Not even safe on a school bus parked on Catholic school grounds

It was 8:00 am, December 5, 1989, when the phone rang and I was instructed
to go to the emergency room of McKeesport Hospital, there had been an acci-
dent on my son’s bus and he was involved.  On the way, I made a conscious
effort to focus on my family and positive thoughts.  This simple decision may
have played a role in the miracle that would take place.

I took another route, because I feared the unknown, perhaps an overturned bus
or maybe a bus still on fire because of a wreck with a train or tractor trailer, or
whatever else may have occurred that morning.  When we arrived at the emer-
gency room my wife, eldest son Michael, and I soon realized that we had got-
ten there before the ambulances carrying the injured students. This concerned
me even more, because I now thought of my son trapped in a crumbled bus,
with the jaws of life clawing away to get to the injured students.

Next came a disheveled and highly unprofessional McKeesport detective ap-
proaching us.  He quickly pulled a small caliber gun out of a brown paper bag
and asked if it belonged to our son.  Shocked and dazed, we all replied no.
Just then, someone shouted that the ambulance had arrived.

An EMS attendant quickly wheeled in the first gurney.  I knew to stay out of
the way, especially once I saw a blanket covering almost the entire body.   I
shouted to the attendant, if that’s Adam Ference; let him know his family is
here.  We felt helpless.

Moments later, a second and last gurney was wheeled in.  Adam was elevated
and appeared to be alert.  Finally, we learned tht our son had been shot in the
head.  Certainly it had to be a superficial wound, and perhaps he was grazed.
Wrong again.

I went into see my son, while he was still sitting up, and advised him to try and
relax, and try to rest.  I glanced over at the other boy, peeking through the cur-
tains; seeing the blood-soaked bed sheets absorbing what must have been a
steady stream of blood from the boys head.  If he wasn’t already dead, cer-
tainly he soon would be.

Still not knowing what happened, I made a promise to God that no matter what
took place, if my son was somehow responsible, I would do whatever I could
to make things good, or at least as good as possible.  Never for a moment did
I think that my son was capable of hurting some one.  Rather, maybe my son
tripped someone or pulled some sort of prank that resulted in a gun acciden-
tally discharging?

We decided to have my son sent to Presbyterian University Hospital in Oakland,
now known as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center --- or simply UPMC.  It
was obvious that McKeesport Hospital was not equipped to handle this type of
emergency.  They transported my son by helicopter, and by the time we reached
Presby, plans were already in the works to perform emergency neurosurgery.

The medical treatment and accommodations at Presby for my son and our family
were beyond superb.  As we entered the parking area, I explained that my son
had been flown in by helicopter.  The security guard was expecting us.  The guard
offered to park the car and gave us instructions on where to go.

We were ushered into a suite used by families during such emergency procedures.
We were greeted by a team of hospital personnel specifically trained to handle
these types of situations.

We were advised to request a media block with a hospital spokesperson. No infor-
mation would be given, until we reversed the block.  The lead surgeon came to re-
view the operation.  I called a senior official at my job, to find out about the surgi-
cal team.  The CEO of the company was a major contributor to the University of
Pittsburgh, and our company supplied Presby with thousands of dollars worth of
food service supplies and equipment weekly.  I needed to know if the surgeons
were any good.

The phone rang in minutes.  My friend reassured me that the doctors were the
best in their business.   A bullet had penetrated Adam’s skull.   It was hard to say
how much damage was done.  Whatever part of the brain was damaged from the
bullet or bullet fragments would be gone for good.  The bullet had entered the left
side of the brain which would affect the right side.  The doctor was hoping that on-
ly damage would be done to the peripheral vision.  We would have to wait and see.

The operation would take hours.  When the doctor left, a nun who was part of the
support team, offered to lead us in prayer.  I politely interrupted and volunteered
my services instead.  No offense was intended and none was taken.  If anyone
was to lead the prayer, I felt it was my duty as a father to reach inside my heart
and soul and offer up the best sales pitch for God to somehow spare my child
from death, but also to allow him to lead a normal life again.  That too, I believe,
was another important decision made that day.

What seemed like days was only hours.  I started smoking again that afternoon.
My wife didn’t even try to chastise me.  When the operation was over, the doc-
tor was very please with the results.  But, he cautioned that my son was still in
very critical condition.

