PD News

Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick President Patrick Bilbow announced that Trooper Robert Joseph Lombardo and Corporal William Gross will serve as Grand Marshalls of the 96th annual St. Patrick’s Day Banquet Wednesday, March 17, at The Woodlands Inn and Resort.

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Robert Bilbow

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Corporal William Gross

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Final day to purchase tickets at $60 per person will be Monday, March 15, at the Knights of Columbus Home, Main Street, Pittston, beginning at 7:30. Tickets must be purchased in advanced, Bilbow said.

Bobby Bilbow is serving as General Chairman for 96th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Banquet

Martin Quinn will be honored as Man of the Year and James Gilmartin will receive the W. Frances Swingle Award.

Joseph Heffers will receive the Achievement Award.

Trooper Lombardo is the son of Dr. Joseph and Mary Lombardo. He is a 1991 graduate of Pittston Area High School and continued his education at Luzerne County Community College and Lackawanna Junior College studying Basic Emergency Medical Technician education, criminal justice and Municipal Police Officer education. His education continued at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey, Pennsylvania. During Robert’s education he achieved the Highest Scholastic Award from Lackawanna Junior College and was awarded the Daniel F. Dunn Award at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.

Trooper Lombardo has extensive experience working in the field of emergency services and law enforcement. From 1993-1996 he served the city of Pittston as an Emergency Dispatcher. From 1996-2001 he was assigned to Troop R of the Pennsylvania State Police as a Police Communications Operator. He performed these duties both at PSP Blooming Grove and PSP Dunmore Headquarters.

In 2001 he joined the Pittston city Police Department as a member of the Patrol Division where he served until his career with the Pennsylvania State Police began in 2003. In April 2004 he was assigned to Troop N - Swiftwater Station, where he continues to serve as part of the Patrol Unit.

Trooper Lombardo has also been a member of the Pittston City Fire Department and Greater Pittston Ambulance and Rescue Company since 1992.

Trooper Lombardo is married to Jennifer (Hardin) Lombardo and currently resides in the City of Pittston

Corporal William Gross is a 1987 graduate of Pittston Area High School. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January of 1988. After completing basic training in Parris Island South Carolina he attended the USMC Military Police Academy at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Corporal Gross was then stationed in Okinawa, Japan for one year before returning to the United States and being assigned to the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, California.

Corporal Gross is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and was part of the Military Police Unit primarily assigned to the security of the Saudi Arabian Port of Al Jubail. At the conclusion of the Gulf War, Corporal Gross returned to El Toro and was promoted to the rank of Corporal. He was honorably discharged in January of 1992 after serving four years in the Marine Corps.

Upon his discharge and return to Pennsylvania in 1992, Corporal Gross applied to and received a position with the United Nations as a member of the U.N. Security and Safety Unit located in New York City.

Corporal Gross applied to and received a position with the Pennsylvania State Police in November of 1994. Upon completing the State Police Academy at Hershey in May of 1995, he was assigned to the Troop R Gibson Barracks in the Patrol Section. In April of 2001 he was accepted into the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Drug Law Enforcement where he served until a transfer to the Troop P Vice/Narcotics Unit. He returned to the Patrol Section of Troop P Towanda in March of 2005 before transferring to the Patrol Section of Troop P Tunkhannock. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal in March of 2009 and transferred to the Patrol Section of Troop M. Trevose. In July of 2009 Corporal Gross was transferred to his current assignment as the Criminal Investigative Unit Supervisor at Troop N. Lehighton.

Corporal Gross is a member of St. John’s Evangelist Church in Pittston and a third degree Knight of Columbus.

He currently resides in Hughestown with his wife of fifteen years, the former Stacey Menichini and their three children, Mason, fourteen and twins, Alexander and Sydney, ten, all students at Pittston Area.

Robert P. Bilbow, the son of the late Robert and Doris Bilbow, was born and raised in Pittston.

He is a graduate of Pittston Area High School, Pittston Pa. and Johnson College, where he earned an Associates degree in Biomedical Engineering.

He worked for Gambro, Inc., a medical equipment manufacturer, based in Lakewood, Co., traveling around the United States for sixteen years before opening his own business in 2004.

He is the owner of two Cartridge World franchises in Wilkes-Barre and Bartonsville. His first store opened in 2004, after traveling to Australia for training where Cartridge World is based. He focuses his efforts on developing new business accounts in the Wyoming Valley and Pocono areas along with running his retail stores.

Bob is a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, West Wyoming, Hughestown Lions Club, Northeast Business Club, Wyoming Area Catholic School Advisory Board, along with being a volunteer youth basketball coach at Wyoming Area Catholic School. He enjoys running, biking and is a seasoned traveler.

Bob resides in West Wyoming with his wife, the former Maureen E. McLarney and their two daughters, Morgan, a sophomore at Wyoming Area and MacKenzie a sixth grade student at Wyoming Area Catholic School.