What did I miss?

I took a few days off from blogging and will play catch-up for a bit. The long awaited 20/20 piece about the Juvie Brothers aired on ABC on Friday and we made the New York Times on Saturday. Another claim to fame for the area. It was just a matter of time before Luzerne County was named as a defendant in one of the lawsuits and new President Judge Chet Muroski wants former judge Mark Ciavarella’s seat placed on the May 19 primary election ballot.



Acting Controller A. J. Martinelli made some news when he was accepted into the ARD program after his spectacular performance when he got popped for DUI in January. No word on if he will required to wear a belt. And in the latest misuse of county funds to come to light Martinelli was the benefits coordinator when 2 unpaid members of the prison board were given health coverage. He claims he can't remember the details of the applications.


And the price of smokes is going up.

Luzerne County Controller

I think this post is most important office in the county government. My friend Steve Flood was the best Controller in my memory. He questioned the PA Child Care lease right from the beginning and maybe if he had been reelected this mess with the Judges might have been exposed earlier.

Since our acting Controller pledged not to seek election to the office and had a wardrobe malfunction while he was shitfaced the field is wide open.

The big news in this race is former Luzerne County Democratic Commissioner Edd Brominski announced his intention Tuesday to run for Luzerne County controller in the primary as a Republican. After he lost the Commissioner's race in 1983 he landed a county job as chief assessor and was fired after he ran again for Commissioner. He sued the county for wrongful termination and got a settlement in federal court.

In his interview with Heidi Ruckno in the CV he claimed he was aware of corruption a long time ago. “I was aware of some of those things that happened, and when I tried to make them known, I was, frankly, fired for it.”

My question is why did you stop there Edd? If you were aware of corruption why didn't you go to the authorities at the time and if they didn't listen blab it to the press?

And what about this:

Brominski was first elected Luzerne County commissioner in 1979. He lost his 1983 re-election bid amid a voter fraud scandal, which he declined to discuss in federal court, according to The Citizens’ Voice archive.

I was in the Air Force in 1983 and stationed in England so I don't have any idea about a voter fraud scandal at that time. Give me some help in the comments. Our local polical historian, David Yonki, has some of Bromo's ups and downs and remembers that his father was a Judge.


Other candidates in the race are Democrats Russ Bigus and Tony Rostock who allegedly cut a deal with Pittston litigation specialist Wil Toole according to PittstonPolitics.com. Toole is now out of the race. On the Republican side Wilkes-Barre activist Walter Griffith is running for this post and the Study Commission. Attorney Nanda Palissery seems to be the early favorite of the Republican powers that be.

Other candidates mentioned are Alice B. Coffman, Bob Morgan and Bob Sypniewski.

Idiot watch

Acting Luzerne County Controller Anthony Martinelli crashed his car into a wall at 3AM a few days ago and police allege he was shitfaced at the time. He then gave one of the more memorable “Give me a break” DUI performances.

CV: Martinelli exited the vehicle, his pants had fallen to around his knees and he handed over his county badge when asked for identification. Martinelli, 32, of Dupont, then began spouting the names of local politicians he knows and begged for a break. Martinelli told Purcell he’d be fired if he was arrested and said, “Why are you trying to ruin my life?”Arrest papers also note that, at one point, Martinelli tried to exit the police car by continuously pushing on the door. When an officer confronted him, Martinelli allegedly said, “I know I (expletive) up. Just take me home.”

And from the TL: At that point Martinelli “started naming local politicians that he stated he knew, along with the statement, ‘Maryanne will fire me. Why are you trying to ruin my life?’ ”
He also told police, “Just let me out. No one will know,” and asked if knowing township Supervisor Joe Zelonis “could help him.

His BAC was .212

I think everyone will want to know why were his pants falling down.

And yes Dana, Mr. Martinelli is a Democrat.