Carlo Listi (1939) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Carlo Listi

Induction:
1939
Class:
1938

Listi graduated from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute in 1938 with a degree in physical education. He was an AAU boxing champion in the lightweight and welterweight divisions while at SLI. His collegiate record at SLI was 28 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss, reflecting his dominance in amateur competition.

Listi went on to coach boxing, as well as baseball and football, at Cathedral High School and St. Mary Parish schools. He later taught adult education in the parish.

He served in the U.S. Navy, and became a physical education instructor for the Navy's V-12 program at Tulane, SLI and the naval bases at Bainbridge, Md., and San Diego.

For a brief period in the mid-1950's, Listi was a deputy in charge of the sheriff's department protected juvenile patrol. In 1956, he succeeded Paul Witkovski as Lafayette's police chief.

Three years later, in 1959, he was seriously wounded attempting to capture a gunman who had barricaded himself in a house and killed three other people.

In July of that year, Listi resigned his position as chief of police to run for the Lafayette Parish sheriff's post. He ran several times before being elected in 1968.

A year after Listi took office, he formed a citizens advisory commission to help keep him informed of current attitudes and needs. The following year, he formed a vice squad to be in charge of investigations involving narcotics, prostitution, gambling, burglary and robbery.

During his first term, he also developed a traffic department, a forgery department, a photography department, a public relations department in the field of narcotics and drug abuse, and increased the juvenile program.

He was elected first vice president of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association in 1972, and named president in 1973. He was also appointed to the board of trustees of the Louisiana Sheriff's Pension and Relief Fund.

Listi had a SWAT team formed in 1975, and called it PILOT - Police Integrated Logistical Operational Team. It became STAR, Special Tactics and Resources Team, about a year later.