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<h3 class="title"><a name="#top"></a>Kevin Mercadante – The Consummate
Professional Funeral Director or The Consummate Devious Manipulator<br>
<br>
You Be the Judge<br>
</h3>
<h4 class="titlesmall">UPDATE: January 22, 2007</h4>
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<p>The Administrative Hearings have ended. The facts have been presented.
And the “truth is now known”! It’s a fact $1.7M (est.)
of your tax dollars have been wasted on a vicious “Witch Hunt”
of a magnitude not seen in recent times. The chronology of the proven<em><strong>
“Institutional Corruption”</strong></em>, which will be forwarded
to the appropriate authorities for their review, will be detailed as well
on this web site in the very near future.</p>
<p>It has been suggested by more than one of the callers who routinely visit
this web site that the State Governance Board of Registration of Funeral
Directors and Embalmers was <strong><em>“Raped”</em></strong>
in the process as a result of the lies, distortions, and misguided statements
made to the State Governance Board by the Mangsens, Ronald Johnson, Kevin
Mercadante, and Nordgren Memorial Chapel’s attorney, Scott S. Sinrich.</p>
<p>My response is <strong><em>“You can’t rape the willing!”</em></strong>
The State Governance Board in the person of its Chairperson, John J. Kazlauskas,
compromised the character and integrity of the State Governance Board from
the outset as he personally prejudiced and biased the Board by his vicious,
blasphemous, and slanderous statements and actions on December 9, 2003 –
prior to any complaints being filed by Mrs. Mangsen. (The audio recording
of the conspiracy and the meeting of December 9, 2003 with Mr. Kazlauskas’s
remarks clearly audible for all to hear is in my possession with copies
made and distributed to many of the co-conspirators). The conspiracy that
has been exposed as a result of our investigation of the Mangsen’s
statements and actions, those of the investigator (government functionary),
and the State Governance Board and blinded by their Chairperson’s
corrupt and erroneous statements leaped to judgment without verifying the
veracity of the statements, allegations, and accusations by the aforementioned
parties and immediately became co-conspirators in a process that has spanned
38+ months – and a process that has done irreparable harm to not only
me, but numerous families unjustly and without reason referenced by those
so corrupted in their beliefs and actions that they now need to be reprimanded,
censured, and in several instances “terminated” from government
service.</p>
<p>When we talk about <strong><em>“Rape” </em></strong>I think
immediately of Kevin Mercadante, Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel in Worcester.
On August 18, 2006 and again on August 28, 2006 I presented on this web
site a great deal of information – the truth and the facts –
concerning Mr. Mercadante. Since that time a great deal of additional information
concerning Mr. Mercadante’s statements and actions has surfaced and
will be presented herein. </p>
<p>At this time, you may wish to take a moment and reacquaint yourself with
the previous information presented in updates for August 18th and 28th in
the archives of this web site.</p>
<p>I now dedicate this Update to Mr. Mercadante, the rationale for his statements
and actions, why the State Governance Board did not call him as a prosecution
witness (although he was referenced extensively in a complaint filed by
Mrs. Mangsen and investigated by state functionary, John Bresnahan), why
I called him as a “hostile witness” for my defense, his relationship
with Very Rev. Fr. Michael Abdelahad (Pastor, St. George Orthodox Cathedral)
and how his actions have generated significant new found business for his
funeral home within the St. George Orthodox Cathedral Community as a result
of his personal and vindictive statements and actions with and before the
State Governance Board. </p>
<p>I approached Kevin Mercadante in the fall of 2003 when it became apparent
to me that Katherine Mangsen, with the assistance of Ronald Johnson (and
notably in the absence of her husband, Kurt Mangsen) was attempting to force
me out of Nordgren Memorial Chapel by revising my compensation package and
reducing my salary by approximately 40%. Mr. Mercadante and I had a cordial
conversation and after much thought over several days; Mr. Mercadante decided
it was not the right time for him to engage in another association, as he
was attempting to secure business from Manzi Funeral Home; a long time competitor.
