Why Mayor Donchez Got Into Politics

Last week, fellow troublemaker Steve Antalics sent me the news clipping you see above from the now extinct Bethlehem Globe Times, relating to the prosecution of Bethlehem's three top cops back in the '60s. What I failed to tell you is that a Bethlehem officer who assisted in that prosecution paid a heavy price. His name was Detective John J. Donchez. His son would later go into government as a result of what happened to his father. That son is Mayor Bob Donchez.

It's hard to be a good cop. It's even harder to be a good cop when surrounded by bad cops. Detective John Joseph Donchez, known as "JJ," was a good cop. I was still in high school at the time of these prosecutions, but remember fielding many calls from Donchez as well as John Yerk, who would later become Commissioner.

Donchez took this case and his work very seriously. He brought his son Bob to watch the trial and subsequent convictions. He would be demoted as a result of his work and insistence on doing the right thing. This bothered him so much he had a heart attack. A second heart attack, right around Christmas, would kill him and leave Bob without a father. 

My father paid a price, too, although he had no heart and had no reason to worry about a cardiac arrest. My Dad needed Bethlehem to win a tough re-election bid against Charlie Spaziani. He didn't get it. Spaz, to his credit, continued the prosecution after being elected. The convictions of Director of Public Safety Irvin L Good and Vice Squad Chief Detective Louis Maio were ultimately affirmed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

These charges infuriated Mayor H Gordon Payrow. After an all-night meeting with Bethlehem Republican leaders, he claimed my Dad, a Democrat, would be charged with false arrest. He also implied that the reason for these charges was because Payrow had snubbed my father's request for a job at Bethlehem Steel. "Why did word get back to me several weeks ago - get me a legal job at the Bethlehem Steel Corp. after Jan. 1 and I will take the heat off."

My father denied the accusation or any political motive.

"I have what? My God. This just leaves me speechless. I thought that Mayor Payrow's remarks up to now have been unfettered, but I never dreamed this man would stoop as low as this.

"This is absolutely untrue. It is a lie. He is sick, absolutely sick. This is absolutely disgusting. A man of his position getting involved in tactics of this kind is absolutely sickening."

No charges were ever filed against my father. Payrow was apparently unaware that the Steel already had, on several occasions, offered my Dad a job. He repeatedly said No. He was never a company man.

I never saw this exchange until Steve Antalics sent me these clippings. But I already despised Payrow for a different reason. When he was in office, Payrow invited a senior from Liberty and Freedom High School to be Mayor for a Day, while snubbing Bethlehem Catholic. I thought this was subtle prejudice. This was the subject of my first ever letter to the editor. I had no idea until late last week that there already was bad blood between my father and Payrow.

I've painted an ugly picture of Payrow, perhaps unfairly. Mayor Donchez tells me that one day, after this was over, Payrow came to the Donchez home and apologized. He claimed he had been listening to the wrong people. He begged Det. Donchez to take the Sergeant's exam again. He did and got his rank back. Payrow would later ask Det. Sgt Donchez to take the Captain's exam. Unfortunately, Donchez passed away.

Mayor Donchez told me that what happened to his father is what led to his interest in both government and politics. It's why he is basically a boy scout in comparison to other elected officials. He and another young fellow named John Morganelli got involved. John has always had a passion for politics. In Bob's case, he wanted to restore his father's good name.

Mission accomplished, Bob.