By John Mercure
Today's TMJ4
November 2, 2007
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/10897331.html
For the devout, a priest is like a doctor. He's trustworthy and concerned for our best interests.
Priests help us mourn.
They teach us to be joyous.
They pray with us.
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But the I-TEAM and Senior Investigative Reporter John Mercure have uncovered the sad story of a priest concerned only about himself.
That priest is Father Frank Mutsko.
Mutsko preyed on an elderly Wisconsin woman's fortune. He ended up with hundreds of thousands of dollars from Delores Raucina of Racine.
Father Mutsko is a Roman Catholic Priest.
He preaches the word of God to the masses. He's also hiding a secret from them.
Polly Sacco is Raucina's sister.
"I thought 'Oh my goodness,'" Sacco said.
Sacco didn't realize how much her sister had given up until it was too late.
The Catholic Church meant everything to Delores Raucina.
She was married in the church, attended daily mass, and would have done anything for a priest. They were men she inherently trusted.
Peter Sacco was Delores' brother-in-law.
"She was very, very religious, and if a priest would have went and told her to jump in a lake, I don't doubt that she would have done that," Sacco told us.
As Raucina closed in on 90 years old, she moved from her long time home in Racine to be near Sacco and other family in Florida, and the family tells me she was diagnosed with dementia.
Pat Perfito is Raucina's niece. She was also Raucina's primary care giver in Florida.
"There were times when she was sharp as a tack and there were times when she didn't know what day it was," Perfito said.
Raucina first met Father Mutsko at Saint James Catholic Cathedral in downtown Orlando. Raucina regularly attended daily mass there, and oftentimes Mutsko was the priest at those masses. It was at Saint James that they became friends. It was there that Raucina began to give Mutsko thousands and thousands of dollars.
Father Mutsko almost immediately took a liking to Raucina. He attended parties with her and family members say he paid her a lot of attention.
Parishioners and other people noticed the elderly rich woman hanging out with the priest who preferred Rolex watches and designer suits. Raucina's sister Polly Sacco sure noticed.
"She fell for him. All I can say is she was making a big mistake, and maybe she knows it wherever she is now," Sacco recently told Mercure when they visited her in Florida.
Eventually Raucina moved back to Wisconsin.
Father Mutsko relocated to a new parish north of Orlando.
Despite the 1,200 mile separation, Mutsko made sure to stay in touch with Raucina. He even came to visit her on several occasions.
Raucina began to send Mutsko checks; lots of checks. There were checks for $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, $40,000. There was even a check for $77,000.
That angers Perfito.
"His character is one of avarice, greed. In my opinion he is a liar and a thief," Perfito said.
Earlier this year, Delores Raucina died. That's when the family got a real shock. As they began to organize and settle her estate, they uncovered dozens of cancelled checks, and they discovered that Raucina had bought Mutsko a Lexus. It was a brand new Lexus.
It didn't stop there. It ends up that Raucina bought Mutsko a condo in The Villages; a ritzy gated retirement community on the golf course.
The family also believes that Mutsko ended up with Raucina's diamond rings and pearls.