Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series that delves deep into how David Sconce chose to maximize profits while leading his family-run Lamb Funeral Home, HBO’s ‘The Mortician’ is simply harrowing. It explores everything from how he entered the industry, his inhumane practices, and his decision to seek revenge on rival morticians, all to give us an insight into how even the business of death is cutthroat. Amongst those to thus be heavily featured in this original production is none other than his once right-hand man, Johnny Daniel Pollerana.
Johnny Pollerana is No Stranger to the World of Crime
Although not many details regarding Johnny Daniel Pollerana’s background or early years are available as of writing, we do know he hails from a proud Hispanic family in North Pasadena, California. He actually ended up getting involved with gangs at a relatively early age and was in and out of prison for the majority of his young adult life, only to suddenly find himself with an actual job. One of his cousins was working in a cemetery and had introduced him to David Sconce, soon resulting in him also being hired as a driver/cremator for the latter’s business, Lamb Funeral Home.
Johnny was paid $6,000 a month, so he was willing to do whatever the job required because he was finally able to provide for his family and didn’t want to risk losing it. As David trained him on operating the furnaces and cremating bodies, they reportedly developed a strong understanding, and Johnny soon became his right-hand man. As per Johnny’s own accounts, he was the only one the boss really trusted with the job, especially as they cremated multiple bodies at once; per him, they often even bet on who could fit in the most bodies.
Johnny admitted he was often high at work because it helped him cope with handling the dead. Over time, his role also expanded to include other criminal activities, such as stealing. After all, according to his own statements, on David’s behest, he only cremated bodies after taking off their clothes, removing their jewelry, and stealing even their gold teeth so as to enable David to pawn them off for additional income. Neither he nor anyone else who worked at the Funeral Home at the time ever reported or questioned him, though, because he took genuine financial care of them; from buying them food and beers on long days to purchasing a car for them, he reportedly did it all.
Johnny Pollerana Allegedly Also Served as a Thug for David Sconce
By the mid-1980s, Johnny’s official position at Lamb Funeral Home was Chief Cremation Technician, but he was allegedly paid extra for side jobs. According to records, these jobs included roughing up David’s rival morticians or those who dared to question his operations to find out how he really cremated so many bodies in a day. As per court documents, in the late summer of 1985, Johnny was even asked by David if he would “get rid of” somebody for $10,000, but he shook his head and walked away.
However, when somebody else agreed to do so, Johnny told them, “I wouldn’t do it,” but they still drove this hired hitman to the target’s home. Thankfully, the plan fell through, and it wasn’t until 1986 that trouble came knocking on their door as someone reported their new base, which they falsely claimed to be a ceramic shop, for suspicious activity. After the original crematorium accidentally burned down in 1983, David continued the cremations without proper licenses by using a kiln, sometimes burning as many as 200 bodies at a time.
Johnny Pollerana Leads a Quiet Life Today
Johnny was arrested once the truth about Lamb Funeral Home’s inhumane and morally questionable operations came to light, but he was soon granted full immunity for his testimony against the owners. When David, as well as his parents, went to court for the charges against them/the family business, he was a key witness, and it culminated in them facing the consequences of their actions. He was also a witness in the former’s trial for conspiracy to commit murder, which was ultimately dismissed, and since then, from what we can tell, he has chosen to remain well away from the limelight. All we know is that he does appear to be leading a straight life these days and admits to the mistakes of his past, which is what matters in the long run.
Read More: Barbara Hunt: What Happened to David Sconce’s Ex-Wife?
