Thomas Scarnecchia, the former mayor of Niles, died on Friday, Nov. 7, at the age of 84, at Shepherd of the Valley Nursing Home in Liberty.

Outside of serving as mayor, Scarnecchia worked in the restaurant industry, served on the City Council and ran for the office of State Senator.

In 2016, Scarnecchia was elected mayor of Niles before his early retirement in 2018.

Scarnecchia served as the successor to Mayor Ralph Infante, after Infante's 20-plus-year tenure in the role. After Infante's departure, Scarnecchia worked toward removing Infante's name from a Niles wellness center.

In 2025, Infante was sentenced to 10 years in prison on 22 charges stemming from corruption during his administration, according to court records.

"One of the things they did not like was the stigma of the form

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