It appears that the vandalized grave markers in Riverview Cemetery in Kiski Township can be restored to their original condition thanks to a “miracle” product.

Rome Monuments, which volunteered its services to help clean the 200 headstones defaced with red paint last weekend, used a graffiti removal product called Elephant Snot.

Workers used a scrub brush to apply the thick, dark-green mixture to each stone, waited about 15 minutes, then used a pressure washer to spray it off.

The paint washed away like chalk sprayed from a sidewalk.

“Before we came in, we weren't sure it was going to work,” said John Dioguardi, retired owner of Rome Monuments. “Everything we have ever used never worked this well.”

He said one benefit is that the product is not affecting the darkening agent used on the lettering. It's not leaving a ghost mark where the red paint was.

“So what's happening is it's returning to what it looked like before,” Dioguardi said. “It's a miracle.”

The company planned to clean about 100 monuments Thursday and the rest Friday, he said.

Art Kunkle, president of the Riverview Cemetery Association, said one company's estimate to clean the headstones was $42,500.

“Words can't express our gratitude” to Rome Monuments for donating its services, he said.

“I just want to make sure that the vandalism that was done here and that the families served by the cemetery are taken care of in the best possible way,” Kunkle said. “I just want to do the right thing.”

Although the cemetery association is asking for donations to help offset Rome's cost, Dioguardi has told them he doesn't want the money.

Dioguardi declined to provide an estimate of how much it's costing his company to do the work.

“Put a number on it if this is your mom and dad's monument right here; put a number on it if you came to the cemetery that day and you saw this,” he said. “How do you value that disrespect that was shown? That's the part where no number can be disclosed.”

Audrey Thompson, 66, of Leechburg stopped at the cemetery Thursday morning to thank Rome Monuments for cleaning the headstones.

Thompson's parents and grandparents are buried there. She drove over on Sunday as soon as she heard about the vandalism.

“I just held my breath the whole way up the hill,” she said.

Their headstones weren't damaged, but Thompson said she cried for the families that were affected.

“What would possess someone to do this?” she said. “It just made me sick. It's just heartbreaking.”

Kiski Township police said they have a few leads into who committed the vandalism.

Jodi Weigand is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-226-4702 or jweigand@tribweb.com.

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