A 46-year-old Suttons Bay businessman was found dead Monday at the bottom of a downstate hotel swimming pool.
Mark Badalamente, owner of Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza & Subs in downtown Suttons Bay, was discovered in the pool about 8:20 p.m. Monday at a hotel in Wixom, located in western Oakland County.
Chief Clarence Goodlein, Wixom's director of public safety, said no foul play is suspected.
“He checked in alone earlier that day and was in the area on business,” Goodlein said.Video surveillance tape at the hotel viewed by officers shows Badalamente sitting in a chair poolside and his chair rolling into the pool.
It's unknown how long his body was in the pool before he was discovered, the police chief said.
The medical examiner’s office has listed Badalamente’s cause of death as “undetermined” pending receipt of test results on laboratory samples taken from the body. That could take as long as two to three weeks.
“We have no reason to believed that foul play was involved,”Goodlein said.
Badalamente’s last known address was on East Lakeview Hills Road. But he had more of a presence in the community of Suttons Bay, where he’s operated the pizza/sub shop on an off for more than a decade.
“The shop was only open sporadically over the winter,”village Police Chief Del Moore said.
Moore became acquainted with Badalamente over the years while walking the beat along St. Joseph Street. Other law enforcement officers have as well.
His somewhat checkered past includes stays in the county jail on a variety of charges including check fraud (twice), driving with a suspended license and disturbing the peace, Sheriff Michael F. Oltersdorf said.
Badalamente also organized a community watch group when a series of unexplained arsons plagued the Suttons Bay community in the late 1990s.
On Tuesday, the doors to Sgt. Pepperoni’s remained closed although the neon sign in the window said different for much of the day. Later in the day, two unidentified women opened the doors to the business and shut off the light, leaving a note stating that anyone with questions should call.
Micah Hang, whose family owns the Hang-On Express restaurant next door, said she saw Badalamente over the weekend.
“He said he was selling his place and whoever was buying it would be taking over by the end of the month,” Hang said. “He had a new job downstate and was going down to train for four days. He said he had owned the business for 13 years and didn’t want it anymore.”
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One Comment
Regarding the article printed about the death of Mark Badalamente, I am shocked and appalled with the Enterprise's "ethics" of publishing the decedent's criminal photo alongside the article of his death. Publication of the decedent’s photo only leads to innuendo that his death may be tied to criminal activity. Clearly, as your article states, the cause of death is “undetermined” pending the results of an autopsy.
If the Enterprise was so inspired to publish a photo of the decedent, perhaps you could have contacted his family, his employees, or business associates for a more appropriate photograph. If the Enterprise editor’s so desperately needed a photo to run alongside this story and no suitable photo was available prior to publication, common sense would dictate that a photograph of his pizzeria business be published since the article was aptly titled “ Suttons Bay Businessman Found Dead in Pool.”
Today, I cannot clearly state that Mr. Badalamente was a close friend; however, I did have the pleasure of calling him a co-worker some 15 years ago during his employment at the Leelanau Sands Casino. While employed with Leelanau Sands, he was a very dedicated employee demonstrating the highest regard for customers and co-workers. In fact, he was a very funny person with a keen sense of humor that all enjoyed.
In the end, I am offended for Mr. Badalamente, his friends, family and loved ones for the tactless photograph and lingering innuendo. To all associated with the Enterprise publication, you should feel very ashamed for desecrating the reputation of the decedent and question your own integrity as journalists. Finally, I also question whether the Enterprise would publish such an insensitive photo alongside one of the Leelanau County “elite” or other long-standing families of Leelanau County.
Tanya S. Wanageshik
Peshawbestown, Michigan
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