DeRosa supporters laud him to court

By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

A retired judge calls Nicholas DeRosa a good friend, while a university president sees a man with an important legacy.

Not only are friends and family seeking leniency for the New Castle resident. School superintendents, city school district employees and doctors are among his supporters.

DeRosa pleaded guilty in late October to felony counts of bank fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The plea came in the aftermath of the federal government’s mortgage fraud investigation of Affordable Housing of Lawrence County.

He was scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow morning in federal court, downtown Pittsburgh. The hearing has been moved to 10 a.m. March 22.

The following are selections from some of the 18 letters submitted to Senior U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond. Approximately 70 signatures were attached to the correspondences, which discussed DeRosa’s commitment to family, school and community. The letters in their entirety are located at www.ncnewsonline.com.


“I know hundreds of people who know Nick and cannot recall having heard a negative about him. Personally, prior to the reporting of his charges, I had not heard or seen anything that even hinted at greed, avarice, or dishonesty at any level. The circumstances which bring him to your court represent one of the biggest surprises and disappointments I have experienced.”

Glenn McCracken Jr.
Retired Lawrence County common pleas court
 

“As a Trustee over these many years, Mr. DeRosa served the University faithfully and with distinction … As a senior member of our Council, Mr. DeRosa was a leader and a consensus maker … I do not dispute the seriousness of the charges facing Mr. DeRosa. However, I continue to believe in the whole person and believe Mr. DeRosa’s larger body of work within his community and for the Commonwealth is an important legacy worthy of consideration within the discretion of sentencing allowed by the court.”

Robert M. Smith
President, Slippery Rock University


“Nicholas was brought up to respect the importance of family and the deep rewards that can be derived by being part of a strong family framework. Throughout the years, Nicholas lived with our parents and helped raise his son Michael and his niece Lisa (whose mother passed away when Lisa was less than one year old). Nicholas inspired, through his own educational experience and his vocation as an educator, both Michael and Lisa to attend and graduate from college … Family has always come first to Nicholas and he has proven this in many ways throughout his life.”

Theresa Burgo, sister
Anna Marie Leatherow, niece
Dr. Alfred Burgo, nephew
Lisa Hites, niece
Michael DeRosa, son
 

“All of the undersigned have known Nick anywhere from thirty to sixty years. Several of us have grown up with Nick in the Croton area of New Castle, where he was born, raised, and still resides.

“Nick was a very active member of our community. He held positions in the New Castle Area School District as an Elementary Teacher and later as (Assistant) Superintendent for approximately forty years. Nick has been a public servant as a Trustee of Slippery Rock University for twenty-four years, New Castle City Councilman for twelve years, Lawrence County Planning Commission Member for 10 years, and past President of New Castle Area Wolves and National Association of Wolves scholarship organization. For eighteen years, Nick and his friend John Orlando have given one thousand dollar scholarships to low-income high school seniors to attend college.”

Friends of Nick DeRosa
 

“I have observed (DeRosa’s) professional attributes and recognize his many talents in the area of labor relations, transportation, and organizational negotiations. He effectively contributed to the operations of the school district and was truly someone that I, along with our entire staff, was able to count on for assistance when needed … Mr. Nicholas DeRosa has been someone I have known closely for 40 years. I believe that he will continue to be remembered as a unique, caring, and supportive individual to all who have the pleasure of knowing him.”

George J. Gabriel
Superintendent, New Castle Area School District
 

“Working cooperatively and amicably, we were able to reach successor collective bargaining agreements for all three bargaining units (teachers, secretaries and paraprofessionals) in the NCASD. I also worked numerous times with Mr. DeRosa to resolve grievances. He was at all times professional, respectful and extremely cooperative in working through our differences to reach an acceptable resolution to any disagreements …

“He has always been open, honest, considerate, and simply a man of his word. He has a genuine concern for the good of his fellow man as he would help in any way possible.”

Paul J. Sibeto Jr.
Spanish teacher, New Castle Area School District
President, New Castle Federation of Teachers
 
 
“Judge Diamond, I respectfully request that strong consideration be given to the service Mr. DeRosa has rendered to his community. To quote Robert Kennedy, ‘Service is the greatest of freedom’s privileges.’

“As written in the Antigone of Sophocles, ‘All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs his evil.’ I honestly believe that Mr. DeRosa has repaired the evil and is prepared to make amends through additional service to his community. He is basically a good man and person.”

Dr. Dennis E. Murray
Superintendent, Altoona Area School District
Slippery Rock University Council of Trustees