"The Name's Petrucelli"

[john12774]

You gotta admit...this guy has really brought attention to Meriden's Council meetings and for the little zing's Zerio used to throw at him, and the disrespect the council showed him...this guy made his voice heard. Maybe his presentations are not professional, but I think he has really made a difference in a town government full of a bunch of "politricksters" that have become complacent and worn out their welcome.

[madundertaker]

I will admit, I have never attended a Council Meeting. I always watch on tv. Mr. Petrucelli, while I think of him as a grubby political gadfly, mayor wannabe, is right on most of the issues. Our city council has definatley overstayed it's welcome, but election after election, they still seem to get in. Whose fault is that? The VOTERS! It would be interesting to see how things would become if Mr.Petucelli actually got voted into office. It WILL NEVER HAPPEN!. But a term on the council might shake things up. The rich in Meriden, Some of which serve on the council and even our mayor, will never see to it that a regular joe will sit on the council. The poor slob that works two jobs supporting his family, getting raped by the town in taxes, having to sit back and watch immigrants who are hear illegally over flow into the school system forcing it to burst at the seams, will continue to to be backed into a corner and watch helplessly as Meriden continues it's down hill slide to destruction.

[cherrybarbs]

Did anyone see the article about Art Petrucelli property; we wonder who else is on Benigni’s out the door hit list?:rolleyes:

[collie]

I wonder when they're going to start fining the owner of Councilor Salafia's building a hundred dollars a day, like they did to Art Petrucelli? The Colony Street building Salafia's business is in has been on the blight list for a year but THEY didn't get fined.

Doesn't seem fair to me. Both on the blight list and one doesn't get fined. Smacks of favortism to me.

And that house of Petrucelli's is on the state historic register. It is a gorgeous old Victorian at 144 Lincoln Styreet. Most of the original features look intact. Needs a little cosmetic work but not as much as back of the building Salafia's diner is in, in my opinion.

Watch the City take Petrucelli's house on Lincoln and tear it down or something stupid. Either that or give it to some non-profit that will sheet rock the hell out of it. So much for historic preservation.

[jma]

I wonder when they're going to start fining the owner of Councilor Salafia's building a hundred dollars a day, like they did to Art Petrucelli? The Colony Street building Salafia's business is in has been on the blight list for a year but THEY didn't get fined.

Doesn't seem fair to me. Both on the blight list and one doesn't get fined. Smacks of favortism to me.

And that house of Petrucelli's is on the state historic register. It is a gorgeous old Victorian at 144 Lincoln Styreet. Most of the original features look intact. Needs a little cosmetic work but not as much as back of the building Salafia's diner is in, in my opinion.

Watch the City take Petrucelli's house on Lincoln and tear it down or something stupid. Either that or give it to some non-profit that will sheet rock the hell out of it. So much for historic preservation.

Scrapper has a few houses on Lincoln Street. I don't think the one they're complaining about is the Victorian. If you've ever been on his property, you'd know the extent of the trash. He's been a thorn in the side of Housing for years, and it's about time he had to clean that place up.

[jma]

The rich in Meriden, Some of which serve on the council and even our mayor, will never see to it that a regular joe will sit on the council.

Don't assume Petrucelli is poor because of his appearance. You'd be surprised at how wealthy he really is.

[collie]

You don't think it is the big mustard yellow Victorian next to Child Guidance and across the street from the Girl's Club? Perhaps you are right, the article said a white two family cape built 1895 that abuts the Girl's Club.

Petrocelli may have the money but my odds are on him not paying anyways. And I think if Girl's Inc wants it if the city seizes it, they should dang well pay market value and pay to demo it if they want it for a parking lot. They screwed up the inside of the Girl's Club over the years. Hardly an example of historic preservation. Child Guidance also did an abysmal job in the Victorian they own on Liberty. They gutted it, sheetrocked the inside and sided the outside. Looks mudane inside and out.

