Political Insider Column: Peace among Hudson Dems is long way down road

Jersey Journal - March 28

T he Hudson County political war within the Democratic Party should last at least two years, long enough to cover a second round of contests in three state legislative districts, one congressional seat and the Jersey City municipal election. No one really believes that after this election cycle of bloodletting that everything will give way to peace.

So the heads will roll. The threats will be made. Animosity will escalate. The political subpoenas will be issued. The rumors and innuendo will run amok. The subtle elimination of feudal lords (Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria, Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny of Hoboken, and Assemblyman Sal Vega of West New York) is past, and it is time for the trumpets to blare because the archers have started to pick off the infantry.

State Assemblyman Lou Manzo of Jersey City and the 31st District is the first to feel an arrow's sting. Manzo sent out a flyer telling his constituents that he was "Working for YOU FIRST in the 31st." It came out too soon to note that he will seek the state Senate seat now being held by Doria, who announced he was not seeking re-election.

This means he will go head-to-head with Sandra Bolden Cunningham, widow of Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham and the first African-American to hold the post. (For the sake of brevity and because she's running on her own merits, this is the last time Bolden Cunningham will be referred to as "the widow," unless it becomes an issue in the campaign.)

In the flyer, Jersey City community activist and Manzo guy Darryl Lavalle is pictured with the assemblyman. Lavalle's son, Darrly Jr., has been fired from his job with the Jersey City Parking Authority. City sources say it was retaliation, although local officials are expected to say they are not happy with the younger Lavalle's paperwork and job performance. The timing of the firing was probably, hmmm, just a coincidence.

Then there is Hudson County Freeholder Jeff Dublin of Jersey City, who has decided to stay out of this race. After fighting so hard to get on a ticket, he suddenly thought better of joining Manzo's slate as "the black candidate." It probably has nothing to do with the fact he is a freeholder, thanks to the support of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, one of the HCDO generals. It must have been, hmmm, a coincidence that he retires from the field.

"I'm sitting this one out," Dublin said yesterday. "Why get involved because I'll be the chairman of the freeholders next year - after I run for re-election."

Newark Mayor Corey Booker appeared at Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons' power lunch and fundraising event Monday and left quite an impression with an eloquent speech at Frankie and Johnnie's in Hoboken.

Booker told the assembled politicians that they must be involved in a deep commitment to public service and that they "drink deeply from a well others have dug," and have a responsibility to uphold democratic principles.

The mayor can recall his first experience in visiting Hoboken when the future All-American's Northern Valley Regional High School team from Old Tappan faced off against the Mile Square City's team. He said that in the 1985 game he recalls the Bergen County newspaper referring to the Hudson County municipality as "Ho-broken." Booker said that what he learned was the same could not be said of the players he faced or the spirit of the local residents.

There was a high police presence at the restaurant because of a death threat against Booker, according to city officials. At first, some thought the uniforms were there to keep people from entering the restaurant.

Several Hoboken City Council members, Union City Mayor and Assemblyman Brian P. Stack, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Kearny Mayor Al Santos, Hudson County Sheriff Joseph Cassidy, Hoboken NAACP leader Eugene Drayton, Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Baldini, Newark North Ward leaders Steve Adubato Sr., former Hoboken Mayor Steve Cappiello and too many others to mention attended the affair. Missing were the HCDO leaders, including Healy and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, who had said they would boycott the Fitzgibbons fund-raiser.

During the proceedings, Fitzgibbons presented Councilman Chris Campos, who has had some past motor vehicle difficulties, with a new driver's license, a copy of Frank Sinatra's license. The freeholder laughingly noted that the address is still in Campos' ward and probably still worth a vote.

Although he was asked to attend the Fitzgibbons luncheon, again at the last moment, Hoboken Mayor Dave Roberts stayed away. Roberts still made news by getting rid of Corporation Counsel Joe Sherman. The mayor asked for Sherman's resignation and the lawyer refused. Anyway, he's gone.

Some people see this as a thumb in the eye of politically active attorney Donald Scarinci, right-hand man for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. Sherman is from the Scarinci & Hollenbeck law firm in Lyndhurst. The idea is that the removal is retaliation for a lack of support for Kenny who is now not seeking re-election.

More than likely, it was a case of a clash of personalities. Things were not happy between Roberts and Sherman for about two years. It is expected that another attorney from the Scarinci law firm will replace Sherman.

Manzo will have Nicholas "Nick" A. Chiaravalloti, the state director for Sen. Menendez, as his Assembly running mate. Chiaravalloti is from Bayonne.

This does not necessarily mean the senator is choosing sides. It probably has more to do with Chiaravalloti's future local aspirations.

DeGise is upset with the Insider. His spokesman said that it was not true that he was told to stay away from Mayor Cunningham's funeral - that honor only belonged to former City Councilman L. Harvey Smith. The spokesman said that, through an intermediary, he received assurances that he was welcome to attend the funeral in the Jersey City Armory and that he did go to the public wake in City Hall. O.K.