Every Westporter knows the William F. Cribari Bridge.
Plans to renovate or replace the historic 142-year-old swing span over the Saugatuck River ensure it will be one of the top news stories of 2026.
And — for a few more days — no matter what you think about its future, you can marvel at its festive, special holiday lights when you drive over it at night.
But who was William F. Cribari?
“Crobar” — as he was universally known in his native Saugatuck — was quite a guy.
He was a World War II vet. Serving under General George S. Patton, he took part in the invasions of Normandy, Sicily and North Africa. He also served in the Battle of the Bulge.
But that’s not why the bridge is named after him.
For more than 30 years, Cribari was a special police officer. He walked the beat on Main Street, and directed traffic at both the pre-light Riverside/Saugatuck Avenue intersection, and the Post Road by Kings Highway Elementary.
But that’s not why the bridge is named after him either.
His greatest fame came when he was shifted to Riverside Avenue, at the entrance to the Manero’s (now Rizzuto’s) parking lot.
William F. Cribari
There — with a smile, a theatrical wave and more than a few dance steps — he masterminded rush hour traffic through the heart of Saugatuck. Much of it went over the Bridge Street — now William F. Cribari — Bridge.
He was much more than a traffic cop, of course. Cribari’s full-time job was tool crib operator for Nash Engineering. He was a longtime Westport PAL volunteer, and a Knight of Columbus. He attended every Army-Navy football game from 1946 on.
At 12 years old he joined the Saugatuck Volunteer Fire Department as a snare drummer. He remained a life member.
More than 30 years later, he became drum major for both the Nash Engineering Band — marching every year in the Memorial Day parade — and the Port Chester American Legion Band.
In 2003, Cribari and his wife Olga were honored as grand marshals of Festival Italiano. That annual event was held in Luciano Park — not far from where he was born at home in 1918, and just around the corner from where generations of commuters learned to love Westport’s greatest traffic cop.
And where stands perhaps the only bridge in the world named for one.
Cribari died on January 30, 2007, at 88.
Nearly 2 decades later his name lives on, through his namesake bridge.
Let’s all make sure his legend does too.
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I’ll always remember his ivory handled gun!
Just like General George S. Patton Jr. used to carry during WW2. Officer Cribari was a genuinely nice guy and his traffic directing style was something to remember.
It was exciting to crawl up to his intersection and watch him swirl wave and dance pointing at cars with wavey hand gestures to guide you.
He was traffic entertainment 💕
Nick Tiberio was at that same intersection in later years. He was 35 years on the police department and a 1966 Staples graduate. I knew him since 1957 pr 1958.
Thank you for the wonderful biography of a man who loved his town and Saugatuck heritage, let us not forget how “Crobar” and many others shaped our town, One story I would like to share ( few people know ) is William Cribari is the only civilian to lead a Military Band in review, it happened at Fort Hood Texas home of the 2nd Armored Division Commanded by General George S. Patton Jr, the son of the famous General George Patton, it was a great honor and a source of much pride,,,
He led Westport’s Memorial Day parade with flourish ‼️
He had the beat 🎵
Thank you for this warm tribute to a good man. May Officer Bill be well remembered by all.
I still think fondly of him when I drop someone off at the train…
and He was all That without ever knowing that bridge would then forever carry his name and be such a Christmas Attraction 🙂
I used to manage the Saugatuck office of Westport Bank & Trust and crossed Bridge Street bridge (that’s what I called it before it had Cribaris name) daily. Officer Cribari and I were avid Redskins fans and every Monday morning during football season and when we had a winning team to cheer for, I’d turn left at the bridge honking my horn all the way and Officer Cribari would start dancing for me. I started my work week with a smile every time. Those were the days….
It was a lovely spring day in 1967 when my husband Larry and I panicked when we couldn’t find our 4 year-old-son, Peter. After looking everywhere we could imagine, we called the police. Officer Cribari hurried over to help. Peter was nowhere to be found– at least not anywhere in our house or on our property. “What about your neighbors” Officer Cribari asked. “Is your son friendly with any of them?” That smart question brought us next door to the Gallatin’s house. None of the Gallatin’s were at home, but that’s where we found Peter, sitting on their kitchen floor, making his way through a sleeve of Oreos — just one more unheralded, heroic save by Officer Cribari.
We miss this Westport. Such a delight to relive a bit of it again. Thank you for that.
Dan:
Your article and the related comments are a tribute to a great man, and the bridge is a tribute to his memory and the great work he did for the Town over the years!
I am proud to say that was my dad. He worked hard and enjoyed everything he did. He would have been so honored to know that they named this bridge after him. He loved the town he grew up in and raised his family in. I hope that for the sake of Saugatuck and keeping it a small community, they can save this historic bridge.
And what a difference between the exuberant, friendly and involved Cribrari and the expressionless, uninterested and lackadaisical manikins that currently direct traffic on an off the bridge.
To this day, whenever I drive through “his” intersection at Bridge & Saugatuck, I imagine Officer Cribari commanding everyone’s attention with his stylistic flourishes and entertaining style. He had eyes behind his head and a sixth sense that enabled him to efficiently move traffic with precision and humor. Those memories still make me smile.
He has become a part of the story, the tradition, and the “spirit of place” associated with this special part of town. It’s what makes our 1884 bridge and the surrounding Bridge Street/Saugatuck communities unique and beloved.
Hey Crowbar, if you have any heavenly pull, get in the DOT’s head and convince them that big rigs rumbling through the hood is a bad idea.
One of the things about CTDOT’s feckless handling of the Cribari Bridge project that really burns me is their utter disrespect and disregard for the historic community that built the railroads and settled Saugatuck and is commemorated in the symbolic naming of the bridge.
Their negligence in involving the public in the decision making process is an effective negation of their significance.
Well said Werner! Tell your recently elected officials to protect this local resource A. It is Registered Historic Place and should be protected for that reason
B. Why does Saugatuck have to grant access to 18 wheelers and semis? They are the reason 95 is such a mess to begin with! They are the reason it takes you 20 minutes to get from Exit 17 to exit 15 almost anytime of the day! So now we are going to be forced to allow them access to our local neighborhood so they can clock those roads too? And without so much as a hearing??? At least go thru the motions even if it is a predetermined decision? How about if we direct them thru Ceci Maher’s neighborhood before they cross the bridge?