Per Mr. Mercadante’s testimony on July 12, 2006, he stated quite clearly
that at no time during this discussion did he or I discuss any means of
compensation – a direct contradiction to that which was stated as
fact in the Order to Show Cause signed by Kathy Cartmell-Siricco on June
29, 2004 and that which was testified to by the government functionary and
investigator, John Bresnahan. </p>
<p>When Fr. Michael Abdelahad, Pastor, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, learned
that I was no longer associated with Nordgren Memorial Chapel, he suggested
I meet with Kevin Mercadante to see if we could create a business association.
I updated Fr. Michael concerning Mr. Mercadante and my discussions of a
few weeks earlier. I asked Fr, Michael if he thought it would be beneficial
if he contacted Mr. Mercadante and suggested the three (3) of us meet? Fr.
Michael graciously agreed to set up the meeting at his office at the Cathedral.</p>
<p>At the meeting, Fr. Michael initiated the discussions indicating he thought
it would be wonderful if I was associated with Mercadante Funeral Home and
that with the close proximity to the Cathedral, an association would benefit
the parishioners; all concerned, and would be convenient for Fr. Michael
as well. Mr. Mercadante stated emphatically that there were a number of
families that indicated to him years ago that if I (Philip Haddad) became
associated with Mercadante Funeral Home that they would consider taking
their business elsewhere. </p>
<p>Kevin Mercadante looked directly at Fr. Michael and stated (as GOD be my
judge), “I cannot take Phil on at this time, but I am interested to<strong><em>
purchasing</em></strong> his pre-arranged funerals!” Shocked as I
was, I stated emphatically<em><strong> “My Orthodox Families Are Not
For Sale!”</strong></em> The meeting ended with Fr. Michael suggesting
to Kevin Mercadante to give it some more thought; to which he agreed.</p>
<p>Just a week or two later on the occasion of the funeral and burial of William
“Bill” Peters, for which Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel
had the funeral, I asked Fr. Michael the very next day, “Did Kevin
give you any indication of his thoughts?” Fr. Michael (again as GOD
be my judge), stated “He’s not interested in an association,
but he still wants to <em><strong>buy</strong></em> your pre-arrangements?”
My immediate response was <strong><em>“Fr., you tell Kevin they’re
not for sale!!!!”</em></strong> </p>
<p>Mr. Mercadante was the successor funeral director for two (2) families
that wished to transfer their pre-need funeral arrangements from Nordgren
Memorial Chapel to Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel, since I was no longer
associated with Nordgren Memorial Chapel. The families, and the families
alone, made the decision to move their arrangements. Yet, Mr. Mercadante
saw an excellent opportunity to not only get these two families and their
pre-need funeral arrangements, but to potentially get me out of the way
long enough by fabricating lies about me and communicating them to his friend
and government functionary, John Bresnahan. In conspiring with Mrs. Mangsen
and in an attempt to validate the content of Mrs. Mangsen’s complaint
(EM-04-126), and thereby putting me “on the shelf” while he
wooed Fr. Michael (the specifics of which I shall soon present; Mr. Mercadante
stated to Mr. Bresnahan that I attempted to sway families with whom I had
made pre-arrangements at Nordgren Memorial Chapel to his funeral home (Mercadante
Funeral Home and Chapel). Additionally, he stated to Mr. Bresnahan that
he was aware of at least one other funeral home wherein I attempted to enter
into a financial arrangement to bring the pre-need funeral arrangements
I had made to that funeral home.</p>
<p><strong>NOW THE GOOD PART!</strong></p>
<p>When Mr. Mercadante was asked under oath at the Administrative Hearing
in Boston questions concerning his allegations and accusations made about
me, Kevin Mercadante was <strong>unable </strong>to provide the name of
the “other” funeral home that I supposedly attempted to enter
into a financial arrangement with or who (what person or individual) supposedly
told him. <em><strong>“Professional Funeral Director or Devious Manipulator!!”</strong></em></p>
<p>When my attorneys at the time asked for the name(s) of the funeral director(s)
who supposedly made the statements that I had attempted to enter into a
financial arrangement for the purpose of taking the pre-need arrangements
with me, the Prosecution refused to release the name(s), because Mr. Mercadante
was fearful I would retaliate against him. Finally we were provided with
Mr. Mercadante’s name, but soon found no written statement was taken
from Mr. Mercadante by the investigator, Mr. Bresnahan. Furthermore, the
Prosecution was afraid to call Mr. Mercadante as a witness for the Prosecution,
because his statements to the investigator were baseless and this was Mr.