What about the city fining Art and not the Fischer's Deli building? Both were on the blight list. Why is only one of them being fined 100/day. They should also start fining the owner of the gutted out building on Colony and the owner of the paint store too. God, take a look from the train station at the back of COLONY. The bulding housing Butler's Paint and the Art Gallery looks disgusting. Start fining them, not just Art Petrucelli.

[jma]

You're 100% right about fixing the other buildings. They should be more of a priority than Art's place, since many more people see them. It's depressing driving down State Street and seeing the backs of those buildings.

Even though I'm glad he's being forced to clean up his property, it does seem odd that he's the only one. A little political payback, perhaps?? I hope not, but have been around long enough to know better!

[factsonly06450]

jma:

"Even though I'm glad he's being forced to clean up his property, it does seem odd that he's the only one. A little political payback, perhaps?? I hope not, but have been around long enough to know better![/QUOTE]

There are more than thirty properties that have been on the blight list, several of which have been fined. The Petrucelli property is one on which the original dwelling was demolished, and on which he has parked a large number of cars for many years.

[collie]

Several, but to date, not the building on Colony that houses Fischer's Deli and also not the former Hamrah's building next to it (looks like it got bombed). Both I believe have been on the blight list as long as Petrocelli's yet no fine yet. Hopefully, they will also get fined 100/day.

Here's a good joke - maybe the newly formed downtown merchants association can get the city to step up the fines for those two buildings and see that the buildings one sees from the train station (State looking at back of Colony; one houses Butler Paints and the Arts Ass.) are also placed on the blight list. Ha!

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

I've known Art for many years.... worked with him.... dined with him...
negotiated a Labor Contract with him.... and have even been taken to
Court by him. ( He Lost )
C

In a word... Arthur J Petrucelli... is a hypocrite

How many times has he cried at the microphone....

Youze gyzes are wasting the TAXPAYERS MONEY ???

And how much has he cost the City in Litigation over his DUMPING
GROUNDS ???

He's a fraud... and that's all.

[collie]

I did hear at the POCD meeting last night that LaRosa (owner of the building Fischer's Deli is in) is paying the hundred dollar a day fine.
If true, I think it merits a R-J article, just like the Petrocelli story did.

[collie]

Glad to see Petrocelli has hired an attorney to challenge Meriden's Anti-Blight ordinance. The ordinance's apparent lack of uniformity is outrageous. LaRosa's building (home of Councilor Salafia's deli) on Colony Street has been on the blight list just as long as Petrocelli's house on Liberty and they just started fining LaRosa.

That smacks of favortism to me. Wonder if they smelled a lawsuit brewing and decided now was the time to fine LaRosa.

They really need to make that blight ordinance uniform in it's enforcement. As in you have thirty days to fix the blight or you get fined one hundred dollars per day. The way it has been administered it appears that if they like one person better than another, they let that person slide with no fine. Once a person is on that blight list, they should all be treated the same.

So Petrucelli may have a point about discrimination.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Glad to see Petrocelli has hired an attorney to challenge Meriden's Anti-Blight ordinance. The ordinance's apparent lack of uniformity is outrageous. LaRosa's building (home of Councilor Salafia's deli) on Colony Street has been on the blight list just as long as Petrocelli's house on Liberty and they just started fining LaRosa.

That smacks of favortism to me. Wonder if they smelled a lawsuit brewing and decided now was the time to fine LaRosa.

They really need to make that blight ordinance uniform in it's enforcement. As in you have thirty days to fix the blight or you get fined one hundred dollars per day. The way it has been administered it appears that if they like one person better than another, they let that person slide with no fine. Once a person is on that blight list, they should all be treated the same.

So Petrucelli may have a point about discrimination.

Lets hope that the city was not playing favorites. If they were it has the potential to become a costly endeavor for us taxpayers. The corporate counsel will refer the suit to outside counsel, large counsel fees and then if Meriden loses, we get the jackpot. Who says favoritism does not cost anything. (By the way has anyone heard the rumors of who the true money backers are for Salifia's new digs, if the rumors are true, then there is some big time backroom deals and favoritism going on).

