Rottino sues Rumana for defamation

By Matt Friedman | May 20th, 2009 - 4:37pm

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The vicious Republican primary fight in District 40 just turned even nastier.

Assembly primary challenger Anthony Rottino is suing incumbent Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-Wayne) for $350,000 over a mailer and magazine advertisement that he said made false accusations about his development company building low income housing.

The suit charges that Rumana’s campaign piece falsely claimed that a company Rottino has a stake in, P.C. Development, used $16.5 million in taxpayer-funded bonds to develop low-income housing in Newark and East Orange. That, according to Rottino’s attorney, Matthew DiBrino , is a “blatant lie,” as was a photo of a building purporting to be one that Rottino developed.

According to the court filing, the ad reads: “While Rottino profited from building low income housing, Scott Rumana fought against it.”

The Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) has been one of the top issues in the primary fight – a race that mirrors a struggle for control of the Passaic County Republican Party between Rumana and allies of one of his predecessors, Peter Murphy. Caruso and Rottino have maintained that their campaign has nothing to do with the power struggle, however.

Standards for defamation are strict in cases involving public figures like political candidates. But in a brief to Passaic County Superior Court Judge Thomas Brogan, DiBrino said that “the facts in this case speak for themselves as certain statements have been made which are entirely false against the Plaintiff Anthony Rottino.”

“These statements were made intentionally and maliciously with an obvious reckless disregard for the truth,” he continued.

In a 1996 document provided by Rumana, Rottino is listed as P.C. Development's Vice President. Its president is listed as Frank Catania, Jr., who is a law partner of DiBrino and is also listed as representing Rottino in the suit.

Rottino also wants a court-ordered temporary restraint on Rumana from issuing publications, phone calls and discussion involving his development company.

“While I understand the game of politics is an open landscape and the Defendants have shown they will go to any lengths to achieve their goals, they must stick to the truth,” he wrote in a court document. “The alleged facts they have stated as ‘truth’ in their publications are entirely untrue, without an inkling of truth, and could very costs me my bid for the Republican Nomination for Assembly man in the 40th District. “

Rumana's original mailer was based on a Star-Ledger story from January, 2000.

Rottino spokesman Thom Ammirato said, however, that the newspaper story was preliminary and that Rottino and Catania never actually made the deal with Newark or East Orange.

Rottino is running with Joseph Caruso against Rumana and fellow incumbent David Russo (R-Ridgewood).

"Rottino and Caruso have consistently misrepresented or flat out lied about every single aspect of their campaign. From stating that they are not directly affiliated with convicted felon Peter Murphy to their position on COAH, Rottino and Caruso just can't seem to get it right. The documented proof is indisputable. Anthony Rottino has historically built low income housing," said Rumana. "It's bad enough that they have lied and misrepresented the facts, but now Rottino resorts to using the Court system as a bullying tactic in order to supress the truth and infringe upon my first amendment rights. This is a frivivlous lawsuit and I am confident that the Court will see it as such."

Ammirato, however, said that it was Rumana who was being dishonest.

"Scott Rumana is a desperate politician trying to cling to power. His allegations are reckless. He has not embraced a single issue in this campaign, but has chosen to throw mud instead. He cannot offer a single instance that Rottino and Caruso have lied about anything. We are right on his position on COAH; he has never call for it to be killed. He has no position on the economy or jobs. He has no plan to reform education spending or on illegal aliens. Rottino and Caruso have addressed all these issues and more while Rumana has addressed no issues,” he said in a statement. "As for Peter Murphy, it was he, Rumana, who took hundreds of thousands of dollars from convicted felon Murphy, not Rottino, not Caruso. Mr. Rumana needs to get his story straight.”

Tags:

an establishment liberal Republican's new idea, or is it?

Submitted by formaja on May 20, 2009 - 4:16pm.

Gee, a member of the liberal Republican line is using libel against his opponant in order to try and win and election. Now the opponant has to go to court to clear it up. Wow, I wonder where Rumanna got this idea from. Who else do we know who was guilty of such a thing....I cannot put my finger on it, I think it was a Morris County Freeholder Race, hhhmmmmm.

I would really like to see

Submitted by republikyle on May 20, 2009 - 5:09pm.

some of the polling in this race.

From app.com- PC Development purchases from 1990 to 2008

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 5:40pm.

