New Jersey's Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight!

May 28, 2010 at 2:54 P.M. Harassment over the past few days has been about normal. Tell your friends in other countries about this spectacle of public censorship in America. ("How Censorship Works in America" and "What is it like to be censored in America?")

Peter J. Sampson, "Lone Defendant Refuses Deal in '08 Mob Case: Trial Set in 'Smorsgasbord' of Crime After 22 Take Pleas," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-4.
William Lamb, Marlene Nanes, Monsy Alvarado, "Zisa Arrested on New Charge: Misconduct Alleged in 2004 Assault Case," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-1.
Chris Megerian, "Groups Say PSE&G Owes N.J. $300 Million: Demand Probe of Energy Surcharges," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-3. (Mr./Ms. Megerian may have visited my sites at the request of N.J. politicians. "Law and Ethics in the Soprano State.")
"Man Pleads Guilty to Child Porn," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-3. (More protected child porn in South Jersey involving over 20,000 Internet images and other items for distribution.)
AP, "Legal Issue Hampers Bribe Cases," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-4. (Federal judge, Jose Linares, dismisses counts against two defendants caught up in last year's corruption sting.)
Peter Yost, "Top Cops Say Ariz. Law Will Backfire: Tell Attorney General Crime Would Rise," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-11. (Like the Guestapo, Arizona now demands to see your papers.)
Bradley M. Campbell, "Ringwood Legacy: Toxic Waste, Broken Promises," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. A-23. (Cancers and budget crises resulting from years of corruption in N.J.)
Stephanie Akin, "13 Cops Cut in Paramus Budget: 8 Others Would be Demoted in Preliminary Plan," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. L-7. (More public workers will be fired.)
Mathew Van Deussen, "Cliffside Park Detective Harassed 2 -- Cliffside Park Cop Had Role in Bail Case," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. L-7. ("Ellis Haroldson," a Detective Sgt. with the Cliffside Park Police Department -- aligned with Michael Mastromarino the alleged organ seller -- is under investigation for extortion, even as "others" may be named in an ongoing investigation of Bergen County police departments.)
Denisa R. Superville, "Residents Ask Council to Spare Jobs: Park Ridge Looking at 17 Posts," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. L-2. (Additional terminations for public workers are coming.)
Joseph Ax, "Pay-to-Play Law Fells Town Auditor: $10,000 Bill for Budget Report Won't be Paid," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at L-3.
Karen Sudall, "Englewood Budget to Raise Taxes by 2%," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. L-3.
Denisa R. Superville, "Woodridge Lake Budget Boosts Municipal Taxes," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. L-3.
Kevin G. DeMarrais, "Disbarred Teaneck Attorney Gets Probation in Ponzi Scam," in The Record, May 27, 2010, at p. L-10. (Allegations that N.J. judges and prosecutors were cut in on the fraud money by this crooked lawyer cannot be confirmed.)

"Hackensack's embattled police chief, Ken Zisa, was charged Wednesday with official misconduct, accused of improperly intervening in an assault case involving a person with whom he had a 'close relationship,' prosecutors said."

"The charge stems from a 2004 assault and robbery of a teenager, authorities said. Zisa and Detective Sgt. Thomas Aletta" -- allegations of Gambino family connections are denied by all of these men -- "allegedly intervened in the case in which no arrests were made, despite the existence of ample evidence to support criminal charges. First Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor William Galda said in a statement."

There is very little for these men to worry about in Bergen County. Is Mr. Galda "reachable"? Or "reached"? Is Mr. Galda a front man for Molinelli?

Zisa may be a member of the bar in New Jersey. The OAE appears flat-footed and slow, as usual, and more stupid as well as inept than ever before. A little cash for the OAE? Zisa is not a Latino solo practitioner with radical political views, so they will leave him alone. ("New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics" and "New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System.")

"Zisa's arrest comes a week after two Hackensack police officers also accused him in a lawsuit of intervening improperly in a 2004 robbery and assault case."

"Two years after 23 reputed members and associates of the Gambino and Lucchese mob families were indicted for what the FBI called a 'veritable smorsgasbord' of crime, only one defendant has refused to accept a plea deal." ("Mafia Influence in New Jersey Courts and Politics" and "New Jersey's Mafia Culture in Law and Politics.")

"The last man standing is Martin Tacetta, a reputed former underboss of the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction" -- alleged connections to Jaynee LaVecchia of the New Jersey Supreme Court and Diana Lisa Riccioli can neither be denied nor confirmed at this time (Mr. Zisa?) -- "who is already serving a state prison sentence of life plus 10 years." ("Jaynee La Vecchia and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and, again, "New Jersey's Mafia Culture in Law and Politics.")

I recall witnessing some questioning during the famous mob case in Newark federal court in the late eighties that served as the inspiration for Jimmy Breslin's classic book: The Mob That Couldn't Shoot Straight.

"As younger men, they squared off in a notorious 1988 Mafia case that became one of the longest criminal trials in the nation's history. After 21 months, the trial ended in acquittal for all 20 defendants, but in 1993 two of the defendants -- Tacetta's brother, Michael, then acting head [Godfather] of the Lucchese Jersey faction, [any knowledge of these men, Diana Lisa Riccioli?] and Michael Perna, a top lieutenant -- confessed to tampering with the jury as part of a guilty plea that included more than a dozen murder conspiracies, extortion and other charges." ("An Open Letter to My Torturers in New Jersey, Terry Tuchin and Diana Lisa Riccioli.")

All of these men and their associates have enjoyed the protection of judges and prosecutors in the Garden State for years. This explains the unpunished pollution, child porn, theft from the public treasury -- like disappearing pension funds -- and other nightmares that have produced New Jersey's current crisis. ("Stuart Rabner and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "Does Senator Menendez Have Mafia Friends?" then "New Jersey is $46 BILLION 'Short' in Pension Funds.")

Numerous judges in New Jersey are probably on the take, others are corrupt, stupid, or inept -- sometimes, all of the above:

" ... The May 2008 federal indictment targeted a Gambino crew led by Andrew Merola [friends in Hackensack, Andrew?] and outlined schemes to shake down a lunch truck vendor, put mobsters in no-show jobs, use union muscle to extract payoffs from contractors allowed to ignore union rules, and rake in millions in bets on sporting events and casino-style games over a website based overseas." ("James B. Zazzali and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "Peter G. Veniero and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey.")

These are some of the persons making New Jersey America's overstuffed legal toilet. Do you speak to me of "ethics," gentlemen? What's it going to take, Mr. Christie?