[collie]

I found it amusing that the sandwiches provided at the POCD hearing were from Fischer's Deli.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Good point.

[eds]

Well I don't know about rumors and hearsay. I don't believe any of that at all.

But if someone who has a lot of money just wants to pay the $100 a day fine, which is only about 3,000 a month, then they are in compliance with the law. If LaRosa is paying, then what's the issue? Petrucelli can pay too. The law is being enforced equally. LaRosa, apparently, chooses to pay the fine. That's the option.

Enforcing the law is selective sometimes. Just like speeding tickets. A police officer can give you a warning or a ticket. Two exact violations, say 15 over the limit, and one person gets a ticket and one does not. That happens all the time and it's perfectly legal. Some laws warrant selective enforcement. Is this law one of them? Who can tell? This may be a case of limited personnel to enforce the law.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Well I don't know about rumors and hearsay. I don't believe any of that at all.

But if someone who has a lot of money just wants to pay the $100 a day fine, which is only about 3,000 a month, then they are in compliance with the law. If LaRosa is paying, then what's the issue? Petrucelli can pay too. The law is being enforced equally. LaRosa, apparently, chooses to pay the fine. That's the option.

Enforcing the law is selective sometimes. Just like speeding tickets. A police officer can give you a warning or a ticket. Two exact violations, say 15 over the limit, and one person gets a ticket and one does not. That happens all the time and it's perfectly legal. Some laws warrant selective enforcement. Is this law one of them? Who can tell? This may be a case of limited personnel to enforce the law.

The question is not if LaRosa choose to pay the fine, the point is that you have two buildings similar situated, each on the blight list, the city choose to enforce the fine on one long before enforcing the fine on another. The law does not allow that type of selective enforcement. That action will force the city in any suit to demonstrate that it (the city) had a legitimate and proper motive for the selective enforcement. The analogy with the officer also fails because if a motorist can demonstrate that the reason for the use of discretion was premised on an impressible factor (i.e. profiling) there is an issue. I am not saying that is the case here, but I would only assume that any suit would have to be based upon this theory.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

How timely, I just read the R/J article on this very thread. :)

[eds]

I don't necessarily agree that blight laws are not selective. You might be right, but I think the city can choose to do what it wants to in regard to the location of the building, the severity of the blight, etc.

One other point I'd like to mention is that the blight law also states that the owner can work with city to avoid fines and come to some kind of arrangement. Do we know if LaRosa was working with the city and perhaps had some arrangement in place? If Art were to negotiate with the city for an arrangement perhaps he too could avoid fines or avoid other penalities. Perhaps LaRosa was willing to work with the city and Art was not. There is an ambiguity in the law in that regard I think.

Whatever the case may be, it's up to Art to prove his case in court.

[whalers44]

I am sure the city will cover up for LaRosa....and who are the backers for Fishers????

[collie]

I don't know; the paper said they preferred to be anonymous. Mr. Peevyhouse heard something on the grapevine; I did not. If I was going to guess, I'd say Murdy and Ross Gulino.

I still think the city needs a more uniform approach in its blight ordinance. It should be an objective, as opposed to a subjective approach, with standards in black and white.

If LaRosa and Petrocelli ended up on the blight list at the same time, they should have been fined at the same time becuase, to the best of my knowledge, neither did the work they were asked to do.

I imagine Petrocelli was "uncooperative" from the get-go and LaRosa made cooperative promises, let us say. As one who drives by the back of LaRosa's building on a regular basis, I have seen absolutely no progress in the past year made in fixing the back of his building, which is why it is on the blight list.

I also think the back of Butler's Paints and the Arts Association, as well as the brick building north and next to it, are an utter disgrace when viewed from the back of the railroad station. If they aren't on the blight list, they should be. In terms of economic development, they are highly visible in our downtown area. They look just as bad as LaRosa's building and are the first impression a visitor gets of Meriden when they come off the train.