Time would be telling the story, now.  When we were allowed in the special in-
tensive care unit, we saw Adam with his head bandaged.  We were all relieved
to see and hear each other.  Adam was even cracking jokes.  A bouquet of bal-
loons had been delivered from one of my customers.  The doctor had cautioned
us that Adam may be in the hospital or rehab until February. Miraculously, he was
home a week before Christmas.

By the next day, we new for sure that it was an attempted murder on my son, by
a boy suffering from a whole host of problems.   As the headlines about the shoot-
ing continued to project negative implications about the shooter, our family stayed
focused on Adam’s recovery and the recovery of other patient.

We shared fruit from a gift basket with folks in from Oklahoma.  The family head
was a rancher, he reminded everyone of JR Hewing on the television series Dallas.
He was grateful for the fruit, but mostly because we showed compassion to his
family, while ours was still in disarray.

Our family learned a lot during this tragedy.  Twenty-five years, later, we’re still
learning.  More importantly, it may be a time to let others learn from our experi-
ence.  When I promised God that I would do whatever I could to make good of
the situation, no matter whose fault it was, little did I know that it would virtually
consume my life.  I’ve been told I have a passion for seeking the truth.   Maybe
so ... so that truth will be told.  Today, December 25, 2013, is just the beginning.
______________________________________________________________

Headmaster priest interrogated Adam, instead of letting him rest.

On December 5, 1989, my son was the victim of handgun bullet wound
in the back of his head.  The gun was held inches from his skull before
the shooter pulled the trigger.  The shooter then turned the gun on him-
self and successfully committed suicide.

The prime witness in this event was now dead.  Believe or not, this was
not the worst of it.  What would happen over the next few days, the next
few months, the next few years, and would continue for almost two de-
cades tells the story of just how corrupt and uncivilized the Common-
wealth of Pennsylvania has become.

Teenage suicides, sexual molestation, and attempted murders proved to
be nothing more than inconvenience for the Pennsylvania power mongers
who were present when the exploitation of the political/judicial system
was occurring  –  of a system they continue to maintain for the benefit of
a few well-placed and well-networked persons who don't have the com-
mon good in mind.

After undergoing six or seven hours of emergency neurosurgery, my son
was admitted to the intensive care unit and his vital signs would be closely
monitored for the next several days.  That night, my wife would begin her
14-day vigil, almost never being more than a few feet from our son’s bed-
side.  Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Diocese would begin its 20 year vigil of
covering up accusations leveled against people employed by the church;
not only Pittsburgh Diocesan personnel, but personnel from the Archdio-
cese of Boston, as well.

The Red Flag Incident 

  On the night of Adam’s shooting, Serra Catholic High School 
  Headmaster Sysol  (now deceased)  ventured into Presbyterian 
  Hospital  (now the Univ of Pittsburgh Medical Center).  Sysol 
  would ask my wife if he could visit with our son.  It was close 
  to midnight and it had been the toughest day ever for my son 
  and our close-knit family.  When Headmaster Sysol asked to 
  visit with my son, my wife thought that she would be going in 
  with him.  No such luck. 

The Questions as to the Headmaster's Intentions

Was Sysol on a mission?  Was Sysol on a clandestine operation, to find
out what, if anything, Adam knew about the shooter who befriended a
Fr. John Wellinger a few years earlier, at St. Clare of Assisi Parish in
Clairton?  Sysol would conveniently be in a position to also check and
see if my son, Adam, knew anything about Brother Kenneth Ghastin, a
teacher at Serra High School who was accused of molesting two teen-
age brothers in 1974, during a time when he taught at the now-defunct
Christopher Columbus High School, in Boston's North End.  This is ac-
cording to an article published by the Framingham Metro West Daily
News.

As far as goes any concern for my son, Sysol had none that I could de-
tect.  He would question my son for almost three relentless hours, ask-
ing the same questions of a kid still dazed by a shotgun blast to the head
and still trying to recover from seven hours of intensive neurosurgery.

Let me repeat:  At Serra Catholic High School, in the Diocese of Pitts-
burgh, at the time when my son was the target of an attempted murder,
there was a member of the Boston Archdiocese stationed there who
was accused of molestation and who had close access to the school’s
male youths.  No one warned us of this.  Instead, they covered up their
mess.

