Matarazzo to Be Back at Work: Election Day Collapse Caused by ‘a Combination of Things’

City Clerk Michael Matarazzo said this week from his home, that he expects to back to work shortly after collapsing on Election Day last week, and being rushed to the hospital.

“Honestly, it was a combination of things,” said Matarazzo of the frightening incident. “I have high blood pressure and I’m not always diligent about taking the pills, the doctors found a partial blockage in an artery in my neck and everyone that knows me, knows that I smoke too much, especially around election time.”

Matarazzo said that he doesn’t recall passing out, but that he does remember waking up and being treated by EMTs, who took him to the hospital.

“The good thing is that I was able to answer all of their questions, except that I couldn’t remember my street number of my home, and that was scary, but really I can’t say that I felt badly (before the collapse).”

Matarazzo said that he knows that he is going to have to start taking better care of himself and that part of that will be stopping smoking.

“The doctors have told me that I’m going to have to make some changes and that includes quitting smoking,” he said. “But to be honest, I just want to get back to work as soon as possible.”

Matarazzo said that he actually felt well enough on Monday to go into the office for a few hours, but he did admit to getting run down while there and leaving to get some rest after a while.

He also said that he has not yet heard anything from the Secretary of State’s office about the election last week, but that he is waiting to see if the Secretary has any further recommendations, considering the number of elections that the city will be holding in the next few months.

Matarazzo, in the weeks leading up to last week’s primary election, had requested additional help from the Secretary of State’s office with that election, especially because the election was part of the process to replace convicted former State Representative Stephen “Stat” Smith, who pled guilty to voter fraud in two of his earlier campaigns.

Smith is due to be sentenced in mid-April, by which time the city is likely to have a new State Representative to replace him.

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