Mercadante’s way of getting to my business as I was consumed with
responding to his lies and the conspiracy of which he was a key player.</p>
<p>Since the Prosecution was fearful of Mr. Mercadante testifying, they dragged
David Pickering, owner of Rand Harper Pickering Westborough Funeral Home
into the fray as their witness. I did not know what Mr. Mercadante would
say if I called him as a “hostile” witness for my defense; but
if he were to lie, I knew I could embarrass him if not destroy any credibility
his testimony would make with the truth. I added Mr. Mercadante to the list
of defense witnesses, and since he was referenced by the Prosecution in
their Order to Show Cause, they could not deny me the opportunity to examine
him, or at least I thought this to be the case!</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Kevin Mercadante told Dianne Williamson, a reporter for the
Worcester Telegram and published in her column one Sunday morning, <strong>“I
won’t lie for Phil Haddad!”</strong> When I queried Mr. Mercadante
under oath on July 12, 2006 and asked him specifically, “Did I ever
ask you to lie for me?”- Mr. Mercadante said “No!” Yet,
Mr. Mercadante, owner of Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel in Worcester,
made the statement to a newspaper reporter who reported that his exact words
were – <em>“I will not lie for Phil Haddad!”</em><u><strong>
Is Mr. Mercadante a man of honor and integrity? </strong>I think not, but
<strong>You be the Judge!</strong></u></p>
<p>Mr. Mercadante was subpoenaed on several occasions to appear at the Administrative
Hearings, but due to poor planning on behalf of the Prosecution as well
as a supposed emergency on behalf of Mr. Mazur, defense witnesses already
on their way to Boston came to Boston for a Hearing that was cancelled 30
minutes after it was to have begun. When Mr. Mercadante was again subpoenaed
to appear, William J. Kitter, (Pojani, Hurley, Ritter & Salvidio) attorney
for Mr. Mercadante asked for the subpoena to be modified or vacated, since
Mr. Mercadante was scheduled to be away in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon,
Salt Lake City, and Yellowstone National Park at the time mandated in the
subpoena.<em> Atty. Ritter further stated, “Mr. Mercadante contends
that any testimony would not relate with reasonable directness to the matters
in question.”</em></p>
<p>I certainly did not wish to adversely impact Mr. Mercadante’s vacation
plans, and I agreed to a modification of the subpoena to another date after
Mr. Mercadante returned from his holiday. The Administrative Hearings Counsel
went one step further and without consultation with me vacated Mr. Mercadante’s
subpoena – in other words, Mr. Mercadante did not have to appear.
<u> <strong>(Could it be that the Administrative Hearings Counsel and the
Prosecution were fearful of Mr. Mercadante being put under oath and testifying?)
You be the Judge!</strong></u> </p>
<p>Perservance pays off and Mr. Mercadante finally appeared before for the
Administrative Hearing in Boston on July 12, 2006. (See his testimony in
the August 28, 2006 Update in the archives of this web site). Moments before
Mr. Mercadante testified, Mrs. Janet Forzley, daughter of T. Catherine Rizkalla,
who along with her husband, Philip and her mother Mae Rizkalla decided to
transfer Mrs. Rizkalla’s pre arrangements from Nordgren Memorial Chapel
to Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel once they learned I was no longer
associated with Nordgren Memorial Chapel, testified that at no time did
I or anyone influence her or her family to initiate the transfer. Mrs. Forzley
further testified she had never met Mr. or Mrs. Mangsen, had never been
contacted by either of them, that the complaint that alluded to her actions
and those of her family were baseless lies, and that Mr. Mercadante had
not EVER contacted her to verify that which he stated as fact to the investigator,
Mr. Bresnahan.<em><strong> Mr. Mercadante – “A professional
Funeral Director or a Vicious and Devious Manipulator? You Be The Judge!!!</strong></em></p>
<p>The poison from Mr. Mercadante’s mouth as well as his actions have
impacted many -amongst them Fr. Michael Abdelahad, Pastor of St. George
Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester. As the vicious attacks on me continued
(a good deal of the time, I was unaware of the attacks for many months after
the fact), it became necessary for Fr. Michael to attest only to the facts
and truth of the discussions that took place at the meeting in his office
with me and Kevin Mercadante. I wished to spare Fr. Michael from the necessity
to testify at the Administrative Hearing in Boston, and I asked Fr Michael
for an affidavit verifying the full content and discussions of the meeting.