In Essex County alone:

Essex Bloomfield 288 MONTGOMERY ST APT 6 Residential 05/23/2000 $21,000 $63,000 HUDSON UNITED BANK PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex Bloomfield 164 BLOOMFIELD AVENUE Residential 12/31/2005 $750,000 $129,000 STEELE, GLENN W. PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex Bloomfield 168 BLOOMFIELD AVE Commercial 12/31/2005 $2,000,000 $430,500 STEEL, GLENN PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.

Essex East Orange 50 LENOX AVENUE Apartment 07/28/2000 $425,000 $125,000 JON ALAN PROPERTIES INC. PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex East Orange 40 LENOX AVE. Apartment 07/28/2000 $850,000 $225,000 ACEE PROPERTIES CORP. PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.

Essex Irvington 732-736 LYONS AVE. Apartment 03/30/2000 $200,000 $50,200 KARRONI CORP./ C/O DORIS SPITZ PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex Irvington 43-45 BRUEN AVE Apartment 03/05/1999 $215,000 $59,100 JND PROPERTIES PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex Irvington 1009 CHANCELLOR AVE. Apartment 08/17/1998 $337,500 $95,000 GLITA, MICHAEL & JOAN PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex Irvington 128 DURAND PL. Apartment 08/17/1998 $412,500 $135,000 GLITA, MICHAEL & JOAN PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.
Essex Newark 194 HILLSIDE AVE. Residential 09/15/2004 $133,500 $77,800 ON TIME CONTRACTORS INC PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP
Essex Orange City 171 CENTRAL PLACE Residential 09/14/1998 $21,000 $8,200 FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORP. PC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CORP.

I take it that NONE of these are low to moderate income housing; is that right Anthony and Thom?

Captains Obviously a Good Researcher

Submitted by SewarenScoop on May 20, 2009 - 6:47pm.

Perhaps he should be posting how much taxpayers have paid Rumana lackeys Tom "You're Gonna Be Governor Scott" Buckley and Mark "It was a Porn Virus" Semeraro have received from taxpayers over the years, eh?

It is not surprising Scitt can't get the facts straight. He is a political ostrich, with his head completely in the sand of holding a county chairmanship that he is ill-suited for. He has not taken solid and distinct stands on any core issues, except renaming a highway after liberal tax-and-spend drunk driver Robert Roe and having governments buy up housing in towns like Wayne to turn into "affordable" (read slum) housing.

Scott is simply jealous of Anthony Rottino's success bottom line. Anthony knows how to run a business while Scott couldn't run a lemonade stand (For further proof, see his tax hikes as Wayne's mayor aqnd how the PCRRO has basically no infrastructure). He's probably jealous of John Currie too because hes actually a businessman and knows how to build an appealing and winning party.

Hey Thom, what about Caruso and Rotini's 5-4-09 ELEC report?

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 8:09pm.

GOP Strong
PO Box 648
Wayne NJ 07470?

Hmm,.... why does that address sound so familiar?

Oh that's right, because it is the PCRRO address!

You be the Judge Pt. I

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 10:01pm.

This is the actual article from 2000

Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ)

January 13, 2000

$16.5 million in bonds will finance E. Orange, Newark apartment repairs

609 for-profit units to be rehabilitated

An uncommon $16.5 million financing plan to rehabilitate 466 apartments in East Orange and 143 apartments in Newark was approved by the state Local Finance Board yesterday.

The East Orange Housing Authority will float $12.5 million in bonds and the Newark Housing Authority will float bonds of $4 million and the money will be turned over to P.C. Development Investment Corp., a for-profit urban housing redeveloper based in North Haledon.

P.C. Development will used the money to buy 10 apartment buildings in East Orange and three buildings in Newark from ACEE Properties of New York City, rehabilitate the apartments and rent them to moderate- and low-income families. Current residents will not be forced to move.

P.C. Development will than use rent revenues to pay off the bonds over the next 25 years. If the project fails, the housing authorities would take control of the properties.

P.C. Development is a partnership involving Frank Catania Jr., a North Haledon lawyer and the son of former Assemblyman Frank Catania (R-Passaic), and Wayne real estate broker Anthony Rottino. In the past eight years, P.C. Development has renovated apartments and multi-family homes in Irvington, Paterson, Passaic, Wayne, Haledon, Totowa and Englewood, Catania Jr. said.