Art Petrocelli's collection of junk cars is, by comparison, away from public view and in a residential area.

Putting all these factors together, I think the City can do better. Their process is way too subjective. La Rosa and Petrocelli should have been fined in an equitable manner, in the same way, if both of them were placed on the blight list and neither, for whatever reason, did the work requested.

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

Jeffrey D Brownstien... Art's lawyer...lol

Art used him to try and "squeeze" Cytec and lost... If my memory does
not fail me.

In small claims court he tried to use Frank Rotella as his lawyer.


If Art is so smart... why did he leave Cytec... giving up a 8-4 day
job that paid over $25.00 an hour... duh Yeah...he's brilliant

As for his supporters in here... take a spin by his property... perhaps
if he was your neighbor.... you'd see why it's necessary to clean his
dump up. His car use to be filled...no...FIILLED with garbage.... but
that's not a kind of blight that can be cleaned up.

I'm coming down on the side of the City. Meriden needs to start
somewhere to clean up the neighborhoods.

And as for that " agreement " between Petrucelli and the City...lol

He's laughing at that document as we speak. I'll bet he NEVER
intended to keep that promise... he has a track record of that.

So... let's spend a ton of Meriden TAXPAYER money defending the
City against this clown.

If I didn't think HE would make a SPECTACLE of the event... I'd
come down and speak before the Council.

Let him buy a house next to yours... unless you'r property is just
like his to begin with....lol

PS...if the City HAS taken aim at Art... it's because he himself put
the target right in front of them ! He's a Trixter...lol

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Hello...

Jeffrey D Brownstien... Art's lawyer...lol

Art used him to try and "squeeze" Cytec and lost... If my memory does
not fail me.

In small claims court he tried to use Frank Rotella as his lawyer.


If Art is so smart... why did he leave Cytec... giving up a 8-4 day
job that paid over $25.00 an hour... duh Yeah...he's brilliant

As for his supporters in here... take a spin by his property... perhaps
if he was your neighbor.... you'd see why it's necessary to clean his
dump up. His car use to be filled...no...FIILLED with garbage.... but
that's not a kind of blight that can be cleaned up.

I'm coming down on the side of the City. Meriden needs to start
somewhere to clean up the neighborhoods.

And as for that " agreement " between Petrucelli and the City...lol

He's laughing at that document as we speak. I'll bet he NEVER
intended to keep that promise... he has a track record of that.

So... let's spend a ton of Meriden TAXPAYER money defending the
City against this clown.

If I didn't think HE would make a SPECTACLE of the event... I'd
come down and speak before the Council.

Let him buy a house next to yours... unless you'r property is just
like his to begin with....lol

PS...if the City HAS taken aim at Art... it's because he himself put
the target right in front of them ! He's a Trixter...lol

LOL, Brownstein, that is amusing, I have been mistaken for a lot of people but Jeffery is not one of them. Anyways, I do not support Art, my point simply is that the city enforce the ordinance fairly (for example if you to see the worse blight in the city check out the old plant on the Hanging Hills, the city does not own that property, so why collect some additional revenue for the blighted property). I have seen Art's property and the city should call request a surgical strike from the National Guard. I just would hate to see one person treated differently from another because they are a thorn in the city's side. Jeffery Brownstein, that is rich, thanks for the laugh Bill.

[collie]

Good luck speaking before the council if the item is not on the agenda.

I don't consider myself a Petrocelli supporter but a blight ordinance in which the city exempts itself from the conditions they hold citizens to was suspect in my book from the beginning.

Fair is fair. LaRosa shouldn't have gotten a year off from paying fines if he did the same thing Petrocelli did, which is not clean his property up.

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

So as long as Petrucelli can find another property that looks like crap...
then he can cry " Youze guyze are picking on ME." and continue his
litigation that COSTS the Meriden Taxpayers MORE money ?

SAD


No wonder he laughs at the Council.

He's laughing at you as well.