Apparently reading half the story is typical…
So everyone wanted to blast me for my wildly (insert feigned exagerration) inappropriate comments. But everyone in there zest and fondness of wanting to admire a Father that treated his son like roadkill failed to read all the facts and I FEEL missed some key things while they were on their knees servicing Lofink for his admirable comments.
Did everyone miss this part of the story? Or did you just choose to give the paisano a pass?
According to reports cited by Sleet, the father, Vincent A. Lofink, “was overbearing and physically and emotionally abusive. … He beat you with a class ring, whipped you with a belt and kicked you with his wingtips.”
Awwww, what a guy with his little, tough love statement.
But call me crazy for a second when I read this;
…stole more than $1.2 million of state money, which federal prosecutors say paid for cosmetic surgery, expensive cars, clothing, jewelry and start-up money for a tanning business.
I sort of go um ok, Mr. Tough love, where were you when you noticed your son had a new F’ing nose? Did you think his health care paid for it b/c he snorted to much of the yamyam, the rick james special, had too many sugar boogers? UM, how about when he rolled up in a nice new car, (A Porche Cayenne people 65k!) for Ravioli on Easter? UM, maybe Mr. Tough love wasn’t available to instill his fatherly brand of “country before family” when he was tanning in his son’s new 8 min tan machine…
Lofink, who made about $31,000 a year as a state accounting specialist
Yep, Mr. Lofink, my heart pumps something for you buddy. Politicians are politicians no matter if it is at he national level or local.
“Tony needs to pay for the shameful things he’s done,” the elder Lofink said in a statement. “I hope he uses his time in prison to reflect on his transgressions and that he’ll emerge as someone who wants to become a productive, law-abiding citizen.”
This guy Vinnie, turned a blind eye to his son and when he gets caught says this? Disgracia!
It took so long b/c his father had blinders on and everyone else around him did too. So pathetic. This reminds me of all you people pouring your hearts out for the Elite Liberal from Ma. Now when his son is going to jail he has this to say? Why didn’t he turn in his son before? Didn’t he recognize that something was up when his son is rolling in dough? I’m not excusing this 30 year old kid for what he did at all, but Vinnie here aint some shiny 18k gold Itialian Horn charm you buy at the Italian festival.
My 28 year old son rolls up in a new 330i BMW, has a Cayenne Porche, owns a tanning salon, get’s a new nose (don’t really know if it was a nose but go with me), and has new clothes every time I see him I start to ask questions. I especially start to ask questions when I know he has had drug problems or when I GOT HIM HIS FREAKING $31K A YEAR JOB and when I am a politician who’s career would be on the line.
I don’t cut my son off with a tough love statement like he is crappy bait that has been in the water too long on the day of his court hearing. I’m disgusted as a parent, as a sibling to someone with drug problems and as a son that has succumbed to a similar environment…
AS a parent I can understand taking a stand and how hard it would be to cut the cord. I don’t for a second believe however as a parent that you don’t take some of the blame when you know god damned well that you beat your own child countless times and that emotional stress had to play some part in why he turned out who/what he is today.
My statement would go something like this:
“I am appalled at what has happened here. I raised my son the best I could. I did what I thought was right at the time. In hindsight I wish I could have done things differently. “Tony I love you buddy, with all my heart I love you, son” I trusted you one to many times I guess. I was blinded by my love and affection for you as an Italian father. I hope that you come out of this ok, buddy. I really do. I hope that your time away straightens you out. When you come out, I’ll be waiting for you and hope that I can be a better father to you. I’m sorry it had to happen this way. It is not how I envisioned my life nor yours. Again I love you son, come home when you are cleaned up”
But that’s just me, I’m an Italian Catholic and riddled with guilt
Instead we get this:
“Tony needs to pay for the shameful things he’s done,” the elder Lofink said in a statement. “I hope he uses his time in prison to reflect on his transgressions and that he’ll emerge as someone who wants to become a productive, law-abiding citizen.”
Nice harangue, DV. Everyone is susceptible to bullshit, especially when they feel sympathetic. Thanks for calling them out.
You know, you got a point. I was looking at his statement in isolation, but the larger picture, and the senior Lofink’s accomplisory actions or inactions is important.
Just one question ? If he were Democrat would your spin be any different ?
he’s a republican? I honestly will say, I had no idea what his party affiliation was.
and yes I would have. I think enough people know me that I call a spade a spade.