It wouldn’t be until the middle 1990s that the Archdiocese of Boston
would finally reach a financial settlement with the families, concerning
that teacher.  The settlement would include a $30,000 payment to one
of the brothers.  Sadly, according to the paper, one of the brothers who
had a history of drug misuse would die in 1994.  Church files would re-
gard it as a suicide, as if he intended to die from that occasion of drug
misuse, and even though he apparently had no intention to die from drug
use at any time prior.  That is to say, the archdiocese did not mark the
death as an accidental one resulting  from long-term emotional trauma.

For now, that’s the rest of the story.  But plenty of questions still need
to be answered.  Did Donald Wuerl cooperate with the Archdiocese of
Boston and permit known pedophiles to remain in the Pittsburgh Diocese?
If so, were other pedophiles admitted to Serra Catholic High School and
other Catholic institutions without us knowing it?  Was it the assignment
of Headmaster Sysol to keep an eye on Brother Kenneth Ghastin and
possibly other abusive clergy transferred from Boston?  Knowing what
we know now about the Archdiocese of Boston abuse scandal, anything
is possible.

Little wonder that Father Ron Lengwin allegedly badgered the police of
McKeesport to quash the case of the attempted murder of my son, with
little investigative effort on the part of McKeesport police ...  and with no
cooperation with Pennsylvania State Police.  No wonder Serra Catholic
High School administrators would not permit McKeesport police to in-
vestigate the crime scene, according to the police report, and so done
against Lengwin’s judgment.  Incidentally, McKeesport police were not
permitted on Serra Catholic High School property for over 24 hours af-
ter the shooting of my son and the suicide of his shooter.

It is becoming clear as to why the Pittsburgh Diocese went to such great
lengths to cover up the accusations leveled against not merely one alleged
predator, but at least two, namely John Wellinger and Kenneth Ghastin.
No wonder why current St. Vincent Archabbot Douglas Nowicki would
have motive to offer me what I construed was a de facto bribe, in his be-
ing willing to admitting my son Adam to St. Vincent College, while saying
it in such a way that I interpreted the offer as having strings attached to it.
No wonder why Cardinal Bernard Law would visit that same Latrobe in-
stitution before his final and most shameful departure for Rome.

A telephone call to Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, PA re-
sulted in the principal refusing to give his last name and almost begging
for advice on how to handle this latest development.  I advised the man
to do the right thing.  He did not know how to respond or what I even
meant.  So much for the training and all the zero-tolerance policies.

I had hoped to speak with Barbara Thorp of the Archdiocese of Boston
as soon as was possible.  Likewise, New York Franciscan administrators
Father Patrick Boyle and Father Robert Campagna seemed prepared to
cooperate and provide the necessary information needed to finally get to
the truth.  But, that hope was sparked in 2009.  It's now the Year 2012,
and I have gotten no results.  Incidentally, Brother Ghastin asserted his
innocence, at last count.

Mike Ference

Anyone with additional information on this story or anything similar is re-
quested to send a message to Mike's at mike@ferencemarketing.com,
or to call him at 412-233-5491.  He is a personable guy, with exquisite
public manners.
________________________________________________________

The Ten Red Flags which show that Fr. John Wellinger was reported long before the Diocese of Pittsburgh claimed he was.

Appearing below are the top ten red
flags flying over the Pittsburgh diocese
which indicate that Fr. John Wellinger
was being a dysfunctional sex freak at
will, while Pittsburgh bishops Anthony
Philadelphia Inquest Bevilacqua and
Lavender Don Wuerl looked the oth-
er way:

Red Flag 1. Allegedly, in the first quarter of 1987 Fr. John Wellinger, priest
of the Pittsburgh diocese and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in West Mifflin, PA,
drugged a Univ of Pittsburgh student in an apartment that the victim shared
with his older brother, also a Pitt student.

According to the victim, he was knocked out for hours.  When he awoke, he in-
tuitively called 911.  After rushing downstairs, against the wishes of Fr Wellinger,
the teenage victim would meet the ambulance & the attending EMTs in the street.

The allegation of the rest of the event goes as follows:

The ambulance whisked away to Presbyterian University Hospital (now Univ
of Pittsburgh Medical Center; UPMC).  Fr. Wellinger allegedly followed the
young victim to the hospital.  Upon finding him in the emergency room, the vic-
tim requested to Wellinger that he find his nurse.  The victim would explain to
the nurse that Wellinger was the man who had drugged him.

