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Franklin Lakes, NJ

Tommy Manzo Admits Stalking 'RHONJ' Star Ex-Wife Dina, Husband David Cantin In Home Invasion Tommy Manzo Admits Stalking 'RHONJ' Star Ex-Wife Dina, Husband David Cantin In Home Invasion
Tommy Manzo Admits Stalking 'Rhonj' Star Ex-Wife Dina, Husband David Cantin In Home Invasion Thomas "Tommy" Manzo, the ex-husband of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Cantin, admitted to stalking her and her then-fiancé now-husband David Cantin in a 2017 home invasion, authorities said. Thomas "Tommy" Manzo, 59, pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree stalking, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Wednesday, Oct. 30.  The Franklin Lakes man entered the guilty plea on Wednesday, Oct. 23 — about a week after he was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for enlisting a mobster to assault David Cantin in 2015, as re…
NJ's Teri Garr From 'Young Frankenstein' Dead At 79 NJ's Teri Garr From 'Young Frankenstein' Dead At 79
NJ's Teri Garr From 'Young Frankenstein' Dead At 79 Teri Garr, the New Jersey actress who many knew from "Young Frankenstein," died on Tuesday, Oct. 29. She was 79 years old. According to the New York Times, Garr's publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, said the cause was complications of multiple sclerosis. Garr briefly lived in Franklin Lakes, NJ but her family settled down in Los Angeles, CA. Her father, Eddie Garr, was a vaudeville performer, and her mother, Phyllis, was a model and Rockette. Garr was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Tootsie" and also rose to fame for her roles in "The Conversation,…
UPDATE: 'Inappropriate Comment' Temporarily Halts Distribution Of NJ School Yearbook UPDATE: 'Inappropriate Comment' Temporarily Halts Distribution Of NJ School Yearbook
Update: 'Inappropriate Comment' Temporarily Halts Distribution Of NJ School Yearbook A graduating Ramapo Indian Hills High School student intended "no harm or offense" with an "inappropriate comment" in the senior yearbook, the district's acting chief said Thursday night. According to parents, a graduating senior included an untoward reference to a Jewish Holocaust victim under his portrait photo. In response, Ramapo Indian Hills High School District Acting Supt. Dr. Melissa Quackenbush said officials were halting the distribution of the remaining yearbooks and were talking with the distributor about reprints. "Additionally, we are consulting with the Jewish Federatio…
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man
Reality Bites NJ ‘Real Housewives’ Ex Convicted Of Hiring Mobster To Beat Wife’s New Man 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Reality bit the ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Dina Manzo when he was convicted Tuesday of getting a mob soldier to throw her new beau a beating. Restaurateur Thomas Manzo, 59, who lives in the affluent Bergen County suburb of Franklin Lakes, rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors and took his chances with a jury. That didn’t go so good. Jurors in U.S. District Court in Newark convicted Manzo on June 4 of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, along with conspiracy and falsifying documents during a grand jury investigation. Althou…
Bergen Hebrew School, Mercer House Of Worship Among 200 Targets Of Swatting, Bomb Threats In US Bergen Hebrew School, Mercer House Of Worship Among 200 Targets Of Swatting, Bomb Threats In US
Bergen Hebrew School, Mercer House Of Worship Among 200 Targets Of Swatting, Bomb Threats In US UPDATE: A Hebrew school in Bergen County and a house of worship in Mercer were among nearly 200 Jewish targets of bogus bomb threats and swatting incidents across the country, law enforcement officials reported. In just 24 hours over this past weekend, 199 bogus bomb and swatting threats were delivered from one coast to the other, according to the Secure Community Network, a nonprofit that monitors antisemitic threats and coordinates security for Jewish institutions nationwide. It was shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, when Barnert Temple on southbound Route 208 in Franklin Lakes rece…
UPDATE: 87-Year-Old Bergen Man Stabbed, Bludgeoned, Drowned By Son, Police Charge UPDATE: 87-Year-Old Bergen Man Stabbed, Bludgeoned, Drowned By Son, Police Charge
Update: 87-Year-Old Bergen Man Stabbed, Bludgeoned, Drowned By Son, Police Charge UPDATE: An unemployed Franklin Lakes man stabbed, bludgeoned and drowned his 87-year-old father in their home, then went to the police station to confess to the murder, according to a report outlining the horrific assault. David Allen Hagal, 60, was charged with murder and illegal weapons possession in the brutal murder of his 87-year-old father. Borough police rushed to the home, found the body of George J. Hagal and took David Allen Hagal, 60, into custody shortly after 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. The younger Hagal hit his father in the head with a metal pipe and stabbed him multiple…
