HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Former Connecticut Lt. Gov. Joseph Fauliso has died. He was 98.

Current and former state officials on Thursday mourned the passing of Fauliso, who also served as a Hartford alderman, municipal court judge and state senator. He died on Wednesday.

Fauliso was president of the state Senate when his friend, then-Gov. Ella Grasso, resigned on Dec. 31, 1980 due to illness. After then-Lt. Gov. William A. O'Neill became governor, Fauliso was automatically elevated to lieutenant governor, a job he held until 1991.

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman served as Senate majority leader with Fauliso. He recalled his ``inspiring oratory,'' adding how it was ``exceeded only by his deep and abiding commitment'' to Connecticut.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called Fauliso ``a mentor, a model and a mensch,'' the latter a Yiddish term for someone with integrity.