John C. Kubacki

Kubacki was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, on June 6, 1912. His father, Bernard, was a foreman for the Reading Car Wheel Company. Kubacki graduated from Reading Senior High School in 1930 and Bucknell University in 1934. He was involved in athletics and was captain of the Bucknell boxing team his senior year.{{cite news |title=John C. Kubacki Earns B. A. Degree at Bucknell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RuBWAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA15&article_id=5575,947158 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=June 5, 1934}} In 1935, he became athletic director, teacher, and basketball coach at Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute.{{cite news |title=Kubacki Qualifies For Post in Navy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJshAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA17&article_id=3281,3840981 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=August 21, 1941}}{{cite news |title=Cancelled For War |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/530089369/ |access-date=2 May 2024 |work=The Tribune |date=December 12, 1941}} He served in the United States Navy during World War II as a physical training officer. After the war, he worked in public relations for a distillery.

In 1947, Kubacki helped organized and was elected chairman of the Veterans Political Advisory Board, which was created to recruit war veterans to run for political office and lobby for better housing, sports, and recreation facilities in Reading.{{cite news |title=Kubacki Organizes Unit To Push Vets' Claims |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VY0hAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA2&article_id=3023,4452081 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=August 30, 1947}} He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Reading school board in 1947 and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1948.{{cite news |title=Five Local Candidates File Papers at Capital |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9MYhAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA15 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=February 27, 1948}} In 1949, Mayor John F. Davis appointed Kubacki to the Mayor's committee on housing.{{cite news |title=Kubacki Appointed To Housing Committee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4TMjAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA1&article_id=2050,5699215 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=May 18, 1949}} Later that year, Kubacki was elected to the school board.{{cite news |title=Official Count Completed By Berks Computing Board |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8chAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA3&article_id=5167,887471 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=November 21, 1949}}

In 1950, Kubacki was elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.{{cite web |title=John C. Kubacki |url=https://archives.house.state.pa.us/people/member-biography?ID=1423&body=H |website=Pennsylvania House of Representatives |access-date=1 May 2024}} He was an unsuccessful candidate for city comptroller in 1951, but was reelected to the House in 1952 and 1954.{{cite news |title=Davis Lists Expenses |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBwrAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA31&article_id=2412,2380446 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=December 6, 1951}} He was elected to the Reading city council in 1955 and resigned from the House on December 31 of that year.{{cite news |title=Kubacki Hopes To Retain Two Offices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjErAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=December 16, 1955}} He also served as the city's director of public safety.

By 1958, Kubacki was at odds with members of his own party, including mayor Daniel F. McDevitt. In 1959, he upset McDevitt to win the Democratic nomination for mayor. In the general election, he defeated his former homeroom teacher, J. Edgar Hilgendorf, by 5,603 votes to become mayor of Reading.{{cite news |title=Voters Pick Kubacki For Mayor |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S6MhAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA1&article_id=1533,1471674 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=November 4, 1959}}{{cite news |title=The Walsh Line |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ewQrAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=April 16, 1967}}

During Kubacki's mayoralty, the city began a number of public improvement projects, including downtown commercial redevelopment, renovations to the Reading Regional Airport, and a $4.5 million sewage program, and completed two parking projects. Also under Kubacki, the Reading Police Department started its canine unit and expanded its juvenile department.{{cite news |title=Kubacki Is a Candidate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n4ktAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA18 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=March 17, 1963}} Kubacki filled boards with loyalists and dismissed longtime Reading Airport Authority executive director Mel Nuss and the director of both the Reading House Authority and Reading Redevelopment Authority, Phil Schmehl.{{cite news |last1=Koehler |first1=Ray |title=No one quite like John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u_ohAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+Kubacki%22&pg=PA9&article_id=5544,5361516 |access-date=2 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=December 4, 1988}}

In April 1963, Reading Police Chief Charles S. Wade was indicted on perjury charges.{{cite news |title=Text of Wade Indictment Released |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oBArAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Charles+S.+Wade%22&pg=PA14&article_id=5632,4289755 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=April 10, 1963}} Kubacki chose not to discipline or suspend Wade.{{cite news |title=Wolfe Again Urges Mayor To Suspend Chief Wade |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBcrAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA33&article_id=5545,349270 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=May 1, 1963}} On May 21, 1963, Kubacki was upset in the Democratic mayoral primary by Harold L. Guldin.{{cite news |title=25 Races For Mayor 'Rough' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2UYqAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA17&article_id=7352,2430081 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=May 22, 1963}}

In 1961, as part of United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's war on organized crime, U.S. attorneys Thomas F. McBride and Henry S. Ruth Jr. were assigned to investigate racketeering in Reading and Berks County, Pennsylvania.{{cite news |last1=Renner |first1=Gerald |title=McBride and Ruth--Double Trouble |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tRwrAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA15 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=January 24, 1964}} On July 8, 1963, Kubacki was indicted by a federal grand jury for violations of the Hobbs Act and Travel Act. He was accused of extorting $10,500 from companies selling parking meters.{{cite news |title=Pennsylvania Mayor Indicted |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHosAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA2&article_id=7387,1015783 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Herald-Journal |date=July 9, 1963}} On April 17, 1964, he and his co-defendant, rackets boss Abraham Minker, were convicted on all charges.{{cite news |title=Mayor Waits For Sentence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFFAAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Kubacki%22&pg=PA5&article_id=817,933816 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Gettysburg Times |date=April 18, 1964}} Kubacki was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $5,000.{{cite news |title=Two Jailed in Extortion Case |work=The New York Times |date=April 27, 1965}} In 1968, Judge Alfred Leopold Luongo dismissed the $4,250 unpaid portion of his fine due to financial hardship.{{cite news |title=Kubacki's Probation, Fine Are Dismissed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-z0jAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA1&article_id=2630,7007732 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=July 15, 1968}}

On September 9, 1964, Kubacki, Minker, and Benny Bonanno were charged with extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion for allegedly demanding payoffs from a brothel owner during Kubacki's tenure as mayor.{{cite news |title=Ex-Mayor Is Arrested In Conspiracy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4CAmAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Gettysburg Times |date=September 10, 1964}} The trio were found guilty on March 22, 1965, after a jury took just one hour to deliberate.{{cite news |title=Former Mayor Found Guilty |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lCwmAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Gettysburg Times |date=March 23, 1965}} They were sentenced to six months to a year in Berks County Prison.{{cite news |title=Kubacki, Minker, Bonanno Given Prison Terms in Extortion Case |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5EhAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1 |work=Reading Eagle |date=December 9, 1965}} On November 16, 1966, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania voted 5 to 2 to grant all three defendants new trials after it found that the trial judge had erred by not allowing defense counsel to examine a tape recording of a statement made by prosecution witness Charles S. Wade and use portions of the statement in cross-examination.{{cite news |title=Local Trio Is Granted New Trial |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cy0rAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA1&article_id=2161,974605 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=November 17, 1966}} At the retrial, the alleged victim, Angeline Martin Wilkerson, refused to testify and the charges were dismissed against all three men.{{cite news |title=Kubacki Pays Court Costs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRwrAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA1&article_id=4533,1715805 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=July 4, 1967}}

On January 27, 1965, Kubacki was found not guilty of extorting $500 from a dealer who sold the city two police vans.{{cite news |title=Jury Acquits Kubacki In City Police Van Case |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ly8zAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA1&article_id=2680,4204279 |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=January 28, 1965}}

In 1968, Kubacki returned to politics as a candidate for his old House seat, but lost in the Democratic primary. In 1977, he suffered a stroke. Kubacki died at his home on November 23, 1988, of natural causes.{{cite news |title=Kubacki, ex-mayor, dies at 78 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OfkhAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1 |access-date=2 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=November 23, 1988}} He was buried in Gethsemane Cemetery in Laureldale, Pennsylvania.

On June 25, 1939, Kubacki married Mary Stockler. They had two sons – Alan and Joseph. Alan Kubacki is a former teacher and administrator in the Reading School District and was a member of the Reading Housing Authority.{{cite news |last1=Burger |first1=Christine |title=School Board and Teachers Will Meet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rgkrAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22John+C.+Kubacki%22&pg=PA25&article_id=2185,2932161 |access-date=2 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=October 26, 1971}}{{cite news |title=Housing board and art of politics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1J8tAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6 |access-date=2 May 2024 |work=Reading Eagle |date=October 26, 1979}} Joseph Kubacki is an ophthalmologist who was an associate dean of the Temple University School of Medicine. In 2011, he was convicted of 150 counts of health care fraud, wire fraud and making false statements for billing for patient care that actually was handled by medical residents.{{cite news |title=Former Reading man convicted in $3 million health care fraud |work=McClatchy - Tribune Business News |date=August 23, 2011}}

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Category:1912 births

Category:1988 deaths

Category:20th-century mayors of places in Pennsylvania

Category:Bucknell University alumni

Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Category:Mayors of Reading, Pennsylvania

Category:Pennsylvania politicians convicted of corruption

Category:Politicians convicted of extortion under color of official right

Category:Politicians convicted under the Travel Act

Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II

Category:Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States

Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly