Mayor's brother eyes Goow seat in Paterson
By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterGerardo Torres, brother of Paterson Mayor Joey Torres, has picked up petitions to run for City Council in the Second Ward against Torres nemesis Councilman Aslon Goow.
Goow said he could track his bad blood with the mayor back to when another Torres brother wanted to open a liquor store on a corner where they had some problems with gangs.
"We had just cleaned it up, and now he wants to go and put a liquor store there," said Goow, 49, a two-term councilman. "He threatened, we went to court and we shut him down."
A Paterson native, Goow is a police sergeant in Haledon and a private investigator who works with his own brother.
"I’m not going to have a problem," said Goow. "I’m sure it won’t be pretty out on the streets. Joey will try to do anything to take me out, but people know me. I’m out there. I’m visible. If they want a beating they’ll get one. I’ve got more people running against me probably then in any of the other wards, all orchestrated by the mayor."
Goow said he heard about Torres’ brother collecting signatures in the neighborhood and wasn’t shocked given the history but can’t believe how Gerardo Torres would be any good for the ward.
"What is he going to be a rubber stamp for the mayor?" Goow wanted to know.
Other potential challengers to Goow have summoned the requisite packets at City Hall. They are: John Larko, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Herman C. Vallellanes, Robert Sivori, and Thomas Silva.
In order to be certified to run for council, each must collect 103 signatures by March 20.
Larko, a 39-year old mason contractor and Paterson native, says he’s not interested in the travails of Goow and Torres, and hopes to be able to make up with hard campaigning what he will certainly lack in financing and name recognition.
"Councilman Goow ran for mayor in 2002," said Larko. "I believe he and these other guys are sabotaging the city so they can sink Torres and come in later and say, 'we can fix that.'"
Goow is running on a slate of incumbents that includes First Ward Councilman Anthony avis and Third Ward Councilman William C. McCoy.
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Torres
Is this the brother who miraculously picked up a slew of coveted liquor licenses in Paterson after jose "Joey" was elected?
Is this the relative who married the fire chief's sister and provided the chief (Posterino) with a ficticious address in order that he could be appointed chief. Paterson has an Ordinance requiring Department Heads to live in the City, Posterino lives out in Sparta or further.
Under Posterino's watch the paterson FD has gone backward with race relations. More than a year ago a hangman's noose was placed at a black dispatcher's workstation.
A firefighter came to work wearing shirts that said "100% cotton picked by your grandaddy" and "The original boys in the hood" (with klansmen pictured)
Another firefighter threw an axe at the head of a black firefighter.
The union president testified that as an american citizen he could go around using the N word if he felt like it (he said it at work repeatedly).
Another firefighter told a black fire captain he was going to take him outside and kick his ass, he said these things in front of a Deputy Fire Chief.
None of these issues has been resolved (unless you consider promoting the axe thrower to captain a resolution) and the three highest ranked black officers on that job are being harassed and/or singled out for disciline on a daily basis.
Just when you think Paterson couldn't sink any lower into the sewer another Torres pops up!
John Larko
Hello I am John Larko one of the people who picked up petitions to run. As of 01/02/08 I am officially on the ballot. This is the second time Councilman Goow made a comment about Mayor Torres encouraging all 5 of us to run. I would like to make clear that no one encouraged me to run. Just think about it why would the mayor encourage 5 people to run?, 5 people would just split the vote.
I would also like to inform you that another challenger "Elizabeth Gonzalez" is the wife of former Councilman Jerry Luis Rosado who had all that trouble a few years back with tickets and a suspended license.
I am a newcomer to politics who decided to run because I am disgusted with the state of my city. Here in Paterson we have our council members and mayor spending thousand of dollars in legal fees fighting over the color to paint the new police cars in 2006, had the city council members scolded by the state of NJ because the council members were having their meals at the council meetings paid for by us the tax payers, the Paterson police force had to get their firearms certification done in 3 days in what normally takes 2 months because the range was in repair and our elected officials only took action 3 days before the deadline, our city council council just introduced the city's budget to the state of NJ in January, it was due in August, and recently the city council is refusing to give a "yes or no" vote on the firefighters new contract and are being sued by the firefighters to force a vote. Instead of just voting, or even going to court the Councilman Goow is calling for the council to get their own lawyers and not use the city's lawyers. According to the city's lawyer that is against state law except by court order. Now they are trying to get a court order to do just that.
My website is www.johnlarko.com where you can find background information on all points I just made.
Mr. LARKO
Well Mr. Larko I commend you for stepping up and wanting to do something better for your city since you like so many other residents are disgusted with what is going on. I do however think you should try to run in another ward and try to help the current Councilman fix the entire city. There is no ward like the second ward and everyone better believe it is because of Councilman Goow. Let me ask you a question Mr. LARKO.... If you were to relplace Goow, will you be patrolling the streets all day and night on your free time? Or will you just be around at the council meetings like so many of the other council members?