In testimony Wednesday, Randy Szkola told the jury in the James Botti corruption trial that the reason he began recording conversations with Shelton developers and city officials was an incident involving the then-chairman of the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission.
Botti, a 47-year-old Shelton developer is on trial for conspiracy, bribery and mail fraud.
Szkola, a Shelton Inland/Wetlands Commission member, said what “broke the camel’s back” was when his life was threatened by Joseph Pagliaro, zoning chairman. Pagliaro died in June 2004 in an accident outside his business, Riverview Funeral Home.
Szkola said a dispute broke out regarding a planned development by Shelton Savings Bank on land adjacent to his father in law’s property. At the time, Pagliaro was also the bank’s treasurer.
The bank’s plan was approved by the zoning board. Szkola said his family filed a lawsuit and a judge sided with his family and overturned the board’s decision.
Shortly after that, Szkola said Pagliaro “walked up to me and said ‘for all the time and trouble you cost us, you are lucky I didn’t have you killed.’”
Szkola said he immediately reported the threat to the FBI and immediately began reporting to them.
Among those Szkola recorded during a seven-year FBI investigation into municipal corruption in Shelton were developer Robert Scinto and Richard Schultz.
Dow, who is representing Botti, made that disclosure this morning to Senior U.S. District Judge Charles S. Haight, Jr. during a hearing outside the presence of the 16-member jury. Dow was seeking to question Szkola about those conversations.
Earlier, Szkola said he recorded a number of conversations over the past seven years. “To try to remember a single instance on a date it occurred is quite a task for anybody,” Szkola told the jury.
Szkola testified he called the FBI at least 300 times with information about Shelton corruption over his seven years of cooperation.
“I always joked with the guys (FBI) that they should pay my cell phone bill,” Szkola admitted today telling a federal grand jury during his Nov. 5, 2008 testimony. He also said that on some weeks he called the FBI as many as 20 times.
This is the third day of the Botti trial. Botti is also accused of bribing Mayor Mark A. Lauretti, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
—-By Michael P. Mayko