Wellinger was ushered out by the nurse.  To the best of my knowledge police
were not notified; not even a security guard from the hospital.  The victim was
not examined by a doctor.  In other words, the entire event was covered-up.

The parents of the victim came to the hospital and took their son home.  Fur-
thermore, I was told by then Clairton Public Safety Director William Scully,
in January of 1990, that a hospital worker, possibly a social worker, warned
the parents to not take on the Pittsburgh diocese, because they are too pow-
erful and wealthy.

Red Flag 2. Allegedly, a few days after the Red Flag #1 event, the victim’s
father searched out Wellinger at the parish house.  At the time, Wellinger was
holding a parish council meeting.  So, there were plenty of witnesses present,
including the victim’s mother.  The victim’s father was angry, because Welling-
er had allegedly drugged his son and possibly raped and sodomized him.  The
man was also angry over an outing that lasted all night long between Wellinger
and his wife.

Concerned for the safety of Fr. Wellinger, parish council members ushered the
priest out the back door and called the West Mifflin Police.  Parish councils
were logically concerned, because the victim’s father may have been intoxi-
cated and carrying a weapon.

There was no evidence of any police report, but the father would receive no-
tification from the attorneys for the Diocese of Pittsburgh to stay away from
Father John Wellinger and to stay off Holy Spirit property in West Mifflin, PA.

Red Flag 3. An allegation was brought to my attention within the past year or
two, by a Catholic priest who stated to me via telephone that a person by the
last name of Volmer went to Father Charles Bober in 1987 and warned Bober
about Fr Wellinger’s deviant behavior.  To the best of my knowledge, nothing
was done.

It should be noted that Bober is now a monsignor at Saint Killian’s Parish in
Mars, Pennsylvania.  A gem of a parish that’s raising millions and millions of
dollars for a high school named after Cardinal Donald Wuerl.  My guess is
that Bober was rewarded with this plum position for being a team player.
Covering-up for the crimes of Fr. John Wellinger would constitute being a
team player in the Pittsburgh diocese, it would logically seem.

Red  Flag 4. Sometime in 1988, the personal secretary of Father Wellinger
went to the Pittsburgh diocese and spoke to Father Ronald Lengwin about
Wellinger’s deviant behavior.  She also reported that a teenage boy used the
rectory as his home for the longest time and enjoyed making 900 calls to porn
sites, while costing the parish hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Sadly, the women whom I interviewed would be labeled as a rumor-monger,
and once again, Bishop Bevilacqua and his cast of merry men would err on
the side of dysfunctional sex freak, Fr John Wellinger, rather than erring on
the side of caution.

Red Flag 5.   A suicide occurred in Father John Wellinger’s parish in 1989.
According to then Clairton Public Safety Director William Scully, the suicide
was linked to Wellinger.  Scully said that he just didn’t have the needed proof.
The boy was a 16 year old who took a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

According to Scully, the boy had an interest in the occult and Satanism.  Well-
inger would hold a seminar on occult practic and Satanism months later.  Was
the seminar a real concern of Wellinger’s or just another ruse to make it look
like he cared?

Sadly, there’s not much concern for PA children.  When children turn up dead,
there’s no quick response – when compared to emergencies involving  law en-
forcement personnel – when the call comes in on the police radio that an offi-
cer is down.

Red Flag 6.  Coincidentally, in 1989, another teenage boy who was befriend-
ed by Father John Wellinger would also commit suicide with a gunshot blast to
his head.  This boy served as an altar boy for Wellinger when he was a student
at St. Clare Elementary School (also known as Clairton Central Catholic.)
Wellinger was an assistant parish priest.

This young man would also try and kill a fellow student, my son.   Similarly to
the 16 year old mentioned in Red Flag 5, this second suicide victim had a very
strong interest in the occult and Satanism.  He and his friends carried the Satan-
ic Bible back and forth to classes at Serra Catholic High School, in McKees-
port, PA.

According to a Pennsylvania state trooper who was an expert in the occult and
Satanism, the young boy had an advanced knowledge on the topic.  This con-
clusion was based on his findings when brought in, to investigate the case.