Murder In Franklin Lakes: Son Charged With Killing 87-Year-Old Father, Multiple Weapons Seized Murder In Franklin Lakes: Son Charged With Killing 87-Year-Old Father, Multiple Weapons Seized
Murder In Franklin Lakes: Son Charged With Killing 87-Year-Old Father, Multiple Weapons Seized UPDATE: An unemployed Franklin Lakes man stabbed, bludgeoned and drowned his 87-year-old father in their home, then went to the police station to confess to the murder, according to a report outlining the horrific assault. David Allen Hagal, 60, was charged with murder and illegal weapons possession in the brutal murder of his 87-year-old father. Borough police rushed to the home, found the body of George J. Hagal and took David Allen Hagal, 60, into custody shortly after 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. The younger Hagal hit his father in the head with a metal pipe and stabbed him multiple…
K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack
K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack A bomb dog named for a Bergen County woman who was among those slain at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 terror attacks is featured in the new 2024 monthly calendar produced by the federal Transportation Security Administration. Gina-Gina is a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois who works with her handler, Julie Guevara, at LaGuardia Airport. She was named after Gina Sztejnberg, 52, of Ridgewood, who worked as a database architect consultant for Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. on the 96th floor of the North Tower. Guevara has a special connection to that fateful day. She was among the New York F…
Bergen Biz Partner Of Power 105.1 DJ Envy Busted By Feds In Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Bergen Biz Partner Of Power 105.1 DJ Envy Busted By Feds In Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme
Bergen Biz Partner Of Power 105.1 DJ Envy Busted By Feds In Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme A New Jersey real estate investor and influencer who's business partners with Power 105.1 DJ Envy was seized early Wednesday by federal agents who charged him with orchestrating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi-like investment scheme. Promising returns that were too good to be true, Cesar Humberto Piña "exploited celebrity status and social media" to scam dozens of people out of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said on Oct. 18. Piña, 45, who lives in the suburban Bergen County town of Franklin Lakes, craftily "developed a devoted following" whom he then victi…
ROUTE 287 FATAL Jeep Veers Off Highway, Into Tree, Ejecting Morris County Driver, 29 ROUTE 287 FATAL Jeep Veers Off Highway, Into Tree, Ejecting Morris County Driver, 29
Route 287 Fatal Jeep Veers Off Highway, Into Tree, Ejecting Morris County Driver, 29 UPDATE: A driver who was ejected after his Jeep veered off Route 287 and into a tree early Saturday afternoon was pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities said. Vincent Infinito, 29, of Chester, was in traumatic arrest, unconscious but breathing, following the crash on the northbound highway near Campgaw Road in Mahwah -- north of Exit 59 -- shortly before 1 p.m. May 13, responders at the scene said. Infinito's Jeep Wrangler had gone off the right side of the road and down an embankment, where it struck a tree, rotated counter-clockwise and ejected him, NJ State Police Sgt. Philip Curry…
Driver Killed In Route 287 Crash Driver Killed In Route 287 Crash
Driver Killed In Route 287 Crash UPDATE: A driver who was ejected after his Jeep veered off Route 287 and into a tree early Saturday afternoon was pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities said. Vincent Infinito, 29, of Chester, was in traumatic arrest, unconscious but breathing, following the crash on the northbound highway near Campgaw Road in Mahwah -- north of Exit 59 -- shortly before 1 p.m. May 13, responders at the scene said. Infinito's Jeep Wrangler had gone off the right side of the road and down an embankment, where it struck a tree, rotated counter-clockwise and ejected him, NJ State Police Sgt. Philip Curr…
UPDATE: Pair In NJ State Police Takedown Charged With Gunpoint Home Invasion In Cresskill UPDATE: Pair In NJ State Police Takedown Charged With Gunpoint Home Invasion In Cresskill
Update: Pair In NJ State Police Takedown Charged With Gunpoint Home Invasion In Cresskill A gunpoint home invasion robbery in Cresskill nearly six months ago was committed by two accused members of a massive auto theft ring smashed by New Jersey State Police, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Monday in announcing charges against them. James Lanier and Carlos Sanchez of Newark are both 24 and have been running together for some time now, records show. Both were among several defendants arrested during a November 2022 State Police takedown of a ring led by Sanchez that authorities said stole more than 30 high-end vehicles – including BMWs and Land Rovers – that were wort…
