`super Conference' Needs Adjustments To Serve All Teams 
When The Wyoming Valley West Swimming Team Destroys Scranton Prep, There Is No 
Blood In The Water.

4th Suit Filed Against City's `impact' Team

By JENNIFER LEARN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, January 18, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 





HAZLETON- Convinced Lou Rossi is going after his seat as the head of the
local Democratic Party, Frank Fay wants to warn the public. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This guy Rossi, he wouldn't be where he was if he weren't looking for
something for himself or his family," said Fay, chairman of the First District
Democratic Committee. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I'd like to know what he did for the people compared to what he did for
his family," Fay said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rossi, a Hazleton Area School Board member, is collecting disability from
his job in the Hazleton Fire Department. His wife, two sons and sister-in-law
are also on the public payroll. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fay, who plans to again submit his name for the post he has held for
decades, said he has never secured a job or sought special treatment for his
family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I got a lot of people jobs, but not based on their party affiliation or
relations," Fay said. "My main thing was helping anybody who needed help." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rossi declined comment on his qualifications or interest in the
chairmanship, saying it is too early. The seat will be vacant in June, but
committee members say they are looking to replace Fay. The committee votes on
the chairman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Committee member Angelo "Joe Pie" Spadell- the other top contender for
Fay's seat- also said Rossi is vying for the seat. Spadell aired his views
about both opponents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Rossi is strictly for his own family. He wouldn't be for the people,"
Spadell said. "My family doesn't need any jobs." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Spadell said Fay was an impressive politician, but he emphasized the word
"was." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've been in politics quite a few years, and I think Mr. Fay was- in his
day- probably the best politician this area will ever see, but I think he's
run his course in this position," Spadell said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The district chairman holds power because he or she works directly through
the county party chairman, recommending people to fill county job openings.
The chairman also has a say in which county and state candidates are backed by
the party. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The First District Committee is especially powerful because it's the
largest in the county, with about 100 registered voters from southern Luzerne
County, Fay said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Spadell said, if chosen, he wants to work with the Democratic committee
chairman in the Mountaintop area to get more government representation and
jobs for southern Luzerne County residents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We get shortchanged a lot," Spadell said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fay, 85, said he's running on his experience. He organized the local party
district about 30 years ago. He was the man people turned to when they needed
something, especially government jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Along his political journey, Fay has been tied to everyone from alleged
mobsters to presidents. He has served as a delegate to the Democratic National
Convention since 1948, the year he met President Truman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With close school board ties, Fay became a target of federal investigators
looking into alleged school district corruption during Hazleton's "Mob City"
period in the '70s. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fay's political power began declining in 1993, when Marguerite Benderavich
oust

Fay Warns Of Rossi In Committee Race 85-year-old Democrat Has Seen Power Base Erode In Recent Years