(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye – cell phone image)
Joseph Cardinali was released today on a $1,000 signature bond after being charged with Felony Possession of Fentanyl and OWI.
Joe Cardinali was only 18 when he was elected to the Somers Town Board in 2015. The Town of Somers later became a Village after incorporation. Cardinali ran for the Village Board in 2016 and took first place out of four candidates. There was some questionable behavior from Cardinali during his time on the Somers board. In 2018, the death of a County Board Member sparked Cardinali to seek appointment to the board. In this process, the Chairman takes applications, interviews the candidates, and then makes a recommendation to the board of who he/she wants appointed. In this case, the Chairman was Daniel Esposito who would later be arrested for felony retail theft. Many candidates emerged, but Esposito wanted Cardinali. It seemed obvious. Cardinali had dozens of letters from prominent democrats recommending him for the post. The Chairman and most of the board were democrats. Because of his past behavior, many spoke against his appointment and five of the board members voted against it. Here are some of the prominent officials who endorsed him:
Sheriff Candidate Ray Rowe (D)
Kenosha County Board Member John Franco (D)
County Board Member Andy Berg (D)
Somers Village President George Stoner (D)
County Treasurer Teri Jacobson (D)
County Clerk Mary Kubicki (D)
Register of Deeds JoEllyn Storz (D)
State Senator Robert Wirch (D)
State Rep Tod Ohnstad (D)
Somers Trustee Gregg Sinnen (D)
Somers Municipal Judge Robert Kupfer (D)
Former County Executive John Collins (D)
Former Kenosha Mayor John Bilotti (D)
Paris Town Chairman Virgil Gentz (D)
Former County Board Member Mark Modory (D)
Alderman Holly Kangas (D)
Alderman Pat Juliana (D)
Alderman Daniel Prozanski (D)
Alderman Jan Michalski (D)
Former County Board Member Rick Dodge (D)
Former KUSD Board Member Mike Falkofske (D)
KUSD Board Member Mary Modder (D)
Somers Fire Chief Carson Wilkerson (D)
Somers Fire Captain Rob Hamm (D)
Kenosha County Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Jonker (Former) (D)
Kenosha County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lori Hawkins (D)
Just after his appointment, Cardinali had a woman petition for a restraining order. There were three in total who would file retraining orders against Cardinali.
Trouble seemed to follow Cardinali. He was arrested for disorderly conduct while protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake. Cardinali was a member of the Kenosha County Democratic party but recently split with the group.
Yesterday, at 8:33pm in Pleasant Prairie, police found a running car in the middle of an intersection with a man slumped over the steering wheel. Several officers tried to get his attention, but he was overdosing. Police shattered the window and pulled him out. Police saved Cardinali’s life by administering Narcan. Once revived, Cardinali became combative with police. Cardinali told the police that he snorted Fentanyl. Police found many pills in the car. Appearing in court today to support Cardinali was extremist activist and failed Aldermanic Candidate Tanya McLean. She started taking photos of the court commissioner and a Deputy had to warn her to put her phone away. Court approval is needed to photograph in a court room.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye – cell phone image)
Cardinali is due back in court on April 5, 2022 for the felony drug count. The OWI arrest would have been seen in front of Pleasant Prairie Municipal Judge Richard Ginkowski, but he submitted an endorsement letter for Cardinali. He will recuse himself from the case. Somers municipal judge Robert Kupfer would not tell KCE if he will recuse himself for endorsing Cardinali as well. Since Kenosha DA Mike Graveley (D) also endorsed Cardinali, he recused his office from this case. Walworth County DA Zeke Wiedenfeld or his designee will handle this case. Walworth County didn’t have a prosecutor available today, so ADA Huber handled the initial appearance. Cardinali faces three and a half years in the Wisconsin prison system.
19 Responses
So the guy who bashed cops and hated them gets his life saved by them? See if his tunes change now. All them pills and a felony drug count and a signature bond? Way to go judge!!!
Glad to see his PPP loan went to good use
Not sure who’s letter I like more. Guida Brown (who he may be seeing soon) or Andy Berg and the Narcan training. LOL
What amazes me is the hypocrites in this town. If he was a anti democrat kenosha activist and “county supervisors “ would be all over this. However very quiet and won’t say a word. Because one of their own is at stake here. Joe is a hypocrite himself, hates cops and cry’s about his misfortune. Well here’s the bed you made. Should be dismissed by any group who supports him. After all justice right?
These are the same Dems endorsing Rebecca Marsala-Mentink for County Executive
Rebecka MATOSKA MENTINK GET IT RIGHT IDOIT SHES A GREAT PERSON SO WATCH YOUR MOUTH PAL
Calm down Karen. WaTcH YoUr MoUtH PaL. Lol it’s funny the post is about a arrogant drug abuser and your worries are a spelling about a local democrat who endorses loud mouth trash like joe. Most of the community is sitting back and watching karma so it’s job. So many post joe has made about “accountability “ and “justice” and f the cops. The same cops who saved his hypocrite life. Hope your reading the Joe.
Idiot is Spelled Idiot. Not IDOIT. Dummy
Oh! My! Goodness! You are too funny!
Get your facts straight…ex alderman Patrick Juliana is NOT a Democrat. He is a strict Republican! It’s a shame what has happened to Joe. He was a goid kid before the drugs got him.
I sat next to Patrick for 4 years on the city council and I can assure you he is a Democrat. I don’t listen to what people tell me, I listen to what they do. He voted with the majority Democratic party on the council and the Democratic mayor probably 95% of the time.
There’s a stench rising from Kenosha County, east of the I. Its source are Liberals, who lack any fragment of a moral compass and have no positive direction in life. Liberals who go about stumbling through life with no awareness that their careless & mindless actions have consequences and that these consequences have a negative effect on us all. Kenosha is a perfect example of how the diseased Liberal Machine is bringing about a collapsing house of cards.
Wth would an 18 year old even be accepted to the Board. A brain of a child. Then only $1,000 signature bond for drugs & OWI….wow!
There are no bigger skin pricks or female dogs than the spelling police.
Another typical career Democrat. He is in for a long and successful career in the political cesspool here.
A typical American youngster. hell bent on killing their self with drugs and alcohol to cope with living in the best country in the world. Man has joe declined. I used to perform his home inspections. He worked as a realtor. He is related to George stoner. This is only three years ago. He did not look unhealthy like this.
I thought a DUI got a higher bond than he got? Odds are he’ll overdose again because his sentence, court ordered counseling will fail him unfortunately
Mentink is only endorsed by all the crooks that allowed our city to burn down. All democrats, yet she claims to be bipartisan. a new trend. They believe they’ll garner some republican votes. They will not, republicans are smart and went to school. Democrats were given jobs most likely by the Mayor or Kreuser, or Beth. The Mayor , the king of nepotism.
what a bunch of winners(said with facetious voice)