DG,
The raviol[i] comment was for you too
Kilroy
If he were a Dem i would also condemn his actions toward his child. But why is it always the Repuks who claim to be holier than thou who are doing this kind of stuff. Example the crooks Nye and Duke Cunningham along with wide stance from Idaho and the diaper boy Senator from LA
Hey Kilroy… you get a lot of people on your blog commenting that what some kids need is a kick in the ass. I guess now you can tell them how that works out.
i think the old man should be charged as an accessory. he knew his kids salary, but didnt understand where the big ticket items come from? obviously, they are both class a assholes, but come one, a decent parent (who isnt benefiting from their kids illegal activities) question certain things, like ‘how did you get a nicer car then me kamking 30k a year? the old man knew he was doing drugs, so what did he do? got him a state job so he could hide and not be worried about reandom drug testing. all of it is bullshit, from top to bottom. and who do you think cordrey called first – the cops or old man lofink?
The state is at fault too. If you are a bank teller handling a tenth of the mony Lofink handled you will have pre-employment drug testing, and you will agree to random drug testing during employment.
That would be a hell of a lot more effective than expecting people’s families to turn them in.
yea, but he was protected by the union
I call bullshit, Don V. Besides, if Lofink was a DelDem, the whole thing would have been swept under the carpet by the Minner/Biden clique.
well all I have is my word that I didn’t know he was Republican. Now if you are calling me a liar then well we have a problem.
So G my suggestions is that you trust me. I think you have seen my comments enough to know that I tell it like it is and I didn’t know his party affiliation. All the articles I linked to, I don’t think any of them even say he is a republican. If they did I missed it.
but suit yourself bro, party affiliation has nothing to do with what happened here.
Arthur, trying to place blame on Tony’s father for his crimes is garbage. It sounds like they didn’t spend a lot of quality time together as a family once Vince turned his son in for using coke to his then boss. Somehow, I’m guessing there were fewer heart-to-hearts after that happened.
anon
“Hey Kilroy… you get a lot of people on your blog commenting that what some kids need is a kick in the ass. I guess now you can tell them how that works out”.
Yea yea, I know the Republicans kick my ass all the time and ignore my concerns with discipline in Red Clay!
“and yes I would have. I think enough people know me that I call a spade a spade.”
I’ll take your word on that! I know Mike Matthew is you idol and he calls it as he see it, so why not his understudy 🙂
Truth Teller
“ But why is it always the Repuks who claim to be holier than thou who are doing this kind of stuff.”
It may be a flaw with the DNA of Repuks and the frustration of not taking Dover that may have transcend throughout the party and when their children challenges their parental authority the beat their kids ass to fulfill the emptiness of the inability to control life beyond their front door!
Delaware’s Hottest Blogger
“well all I have is my word that I didn’t know he was Republican. Now if you are calling me a liar then well we have a problem”.
So you’re not a diehard democrat ??
rick, you can try to spin it, but you are saying over 3 years they had no contact? that’s crap. he flautned the money and dad knew. and dad turned him in to the employer to save face and a law suit.
DV – I noticed the proper use of the italian plural ravioli when I read it. Very nice and much appreciated.
As always FORZA AZZURRI. WC 2010 Here we come.
DG – DV isn’t the only Italian contributor around here! Go Blue! We were in Rome when they won the World Cup – talk about nuts! It was great!
Sorry for hijacking the thread! 🙂
The quotes from Cordrey filled me with more disgust than anything else. His claims that Lofink ‘fooled him’ and that controls are now in place are a bunch of shit. That worthless appointee could look at an upside down balance sheet for eight hours (about three of his normal work days) before exclaiming, “Hey, these here numbers are in a different language!”
arthur // Jul 3, 2008 at 10:41 am
yea, but he was protected by the union
they protected him 5 years in Jail worth
get a life pin head
andy, he was protected by the union for random drug tests, pin head
Jesus. I just love you holier-than-thou-I’m-the-greatest-parent assholes. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he had spent the kid’s lifetime trying to turn him around? Or maybe, just maybe, the so-called abuse was the result of a frustrated father who had reached his breaking point? I’m not saying it’s ok; I’m just saying maybe you should try to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you spout off about what a shitty job they did with their kids. Most importantly, the ‘kid’ is 30 freaking years old. Is it really his dad’s responsibility to monitor his spending and keep him on the straight and narrow at his age????
JFC, is the air thinner up there on your pedestal?
Margaret Rose Henry’s kid was in there supposed to check on Lofink’s work and obviously did a shitty job (she has other kids placed around in bureaucratic cake).
She also voted along with Minner’s veto, no wonder.
the so-called abuse was the result of a frustrated father who had reached his breaking point
but apparently you are….
Most importantly, the ‘kid’ is 30 freaking years old
I didn’t excuse the kid. I have an issue with the crappy way Vinnie left his son for dead. I also have a problem with the way that Vinnie OBVIOUSLY turned a blind eye to his son when he was living large then goes ahead and gives a shitty statement like that.
You don’t get the point Dom. The point I’m making is that he is cuttin bait when it is convenient for him politically and not taking any blame for his sons actions.
