Witness Interview: Harold Mazza

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Witness Interview: Harold Mazza: Mazza was interviewed Sunday afternoon at the sheriff's department. Det. Nelson later contacted Art Riboni, chair of the local Sons of Italy chapter, who confirmed that a dinner had been held Saturday night and that Mazza attended.
Q = Deputy Terry Nelson
A = Harold Mazza
Q: Mr. Mazza, where were you on the night of November 8?
A: I was at a Sons of Italy dinner, at Maggioni's. It ran pretty late.
Q: Can you estimate what time you got home?
A: I guess it would have been 11 or so. I just got home and went straight to bed.
Q: So you didn't hear about the sheriff's death Saturday?
A: No. I didn't know anything about it until you called. I was pretty shocked.
Q: Shocked?
A: Sure. It's a tragedy -I didn't expect him to drop dead. He's done a lot for this county, in the past.
Q: Mr. Mazza, after the election you were calling for justice to be served. You don't feel in any way vindicated?
A: No! Absolutely not. Look, I had to come out punching in that race, I was definitely the underdog. The playing field wasn't exactly equal. But I would never wish him dead. He was a worthy opponent and I think we recognized each other as such and respected each other as such.
Q: What do you mean by the playing field not being equal?
A: I'm telling you something funny was going on. I don't know how deep it went, but the sheriff and that developer Bob Gilbert were sure in tight. I don't know if he was giving the sheriff money or what. But it seemed to me like Gilbert did an awful lot for the sheriff's campaign, I wonder if we even know the half of it. Maybe he bought some votes. Some people didn't even want to talk to me, and they were all Gilbert's friends.
Q: Those are serious allegations.
A: I know. And I know there's nothing on paper about it. I've seen the records and Gilbert's only down for 50 dollars or so. But there's probably plenty of under the table stuff, if you looked for it.
Q: So the suicide, do you think it was related to these claims?
A: I don't know. What he did, I'm sad to say it, is pretty standard. I can't say I think it would weigh on his conscience.
Q: Any other reasons you can think of for why he might have killed himself?
A: I think that anyone would break under that kind of pressure - his daughter, and everything. I'm sad for Chuck and for his family. You couldn't tell it during the election, but Chuck and I respected each other away from the whole election process. He was a good man at heart, but he made some mistakes. Everyone does.
Q: Some of your supporters have approached county officials and proposed that you take over Sheriff Lamar's vacant office. How do you feel about that?
A: I know about the law, and I have to follow the law, of course, like anyone else, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it. I think it's a backdoor -- a way for them to keep me out of the office by researching until they found this old law that they could apply to the situation.
Q: Do you think it's unjust?
A: Like I said, I have to follow the law like everyone else. It's not necessarily unjust, but it seems sort of petty, especially if it turned out the election had been rigged. At least I'd hope they'd call another election soon. I think that would be the fairest standard to apply to the situation. Leave it up to the voters. They should have the final word, not a group of men in a back room somewhere, deciding what's best for everyone based on their own preferences.
Q: What does the future hold for you?
A: Well, I can tell you right now that I'm going to be running again for the office in the next election, and I think I'll win this time. But right now I want to go pay my condolences to Caroline Blanchard and the Lamar family in their time of need. They're good people, and they deserve that.
Q: Thank you, Mr. Mazza.
A: You're welcome.