PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Edward Graziano, 64, is back behind bars once again, accused of violating his probation. The Graziano name is associated with betrayal and tragedy dating back to August of 2007.
That was when Graziano’s son, John was a passenger in Nick Bollea’s yellow Toyota Supra. Bollea is the son of wrestler Hulk Hogan.
The Supra had been seen racing around downtown Clearwater earlier before Bollea lost control, slamming into a tree. John Graziano, an Iraq war veteran, suffered critical injuries.
Two years later, authorities arrested his father, Edward, and charged him with solicitation to commit murder. His estranged wife, Debra, was the target. Debra and Edward Graziano divorced in 2010.
He pleaded guilty in 2011 and a judge sentence him to 10 years in Florida State Prison.
Another tragedy for the family came in April of 2012, when John’s brother Michael was killed in a DUI crash. The driver of that car, Cameron Bosley, pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and a judge sentenced him to four years in prison.
The Florida Department of Corrections released Edward Graziano in 2017. Two years later, authorities arrested him on a violation of probation charge, accusing him of calling his ex-wife.
A judge put him back on probation for the violation.
On Sunday, Pinellas deputies picked up Graziano at his apartment in Dunedin on a warrant for again violating probation on the solicitation charge.
There were 10 violations, nine of which involved him not being where he was supposed to be, when he was supposed to be there. Two of the nine violations involved him driving by his ex-wife’s home.
8 On Your Side legal expert Bryant Camareno said violations have to be willful and substantial in order for them to stick.
“If I were his defense attorney, I would try to argue that maybe he was the victim of circumstance,” suggested Camareno. “Maybe he was taking a ride from someone.”
Camareno admits, Graziano may be in trouble for the two counts accusing him of driving by the victim’s home.
“Unless he can argue that his Uber driver, I don’t know who was driving, his Uber driver was taking him and he had no control over it, he may have an argument,” said Camareno. “But if they can prove it was him then it looks like a willful and substantial violation.”
When reached by phone, Debra Graziano told 8 On Your Side it is by the grace of God that authorities have caught her ex-husband on both occasions before he made physical contact with her.
She hopes he will stay behind bars, but admits if he is released, she will again fear for her safety.
