Love for Scott shown at roast

Date: 4/12/2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

SPRINGFIELD — Looking out over the audience gathered for his retirement roast, Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott said at the beginning of the evening, "You make a poor Southerner feel great."

By the end of the evening, during which his career and personality had been lovingly sliced and diced by speakers, Scott was still smiling.

People came to the MassMutual Center Thursday night to celebrate Scott's 10-year tenure as the top cop in Holyoke. He is retiring at age 65 in compliance with state regulations.

The banquet room was packed with 750 people who paid $40 for dinner and the opportunity to see a procession of local officials and media personalities, as well as Scott's friend comic and educational advocate Bill Cosby, praise and tease him.

A quick look around the room showed how Scott's message of zero tolerance toward crime in the Paper City as well as his criticism of judges had resonated with more than just residents of Holyoke.

The evening featured testimonials from co-emcees Michael Baxendale and John O'Brien from Rock 102 and Brad Shepard of WHYN AM, as well as State Sen. Michael Knapik, Mayor Michael Bissonnette of Chicopee, Mayor Elaine Pluta of Holyoke, Mayor Domenic Sarno of Springfield, Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni, Chicopee Police Chief John Ferraro Jr., Bo Sullivan of WHYN AM, Ray Hershel of abc40, Barry Kriger of TV22, Attorney Meghan Sullivan, businessman Samuel Bass and, representing the Valley Press Club, this writer and reporter Peter Goonan of The Republican.

Scott was donating profits made at the roast to the Valley Press Club's scholarship fund as well to a youth program operated by Bass. Scott has been a regular speaker at the annual Valley Press Club roasts.

Cosby, who came from New York City specifically for this event, said to Scott about his plan to go to South Carolina to retire, "You'll be taking your friendship, your smile and your human being [away]."

"You, Chief Scott, have done an awful lot. You leave enemies, but that is a good thing," Cosby added.

Cosby told the audience that Scott would be great as a chief of security position for a private company.

Cosby recalled how Scott asked to appear in Holyoke as part of an annual trip to Bright Nights taken by senior citizens.

"I'm 73, looking out at 60 year-olds," Cosby said with some comic consternation.

Ciosby added, "Sure, he's got millions stories. He ought to write them and change the names of the idiots."

Mastroianni led off the speakers in remarks aimed at Scott's well-known campaign to secure greater accountability for judges. Mastroianni said that despite Scott's aversion to judges, he said he had seen a closet in the chief's office that contained a judge's robe.

The district attorney concluded Scott suffered from "a case of judge envy."

Bissonnette said, "Tony Scott has no shame. He has Dr. Cosby up here to pimp for a job."

He added that FOX News "kicked Glenn Beck off to make way for Tony Scott's show."

Ferraro said, "The only crowd bigger than this one tonight is the party at the Holyoke Police Department."

Known for his laid back style, as opposed to Scott's fondness for media coverage, Ferraro added, "He's been chief 10 years and everyone across the country knows him. I've been chief for 20 years and half of the people in Chicopee don't know who I am."

Ferraro then said he is giving him honorary status as a member of the Chicopee Police Department with a special gift — a huge kielbasa — a prop that became the object of jokes from subsequent speakers.

Pluta commented on Scott's colorful turns of phrase such as describing judges in Massachusetts as "not being worth a mouth of warm spit."

She added that good job for Scott after he leaves his post would be as the liaison between the city of Holyoke and the Holyoke District Court.

Hershel noted ticket sales had been brisk for the roast "except for two groups: the prison population and the judiciary."

Kriger also provided an example of Scott's evocative language with a clip from a TV22 news report about a domestic violence case. The female involved stabbed the man in "his winkie," Scott said on camera.

Knapik brought not only a real proclamation congratulating Scott from Gov. Deval Patrick, but also a less than genuine one from the Massachusetts judiciary basically saying good riddance.

After receiving a letter from Sen. Scott Brown and awards from several law enforcement organizations, Scott was given a standing ovation for the audience.

Clearly moved, Scott thanked those who spoke as well as his personal and command staff and his family.

Of his staff, he said, "It was them who made this dumb Southerner look good."

With his retirement effective at 5 p.m. April 30, Scott promised he would remain as involved as ever as chief.

"With 23 days left in office I'm not going to sit on my hands and coast," he said.