Red Flag 7.  The attempted murder of my son, Adam on Serra Catholic High
School school ground, in McKeesport, PA, on December 5, 1989:   At least
one investigating officer (then Clairton Public Safety Director William Scully)
would allege that the shooter (who committed suicide after he tried to kill my
son) was sexually abused by Father John Wellinger.

According to the former McKeesport Police Chief Tom Brletic, he stated
to me in a telephone conversation that Father Ronald Lenguin refused to al-
low investigating officers on Serra High School property for over 24 hours.

Obviously, the diocese needed to prepare their version of the crime and to
prevent police from doing a proper investigation.  Clairton Public Safety Di-
rector William Scully would claim the entire investigation had been quashed.
Scully even provided details of Father John Wellinger drugging the teenager
mentioned in Red Flag 1.

More on the corruption of the city of McKeesport was in a copy of Scully’s
original notes.  I was told that the paper can be tested and dated, as well be-
ing able to determinecwhen the message was written.   If Scully knew about
Wellinger drugging a teenager, then who else knew?  Why was nothing done?

Red Flag 8.  Following the attempted murder of my son I spoke to a Sister
Dorothy Dolac, principal of St. Clare School in Clairton ,who lived on the
school premises when Father John Wellinger was an assistant priest in the
adjoining parish.  She alleged that she notified Bishop Donald Wuerl about
my concerns of Fr. John Wellinger, as well as her own concerns.  The boy
who tried to kill my son on the Serra Catholic High School bus was an al-
tar boy for Fr John Wellinger and also a student of Saint Clare Elementary
School.   At the time, the school may have been called Clairton Central
Catholic.

When I talked to Sr. Dorothy about Fr, John Wellinger, I asked her if he
were capable of giving drugs and alcohol to underage teenagers.  She an-
swered yes.  When I asked if Wellinger were capable of sexually abusing
young boys, she answered yes.  When I asked if she were aware of any of
Wellinger’s victims, she answered she couldn’t say.  But, it did't seem that
she wasn’t aware of any victims.  It seemed as if she had promised to keep
the information a secret.

Red Flag 9.  In our family’s lawsuit against the Pittsburgh diocese, my attor-
ney’s first question,  when deposing former Clairton Public Safety Director
William Scully, was what he knew about Fr John Wellinger sexually abusing
any students at Serra Catholic High School.  The attorney immediately stood
up, pounded his fist on the table, and stated that, if this type of questioning did
not cease, the diocese would file the appropriate legal maneuvers.

My attorney’s question startled me, and the attorney for the Pittsburgh diocese
scared the hell out of me.  In looking back, it might have been rehearsed and the-
atrical collusion between the diocese, my attorney, Brian Knowles, and the law
firm for whom he worked; Behrend and Ernesberger.   I dropped the case,
then and there.

Instead of my attorney trying to calm me down and stating he would just rephrase
the question ... or at least take a break and explain to me that I had nothing to wor-
ry about ... he allowed me to walk out on what should have been a multimillion dol-
lar settlement.  Lawyers, just like PA judges, are bought and sold, like stolen mer-
chandise on sale at an outdoor flea market.

Red Flag 9. I have literally published dozens of articles on Fr. John Wellinger
and the cover-ups involving the Pittsburgh diocese, as well as elected pennsyl-
vanian officials and PA law enforcement officers at all levels.  My articles on
Father John Wellinger and Cardinal Donald “Lavender Don” Wuerl are pub-
lished on Bishop-Accountability.  My editorials and comments have been pub-
lished in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer, and
other newspapers, magazines, websites, and blogs on an international level.

Local and national television producers, editors, writers and investigative re-
porters have sought my advice on the cover-ups in the Pittsburgh Diocese and
beyond for years.  The same can be said for victims of clergy sex abuse, victims
of PA corruption, and their family members having recourse to me, for advice.

And how does the Pittsburgh Diocese respond?  Well, according to a source,
the powers that be in the diocese allegedly allegedly allegedly did something
somewhat equivalent to posting a Mike Ference, Wanted, Dead or Alive
poster.  This is proverbially speaking, of course.  But, not absolutely proverb-
ial.  It's something that a reasonable would find hard to believe, if what was
alleged to me is true.