Franklin Lakes Driver Indicted In Teaneck T-Bone Crash That Killed Bergenfield Great Grandpa Franklin Lakes Driver Indicted In Teaneck T-Bone Crash That Killed Bergenfield Great Grandpa
Franklin Lakes Driver Indicted In Teaneck T-Bone Crash That Killed Bergenfield Great Grandpa UPDATE: Bergenfield great-grandfather Albert Schnellbacher would’ve celebrated both his 93rd birthday and his 66th wedding anniversary along with his wife and family on Saturday, March 4. Instead, his loved ones are preparing for what could be the trial of a Franklin Lakes businessman who a grand jury said was responsible for killing the family patriarch in a car crash in Teaneck last summer. The grand jury in Hackensack returned an indictment this past week charging Scott Lieberman, 61, with recklessly causing Schnellbacher’s death, family members said. If convicted, Lieberman could face …
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28 These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28
These NJ Schools Are Closed, Delayed Due To Snow Tuesday, Feb. 28 The first winter storm of the season is causing a change in plans for New Jersey schools on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Some districts have delayed openings while others are closed completely. Here's a list of which school are closed or delayed for Tuesday, Feb. 28. Check your school/district's website for details. Bedminster: 10: 50 a.m. start Bellville: Delayed Bergen County Tech: Closed Bergenfield: 2-hour delay Bernards: 2-hour delay Bloomfield: Delay Bloomingdale: Closed Bogota: Delayed Butler: Closed Cliffside Park: 10 a.m. start Clifton: Delayed Closter: Delayed Cresskill: Delayed Demarest: …
‘Stalker’s Christmas’: Accused Restraining Order Violator Spends Valentine's Day In Bergen Jail ‘Stalker’s Christmas’: Accused Restraining Order Violator Spends Valentine's Day In Bergen Jail
‘Stalker’s Christmas’: Accused Restraining Order Violator Spends Valentine's Day In Bergen Jail The approach of Valentine’s Day this year brought a repeat stalker all the way from Queens to Franklin Lakes – and then to jail, authorities reported. Chiawei Chuang, 41, of Flushing had previously been charged with stalking the same person when she allegedly showed up again late Monday, Feb. 13, on a small street in the northwest Bergen County town where the victim lives. Police were called shortly before 10 p.m. and arrested Chuang, who criminal records list as a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia. She remained held in the Bergen County Jail on Tuesday while awaiting a first a…
Bergen Restaurant Owner, 'Green Book' Actor ID'd As Victim Whose Body Was Found Dumped In Bronx Bergen Restaurant Owner, 'Green Book' Actor ID'd As Victim Whose Body Was Found Dumped In Bronx
Bergen Restaurant Owner, 'Green Book' Actor ID'd As Victim Whose Body Was Found Dumped In Bronx Bergen County actor and restaurant owner Frank Vallelonga Jr. was identified as the alleged overdose victim whose body was found dumped on a Bronx sidewalk earlier this week, authorities said. Vallelonga, 60, a longtime Paramus resident more recently of Franklin Lakes, lived in a long shadow cast by his late father, Frank Sr., an actor known for his recurring role on "The Sopranos" -- and whose nickname, "Tony Lip," gave his son's Italian pasta and pizza joint its name. According to Bronx court reports, a city man loaded the lifeless body into a vehicle owned by Vallelonga's younger brother…
Police: Ex-Con, 73, From Hudson Jailed For Assaulting Bergen Group Home Resident With Cane Police: Ex-Con, 73, From Hudson Jailed For Assaulting Bergen Group Home Resident With Cane
Police: Ex-Con, 73, From Hudson Jailed For Assaulting Bergen Group Home Resident With Cane A 73-year-old Hudson County woman with a lengthy criminal history whacked a resident at a Bergen County home for people with disabilities with a wooden cane during a fight that got physical, authorities charged. Frieda McPherson of Jersey City has had dozens of charges brought against her over nearly three decades for shoplifting, drug possession and aggravated assault -- on both civilians and police -- among other offenses, according to court records. She’s also received a host of repeated traffic summonses over the years, the records show. Franklin Lakes police officers responding to a f…
Franklin Lakes Driver Charged With Manslaughter In Crash That Killed Bergenfield Great Grandpa Franklin Lakes Driver Charged With Manslaughter In Crash That Killed Bergenfield Great Grandpa
Franklin Lakes Driver Charged With Manslaughter In Crash That Killed Bergenfield Great Grandpa UPDATE: A motorist from Franklin Lakes was charged with reckless manslaughter in the death of a 92-year-old great-grandfather from Bergenfield in Teaneck this past summer. Scott Lieberman, a 61-year-old businessman, was driving a brand-new Ferrari that T-boned an SUV in Teaneck on June 25, killing retired teacher Albert Schnellbacher, Teaneck police said in an accident report at the time. Lieberman was inattentive while driving his 2022 F8 Spider (photo above) at an unsafe speed, according to the report, a copy of which was obtained by Daily Voice. An exhaustive and lengthy investigation …
