SOUTH JERSEY (KYW NEWSRADIO) — One of New Jersey's Supreme Court justices has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, Now, Faustino Fernandez-Vina is transitioning into private practice.
His friends call him Fuzzy, and his life has been quite a ride.
Fernandez-Vina was a child when his family came to the U.S. seeking political asylum. He said they were placed on the hit lists of both Fulgencio Batista and Fidel Castro in Cuba, and he saw horrific things before they left.
How heavily does knowing someone is out to get his parents weigh on a young man?
"You get very smart very quickly," he said.
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Once they settled in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, Fernandez-Vina said he fell in love with football. He won a state title his senior year of high school, then played at Widener University with some future NFL legends like Billy "White Shoes" Johnson.
"It's not the same as war because people don’t generally die in the football field, but it’s sort of like that in the huddle. And I'm very close with all of those guys," he recalled.
The grit and determination Fernandez-Vina learned from a young age helped him rise to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Now, he’s embarking on a journey to practice law at Parker McCay in Camden and Mt. Laurel.
"It's strange to be back in private practice after 18 1/2 years on the bench, but I'm excited," he shared.
And with a little more free time now than he's used to, Fernandez-Vina plans to spend more time with family and attend as many high school football games as possible.
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