Judd Fonnerelli
| Judd Fonnerelli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Judd Salvador Fonnerelli November 1, 1935 New Prairie, WI |
| Died |
October 30, 1998 (aged 62) New Prairie, WI |
| Cause of death | Murdered |
| Killer | Herbert Garrison |
| Occupation | Mayor, Politics |
| Title | Mayor |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Fonnerelli |
| Children | Claire Fonnerelli (daughter) |
| School | New Prairie High |
| Year | 1950 to 1954 |
Judd Fonnerelli was New Prairie's longest running Mayor, and father of Dark Killer victim Claire Fonnerelli.
Contents
Bio
Early Days in Office
Judd attended University of Wisconsin—Madison for politics from 1954 to 1960. Moved back to New Prairie during the spring of 1960 and the following year ran for Mayor but lost to Howard Stevenson. 8 years later after Stevenson decided to leave office, he ran again and won. Judd was at the heart of a major scandal in 1974 after he was accused of threatening the life of an employee. After a three month court trial, the case was thrown out.
Career Resurgence
His public image continued to falter, reaching it's worst right before the great fire of 1976 occurred. 6 months later, after countless failures in the revival of the town, he was approached by J.P. Derelli. The two made a deal and JP donated money to help rebuild the city, again, turning Judd into a hero in the city’s eye. For over the next 20 years, he continued as the town’s favorite Mayor and stayed in office.
Daughter Kidnapping and Death
In 1992, his daughter Claire was kidnapped by Eugene Niron. Niron threatened to kill Claire unless Judd resigned from Mayor and allowed new blood to enter the office. Judd contemplated doing it to save his daughter, however the police were able to quickly find that Niron was hiding in the old abandoned Weaver Hotel and arrested him.
Three years later, Claire was murdered by the urban legend Dark Killer during a party with friends. Her death takes a serious toll on Judd's life and health.
Death
By 1998, Judd's health had started to take a turn for the worse and he decided to resign from being Mayor. During a public speech where he intended on announcing his resignation, a Chicago hit man Herbert Garrison sitting in the audience opened fire, killing Judd. Buried in Oak Park Cemetery along side his mother and daughter.
