More than 200 letters attesting to the good works and upright character of former Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow were made public on Friday following a judge's decision to send him to federal prison for 16 months.
With the letter writers including high-profile political figures like former Gov. Ed Rendell and clergymen like Diocese of Scranton Bishop Emeritus James Timlin, Mr. Mellow's attorneys hoped the letters would convey a more compassionate image of Mr. Mellow than the picture of corruption painted by federal prosecutors to U.S. District Judge Joel H. Slomsky.
"The speech of the community came through with force and clarity," Mr. Mellow's attorney, Sal Cognetti Jr., said before Judge Slomsky handed down his sentence.
While the judge said the letters revealed a mosaic of "really exemplary" people that were very fond of Mr. Mellow, the letters were not enough to sway him to grant Mr. Mellow's attorneys' request for probation.
Many of the letters mentioned Mr. Mellow's ability to steer millions of dollars in state money to the region, spurring new development and creating thousands of jobs during his 40-year tenure in the state Senate.
Others from friends and family described not a politician, but a man with a charitable heart and an inspirational personality.
Mr. Mellow's nephew, James J. Mellow III, said his uncle's dedication to public service inspired him to become a police officer.
"Since I was young he has always told me to take the higher road in life and respect the law," James Mellow wrote. "Growing up and seeing my Uncle Bobby making a personal choice to make a career out of helping people have a better quality of life has had a great impact on the man I am today."
In his letter, Mr. Rendell, who became acquainted with Mr. Mellow during his first term as mayor of Philadelphia and later as governor, said Mr. Mellow had an "enduring positive effect on millions of Pennsylvanians."
And, he was greatly moved by the plights of his constituents.
"I have seen him reduced to tears on occasion by their plight and go to great lengths to try to alleviate it. That's a side of Bob Mellow that not many people know," Mr. Rendell wrote.
Raymond S. Angeli, former Lackawanna College president, and Austin Burke, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, praised Mr. Mellow's ability to funnel state money into the region, leading to building renovations at Lackawanna College and the development of Montage Mountain.
"I know that Bob has acknowledged his crimes and is suffering greatly with remorse," Mr. Burke wrote. "However, the Bob Mellow I know has been a deeply caring friend of this community and a deeply caring friend of mine and my family for decades."
Robert W. Naismith, Ph.D., the former chairman and still board member of the Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, said Mr. Mellow "worked tirelessly" to make sure the college would open while it was merely an idea on the drawing board.
"He immediately saw the value to our region," Mr. Naismith wrote. "I fully believe that Sen. Mellow is highly ethical, caring and has conducted his life with a concern for others."
In Bishop Timlin's eyes, Mr. Mellow is "honest," "hard working" and dedicated to the "noble profession of public service."
And Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, who served as a priest in the Diocese of Scranton and is now vice president for mission and ministry at Fordham University, said Mr. Mellow's "most ardent desire" was to serve others.
Yet, his last chapter of public service ends in tragedy.
"His has been a painful and humiliating departure from a public career lived in a more than honorable manner," Monsignor Quinn wrote.
Contact the writer: smcconnell@timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter