Bellefonte police ask for help from the public in investigating fountain vandalism
A fountain dedicated to the man known as “Mr. Bellefonte” was damaged Wednesday.
A portion of the memorial dedicated to the late Gino Fornicola was damaged about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Bellefonte police wrote in a statement. The department is investigating.
Two men broke the top portion of the fountain at Talleyrand Park, police Chief Shawn Weaver said. The memorial is valued at more than $5,000.
Officers viewed security footage, but asked those with additional information to call 814-353-2320 or send a message to the police department’s Facebook page.
Fornicola was born 1929 in Bellefonte. His parents settled in the borough in the early 1900s after emigrating from Italy.
Fornicola — one of six sons and a daughter — graduated from what became Bellefonte Area High School and Penn State University. His list of accomplishments extended well beyond.
He was an Army veteran of the Korean War, operated the Bush House, served one term as Bellefonte mayor and spent more than a decade as Centre County’s treasurer through part of the ’80s and ‘90s.
Fornicola, 72, died May 30, 2002.