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A 19-year-old robbery suspect tried to fool police Wednesday with an elaborate disguise at the Mellon Bank in the New Kensington Giant Eagle in Westmoreland County.

When confronted by authorities outside the store, Daniel C. Mazziotti of Philadelphia Street in Natrona dropped a store bag full of money and did not attempt to flee, New Kensington police said.

Police said Mazziotti, who is white, dressed up as a black man and used a pillow to make himself appear obese before walking into the Mellon Bank branch inside the store, located on Craigdell Road.

"This is absolutely regrettable that someone would make themselves appear to be African American," said John Lovelace, president of the Alle-Kiski chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Lovelace said he has heard of this type of thing happening before but declined to comment further until he could learn more about the incident.

There were no customers or other employees in the bank when the robbery occurred. The same bank was robbed Sept. 15.

Mazziotti, a 2000 graduate of Valley High School, will face a preliminary hearing next month before District Justice Frank J. Pallone Jr.

Mazziotti entered the bank shortly after 10 a.m. and asked the male teller to help him with his bank account information, police said.

Detective Sgt. Dennis Marsili of the New Kensington police department said Mazziotti then demanded the teller open the gate to allow him to go behind the counter and then forced the teller into the vault. The teller then loaded a store bag with money. The suspect left through the door nearest to the bank.

FBI officials were not available for comment. A Mellon Bank spokesman declined comment. Allegheny County police and FBI were dusting for fingerprints and other evidence throughout the day.

Leslie Suhr is a reporter for the Valley News Dispatch in Tarentum. She can be reached at lsuhr@tribweb.com.

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