This bear is completely harmless, until he is harmful.

  • This bear is completely harmless, until he is harmful.

Update II: Lots of happenings involving Mazzola since the initial attack.

First, a judge ordered that Mazzola under go mental health treatment.

Second, the AP writes today that Mazzola didn’t have workplace injury insurance in case an employee, like Brett Kandra, was killed or injured on the job. Officials are probably going to frown upon that discovery.

***

Original story and other updates after the jump.

This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2010.

Vince Grzegorek has been with Scene since 2007 and editor-in-chief since 2012. He previously worked at Discount Drug Mart and Texas Roadhouse.

6 replies on “Sam Mazzola’s Bear Killed a Man (UPDATED)”

  1. I don’t know Sam well but I do know him. The man has a heart of gold.
    I am sure Sam is suffering from the loss of this young man.
    The press needs to give him a break. Anyone running a wild life org. such as this has
    had run ins with legal red tape. What Sam provides is a chance for people to get up close
    with the animals so they can learn to love them. Without this love, no one will fight
    for their salvation.

  2. I to know Sam and have known many who have worked for him. He has a life time love for his animals, they are family to him. I think people don’t take his feelings into consideration. He has suffered technically two loses, and I am sure he is feeling a lot of pain and sorrow for what has happen. He has always tried to do what is best, what happen was a animal instinct upon something, and was no ones FAULT. Let us not point the finger and let the man live his life how he chooses, loving and caring for these animals

  3. Reporters have failed to ask the most pertinent question when a Jehovah’s Witness dies in such a scenario:

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  4. Sam Mazzola is nothing short of a wildlife pimp. He brought his bears to Posh nightclub a few years ago in Akron and allowed his bears to be beaten by drunks onstage as his bears tried to lay down to rest. Yeah! He has a real big heart! Get real people-this wildlife pimp has exploited animals and abused them for many years with s history of MANY citations against him for his wrong doings that date back to 1983 against his animals that should have been left in the wild! He is a loathing person and a dangerous one towards these poor animals under his so called care! Too bad it wasn’t him instead of his worker! That’s the only help for these poor animals forced to be abused by him!
    L Ayers

  5. I agree he’s an animal pimp, i. e. clearly abuses them as would be the case of any slave/indentured servant performing such duties.
    The only truly contrary to that type of relationship with the animals is the few dophin and people interactions that have been experienced by some divers interacting in the wild without even using any treats. Pure mutual curiosity on their turf.
    Cats that are free to come and go, and humanely and very caringly kept dogs and horses and birds, I also think are acceptable relationships with people.
    Eating animals is a too different a topic to need inclusion here.
    Some other people are using apes in that same or similar manner to the way it appears this guy is using bears.

  6. A great deal has come to light since the initial mauling and death of the young man. One claim is that Mazzola knowingly identified the wrong bear, thus creating and changing a possible crime scene for his own benefit. The actual bear was purported to be a highly aggressive and dangerous animal, a fact that Mazzola was well aware of before the mauling. If the keeper was aware of the bear’s temperament we will never know. The fact is, Mazzola owned the animal and is therefore responsible for any damage it caused. This was not an unexpected “tragic accident” , Mazzola knew or should have known the animal was not properly secured or safe to handle . That he knowingly withheld the identity of the bear actually responsible for the attack to lessen his culpability proves he had prior knowledge.

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