Grand Jury Indicts, and Police Arrest, City Councilor Scatamacchia

Haverhill City Council Vice President Robert H. Scatamacchia was arrested this morning after being secretly indicted last week and charged with stealing money from his former funeral home clients.

Scatamacchia, 65, was arrested this morning by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Essex District Attorney’s office following an eight-month investigation.

“The Essex County Grand Jury secretly indicted Mr. Scatamacchia on July 1, 2015 on two counts of larceny over $250. He is alleged to have stolen funeral pre-payments made to his funeral home, which is now out of business,” said a statement from Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokesperson for District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.

For many months, rumors circulated about Scatamacchia’s legal and financial problems, but today was the first day officials offered comments.

Scatamacchia is expected to be arraigned today in Salem Superior Court.

Scatamacchia Funeral Home, long a Mount Washington staple, merged with the Paul C. Rogers Funeral Home in 2011. The Scatamacchia name was dropped completely earlier this year. The business began when Scatamacchia’s father, Hugo F., bought the D’Amico Funeral Home on Bartlett Street. Upon acquiring the Pitocchelli Funeral Home, the business moved to 358 Washington St. The business initially served the Italian, Lithuanian and Polish communities.

In March, Scatamacchia resigned as transportation director for Haverhill Public Schools after only a few months in the $60,000 position.

“It just wasn’t working out. I had other…I don’t know, it just wasn’t working out,” Scatamacchia said. He was hired last November and gave up his city council salary to take the job.

Scatamacchia earlier took out nomination papers for re-election from the Haverhill City Clerk’s office. He has until Aug. 4 to return them with at least 50 approved signatures.

This is a developing story.