Jack Biello, also known on some of these lists as "tecsvcs" died last week.

Besides being a plaintiff in the listeners' lawsuit, Jack was also instrumental in helping hacker Kevin Mitnick during and after prison. Jack was a wicked debater and he was so sharp in politics. He gave of himself constantly in his profession as an apple consultant. He could answer anything about them and he did so generously. He loved figuring out how to solve a problem. He was a committed vegetarian and animal lover. i will miss him very much. I worked with him at my job and in the Pacifica movement as a plaintiff in the Listeners' Lawsuit. We shared many political interests and i will miss him very much.

Patty

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here is an announcement from the 2600.com website

We're saddened to announce the death of a great friend, talented writer, and community activist. Jack Biello was a key voice in the Free Kevin movement whose words reached many through the freekevin.com and kevinmitnick.com websites. He was instrumental in helping Mitnick adjust to life after prison, assisting him in writing speeches and articles, as well as preparing testimony in front of a Senate subcommittee in 2000. He also served as a liaison with members of the press during the Mitnick affair.

Biello, 47, died Wednesday June 5th, after being stricken with colon cancer. He was recently married and lived in New York City. He is survived by his wife, his parents, two brothers, and a sister. Biello worked as a Macintosh computer consultant and was an active writer.

In addition to the Mitnick campaign, Biello was more recently involved in the movement to save community radio station WBAI from being co-opted by hostile forces. He was a plaintiff in the Pacifica listeners' lawsuit, the threat of which eventually helped to rescue the network.

Biello was often a voice of reason and of comfort when things didn't seem to be working out. "Here's what I tell myself, and others who are beating themselves up when things don't seem to be going right," he once said. "There are plenty of people out there who are more than willing to criticize and condemn me and what I do; I've GOT to think kindly of myself and my actions, or else I'm just one of the crowd...."

Friends described Biello as a committed vegetarian and animal lover. Some gatherings in his honor will take place in New York in the days ahead. His ashes will be spread in New Mexico in August.

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From: Carol Spooner
Date: Fri Jun 14, 2002 12:42 pm
Subject: Re: Jack Biello dead at 47

Remembering Jack Biello ...

I first met Jack on the FreePacifica email list sometime in the summer of 1999. He was acerbic, witty, funny ... he punctured illogicality with relish and panache.

When we needed plaintiffs for the listeners' lawsuit in the Fall of 1999, there were few listeners in New York who were aware of the Pacifica takeover ... and there were even fewer among those few who were willing to put themselves at personal financial risk (should we lose the case). Jack was one of them, along with Patty Heffley and Carolyn Birden.

We had late night talks. More than once Jack called me from somewhere in Europe. I don't know if he ever slept. He spoke fast, thought faster, was always generous with good advice, offers of help and moral support.

I finally met him at a picnic in Sonoma County to round up candidates for the first KPFA LAB election late summer of 2000. He had come to the Bay Area to see friends & just showed up and introduced himself. He looked younger than I expected, wore a multi-colored crocheted beret jauntily, and his eyes were vulnerable and sweet ... so vulnerable and sweet that he made me feel shy. Sometimes it is hard to look into such openness, and I think I failed to fully meet this dear man. I think I let him down.

But he forgave me ... and continued to be a passionate stalwart in our fight to save free speech radio. He believed that Pacifica and WBAI are a national treasure. He was right. I'll miss him.

--Carol Spooner