Paul DiGaetano

A town of 27,362 people in northeastern Essex County, Nutley has a long tradition of clout and influence in state and county politics -- largely through power of a bi-partisan local political machine run for more than thirty years by Frank Orechio, who leveraged a chain of weekly newspapers in Nutley, Belleville, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge to help deliver votes to the candidates of his choice. Critics had long complained that the Orechio media empire -- for a time in the 1970's and 1980's it included a cable television station -- was a blatant conflict of interest because of the positions the Orechio family held at different levels of government.

Assemblywoman-elect Caroline Casagrande becomes the youngest woman to ever win election to the New Jersey Legislature.  At age 30, she is three years younger than Republican Barbara Curran was when she won in 1973, and three years younger than Kathleen Donovan was when she ousted Democratic incumbents in 1985. 

If Republicans lose any seats in the State Assembly in the November mid-term election, look for Peter Biondi to challenge Alex DeCroce for Minority Leader. The 65-year-old Biondi, a five-term Assemblyman from Somerset County, ousted Guy Gregg from the #2 leadership post, Republican Conference Chairman, after the 2005 election.

Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera, arrested today on bribery charges, is no stranger to scandal.

The 60-year-old Rivera joined the Passaic Police Department around 1968, around the time the city's Latino population began to surge. He served on a nine-man Vice Squad that was described by the Herald News in 1970 as "the most feared among any on the entire police force...as far as gamblers and drug violators are concerned."  He later servd on a specia police squad aimed at patrolling the city's most troubled areas.  

In 1970, Rivera was one of eight police officers to face brutality charges.  He never went to trial, and resigned to return to Puerto Rico, where he became a police officer.

Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson coasted to a third term last night, defeating former Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso by a 28-10 -- a percentage of 74%.  That means Wilson can remain at the help of the state party organization until at least June 2009, when the Republican nominee for Governor, by tradition, would name their choice for State Chairman.  Wilson was first elected in November 2004, defeating former Assemblyman Richard Kamin following the resignation of Joseph Kyrillos.  He held the post the following June when the '05 gubernatorial nominee, Douglas Forrester, decided to retain him.

In a Letter to the Editor published by The Record on Sunday, former Bergen County Republican Chairman Guy Talarico denied any role in a controversial campaign mailer in the 40th district State Senate primary that compared Kevin O'Toole to the Rev. Al Sharpton.  Talarico, who resigned the day after the primary, backed Todd Caliguire for the Senate seat.

Former Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso says he has a "guaranteed" pledge of $200,000 for the state GOP coffers -- if he wins Thursday's election for Republican State Chairman against incumbent Tom Wilson.

Former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano is expected to drop his bid for Republican State Chairman, and is mulling opportunities to team up with one of the remaining candidates according to sources close the negotiations.  Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore has reportedly offered DiGaetano a new position -- Co-Chairman -- if he would back incumbent Tom Wilson for the post. 

Two firms owned by Republican fundraiser Lysa Israel have collected over $550,000 from the New Jersey Republican State Committee and legislative campaign committees in 2005 and 2006, while her husband, Tom Wilson, has served as GOP State Chairman -- a potential conflict that has emerged as an issue in Wilson’s bid for re-election this month.

During Wilson’s thirty months in office, nearly $850,000 in state GOP funds have gone to his wife, his brother-in-law, and himself, according to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission and the Federal Election Commission.

Republican State Committee officials have declined to confirm Wilson’s salary, and since numerous monthly checks to Wilson include both salary and expense reimbursements, public records do not reveal an exact amount. Republican sources say that his salary is more than $150,000 annually – an amount that is consistent with the state GOP filings.

Candidates for GOP State Chairman: Tom Wilson, Peter Mancuso and Paul DiGaetano
With the race for GOP State Chairman just three weeks away, incumbent Tom Wilson has only nine of the 22 votes he needs to win solidly in his column. Another nine members of the Republican State Committee are leaning toward a second term, but nearly a third of the voters in this race say they are still undecided.

PoliticsNJ.com surveyed 34 of the 42 state committee members who will choose between Wilson and his two challengers, former Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso and former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano in the June 14 election.

Mancuso has two definite votes, while one is leaning toward DiGaetano. Thirteen State Committee members told PoliticsNJ.com that they were undecided, and eight did not return calls seeking comment.