Red Flag 10.  In the Spring of 1991, I scheduled an appointment with Penn-
sylvania state trooper, Corporal Robert Griffin.  I met Griffin at his training fa-
cility in the old St Joseph Seminary on Route 30 in Greensburg.  I shared with
Griffin all of the information I had assembled, concerning the quashed investiga-
tion of the attempted murder of my son and all the information I had gathered
on John Wellinger.

Griffin applauded me for my efforts and then shared additional information about
the case.  He counseled me on letting go, much like a friend would do.  He also
arranged for me to meet with an Allegheny County detective who he knew had
investigated clergy sex abuse crimes, promising to contact West Mifflin police.
He wanted the West Mifflin Police to at least question Father John Wellinger
about some of my concerns.

In other words, a seasoned PA State Trooper with expertise in the occult and
Satanism took me seriously and even commended me for my investigative and
research skills.  Now, only two people knew I were visiting with Griffin and
William Scully.  Within a week, Father Wellinger would abruptly leave Holy
Spirit Parish in West Mifflin, PA.   I have confirmation of this from Wellinger’s
former personal secretary.

Wellinger would leave on his own, only to be replaced by Father Valentine,
the alleged fixer, as expert witness and author Richard Sipe likes to call them.
For what it’s worth, Fr Valentine is in hiding somewhere.   A story for another
day.

According to Scully and Wellinger’s former personal secretary, Fr. Wellinger
would spend some of his new-found  free time in a McKees Rock Parish with
Father Richard Dorsch, according to several sources alleged to be Wellinger’s
lover from their days in the seminary.

Summary

According to Pittsburgh diocesan bishops Anthony Bevilacqua, Donald “The
Lavender One” Wuerl and diocesan spokesman Ron Lengwin, the first time
they ever caught wind of Father John Wellinger’s inappropriate behavior was
1995.  Parents of Chris Mathews spoke directly to David Zubik, years before
he was a bishop, and complained about Wellinger sexually molesting their 11
year old son in 1989.

Whom do you believe, Mike Ference or a person with Bishop or Cardinal
before his name?  Much more to come.

4th accused priest in less than three months

For the fourth time in less than three months, a Roman Catholic cleric with ties to
the Pittsburgh Diocese makes the news ... and for all the wrong reasons.  Brother
Bernard Joseph Hartman who taught at  North Central High School  in the Pitts-
burgh Diocese from 1986 to 1997 ... and short stints 1961 and 1979 ... is facing
a trial in Australia on multiple charges of beating and molesting four children.

As always, Fr. Ron Lengwin, official spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Diocese
explains it all away by paraphrasing the words made famous by the Nazi prison
camp sergeant on Hogan’s Heros:  “I know nothing.”

Since January of this year, I forced the Pittsburgh Diocese to send three letters,
warning parishioners and school alumni of catholic clerics who were credibly ac-
cused of molesting children.  How is it that a $9 an hour security guard has the
wherewithal to protect children, but the Pittsburgh Diocese lacks the resources
and the gumption to do the same?

Again, I'd be willing to offer my knowledge based on my 25 years of research
on clergy sex abuse and other crimes in the Pittsburgh Diocese free of charge.
I’m committed to helping survivors, and one has to wonder if the Pittsburgh Di-
ocese is also committed?

Here’s some background information I would like to share with the Pittsburgh
Diocese, concerning the harm done by Fr John Wellinger.  I happen to person-
ally know that there are still victims who have not only been harmed by Welling-
er, but also by the Pittsburgh Diocese.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/pa_marianist_brother_accused_of_abuse_in_australia_spent_time_in_pittsburgh
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This link provides facts on Father John Wellinger's past behavior:
http://mikeference.blogspot.com/2013/12/red-flags.html

Here’s a link to the article on Brother Hartman:
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/03/22/Former-North-Catholic-teacher-charged/stories/201403220087

Pittsburgh Crime Family Underboss Chuckie Porter ... and son

My guess would be that, some time in the 1980s, organized crime began to take a different direction - at least in Pennsylvania. The New York mob wasn’t allowing any new made men in the Pittsburgh Cosa Nostra. In the1990s, things began to change. In my opinion, organized crime was successfully evolving into synchronized crime.  My investigations would lead to the conclusion the PA government eventually became compromised. Unless all of my sources were lying, judges, elected officials, and law enforcement personnel would soon be bought and sold like stolen merchandise at an outdoor flea market.

