Frank N. Zullo, a Norwalk attorney who made history in 1965 as the city’s youngest and first Italian-American mayor, died on Saturday at the age of 85.

A Norwalk native and graduate of Fordham University Law School, Zullo began his law practice in 1957 and entered the partnership of Tierney & Zullo in 1959. The firm later became Tierney, Zullo, Flaherty and Murphy P.C. Zullo successfully ran for mayor as a Democrat in 1965 at the age of 33 and served three terms through 1971. He co-founded and served as president of the Connecticut Conference of Mayors and later served three years as a trustee and member of the executive board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Zullo returned to his law practice after his final term as mayor and never sought elected office again. He stayed active in politics as Chris Dodd’s campaign treasurer during Dodd’s senatorial election campaigns starting in 1980, and later returned to municipal government as commissioner and chairman of the First Taxing District Water Department of the City of Norwalk. Zullo was also active as a member of the boards of trustees of several Fairfield County nonprofit institutions, including Norwalk Hospital, the YMCA of Norwalk, the University of Bridgeport and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.