special Committee on Illinois Evidence, and in that role, he helped to create the modern Illinois Rules of Evidence.

Gino was an outstanding teacher. He served as an adjunct professor of law at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law for over 35 years and taught trial advocacy to generations of law students. His trial advocacy classes imparted not only trial techniques but also lessons in life, faith, and philosophy. Loyola recognized Gino's contributions as a teacher by inviting him to address one of its recent graduating classes. In his address to the law school graduates, Gino offered his principles for leading a happy and fulfilling life.

Gino was a prolific author of legal books, articles, and editorials. He wrote authoritative guides to Illinois criminal sentencing (The Illinois Sentencing and Disposition Guide) and the Illinois Rules of Evidence (The Illinois Rules of Evidence: A Color-Coded Guide), as well as a five-part series of articles on trial advocacy for the Illinois Bar Journal. He continued studying and writing about the Illinois Rules of Evidence until the last days of his life.

Gino received more lifetime achievement awards than his family can count. Among the organizations honoring Gino with such accolades were the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, the Illinois Judges Foundation, the Illinois State Bar Association, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC), the Illinois Bar Foundation, St. Ignatius College Prep, the Justinian Society of Lawyers, the Illinois Judges Association, and the Sons of Italy in America.

Gino had the great fortune to marry Rita (Chrapla) DiVito in 1969. Rita was the love of Gino's life. The two were married for over 55 years. "Though I made many decisions as a judge and a lawyer," Gino used to say, "marrying Rita was the best decision I ever made." Gino and Rita made their home together in Glenview for over 50 years, where they together raised their three wonderful daughters. Their oldest daughter, Gina DiVito, proudly followed her father into the State's Attorney's Office, while his two younger girls "disappointed" Gino by becoming a physician and a nurse practitioner. Gino was always delighted to officiate weddings and married dozens of couples, including two of his daughters.

A devout Catholic, Gino was a long-standing member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Glenview. Gino was a very talented tennis player, a decent bocce player, and an anchor of the State's Attorney's 16-inch softball team in his younger years. Gino loved skiing in the Colorado Rockies with his family, where he could be heard exclaiming between ski runs, "How sweet it is!" Gino was a devoted White Sox fan and loved to argue about the Bears, too. In his later years, Gino richly enjoyed his status as a treasured grandfather to his 11 perfect grandchildren.

He will be remembered for his many contributions to the law and for the joy he brought to all who knew him.

Survivors include his wife Rita DiVito of Glenview; his siblings Rosemarie (Jack) Nowicki of Oak Park, Joseph (Sue) DiVito of Arvada, Colorado, and Arthur (Rose Marie) DiVito of Chicago; his sister-in-law Lorrie Brenner; his daughters Gina DiVito of Northfield, Rita (Joshua) Locher of Evanston, and Michelle DiVito (Kyle Potter) of Philadelphia; his son-in-law Martin Snyder; his grandchildren Walter Snyder, Maggie Snyder, Henry Snyder, Maeve Locher, Georgia Locher, Hazel Potter, James Potter, Flora Potter, Ella Potter, Scarlett Potter, and Easton Potter; and dozens of cherished nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Gino was preceded in death by his parents, as well as by his dear brother-in-law Ed Chrapla and his beloved sister-in-law Elaine Pawlak.

Online remembrances may be expressed at https://www.donnellanfuneral.com/. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Gino's name to:

Diversity Scholarship Foundation, NFP

216 Higgins

Park Ridge, IL 60068

https://diversitychicago.org/d...

Visitation will be Thursday, April 30, 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Donnellan Family Funeral Services, 10045 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois 60077.

Funeral Mass will be Friday, May 1, 10:00 am, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1775 Grove Street, Glenview, Illinois 60025.