Prosecutors go after Scalzitti assets
A sign outside Armando's Six Paks & Food Take Out in North Huntingdon Township states, 'Under New Management.' Armando's — one of the properties owned by convicted drug dealer John Scalzitti — is one of several properties and business that the U.S. government is trying to seize.
Federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh have started legal proceedings to seize a number of businesses and properties in Pennsylvania and Florida owned by a convicted North Huntingdon Township drug dealer with long-standing ties to organized crime.
The U.S. Attorney's Office also wants to keep $4 million that agents seized from Jon Scalzitti, who amassed the money from selling drugs from 1996 until his arrest in May. Scalzitti pleaded guilty last month in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh to running a drug ring that smuggled $11 million worth of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines into the region using North Huntingdon as his base of operations.
Scalzitti, 62, faces 20 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced Jan. 17 on drug trafficking, fraud and money-laundering charges.
In papers filed in U.S. District Court, the government listed properties in Westmoreland and Fayette counties that it wants to seize, including Armando's Cafe, located in the Norwin Hills Shopping Center in North Huntingdon. The restaurant is co-owned by North Huntingdon businessman John Scozio.
Scalzitti and Scozio are partners in Camry Development and Camry Estates, which sold parcels for a housing development that bears the same name. They also are partners in the Camry Building and an unidentified parcel on Thompson Lane, both in North Huntingdon, and in Penn Crossing Distributorship in Jeannette.
Also subject to forfeiture are J&B Motors, Delta Auto and Rio Motors, all in Murrysville; First Class Auto in Waltersburg, Fayette County; and Three Star Motors in North Huntingdon.
In addition, the government is attempting to seize two properties in North Palm Beach, Fla., and in Champion, Fayette County, where Scalzitti once lived.
Several other businesses are targeted by federal prosecutors as well. They include the PT Pub & Grub in Penn Township and two mailing centers, Mail Priority in Irwin and Mail Priority II in Jeannette.
Although Scalzitti and Scozio were business partners in several ventures, court records filed by the government indicate that Scozio "was without knowledge of or involvement in the criminal activities" of Scalzitti.
"This agreement shall not be construed as an admission of wrongdoing or liability on the part of John Scozio," the document adds.
U.S. District Court Judge Donetta Ambrose issued a protective order that prevents Scozio from selling or transferring his shares of any of the properties or businesses without court approval.
Scozio's attorney, William Manifesto of Pittsburgh, said his client appeared before a federal grand jury and had his business records subpoenaed by prosecutors during the Scalzitti investigation. He said Scozio cooperated in the federal investigation.
"He's cooperated fully with the government for well over two years," Manifesto said. "The net effect is we agreed with the government's position that they want to protect their interests and we want to protect ours. It's in both of our best interests to preserve the assets as the government tries to unravel ownership."
The day before he was scheduled to go to trial, Scalzitti entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. The deal requires his cooperation in the continuing federal investigation of drug sales in western Pennsylvania.
Using a Florida connection, Scalzitti shipped drugs to Pennsylvania, where he used a member of the Pagans motorcycle gang to distribute 11 kilos of cocaine, 1,000 kilos of marijuana and more than 500 grams of methamphetamines.
William Faloona, a former president of the local chapter of the gang, cooperated with the FBI and tape-recorded 14 incriminating conversations with Scalzitti that would have been used against him if he had gone to trial.
Scalzitti had served a previous sentence for drug dealing.
He was convicted in the 1970s for dealing cocaine and sentenced to a decade in prison. Upon his release from parole, federal authorities say he began dealing drugs in 1996 and continued until May, when he was arrested.
Scalzitti's car dealerships were the subject of a state drug probe last year.
Thomas Pennavaria, Scalzitti's manager at Rio Motor Cars, allegedly leased vehicles to drug dealers without changing the names of the previous owners on the lease in an effort to thwart police surveillance. The cars were used by alleged members of a $7 million drug ring allegedly operated by Rakyym Hetherington of Greensburg, who is awaiting trial on the charges.
Scalzitti was not charged in the pending case against Pennavaria.