He was pleased to do so and asked if I had minutes of the meeting –
Fr. Michael having known me well for more than 20 years and fully aware
of my attention to detail. </p>
<p>I presented a draft of the minutes of the meeting to Fr. Michael for his
review, for corrections, and for omissions. Fr. Michael made a few minor
adjustments and submitted them to be for inclusion in the affidavit. This
was done and returned to Fr. Michael for his signature. Fr. Michael indicated
he wanted a last review by Atty. Donald Peters (also known as Fr. Ephraim
Peters, auxiliary Priest at the Cathedral). I encouraged him to do so, and
get back to me. </p>
<p>Within days, Fr. Michael contacted me and indicated he could not sign the
affidavit, because he suddenly could not remember much that transpired at
the meeting. All of a sudden after speaking with his attorney and a member
of the clergy, Fr. Michael Abdelahad suddenly developed amnesia and could
not attest to that which a day or two earlier was as clear as glass to him.
</p>
<p>I asked Fr. Michael, “Why the sudden about-face?” His response,
“I just can’t remember!” Was Fr. Michael’s position
reversal due to the fact that Fr. Michael, at the last minute one day, asked
Kevin Mercadante to bail him out and take Cathedral staff to Boston to catch
a plane – only to have a piece of metal fall from a passing vehicle
and damage Mr. Mercadante’s limousine? Was it because if Fr. Michael
told the truth, he would clearly show that Kevin Mercadante on two occasions
asked to purchase pre-arrangements I had made in the past – requests
I vehemently responded to with the statement “My families are not
for sale to you or anyone - “A Clear Violation of the Rules and Regulations
of Funeral Service?” </p>
<p>From the moment I was forced to defend myself against the vicious and malicious
statements and actions of the Mangsen’s and Mr. Mercadante, Kevin
Mercadante moved into St. George Orthodox Cathedral like it was his long
lost home. Families (parishioners of St. George Orthodox Cathedral) lost
loved ones and would routinely contact me, pleading with me for assistance
in dealing with their loss. In most instances I would refer them to Fr.
Michael, as I was not in a position to assist them under the circumstances.
Fr. Michael would routinely refer them to Mr. Mercadante. Yes, it is a fact
that by “putting me on the shelf” – so to speak, Mr. Mercadante
became the primary beneficiary of my business and the many families I had
served for more that 23 years.</p>
<p><em>Is Mr. Mercadante a gentleman that reflects positively for Funeral
Service or is he a devious manipulator and a major reason why funeral service
suffers from such a negative perception in the public’s eye?”</em>
<strong>You be the Judge!</strong></p>
<p>The last and most disturbing point for me to accept is the testimony of
Fr. Michael Abdelahad at the Administrative Hearing, for since Fr. Michael
was unwilling to provide an affidavit of the meeting between he, Mr. Mercadante,
and me; I had no choice but to subpoena Fr. Michael as a “hostile”
witness for my defense. Fr. Michael’s testimony was evasive as one
would expect based upon his sudden “memory lapse” of months
earlier, but what was about to happen just blew me away.</p>
<p>I asked Fr. Michael, under oath, that <em>“since I was terminated
by Nordgren Memorial Chapel on November 19, 2003, who (which funeral home)
has been the major beneficiary of funeral business for families at St. George
Orthodox Cathedral that previously were served by me?” </em>Fr. Michael’s
shocking response was<em><strong> “I don’t think the percentage
has really changed that much, to be perfectly honest.”</strong></em>
I asked Fr. Michael,<em> “So is it your testimony that Mercadante
Funeral Home has not been the beneficiary of……”</em> Fr,
Michael’s response,<em><strong> “Like I said, I’d want
to go back and check the numbers; but if you asked my gut reaction, I haven’t
seen a huge bump in percentage to Mercadante.”</strong></em></p>
<p>I then presented the names of Minerva Houssan, Victoria Haddad, Josephine
Corey, Charles Dowd, and others – none of which could Fr. Michael
Abdelahad remember which funeral home conducted the funerals at St. George
