The News Times - LIFESTYLES
Aug. 17, 2004

Twisted Sister Made Honorary Jim Thorpe Police Officers

By Josh Cusatis

Rarely do police officers and members of a rock band cross paths on good terms, however, on Saturday night, the band Twisted Sister was made honorary members of the Jim Thorpe Police Department before their show at Penn's Peak.

Officers Todd Leslie and Michael Bokeko bestowed the honor upon the band, A.J. Pero, Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda and Mark "The Animal" Mendoza, for their continued support of police departments, as well as firefighters and other emergency service workers, throughout the country.

"When I found out that Twisted Sister was playing here, I knew that this was something we had to do," Leslie said. "Two years ago when Twisted Sister played the benefit concert for the families of the officers and firefighters who died on 9/11, my heart went out that they would do this for our fallen brothers."

Pero, who plays drums for Twisted Sister, said that this is an honor that has never before happened to the band.

"Back in the day, in the Eighties, people normally wanted to run us out of town," Pero said. "There was so much negative publicity that came from the costumes and the act, but really we're very laid back people. Even then we were bringing our families on tour. We don't really drink and we've never done any drugs."

But Pero explained that playing a benefit concert was not about adjusting the band's image. In fact, the band had been broken up prior to the concert in New York City.

"We lost six friends in the World Trade Center; three of them were officers," he said. "They just rushed in there. We really thought, 'What can we do?' That's when we came up with the idea for the concert."

For the concert, the band played without all of their trademark costumes and makeup.

"We wanted people to know that it wasn't about us; that we weren't out to show the world that Twisted Sister is back. But really that was the catalyst for us getting back together. We were onstage and thought we sounded pretty good. They say something good comes out of every tragedy, and for us it was good, because we got back together."

And it isn't just police officers that the band, which is always willing to do charity work, supports.

"Anyone that can have their life snuffed out by the stupidity and arrogance of someone else deserves respect," Pero said.

Upon receiving plaques and T-shirts from Leslie and Bokeko, each member of the band had the same reaction.

"Does this mean I can pull someone over?"

To thank Leslie and Bokeko for the honor, the band invited them to spend the day with them and enjoy the show from backstage.

"It's been really cool," Bokeko said. "They're really down-to-Earth guys. There's just no arrogance."

"We set this up some time ago, and last week they played a show in Minnesota," Leslie said. "Mark [Mendoza] called me from his cell phone just to tell me that they were about to go onstage. It's been fun because we all really hit it off right away."

Leslie and Bokeko also thanked Ebony & Ivory Limo Service of Tamaqua for donating a limosine for the day, Valley Athletic of Lansford for donating the T-shirts and Delrose Awards of Lansford for donating the plaques.