In East Orange, P.C. Development is buying 106 N. Arlington Ave., 45 units; 107 New St., 64 units; 235 S. Harrison St., 85 units; 24 S. Grove St., 43 units; 25 N. Harrison St., 73 units; 39 N. Burnet, 17 units; 66-76 Melmore Gardens, 39 units; 94 Fairmount Terr., 30 units; 40 Lenox Ave., 46 units, and 50 Lenox Ave., 24 units, according to Local Finance Board documents.

In Newark, the properties are 323 Park Ave., 21 units; 469 Elizabeth Ave., 58 units, and 802-812 Broadway, 64 units.

Using public bond money to finance privately owned, for-profit housing is not common. But the financing arrangement is permitted by the Local Finance Board and the state Treasury Department, according to officials.

"I have no problem upgrading housing there. It will make us money and the state requires us to rent to low- and moderate-income residents," said Catania. "I visit all my sites and visit all my tenants."

Michelle L. Howard, executive director of the East Orange Housing Authority, said the authority was approached by Catania and Glenn Scotland, a P.C. Development lawyer, about the financing idea. "To be honest, we had a lot of questions, we never did anything like this as a housing authority," she said.

Howard said the benefit to East Orange is that the project will provide 396 remodeled apartments. She said current rents in the buildings range from $800 for three-bedroom units to $470 for two-bedroom units. "None are in need of gut rehabilitation," she said.

Newark Housing Authority officials could not be reached for comment.

You be the Judge Pt. II

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 10:02pm.

Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ)

May 30, 2002

Inspectors find rats and more at E. Orange apartments

Mary Blacknall of East Orange fondly remembers when she first rented a one-bedroom apartment at 40 Lenox Ave. 31 years ago.

"The neighborhood was good, the people were friendly and considerate," the 73-year-old retired nursing assistant said yesterday.

But the area has gone downhill, and yesterday a municipal task force of police, firefighters, property maintenance inspectors and health officials converged on three apartment buildings in response to complaints from residents.

The officials inspected each building and wrote citations against Mazel Holdings, the owner of 30 Lenox Ave., and P.C. Development Investment Corp. of North Haledon, owner of both 40 and 50 Lenox Ave.

A representative of Mazel Holdings could not be reached for comment. The principal officers for P.C. Development, North Haledon lawyer Frank Catania Jr. and Wayne real estate broker Anthony Rottino, also could not be reached for comment. Residents have repeatedly complained to city officials of public safety, health and property maintenance problems. Inspectors said they found evidence of rat infestation and raw garbage, blocked exits, roof leaks, sewer line problems, broken doors and missing ceiling tiles. The building at 30 Lenox Ave. needs a new roof, inspectors said.

Vincent Luster, the city's chief environmental health specialist, said about 200 gallons of bagged and unbagged garbage was found sprawled in the courtyard at 50 Lenox Ave. and rats were feasting on the mess.

Antonio Smith, building superintendent for both 40 and 50 Lenox Ave., said residents throw the garbage out their windows.

The challenge for the working class and decent people living in the buildings is dealing with the undesirables who also live there, Smith said.

It's not uncommon for residents to "get high, dope up, coke up and (cocaine) pipe up," Smith said. "All you can do is call the police."

Since January, 16 people have been arrested and charged with narcotics offenses on Lenox Avenue, police Lt. Harvey Rison said.

"Drug dealers still control the block, and they're even living in the buildings," Second Ward Councilwoman Jacquelyn Johnson said. "For many longtime residents who've lived here 20 years or more, it's tough. I've come down here in the middle of the day, and they (drug dealers) are just transacting business as usual."

Captain Republican

Submitted by LibertyandProsp... on May 20, 2009 - 10:13pm.

Captain Republican or should I say Tom Buckley, while doing all of this research, its a shame you couldn't figure out the truth. Truth is Anthony is a entrepreneur who in fact developed these properties, but NOT with any taxpayer money. May be you wouldn't need to make up lies if Scott and Dave Russo had really fought COAH.

Information is power

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 10:14pm.

Query; Tony, do you deny the report in the Star Ledger and if so, did you sue the Star Ledger?

Disclaimer:

All of the information posted herein is in the public domaine and is readily available to anyone who wants to search for it. I make no comment about their contents as the articles speak for themselves. The reprinting thereof is done as a reference tool for readers to provide context for the report of Mr. Friedman and comments made by the Rottino spokesman.

For the love of all that is good and decent, I am not Mr Buckley

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 10:25pm.

