BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 3, 2017) — Vin Herbert Boulevard is named after one of Pittsfield’s great men, a man who epitomized public service in the same fashion as men like Chuck Garivaltis, Don Gleason, and a host of others. On Vin Herbert Boulevard a couple days ago,, the Feds combed over Pat Muraca with a closed fist. It’s a pity a man like Vin Hebert has his name on streets at times like this. The saving grace, of course, lies in the removal of the apple with the wormy core. It saves the bushel.

You remember Muraca — the man who founded the now-bankrupt Nuclea Biotechnologies, serenaded Pitsfield officials into handing over the keys to the kingdom, escaping to Albany to play solitaire, and returned to Lee this year with more of the same yak hair. His cancer-detecting mirages were always “in development.” These “products” were fashioned from unicorn oil, fairy dust from Walt Disney‘s Wonderful World of Color, and Bigfoot‘s DNA. In short, there WERE no products for the marketplace. As the FBI and Friends confidently assert, Muraca raised money from gullible investors, spent it on his own needs (casino debt, cigars, travel, restaurants), and kept business with the sham — Phony. Three-dollar bills. Shell games. Suckerland.

None of this should come as a surprise to readers of THE PLANET. We have been warning Pittsfield’s elite and state officials about this rain maker since he slimed his way into Pittsfield and began schmoozing with the “usual suspects” among The Suits.  As one astute member of the Secret Squadron pointed out, Mayor Dan Bianchi and PEDA exec Corydon Thurston put forth the rotund Muraca on an industrial-strength pedestal as the model of what passes for “economic development.” That tells you all you need to know about electing the nest round of municipal “leaders” in November.

The Security and Exchange Commission filed suit in U.S. District Court again Muraca and his new “companies,” NanoloecularDX LLC (NMDX) and Metaborx LLC, alleging “ongoing misappropriation of investor funds.” The suit says Muraca raised $1,175,000 from “at least 15 investors” under false claims of developing cancer diagnostic tests and “other bio-pharmaceutical innovations.” Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. The SEC says Muraca raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, using the dough to finance a high-flying personal lifestyle that fooled everyone and no one.

Of course, Uncle Sam credits Muraca with unusual generosity, saying that he used investor money to help finance his girlfriend’s two restaurants: the ill-fated Sullivan Station (like Nuclea, run into the ground and closed in January;  nothing to see there, folks) and Leenie’s Paninis Queenies Beanies (or something cute like that) in Lenox. All the sordid details can be had online.

Darleen Zradi, identified as Muraca’s sig other, reacted to the news with this Facebook post from July 31 at 11:05 a.m.:

“I want everyone to mind their own fucking business TODAY [Ed. Note: “today” is underlined and not in CAPS in the original post] I see one post of what is going on and I swear to god you will pay hell for it”

Hmmm. What are we to make of this plate of revenge? THE PLANET cannot vouch for the style, syntax, diction, or punctuation. We do know that such fare never should be served hot. Zradi (or someone) removed the post later in the day, but you know how it is in cyberspace: Nothing disappears. And while were at it, anyone know when Whiskey City‘s next gig is? If you don’t follow, you haven’t been getting out enough.

We close by pointing out that (a) Muraca is under the law considered innocent until proven guilty — a principle held sacred at this address — and (b) the feds typically don’t move in such resolute fashion unless they think they got the case cinched. The court of public opinion? Well, for good or ill, that remains another matter. All THE PLANET wants is justice and restitution.

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“Truth is whatever must be and cannot be anything else.” — Parmenides

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

The Usual Disclaimer.