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You NJ people are really humoring me on this thread. I never realized that "The Sopranos" really was very real. What was the movie about the NJ town with all the corrupt cops from the NYC system that Sylvester Stallone starred in? It is just impossible to even think that much corruption could be in existence, anywhere.
Cop Land directed by James Mangold also starred Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Janeane Garafalo, Peter Berg, Michael Rappaport, Annabela Sciorra and Cathy Moriarity in addition to Stallone. Great flick! The fake town was Garrison, NJ.
You NJ people are really humoring me on this thread. I never realized that "The Sopranos" really was very real. What was the movie about the NJ town with all the corrupt cops from the NYC system that Sylvester Stallone starred in? It is just impossible to even think that much corruption could be in existence, anywhere.
Are you kidding? I don't know if it still exists, but about 20 years ago UCLA's law school offered a course on Hudson County, NJ, politics as a study in corruption. The corrupt political machine of Hudson County can be traced back to the 19th century. Hudson County is one of the most urban and populated areas of New Jersey, and includes Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne.
I realized a few years ago that there were certain "facts" I took for granted living in Jersey that apparently don't apply to everyone else. For example, I was having a forum conversation with someone from California about something going on with trucking in their state, and I made what seemed to me to be the factual remark that the trucking industry is run by the mob. This person protested about my saying that, and I was genuinely surprised to find that this isn't true all over the country. Same with the garbage industry and scrap, etc. They are traditionally mob-backed businesses.
I love NJ! I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. The corruption is maddening, but I secretly find it entertaining. There was a website some local citizen set up and when you entered it a sign pop up that said: Hoboken, where one third of our last three mayors have not been indicted!
I used to live in West Paterson in the 1980's. There had been the same mayor for 28 years, and when someone finally ousted him, all of a sudden there were these condo construction projects popping up all over town. They used to send out a West Paterson newsletter with a picture of the mayor and council all sitting around a table. It looked like a scene from the Godfather--overfed Italian men in dark suits. I didn't think much of it, but the next thing you know the mayor had been brought up on charges of collusion with contractors. He was charged and not found guilty, I believe, but he lost the next election. A few years later he pops up as the new mayor in my sister's town, about thirty miles away.
I used to live in West Paterson in the 1980's. There had been the same mayor for 28 years, and when someone finally ousted him, all of a sudden there were these condo construction projects popping up all over town. They used to send out a West Paterson newsletter with a picture of the mayor and council all sitting around a table. It looked like a scene from the Godfather--overfed Italian men in dark suits. I didn't think much of it, but the next thing you know the mayor had been brought up on charges of collusion with contractors. He was charged and not found guilty, I believe, but he lost the next election. A few years later he pops up as the new mayor in my sister's town, about thirty miles away.
When I lived in jersey city our mayor Gerry Mccaan was carted of to jail. Years later he wanted to run for mayor. The NJ supreme court ruled he couldn't since he was still in jail!
I feel confident that not all of New Jersey is representative of these instances but I am just finding this thread so darn fascinating! I especially love the one about the candidate that couldn't run because he was still in jail. I know this is silly but it reminds me of those Stephanie Plum novels. She is unabashed in her love of New Jersey. Thanks for making me smile today.
Cop Land directed by James Mangold also starred Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Janeane Garafalo, Peter Berg, Michael Rappaport, Annabela Sciorra and Cathy Moriarity in addition to Stallone. Great flick! The fake town was Garrison, NJ.
Wrong thread. This thread is about NJ's unbelievably corrupt political machines.
As told by NJ'ians, the courts, US Justice Dept, investigative reporters, wiretaps, witnesses for the prosecution..........
I think I must get my old Army buddy who has lived all his life in Hamilton to get here so he can read this thread. He says that nothing about corruption that has been said is in any way wrong. He will get a kick out of it since he is something of a minor historian at his county library.
You people have managed to entertain me a bunch about New Jersey politics.
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