Sheriff Jerry Greene talks to newly appointed acting Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova on Tuesday after the county commissioners appointed DeGenova to the position.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners have appointed Gina DeGenova, a 17-year county assistant prosecutor, to serve as acting county prosecutor starting Dec. 1.

She will serve at least until the Mahoning County Democratic Party Central Committee appoints someone the first week of January to finish out the term of Prosecutor Paul Gains, which runs through the end of 2024.

The prosecutor’s office announced that DeGenova had been named chief assistant prosecutor and public information officer in the spring of 2021. She becomes Mahoning’s first female county prosecutor, said Nick Modarelli, a longtime assistant prosecutor.

Her appointment came Tuesday at the regular county commissioners meeting in the courthouse. Gains, 71, announced his retirement Friday after 26 years as the elected county prosecutor.

In addition to DeGenova, two other people submitted letters to the commissioners asking to be appointed acting prosecutor — Lynn Maro, a local defense attorney; and Brad Gessner, a former Mahoning County assistant prosecutor who now works for the Summit County prosecutor’s office. Gessner ran against Gains in the Democratic primary for prosecutor in 2004.

In announcing the selection, Commissioner Carol Rimedio Righetti said DeGenova has “been on top of everything for our office and has worked diligently with her departments — civil and criminal and with the townships all over Mahoning County and the sheriff’s department and every department in Mahoning County.”

Gains told the commissioners DeGenova “represents the future because we cannot go backward. She has worked with me for 17 years. She’s been a lawyer for 22 years. I believe she has the experience, the intelligence and most importantly, ladies and gentlemen, the integrity to continue to operate this office honestly, efficiently and provide the same services we have provided in the past.” He added he is “very pleased with the appointment.”

DeGenova said she has been “overseeing daily operations” at the prosecutor’s office since early 2021 with Lynette Stratford, who is also chief assistant prosecutor.

“For the 17 years I’ve been at the prosecutor’s office, I have worked essentially in every department we have. I represented the boards of trustees. I’ve represented this board. I’ve represented the elected officials. I’ve worked hand in half with law enforcement, particularly Jerry Greene, who’ve I’ve been with as his chief counsel since he was elected in 2013,” she said.

She added: “I know the prosecutor’s office. I know Mahoning County. I’m honored to assume this role Dec. 1. I’m committed to upholding the high ethical standards that have been established by Paul Gains during his 25 years in office.”

In her role as public information officer, DeGenova has increased the prosecutor’s office’s presence on social media and in the community.

Under DeGenova, the prosecutor’s office has posted information on its Facebook page on various projects, including a domestic violence donation drive the prosecutor’s office started last year.

HIGH PRAISE

Commissioner David Ditzler said Gains has “done an amazing job for a lot of years.” He said Gains brought a lot of “integrity and honor and the respect” to the position of county prosecutor and Gains could have moved on to higher office, such as Ohio attorney general.

“He was very sought-after statewide,” Ditzler said. “I think he would have easily been successful,” Ditzler said.

When Ditzler became an Austintown trustee in the 1990s, the township spent $500,000 on legal fees, so when the prosecutor’s office took over legal representation for the 14 townships, it saved the townships “a ton of money,” Ditzler added.

Ditzler praised DeGenova, Stratford and the other attorneys who provided legal counsel to the townships over the years.

“I’ll never forget the trials we went through as a township trustee with Gina representing Austintown through the shutting down of Hotel California (Austintown), all the different things. Let me tell you, you’re not only getting an amazing attorney with Gina DeGenova and an amazing person, but don’t let that 5-foot height fool you because she is 5 feet of pit bull,” he said.

“Many a time I have been happy to be on the same side as her,” Ditzler said. He said he hoped DeGenova will continue hold the position when the Mahoning County Democratic Party Central Committee votes in early January on a replacement to fill the position through the end of 2024.

Commissioner Anthony Traficanti praised the prosecutor’s office for the great legal advice it has given the commissioners over the years.

“They keep everything above board for us here in Mahoning County,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot of battles,” he said.

In attendance at the meeting were DeGenova’s husband, Steve Zawrotuk, and DeGenova’s mother, Gloria Tedesco, who said of her daughter: “I’m so proud of her. She’s a hard worker. She works until the job is done, 24/7. She is very honest.”

erunyan@vindy.com