Mon Valley State Representative Charged With Aiding Illegal Gambling Operation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania Rep. Marc Gergely has been charged with three felonies and three misdemeanors for allegedly assisting Ronald 'Porky' Melocchi in an illegal video gambling operation.
According to a 25-page state grand jury presentment, back in 2012 Melocchi used Gergely, a 46-year-old Democrat from White Oak, to help sell local small bar and restaurant owners on installing Melocchi's illegal video games.
One instance involved Dot's Family Restaurant and Bar in McKeesport.
Under the presentment, Melocchi told Gergely to meet him at Dot's, where they met with the owner Teresa Ploskina.
Gergely never told Ploskina that she had to install illegal video gaming machines, but he did tell her that Melocchi was a good guy to do business with.
Ploskina ultimately decided not to install the games.
The owner of Chick's Grill in McKeesport, Brian Cassidy, was another target.
The grand jury found, "Gergely advised Cassidy that it would be wise to put the machines in. Gergely explained that if he wanted to make it in McKeesport, this was the only way to do it."
KDKA political editor Jon Delano went Gergely's office in White Oak, but the representative was not there.
A call to his attorney has gone unreturned.
House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody said the charges were surprising, adding, "I know [Gergely] to be a strong voice for improving Pennsylvania's schools and the lives of working people."
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Melocchi allegedly used Gergely for what he called a SuperPAC, someone to influence the bar owners to use Melocchi's machines.
As part of their sting, investigators also concocted a letter from a fictitious constituent named "Barb" and delivered it to Gergely's office.
The letter implicated Melocchi in illegal gaming.
When Gergely received the letter, he called Melocchi, a conversation captured on a wire-tapped phone call.
Gergely: "I just want to take care of ya. She obviously has no idea that we have a connection, you know what I mean?"
Melocchi: "Uh huh."
Gergely: "Maybe you can identa… maybe you can identify who the guy is and get him stopped, you know what I mean?"
Melocchi: "Yes."
Gergely: "Before something becomes a problem, okay?"
The state representative was not available, and his chief aide, former McKeesport school board member Tom Maglicco, named but not charged, had no comment.
Gergely is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.