Lawyer, Pelino & Lentz

Biography: John Pelino was instrumental in helping to make the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association what it is today, an organization that can truly say that it is working for the horsemen at Parx Racing. His expertise as a lawyer helped to point Pennsylvania horsemen in the right direction, and he was a crucial member of the team that negotiated the terms of a contract dispute between horsemen and track management in the mid-1990s.

Pelino earned his bachelor’s degree in 1953 from Duquesne University, then enlisted in the United States Air Force. He soon earned his law degree in 1959 from Dickinson School of Law. In 1969, he joined forces with Martin Lentz to create the law firm Pelino & Lentz.

He was known for his tough style of negotiating, and was very well respected in the Philadelphia area. Pelino passed away on March 22, 2007, but his legacy is still present in the current law firm of Archer & Greiner, which absorbed Pelino & Lentz in January of 2009.