THE BLACK HAND FORUM

In a place like Buffalo. 2:1

What are the odds that someone who has been married twice has had both his wedding officiants that commit suicide? Even more, what are the odds that both of those officiants had written letters asking a judge for leniency in regards to Peter Gerace’s felony telemarketing scam conviction?

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-buffalo-police-commissioner-linked-to-2006-letter-seeking-leniency-for-peter-gerace/article_e49d8b82-af64-11eb-8988-434c81ab5492.html

In 1996 Peter married Debora Schmitt. Schmitt was a manager at Gerace’s Rascals Restaurant and Father Joseph F. Moreno Jr. performed their ceremony. https://buffalonews.com/news/article_43d30151-ff74-560b-9202-11f06f7afac7.html

Fast forward to October 2012 when Father Moreno was found dead in the rectory of St. Lawrence Catholic Church on East Delevan Ave. in Buffalo. His death was reported as a suicide. https://buffalonews.com/news/popular-priest-found-dead-in-rectory/article_80de14b8-ddbc-5545-ad00-4598aa240944.html

However there have been many rumors that the priest was murdered or made to take his own life. It should be noted that Police continued to investigate the gun used in this tragedy, https://buffalonews.com/news/police-investigate-source-of-gun-priest-used-in-suicide/article_e52d44f8-d721-51c2-836e-b803b301825a.html and[b] Father Moreno’s family has insisted that fail play was involved.[/b] https://buffalonews.com/news/local/family-suspects-foul-play-not-suicide-in-beloved-priests-death/article_0fad76ee-9b2b-5f00-a6ce-6e4fbb355d31.html

Now fast forward to 2014 when Peter married Katrina Nigro. His second bride operated an “adult novelty shop” in his Pharaoh’s gentleman’s club, and New York State Supreme Court Judge John Michalski performed their wedding. Additionally, Nigro claims the Gerace gave Judge Michalski an envelope with $5000 for waiving the 24 hour waiting period for the marriage, which the judge put in the pocket of his sport coat. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/judge-hit-by-train-under-investigation-over-claim-of-5-000-payment-for-wedding/article_cf4c168a-85b2-11eb-be75-2b2463b18210.html

The Buffalo News reported that Michalski had been questioned by federal law enforcement about his relationship with Gerace, https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/feds-examine-ties-between-judge-hit-by-train-and-indicted-strip-club-owner/article_4a09a440-804b-11eb-b10d-e39c2038b7b8.html and laid in front of a slow moving CSX train in an apparent suicide attempt the same day Gerace was arrested in Florida. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/sources-judge-lay-on-tracks-before-train-hit-him/article_100239dc-80e7-11eb-8a34-a7528a9dcd05.html

Nearly a year after Michalski's failed suicide attempt federal authorities executed a search warrant of the judge’s Amherst home. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/feds-search-home-of-state-supreme-court-justice-john-michalski-who-was-hit-by-train/article_566a67f2-ab82-11ec-8254-ab64dd8b3b22.html.
Five days later the Judge Michalski was found dead in his home and reported as a suicide by the Buffalo News. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/state-supreme-court-justice-john-michalski-dead-at-61/article_db1d172c-b50c-11ec-8755-c30d33b4fbde.html


Just as rumors swirled around about Father Moreno’s death, they abound about Judge Michalski’s fate as well.

So I ask, what are the odds that the officiants of Peter Gerace’s two weddings would both commit suicide? What are they odds that both officiants would have written letters asking a judge for leniency in Gerace’s telemarketing scam conviction? And finally, if those odds are significantly small, does this suggest that there may be something more sinister going on - as the rumors around Buffalo suggest?