News

September 16, 2009

Pizzella’s past includes brushes with law

W-B Area school director also kept his hands in politics, held assorted public jobs.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
Jennifer Learn-Andes on Facebook   |   @TLJenLearnAndes on Twitter

Frank Pizzella kept trying to portray himself as a public watchdog, but his past was always in the shadows.

He continued that watchdog depiction in recent days amid chatter of his pending indictment, telling a reporter Tuesday morning that he has been among those instrumental in providing valuable information about local corruption to federal authorities.

“Some people are calling me the leak,” he said.

The Plains Township man became a familiar name in Democratic politics because of his various public jobs.

Currently a Wilkes-Barre Area School Board member, Pizzella has also been a Plains Township commissioner and police department sergeant, Luzerne County sealer of weights and measures and a court tipstaff under former county Judge Ann Lokuta. He also operated Riverside Motors in Plains Township for years.

County minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said he didn’t expect Pizzella to get on the school board in 2007.

“I was surprised that he got elected on the board because of his past reputation that was outlined in the paper,” Urban said.

Pizzella, who is in his early 60s, had at least eight brushes with the law over the past four decades, including a 1980 incident in which Pizzella and another man, Michael Bickauskas, allegedly offered $250 to a Pringle man to break the legs of John Kelly, a Plains Township commissioner.

Police charged Pizzella and Bickauskas with solicitation to commit aggravated assault. A jury acquitted Bickauskas, and the prosecution agreed to drop charges against Pizzella if he agreed to never again seek employment as a township police officer.

Several of the other incidents stemmed from family disputes, including a 1988 case in which his then-wife, Ada, was granted a protection-from-abuse order. She claimed in court documents that he physically abused her.

In the past, Pizzella has insisted the events were old, exaggerated and irrelevant to his ability to perform his public positions. He has also pointed out some charges against him were dropped and others stemmed from family disputes.

Former County Controller Steve Flood publicly highlighted Pizzella’s background in the 2001 county controller race.

“People are bringing up the past because they don’t want Frank Pizzella in this office because Frank Pizzella is an independent person and an independent thinker who will not tolerate what’s going on in this county,” Pizzella said at the time. “I don’t think the people are going to fault me for misunderstandings I’ve had with people years ago that have nothing to do with the job.”

Urban said Tuesday that he “had no dealings” with Pizzella but has bumped into him at political events, including a May primary election victory party for Wilkes-Barre Area School Board candidate Christine Katsock.

Katsock and Pizzella were close. He assisted with her campaign, and Pizzella donated $3,000 to her campaign in February, records show. He listed his employer as CSE Inc. in Wilkes-Barre.

Katsock declined comment Tuesday on the charges against Pizzella.

County Register of Wills Dottie Stankovic said Tuesday that she hasn’t seen Pizzella in years and was surprised to hear about the charges against him.

Stankovic and Pizzella ran as election teammates in 2001 and held voter appreciation days featuring free food and music. Pizzella said at the time that he grew up poor and knew that many area residents couldn’t afford to attend fundraisers.

“It’s disappointing,” Stankovic said Tuesday. “He seemed to be a very honest person.”

Pizzella worked as Plains Township police sergeant from 1970 to 1980 and Pittston Township police officer in 1985 and 1986.

He was hired as county sealer of weights and measures around 1996 and ran for county controller the first time in 1997, losing to Tom Pizano.

County commissioners stripped the sealer job from the 2002 budget, arguing that the state would take over responsibility for testing small scales at stores and schools.

Pizzella filed a lawsuit against then-commissioners Tom Makowski and Pizano and then-controller Flood, alleging the job was eliminated because he ran unsuccessfully for controller in the 2001 primary against Andrew Reilly.

Reilly had been supported by Makowski and Pizano. The county agreed to an out-of-court settlement for $55,000 in 2005.

Pizzella unsuccessfully ran for Wilkes-Barre Area School Board in 2003.

Two years later, he was hired as a tipstaff by Lokuta, who was his friend at that time. Pizzella left the position after five months, without explanation by Pizzella and Lokuta.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews