PBA members, family and friends came to Trenton on Sept. 27 to support Hightstown Local
283 member Frank Marchione (fourth from right in gray shirt and tie) before his hearing to
determine his fitness for duty. (Photo by John Hulse)
Making a fitness challenge
PBA members rally in Trenton to help Frank Marchione
battle landmark fit-for-duty case
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
As the sun came up on Trenton the morning of Sept. 27, the
PBA super trailer parked across the street from the Mercer
County New Criminal Courthouse sent up a flashing light that
could almost be seen from the outskirts of town. Here was a
beacon shedding brightness on a situation that had long passed
the point of reasonability or logic.
It might have been darkest before the dawn for Hightstown
Local 283 member Frank Marchione in his ridiculous, threeyear quest to prove his fitness for duty, but on this morning he
finally saw a ray of hope and optimism. Marchione was still two
hours from his 9:30 a.m. hearing to determine his fitness that
would lead to getting his job back, but reinforcements began
showing up from all directions.
Mercer County Corrections Local 167 State Delegate Winslow
Land and Berkeley Heights Local 144 State Delegate Pat Moran were first to arrive. Then came State Delegates Mike Kaniuk from Middlesex County Correction Officers Local 152 and
Joe Nigro from Harrison Local 22. Bergen County Sheriff’s
Department Local 134 State Delegate Andy Pacucci followed.
And members representing East Brunswick Local 145 and Old
Bridge Township Local 127 approached. So did Mike Pellegrino
from Ewing Township Local 111.
A groundswell of PBA members came to support Marchione,
and even residents of Hightstown, including a former member
of city council, were on hand. At the PBA convention in Phoenix
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