"Truth is Anthony is a entrepreneur who in fact developed these properties, but NOT with any taxpayer money"

Taxpayer money does not make it low and moderate income (aka "affordable")housing, being low and moderate income housing does make it so. Ok, LibertyandProsperityNJ I submit that you are entitled to your opinion, but what is your opinion of the report from 2002 if the allegations are true?

If it is unrefuted, it sure sounds like an awful shame to me!

LibertyandProsperityNJ

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 10:30pm.

What is your basis to assert that Russo and Rumana do not fight COAH?

Career politicians or Entrepreneurs?

Submitted by LibertyandProsp... on May 20, 2009 - 10:32pm.

Well whether this Tom or Scott himself, let me say this. I'd rather have a developer who is building homes for people and who understands business and real life than a career politician who cares more about petty politics than helping people.

Rumana helps taxpayers

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 20, 2009 - 10:55pm.

.....in Passaic County and in the 40th District and municipalities throughout the state who are overloaded with beuracracy and state imposed housing requirements. He understands government and why it needs to be scaled back. He does not look at government as a "business opportunity" like some people and his motives are genuine.

I am not Buckley or Rumana or Lincoln, Reagan, Cheney, Karl Rove, Gumby, Batman or anyone for that matter.

I am, but a voice in a very large crowd, all of whom support Rumana, for all the right reasons. I am tired of the nonsense in Passaic County that evolves from Peter Murphy and his candidates whose only purpose is to draw money away from the party and attempt to subvert every positive achievement and headway of the Republican Party in Passaic County.

From APP.com -- state pensions

Submitted by horatio2 on May 21, 2009 - 12:04am.

Mark Semeraro, $96,000 a year part-time job and taxpayer funded state pension as part time attorney for Wayne. Job created by Scott Rumana for his fundraiser and PCRRO attorney. Partner in Democrat law firm. From Bergen Record 1997 Tom Buckley, Rumana aide, given $14,000 raise by Peter Murphy and Freeholder Scott Rumana while in employ of Passaic County Board of Social Services boosting state taxpayer funded pension to $80,000. Scott Rumana on pension reform "mum" You just can't make this stuff up folks.

horatio2 aka Thom Ammirato

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 21, 2009 - 6:02am.

do you question the accuracy of the articles from the Star Ledger from 2000 and 2002?

Wait, you are saying that the job of Township of attorney never existed before Semeraro? it was created for him?

And Buckley already refuted your posting regarding the open letter from Rottino nonsense.

And yes, Thom, YOU apparently can make this stuff up!

Scott was for COAH before he was against it

Submitted by SewarenScoop on May 21, 2009 - 8:32am.

And far worse is his loony zoony proposal to buy up houses in intact neighborhoods to use to meet COAH mandates. What would really make housing affordable for more New Jerseyans is to deliver property tax relief, but you cannot do this when Mark Semeraro and others are living it up at the taxpayers expenses thanks to Scott.

But its clear Scott is desperate. He has no real record, would rather be a complainer than a leader in Trenton, and he knows not only is Lonegan strong in the 40th, but that many people will vote for Christie and Caruso and Rottino.

interesting, but flawed

Submitted by Captain Republican on May 21, 2009 - 9:13am.

so, caruso and rottino are supported by murphy's gop strong, whose "republicans from passaic county" line is alligned with lonegan and somehow, you think that people will jump around to vote in rottino and caruso?

look sewaren, i know we have our little jabs and barbs, but really, with all that has been shown about rottino and caruso and the fact that they are all rhetoric and no reality, I have a firm belief that Rumana and Russo, will come out on top and Rumana will be reelected Passaic County Republican Chairman. All notwithstanding the Murphy plan of wasting time and money on a primary and constant court actions.

If Murphy was not such a power hog, the party could use all of the money it is wasting on primaries and county committee elections to fight democrats.

Don't you find it peculiar that the democrats have been assisting murphy in paterson and elsewhere?

And I know the mantra,... murphy is not running for anything. Perhaps not on paper or by formal nomination, but this fiction, is as believeable as the shares for sale on the brooklyn bridge.

...and in true fashion, it means that Murphy's GOP Strong line will screw lonegan in the end.

DUMB QUESTION CAPT.

Submitted by horatio2 on May 21, 2009 - 9:43am.

it is self evident that by filing a lawsuit for defamation, Rottino, refutes the Rumama, Russo smear material That's why people file lawsuits duh. Rumana created a 96,000 a year part time attorney job in wayne for Mark Semeraro..as an employee so Semeraro can be in the pension system being supported by taxpayers... Undeniable.