Briefly, Chuckie Porter, an underboss for Michael Genovese, was doing time. He decides to get out of jail and start spilling his guts to the feds in the early 90s. Around the same time his son, Charles Porter Jr, would become a partner in a law firm with Stephen Zappala Jr.  Was it a coincidence or the beginning stages of Synchronized Crime?

As an underboss, Chuckie Porter would have been privy to all of the corrupt that politicians, elected officials on-the-take, and dirty cops had to offer.  Porter would know all the financial data used to buy protection. Thus, he could pass such information to his son, under the veil of lawyer/client confidentiality.  Is it possible that the partnership between Zappala and Porter’s son, Charles Jr, was the new beginning for the mob? With this kind of insider information coming from (and even to) an under-boss, all the more people could be bought and sold.

No need to whack anyone, just indict, prosecute, and make sure the judge hands down a lofty sentence. That would send a strong message to anyone willing to mess with the Zappala family.  This would make the Zappala family an authentic terrorist group, causing as much fear as those group which use explosives.

Dr. Cyril Wecht first mentioned the “threat to indict,” while DA Zappala was either prosecuting or persecuting Senator Jane Orie. The Orie family characterized the legal attack as a Mafia hit, coincidentally.
And equally coincidental is the observation that Charles Porter Jr would represent one of the witnesses in the trial.

http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tribpm/s_660862.html#axzz2qhUe037f

http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_724020.html#axzz2qhUe037f

So, the question is simple. Was it the merging of two families that would some day forge the new power structure.  Porter Jr was could represent his father in some capacity and then could share confidential information with his partners. As an underboss, Chuckie Porter would have known all the dirty DA's.
He would have known which judges could have been bought and sold.  The feds don't share this kind of information.

http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001202porter2.asp

Upon graduation from law school, Stephen Zappala Jr joined the Pittsburgh law firms of Grogan, Graffam, McGinley & Lucchino and Dattilo, Barry, Fasulo & Cambest as an associate. In 1990, he became a partner at Brucker, Zappala, Schneider & Porter, another Pittsburgh law firm.

http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_724020.html#axzz2qhUe037f

http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001202porter2.asp

http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001106mobnow6.asp

http://lacndb.com/php/Info.php?name=Michael%20Genovese

http://www.crimetv.com/page/people/syndicate/pittsburgh-crime-family/1254

Synchronized Crime McKeesport Style, where anything went, as long as it went into the pockets of the mob

The attempted murder of my son took place in McKeeport, PA, on the grounds of Serra Catholic High School.  The day was December 5, 1989. Almost a quarter of a century later, the truth will finally be written.

Then McKeesport Mayor Lou Washowich was rewarded with a plum position on the PA Turnpike Commission.  Ever so coincidentally, he helped the Pittsburgh Diocese keep hidden the intricate details of the attempted murder of my son.

One of his underlings, current PA Senator Jim Brewster, spearheaded passage by McKeesport Council to award a pension to Washowich prior to his leaving for the PA Turnpike Commission.  This was done, even though Washowich did not have the accumulated years to qualify for a pension. Brewster was a councilman at the time.

Then McKeesport police chief, Tom Brletic, also covered-up the details involving the attempted murder of my son.  He then enjoyed favor from those in power, ever so coincidentally. Firstly, he was given the democratic endorsement for district  magistrate, and this is the same as winning the election. Next, he was chosen to be an investigator for the Casino Board.

Today’s trivia question arises:  Which PA agency is the most corrupt? PA Turnpike Commission or the PA Casino Association? Both have strong ties to the Zappala Family, and it should be noted that the solicitor for the city of McKeesport (when my son was shot) was Dodaro, Cambest & Associates. They would come to be the law firm of choice for the Zappala family ... ever so coincidentally.

Take note in the article linked below how many former McKeesport police were indicted. Take notice that one McKeesport councilman was indicted, too. He also owns a restaurant where the influential family holds its pow-wows.

The Police Chief of Forward Township who was also a former police officer in McKeesport allegedly ran a coffee shop/sports betting/video poker machine/numbers joint while still on the McKeesport police force, or better yet, police farce.