UPDATE: Stolen Car Trio Nabbed On FDU Campus After Pursuit UPDATE: Stolen Car Trio Nabbed On FDU Campus After Pursuit
Update: Stolen Car Trio Nabbed On FDU Campus After Pursuit UPDATE: A trio of Newark thieves were captured on the FDU campus in Teaneck after they led police on a stolen car chase out of Franklin Lakes. Paramus Police Officer Sean Casey began pursuing the white 2017 Audi 7 on eastbound Route 4 shortly after 9:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, Deputy Police Chief Robert M. Guidetti said. Teaneck police headed to the scene after the Audi collided with a civilian's vehicle four or so miles away on eastbound Route 4 at River Road in Teaneck. Paramus police remained with that vehicle as the suspects exited the highway onto southbound River Road with other units…
Franklin Lakes Home Burglarized, Range Rover Stolen In Statewide Teen Crime Spree Franklin Lakes Home Burglarized, Range Rover Stolen In Statewide Teen Crime Spree
Franklin Lakes Home Burglarized, Range Rover Stolen In Statewide Teen Crime Spree Another beneficiary of New Jersey’s bail reform law broke into a million-dollar Franklin Lakes home and drove off in the owner’s car during a months-long crime spree from one end of the state to the other, authorities charged. Records show Tamir Pitts, 18, has been arrested numerous times over the past several months only to be released almost immediately from county jails or station houses in New Jersey under the state’s 2017 Bail Reform and Speedy Trial Act.  Then he’s arrested again. It was mid-July, authorities said, when Pitts was charged with stealing and then abandoning a BMW a…
Mahwah Teen Dies Tragically, Leaves Infant Daughter, Devastated Loved Ones Mahwah Teen Dies Tragically, Leaves Infant Daughter, Devastated Loved Ones
Mahwah Teen Dies Tragically, Leaves Infant Daughter, Devastated Loved Ones A funeral is scheduled this week for a teenage mom from Mahwah who died tragically last week. Olivia Sybesma, 19, was a devoted mother, one who quit any further formal education after graduating from Mahwah High School in order to care for her nearly-1-year-old daughter, Layla Rose. Olivia “poured all her time and guidance” into raising the love of her life, her obituary says.  She also trusted others and “worried about everyone else except herself,” her mother, Marlaina Sybesma, wrote. So it was with that implicit trust that Olivia, feeling both down and anxious, apparently accepted a …
Fire Ravages Mahwah Home Fire Ravages Mahwah Home
Fire Ravages Mahwah Home A raging fire ravaged a Mahwah home. The fire ignited in the attached three-car garage and raced through the nearly $1.5 million home set back off a long driveway near Young World Day School on Wyckoff Avenue shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. The owner quickly got out and watched in anguish as firefighters battled the three-alarm blaze. They went to an exterior operation, heavily dousing the flames with a trio of aerials in front and back before moving inside of the 4,200-square-foot home after the second-floor ceiling collapsed.  The fire was declared under control shortly aft…
UPDATE: Fierce Passaic County House Fire Kills Two, Authorities Confirm UPDATE: Fierce Passaic County House Fire Kills Two, Authorities Confirm
Update: Fierce Passaic County House Fire Kills Two, Authorities Confirm Two women died in a fierce Passaic County house fire, authorities confirmed. The three-alarm fire broke out in the basement of two-story, wood-frame home at the top of a long, steep driveway across Hamburg Turnpike from the Stumble Inn in Bloomingdale around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30. One victim was found moments after firefighters arrived. The other was discovered shortly before the fire was declared under control around 9:30 a.m., responders at the scene said. A cause hadn't yet been officially determined. Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, Bloomingdale Police Chief Joseph B…
SEEN HIM? Apologetic Wyckoff Gas Station Robber Flees With Under A Hundred Bucks SEEN HIM? Apologetic Wyckoff Gas Station Robber Flees With Under A Hundred Bucks
Seen HIM? Apologetic Wyckoff Gas Station Robber Flees With Under A Hundred Bucks UPDATE: Wyckoff police released surveillance images of a young robber who apologized on his way out the door and the car he sped off in after holding up a local gas station. The robber -- believed to be in his 20s -- entered the Mini Mart at the Lukoil station on Wyckoff Avenue wearing a white baseball cap, sunglasses and a COVID mask with marijuana leaves printed on it at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday, Lt. Joseph Soto said. He "kept his right hand concealed in his jacket pocket as if he may have had a weapon" while pointing toward the register and demanding the cash in it, the lieutenant s…
