Former Jailbird Tricia Mezzacappa Announces Candidacy For NorCo Exec

The next NorCo Exec race is two years away. We have a Presidential race next year, along with a myriad of Congressional and statewide elections. But West Easton's most infamous resident, Tricia Mezzacappa, has announced she's running for Lamont McClure's spot. He should contribute to her campaign. If she is the Republican nominee, he will win in a landslide. She is so far out there that she makes McClure's most recent GOP opponent - wingnut and conspiracy theorist Steve Lynch - look like the voice of reason. 

Lynch, who hated my criticism, once challenged me to a duel. But if a letter from the District Attorney's office is to be believed, Mezzacappa wanted to kill me. An examining psychiatrist insisted that authorities warn me after she allegedly told a fellow inmate that she intended to build a ghost gun upon her release and put an end to me.

I stopped writing about her, not because of her threat, but because I thought she'd never run for office again.  Now that she has re-entered the political sphere and is seeking votes, I have no choice. 

In 2012, Mezzacappa was convicted of disorderly conduct after she barreled into borough hall and threatened to punch then Borough Solicitor Peter Layman in the nose and twice stated she was "going to fucking drag [Council President Kelly Gross] to the river and drown her."

In 2013, Mezzacappa was convicted of harassment of a West Easton Borough Clerk with threatening and abusive behavior, which included constant kicking and banging at the doors to Borough Hall after being told to wait for a police escort.

In 2021, Mezzacappa was convicted of false reports to the Pennsylvania State Police. Here's how the Northampton County DA summarizes what happened in a subsequent federal action that Mezzacappa filed, in which she is referred to as "Petitioner."

On February 11, 2019, in West Easton Borough, Northampton County, Petitioner reported to the Pennsylvania State Police that she had been held at gunpoint by a black man, a drug dealer, who ran away after she fired a shot in his direction. Petitioner told the Pennsylvania State Police that this black man lived at 816 Ridge Street and had fled into that address after threatening her. Petitioner voluntarily gave troopers the firearm that she reported firing, a Smith and Wesson 9 millimeter, indicating that she had not manipulated it following the shooting. However, troopers noticed upon examination that there was no round in the chamber, that the magazine was at full capacity, and that there was lint in the barrel of the firearm. The firearm was submitted for ballistics testing. The firearm was found to be fully functional; however, Sergeant Daryl Elias of the Pennsylvania State Police, an expert and forensic and toolmark examiner, concluded that the firearm had not been recently fired due to the extent of the debris present within the barrel and muzzle. Moreover, Petitioner’s neighbors denied hearing a shot fired. No shell casings were found in the area Petitioner alleged shooting her firearm. 

Upon arrival, the troopers interviewed Gregory Bealer and Charose Krock, the sole adult residents of 816 Ridge Street. Mr. Bealer reported that when he had entered his vehicle to get formula at the store for his newborn baby earlier that evening, Petitioner banged on his driver’s side window and “was screaming at me to get out of the neighborhood” because “they do not want drug dealers in the neighborhood.” Ms. Krock stated that five minutes after Mr. Bealer left, she heard a bang on her door and that Petitioner yelled through the window to her that “she wanted the drug dealer out of her neighborhood.” Petitioner gave two witness statements to the troopers, alleging that drug dealers had been sent to her address to harass her, and that on the day in question, “a drug dealer held a gun to [her] head,” “ran into 816 Ridge Street,” and that she “fired [her] gun at him.”

Following a jury trial, Mezzacappa was convicted. A disturbing presentence report noted instances of "racial rhetoric" employed by Mezzacappa, including the term "tar baby," She was sentenced to 12 months of probation, but ended up doing the entire 12 months behind bars instead because she refused to comply with any terms of probation. According to a court opinion, she was involuntarily committed to Norristown State Hospital during a portion of her stay in jail “based on her behavior and threats to Corrections Officers and/or other inmates.”

Of course, Mezzacappa appealed her conviction. Of course, she lost.  

Since her release, she gloated when West Easton Borough Council member Matt Dees passed away. "Good riddance to the nastiest rotten criminal west Easton has ever seen," she wrote on Facebook. Her violation of this social norm about speaking ill of the dead is sinful, regardless of which religion she pretends to follow. 

What's especially sad about Mezzacappa is that she is actually quite intelligent. But if she thinks she stands a chance in a race for any public office, she is sadly mistaken.