Orthodox Cathedral. When I requested answers to the question of which funeral
home conducted the aforementioned funerals from Fr. Michael and St. George
Orthodox Cathedral, I was informed this information was proprietary and
not available to be released to me. Quite frankly, I, as well as every other
funeral director in Central Massachusetts, knew the answer to the question
and the fact that Kevin Mercadante and Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel
was capitalizing on his lies, and distortions in order to “steal”
business from me and in the process poisoned a Clergyman, or a clergyman
allowed himself to be poisoned and compromised, because he was not willing
to own up to the truth. <strong><em>“Mr. Mercadante, I do not know
how you live with yourself!”</em></strong></p>
<p>Until recently, I was a proud parishioner of St. George Orthodox Cathedral
in Worcester. For many more than my 61 years, my family has labored tirelessly
in support of the future of St. George Orthodox Cathedral, its parishioners,
and the Orthodox Community of Central Massachusetts. That has now been compromised
by those who would sell their souls and their place in eternity for the
almighty dollar. You know of whom I speak, and truly “I pity each
of you”.</p>
<p>While attending the visitation (wake) for a wonderful woman who, along
with her family, had made pre-arrangements with me while at Nordgren Memorial
Chapel and who decided to transfer their arrangements to Mercadante Funeral
Home and Chapel, an elderly woman came up to me and said, (as she pointed
in the direction of Kevin Mercadante),<em> “He can steal families
and get the business anyway he wants, but the “green” dollars
that the families pay Mercadante Funeral Home will turn “red”
into blood money once it touches his hand”.</em> I responded, <strong><em>“now,
now, go easy”.</em></strong> I relayed this instance to Mr. Mercadante
in correspondence dated October 6, 2006.</p>
<p><strong>Mr. Mercadante:</strong> at the passing of a loved one in the Orthodox
Community, the only applicable Icon to be displayed in and about the casket
is the Icon of <strong>“The Decent Into Hades”</strong>- depicting
Jesus Christ grasping the hands of those being pulled into hell and raising
them to Heaven. I’m bothered by the fact that I cannot get out of
my mind the vision of Jesus Christ struggling to hold onto the right hand
of Fr. Michael while Fr. Michael struggles with his left hand to hold onto
your right hand while the devil tugs at your left hand. Is the weight of
Fr. Michael and you, Kevin, too much force for Jesus Christ to handle? Does
Fr. Michael let go and you become the possession of the evil one? Do you
join what several of your peers in funeral service believe to be “two
peas in a pod” in reference to you and Mr. Kazlauskas and his place
now in the next life? I don’t know, but I suggest it’s time
to give this eventuality some serious thought.</p>
<p><strong>I ask you once again, “Is Mr. Mercadante the consummate Funeral
Director or <br>
a Devious Manipulator? </strong></p>
<p><strong><u><em>You Are The Judge!!!!!</em></u></strong></p>
<p><strong>To funeral service providers nationwide and specifically to the
remaining honorable funeral directors in Massachusetts</strong>: </p>
<p>what has and is my destiny of the past 3 + years can and may well have
been your fate by unscrupulous individuals who will stop at absolutely nothing
to dishonorably discredit you. It is my commitment to you, to funeral service,
and to those who would compromise the integrity of that which you have sacrificed
your lives in support of those experiencing the loss of a loved one, to
see that those whose actions I have described are<strong><em> “rooted
out”, “identified for the world to see”, “to be
held accountable”, and to be “branded”</em></strong> now
and forever by the truth, the facts, and the distain the public has for
them. To this end, you have my word!</p>
<p>Philip G. Haddad, Jr.<br>
<strong>Next Update – February 2, 2007<br>
Subject – The Chronology of “Institutional Corruption”
– <br>
Unfortunately, a reality in Massachusetts! </strong></p>
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