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July 17, 1996
Gus Campo, chairman of Standard Disposal Services, and Tony Volpe, chairman of City Management Corp., got into a shoving match Tuesday night after the council voted not to open sealed bids for the five-year contract.
About 50 people surrounded the two men as they scrapped outside council chambers.
Volpe told observers he did nothing, and almost immediately drove from the meeting.
Campo saw it differently.
"Volpe took a swing at me," Campo.
Witnesses said Campo shoved back.
"First I saw he shoved a friend of mine," Campo said. "We had some words and then my friend of 30 years (Volpe) says to me, 'I'll kick your ass.' It's come to this? Fighting in the parking lot. This is way out of hand."
Neither man was injured, and no arrests were made.
After the two men separated, Warren Police Commissioner Jack Baird and Dominic Campo, Standard Disposal executive vice-president, exchanged words.
Baird chased Campo after being baited twice with curse words.
The pushing and shoving started after the council voted 5-4 during a special meeting to keep the bids sealed until next Tuesday.
Residents attending the meeting complained that the council was playing mind games.
Longtime homeowner Jack Cusmano, told the council: "Give the audience credit for having some brains."
The council is now to decide if it override Mayor Mark Steenbergh's veto of a $7.3-million contract the council awarded to Standard Disposal. If the council overrides the veto, Standard is in line to win the trash-hauling contract.
If the council sustains the veto, it will have the option of choosing another company by opening the sealed bids. However, the city would be under no obligation to select the company offering the best price.