Giordano For Retention: Humility and Class

Judge Emil Giordano, with his sister Margaret and brother Joseph. 

Over three hundred people, Democrats and Republicans alike, braved the downpours to cram into Northampton Memorial Community Center last night. From Superior Court Judge Jack Panella to State Senator Lisa Boscola to Northampton County Bulldog Ron Angle, they were all there to wish Emil Giordano the best in his retention campaign for Northampton County Judge.

Some were there because they graduated from Becahi with him. Others belonged to his frat at Moravian College. Some got to know and respect him from his days as a lawyer. Many more are baseball and basketball players he's coached over the last twenty years.

Ed Pany with Judge Giordano

He remembered them all. He thanked his sister Margaret and Hanover Township Manager Jay Finnigan, whom he credits for his election victory ten years ago against a very distinguished field of candidates. He held up a family portrait with his wife Tina and sons Caden and Joseph, and claimed that's why he won ten years ago. He spoke of the now departed Dominic Ferraro and Charlie Roberts, and said he owed his victory to them. But he failed to credit the one person that the rest of us were thinking about - himself.

That humility and class, along with a little humor, is Judge Giordano's style.

Giordano called his work as a judge challenging."Just like at home, everyone wants to appeal my decisions."
Although there was a host of big shots on hand who could have introduced him, Judge Giordano asked Ed Pany, the Will Rogers of the Lehigh Valley, to do the honors. Pany did not disappoint.

Atty Jay Leeson speaks for Judge Giordano

Pany joked about the online petition contending that the "Konkrete Kids" nickname for Northampton High School is actually a reference to the KKK.  Pany, who attended Northampton High School about 110 years ago, stated that, though he's an old Konkrete Kid, he still needed a special court order from Judge Giordano just to get into the building.

Pany also complained that a poor grade in school held him back. "Please, Emil Giordano, strike the "C" from my transcript," he joked, referring to a recent case in which Judge Giordano was asked to review a college student's grade. He declined.

Noting that Judge Panella is up for retention, too, Judge Giordano asked the crowd to support Judge Panella, too.

He said you won't see any campaign signs asking you to retain him, explaining that is the tradition among judges up for retention. But he asked each person there to speak to ten people on his behalf.

Let me tell you a story about Judge Giordano, who my grandson loved as a coach some years ago, when a basketball was bigger than him. I could tell you about how good he is with the kids, but let me tell you instead how good he is with political opponents.

Some years ago, Giordano ran against the John Morganelli buzzsaw for DA. It was a tough race.

While waiting for the returns at some club, Morganelli was shocked when his opponent, Emil Giordano, walked into a Democratic stronghold to congratulate him in person. That was class. That was humility. Tonight he showed those qualities again. That's why he was elected judge ten years ago. That's why he'll be retained now.