It only gets worse.  Or perhaps I should stay it only get all the more ever-so-coincidental. Stay tuned.
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/4653630-74/count-charged-counts#axzz2pRm5hN1L

An open letter to Bishop David Zubik, Pittsburgh Diocese

Could the attempted murder of my son, Adam Ference, have been averted, if the diocesan hierarchy had properly supervised former Catholic priest, Father John Wellinger.  Please review my allegations and note which ones are true or false. If you need additional information, I would gladly provide it.

Question 1. Allegedly, in the first quarter of 1987 Fr. John Wellinger, a priest of the Pittsburgh diocese and pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in West Mifflin, drugged a University of Pittsburgh student in an apartment that the victim shared with his older brother, also a Pitt student.

According to the victim, he was knocked out for hours.  When he awoke, he intuitively called 911.  After rushing downstairs, against the wishes of Fr Wellinger, the teenage victim flagged down and met the ambulance and the attending EMTs in the street.

The allegation of the rest of the event goes as follows:

The ambulance whisked away to the  University Hospital emergency room (now University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; UPMC).  Fr. Wellinger allegedly followed the young victim to the hospital. Upon finding him in the emergency room, the victim requested that Wellinger find his nurse.  When the nurse returned the victim would explain that Wellinger was the man who had drugged him.

Wellinger was ushered out by the nurse.  To the best of my knowledge, police were not notified; not even a security guard from the hospital.  The victim was not examined by a doctor.  In other words, the entire event was covered-up.

The parents of the victim came to the hospital and took their son home.  Furthermore, I was told by then Clairton Public Safety Director William Scully, in January of 1990, that a hospital worker, possibly a social worker, warned the parents to not take on the Pittsburgh diocese, because they are too powerful and wealthy.

I can provide the victim's name and contact information to verify my story.  Bishop David Zubik, is this event TRUE or FALSE?  If it's true, the attempted murder of my son could have been averted.

Question 2. Allegedly, a few days after the above event, the victim’s father searched out Wellinger at the parish house.  At the time, Wellinger was holding a parish council meeting.  So, there were plenty of witnesses present, including the victim’s mother.  The victim’s father was angry, because Wellinger had allegedly drugged his son and possibly raped and sodomized him.  The man was also angry over an outing that lasted all night long between Wellinger and his wife.  According to an eyewitness Wellinger was ushered out a back door and the West Mifflin Police were called.  Parish council members were logically concerned, because the victim’s father may have been intoxicated and carrying a weapon.

Is there evidence of any police report?  Did the father receive notification from attorneys of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to stay away from Father John Wellinger and to stay off of Holy Spirit property in West Mifflin, PA?  Bishop David Zubik, is this event TRUE or FALSE?  If it's true, then the attempted murder of my son could have been averted.

Question 3. An allegation was brought to my attention within the past year or two, by a Catholic priest who stated to me via telephone that a person by the last name of Volmer went to Father Charles Bober in 1987 and warned Bober about Fr Wellinger’s deviant behavior.  To the best of my knowledge, nothing was done.

Bishop David Zubik is this event TRUE or FALSE?  If it's true, then the attempted murder of my son could have been averted.

Question 4. At sometime in 1988, the personal secretary of Father Wellinger allegedly went to the Pittsburgh diocese and spoke to Father Ronald Lengwin about Wellinger’s deviant behavior.  She also reported that a teenage boy used the rectory as his home for the longest time and enjoyed making 900 calls to porn sites, while costing the parish hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Sadly, the women whom I interviewed would be labeled as a rumor-monger, and once again, Bishop Bevilacqua would err on the side of dysfunctional sex freak, Fr John Wellinger, rather than erring on the side of caution.  Bishop David Zubik, is this event TRUE or FALSE?  If it's true, then the attempted murder of my son could have been averted.

Question 5.   A suicide occurred in Father John Wellinger’s parish in 1989.  According to then Clairton Public Safety Director William Scully, the suicide allegedly was linked to Wellinger.  Scully said that he just didn’t have the needed proof.  The boy who took a gun to his head and pulled the trigger was 16 years old.

According to Scully, the boy had an interest in the occult and Satanism.  Wellinger would hold a seminar on occult practice and Satanism months later.  Bishop David Zubik is this event TRUE or FALSE?  If it's true, then the attempted murder of my son could have been averted.