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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Jim Wansacz |
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Wansacz resolution honors local hero
HARRISBURG, Feb. 12 – State Rep. Jim Wansacz has introduced a condolence resolution honoring local mining hero Pacifico "Joe" Stella.
Wansacz, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Susquehanna/Wyoming, said he introduced the resolution to honor Stella's life and recognize his many contributions to northeastern Pennsylvania.
"Joe Stella is a hero to miners everywhere, especially in northeastern Pennsylvania," Wansacz said. "His contributions both to mining and his local community are numerous and I'm honored to give him the recognition he deserves."
On Jan. 22, 1959, the ice-laden Susquehanna River broke through a thin layer of rock, flooding nearly every coal mine between Pittston and Wilkes-Barre and effectively ending deep mining in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Stella waded through freezing, waist-high water and dug through debris with his bare hands to save 33 men trapped in the mines that day. He continued to work in and around mines through the early 1980s, including flushing boreholes and surveying tunnels with the then Department of Environmental Resources.
In addition to his bravery in the mines, Stella worked to keep residents safe through a career in law enforcement, serving as Pittston Township police chief.
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