He knew something wrong was going on and until someone else found it, only then did he have a problem with it.
‘the crappy way Vinnie left his son for dead’
Wow. Do you have kids? If so, how old are they? If they’re under 15, fasten your seat belt. They could turn out great or they could turn to shit. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have a child like Anthony Lofink? Not a brother or a cousin or a parent, but a child? If not, then you have no idea what this man has gone through and you should really try to refrain from judging him. I don’t know every detail of their lives, but my understanding is that Anthony was fired from his job at MBNA because his father turned him in for drug use. That’s not an easy thing for a parent to do. I’m just saying give the guy a break.
I think parents do the best they can and, at the end of the day, it’s a total crap shoot. It all comes down to who your kids decide to hang out with as teenagers. We parented our kids the exact same way – values, morals, integrity, etc . We were really lucky with one, not so lucky with the other. It all came down to the people with whom they chose to surround themselves.
BTW, I would agree…nose job, perhaps a little botox? Face looks a bit tight.
This thread just makes me grateful that I never had any kids. Must be hell.
I’m kind of embarrassed about my family situation. My dad slept around so much I never knew who my mother was.
isn’t there some saying that goes along the lines:
You can tell a lot about a man through his children?
I’m just glad Dom is defending child abuser. Awesome…Goooo Hillary!
That’s a bullshit saying that you probably made up. It’s ridiculous to blame a parent for the actions of their 30 year old son. It would be one thing if the kid was 10, but he’s an adult and has been for over a decade.
I’m simply stating that there are two sides to every story. I certainly didn’t defend a child abuser. In fact, I specifically said ‘I’m not saying it’s ok’, but I would expect nothing less of you than to characterize it in the most hideous way possible…Goooo Obama! They trained you well.
My 2 cents:
Buy the books by John Roseman, Ph D…..he has a real handle on how to raise children/teens; plain talk!
Donhoni want to start a fund to buy a Roseman book for Lofink?
Dominique: ‘the sins of the father are visited upon the children (son).
Here’s something to think about and I don’t think 99% of you could put yourself in his place. He has a son with autism. That in and of itself is the most trying, frustrating desperate situation any parent can be in. Families with a child with autism, have multiple problems with the siblings.
Parents are so desperate to get help for the autistic one, and dealing with them 24/7, is something none of you could understand unless you walk in that families shoes.
I have a son with autism, extremely severe. It did affect my children, the older ones and younger ones. Its simply a national problem for families with children with autism. The autistic child gets the majority of the attention, because the parents are involved in trying to get any help from the State or the educational system.
I am sure it was not a happy house, I don’t know of many homes with autistic children in them, who are not dysfunctional. Many of the siblings have drug and alcohol problems.
I feel very sorry for this family and the stress they must be under right now, knowing Tony will be in jail for 5 years…who knows what will happen to him there! Why wasnt he provided drug treatment? Another life destroyed partially his fault, partially societies fault.
Perhaps if the legislators had a little more compassion regarding parents with autistic kids intervention could occur as soon as the diagnosis is made, respite and other services would be helpful. But no, families with kids with autistic are damaged again and again, as they fight for services their children are entitled too. If there was true compassion, the siblings would receive some counseling to deal with the problems in these families as soon as possible.
Liz – I’m so sorry about your son. That has to be very difficult to deal with.
That was exactly what I was trying to say about the Lofink situation. None of us know what went on in that house so we shouldn’t judge them.
I actually sent him an email earlier tonight to offer some words of support. I feel so bad for him and his wife.
yea, but he was protected by the union
How Arthur???? Union’s do not like drug testing
Random testing was invented by bosses
Well said, Liz. What is interesting to me is that the author automatically assumes the word of a lying thief presenting mitigating reasons to lighten his sentence is being completely truthful.
20 years ago, dad was mean to me so I stole a million dollars. It wasn’t my fault. Sounds authentic to me.
The WNJ’s editorial clarified that the Judge was speaking from what was presented (for sympathy) from Lofink’s public defender from his sealed records of previous family court information.
I still think that family court is a know clusterfuck of mis-information. Who knows what this kid lied about in his youth regarding his father’s behavior. I can hardly say that I know Vince nor that one can know what a domestic situation may invoke that is uncharactoristic, but I do not get this sense from him in the least, Donviti’s snit nonewithstanding.
FWIW, the autistic sibling is high functioning, not severely autistic, as Liz’s son sounds. The Mother was always involved in her sons care. But honestly, after working with the autistic son for 10 years, I couldn’t have picked Vince out of a lineup.
He was probably too busy trying to clean up the bullshit messes of his loser son.
I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt as I have not walked a mile in his shoes (I’m only up to about half a mile and I’m totally sympathizing with him).
Good luck with that Dom. Methinks that it doesn’t bode well for reelection hopes, though.