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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Documents filed Tuesday as part of a wrongful-death lawsuit revealed Michael J. Scavone&#8217;s current legal problems aren&#8217;t the first time he&#8217;s faced off in court against a local restaurant and bar.</p><p>Drunk off a combination of beer and Yukon Jack one night in 1985, Scavone lost control of his Honda Civic, plowed through a series of posts and hurtled down an steep embankment, causing the vehicle to flip onto its side before striking another post.</p><p>The blame, Scavone alleged at the time, fell on the staff and ownership of Grotto Pizza in Harveys Lake.</p><p>An unsuccessful lawsuit filed a year later alleged Grotto Pizza violated state liquor laws when it over served an underage and visibly intoxicated Scavone and failed to stop him from getting behind the wheel, resulting in disabling injuries and a prolonged &#8220;loss of life&#8217;s pleasures.&#8221;</p><p>Almost 30 years later, Grotto is again faced with accusations its staff failed to cut Scavone off, allegedly causing the longtime Harveys Lake resident to strike and kill 31-year-old Paula Jones as she jogged along Lakeside Drive, according to documents filed Tuesday in Luzerne County Court.</p><p>Police on June 12 charged Scavone, now 50, with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol and related charges, accusing him of running down Jones five days earlier and then driving away.</p><p>The suit, filed by Jones&#8217; husband, Brian A. Jones, allege both American Legion Post 672 in Dallas and Grotto Pizza played a direct role in Jones&#8217; death, arguing the latter turns a &#8220;willful and blind eye to its own reckless misconduct and casual role in the death of Paula Jones,&#8221; wrote Neil T. O&#8217;Donnell, attorney for the estate of Paula Jones.</p><p>During a interview with police on the night of the incident, Scavone allegedly told investigators he was &#8220;lucky he made it home,&#8221; according to an affidavit.</p><p>The complaint alleges the establishments served Scavone despite being aware of his history as a &#8220;habitual drunkard.&#8221; The complaint also alleges negligence on the part of Scavone, who the document says acted with &#8220;total disregard&#8221; to Jones&#8217; rights and safety.</p><p>Lumped together in the complaint as &#8220;the Grotto Defendants,&#8221; the document specifically names Joe Grotto, Inc., Grotto Development Corporation, Pizza Associates, Inc., Pizza Associates of Scranton, Inc., the individuals Dominick Pulieri, Armond Mascioli and Joseph Paglianite and a corporate partnership between the men known as Paglianite, Pulieri and Mascioli Partnership.</p><p>Court records indicate Scavone remains jailed for lack of $400,000 bail.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Scavone </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL092915Scavone.jpg</photo0><caption0>Scavone </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Court filings: Michael Scavone had previous alcohol-related lawsuit against Grotto Pizza