Hudson pol, Ron Manzo, gets court clearance to attend wife's Christmas Eve bash

By The Jersey Journal
January 03, 2010, 11:49AM

Ronald Manzo, left, of Jersey City, does the listening earlier this month as his attorney Sam DeLuca tells reporters his client is innocent of taking bribes. Manzo, the brother of former Assemblyman Louis Manzo, was given permission by the court to attend his wife's Christmas Eve party.

And you sir, may attend the Christmas Eve party, the court told Ronald Manzo.

Arrested in July as part of a massive corruption investigation, Manzo, the brother of former assemblyman and failed mayoral candidate Lou Manzo, had been out of on bail, but under home confinement, according to today's Auditor column in the Star-Leger.

But Manzo's attorney, Samuel DeLuca, informed the court that Ronald Manzo's wife is part of owner of Naninas in the Park catering house in Belleville, which holds a Christmas Eve bash every year and his client wanted to attend.

In the spirit of the holidays, U.S. District Judge Jose Linares issued a Dec. 23 order allowing Manzo to attend the party, according to The Auditor.

Ronald Manzo and his brother, Louis, are charged with accepting $27,500 from Solomon Dwek, a government informant who was pretending to be a developer seeking favors.

Ronald Manzo is additionally charged with accepting $5,000 from Dwek to arrange corrupt payments to Dennis Elwell, the former Secaucus mayor.

The brothers Manzo and Elwell have all pleaded not guilty.