Indiana County's incoming district attorney doesn't have much free time.
Tom Bianco said the last movie he and his wife, Jennifer, got to see in a theater was "Titanic", released in December 1997.
On top of raising four young children and running a busy law practice, this year Bianco, a Democrat, added his first campaign for political office, running for district attorney against an entrenched incumbent.
An Indiana County native from Heilwood, a small coal mining town in Pine Township, Bianco said this past year has been "a constant balancing act."
The difficulty of balancing family life with his career was made easier, though, by his wife and children -- 7-year-old Ben, 5-year-old Simon, 4-year-old Caroline and 1-year-old Natalie -- joining him at picnics, church dinners and other campaign stops, he said.
Bianco, a Democrat, will take office Jan. 7, replacing Republican Bob Bell, who has held the post since 1996.
Bianco attributes his win to knowing a lot of people in the county and being supported by people who have known him since he was a child.
The son of a retired business professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a former Penns Manor High School secretary, Bianco knows his parents' involvement in the community factored heavily into his win.
He also attributes the victory to working hard and reaching out to county residents he may not have known. He was frequently seen out on the festival circuit at affairs such as Blairsville's Diamond Days, and his campaign workers dotted the Indiana countryside with his campaign signs.
"The virtue of hard work and being honest are two things that stick out (as lessons) from my parents," Bianco said.
He believes his broad client base, established during 14 years of practicing law in the county, and his position as solicitor for Green, Pine and Armstrong townships made him well-known to voters. He also served as solicitor for the county Domestic Relations Office and planning commission, Indiana County Child Day Care, The Alice Paul House, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Indiana County Fair Board, and the Blairsville/Indiana Council of Governments. He is also a member of many other community groups.
Mary Mycum, one of Bianco's English teachers at Penns Manor High School, said his character helped him to win.
"Everyone had very strong feelings that this was a very good person, not just a good candidate or lawyer, and I think that's what got him elected," Mycum said.
"I'm very proud of him," she said. "He's one of our big success stories."
Bianco graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 1986 at Penns Manor, where he played guard on the basketball team and served as class president. An avid golfer, he also played in several district golf championships.
Bianco went on to graduate with top honors from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in finance before attending Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle. He completed his law degree in 1993.
He worked as a part-time assistant district attorney and as a partner in a law firm before he became a sole practitioner eight years ago.
The new position as Indiana's head prosecutor will mean Bianco will have to make decisions on how to handle cases ranging from misdemeanor offenses to more serious crimes like homicides, sexual assault, drug deals and other drug-related offenses.
His plan is to evaluate each case individually, taking into account the severity of the offense as well as the offender's frequency in the system.
"In general, every case has to be worked up and I'll be communicating with everyone in the system (to decide) whether this is a hard-core criminal or someone in need of help who can be a productive member of society," Bianco said.
But Bianco draws a line at drug dealers and sex offenders.
"If you have a first-time offender but that person is dealing drugs, that person is going to have to be accountable for that," he said.
Similarly, Bianco plans to take a tough stance with first-time sex offenders.
"A lot of safeguards are in place once someone is convicted in the system to protect (members of the community) in the future," he said. "This is why it is critical that these cases are not plea-bargained so that if the person is charged a second time, it cannot be tried as a first-time offense."
Bianco's office will be fielding two homicide trials this year.
Codee Wheeler, 17, is accused of torching her Blairsville home, killing her adoptive father, William Wheeler.
Robert Ellsworth Beatty III, 22, is accused of firing a .38-caliber into a car, with one bullet fatally striking Todd Hampson in the neck. Both the victim and shooter attended Wyoming Technical School, outside Blairsville. Hampson and a friend had gone to throw bricks through a window at the home of Beatty's neighbor, whom they believed was burglarizing homes in the area.
The state Attorney General's Office will prosecute former state trooper Kevin Foley, of Indiana, accused of killing Dr. John Yelenic during a struggle in the Blairsville dentist's home.
Bianco said he prefers the prosecution side of the courtroom.
"You feel like you're wearing the white hat and protecting the community and the citizens of the county," he said.
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