SEEN HIM? Images Released Of Apologetic Wyckoff Gas Station Robber, Getaway Car SEEN HIM? Images Released Of Apologetic Wyckoff Gas Station Robber, Getaway Car
Seen HIM? Images Released Of Apologetic Wyckoff Gas Station Robber, Getaway Car UPDATE: Wyckoff police released surveillance images of a young robber who apologized on his way out the door and the car he sped off in after holding up a local gas station. The robber -- believed to be in his 20s -- entered the Mini Mart at the Lukoil station on Wyckoff Avenue wearing a white baseball cap, sunglasses and a COVID mask with marijuana leaves printed on it at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, Lt. Joseph Soto said. He "kept his right hand concealed in his jacket pocket as if he may have had a weapon" while pointing toward the register and demanding the cash in it, the lieutena…
Bergen Auction House Owner Among Trio Charged In Scheme To Sell Stolen ‘Hotel California’ Notes Bergen Auction House Owner Among Trio Charged In Scheme To Sell Stolen ‘Hotel California’ Notes
Bergen Auction House Owner Among Trio Charged In Scheme To Sell Stolen ‘Hotel California’ Notes Three men who surrendered to authorities in Manhattan to face charges stemming from the theft of handwritten notes and lyrics to the classic rock and roll album “Hotel California" include the CEO of a Bergen County-based auction house.  An indictment returned by a grand jury in Manhattan accuses Edward Kosinski of Franklin Lakes and two alleged co-conspirators with scheming to profit from the stolen material produced by singer-songwriter Don Henley, who co-founded the Eagles with the late Glenn Frey in the early 1970s. According to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both Kosinski…
Tragic Death Of Bergen County Student-Athlete Staggers Community And Beyond Tragic Death Of Bergen County Student-Athlete Staggers Community And Beyond
Tragic Death Of Bergen County Student-Athlete Staggers Community And Beyond The death of a Bergen County teenager in a house fire has staggered many in the community where she was raised, as well as others from area towns and beyond. Riley Boyle, 17, of Allendale was a stellar student-athlete who maintained a 4.0 Grade Point Average, as many who spoke of her pointed out. She was, as one put it, "an incredible role model for her peers." ****** Riley's family released a statement through attorney Ronald Dario:  "Our hearts are broken as we struggle to make sense of this terrible tragedy. Our only solace is in the outpouring of love from the community that shows u…
LOCAL TRAGEDY: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In Bergen County House Fire LOCAL TRAGEDY: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In Bergen County House Fire
Local Tragedy: Teenage Girl, Pets Killed In Bergen County House Fire An apparently accidental weekend fire that claimed the life of a Bergen County teenager has staggered many in the community where she was raised, as well as others from area towns and beyond. Riley Boyle, 17, was in the shower when the fire broke out close to the rear entrance of the 2½-story Bonnie Way home around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, responders said. The flames quickly spread to a rear hot tub room and a pergola-covered porch, trapping the victim in a bathroom just above the blaze, they said. The fire began in the rear of the Allendale home.Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE The Northern Hi…
Repeat Stalker Charged With Threatening, Harassing Bergen Prosecutor Employee: Authorities Repeat Stalker Charged With Threatening, Harassing Bergen Prosecutor Employee: Authorities
Repeat Stalker Charged With Threatening, Harassing Bergen Prosecutor Employee: Authorities A convicted stalker being held in jail is facing new charges for harassing and threatening family members of a Bergen County Prosecutor's Office employee, authorities said. Michael Strzelcyk, 40, of Wayne, last January returned to jail after emailing a victim from Franklin Lakes, violating a final order that was among the terms of probation, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Strzelcyk on Monday, May 9 was charged with a criminal complaint at the jail, for repeated and ongoing threats of violence towards an employee of the BCPO and their family member, Bergen County Prose…
Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities
Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities North Jersey single mom Joanne Bastante-Howard worked tirelessly for years to help provide critical resources for kids who, like her young son, John, have Down syndrome. Bastante-Howard, a former advertising and marketing whirlwind, was personally responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help obtain critical medical, education and therapeutic services for those in need through the non-profit she founded, America's Special Kidz (A.S.K.). Parents of children with a wide range of circumstances -- including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and mitochondrial disease…
A Life Full But Too Brief: Beloved NJ Firefighter, IT Whiz, Dies At 57 A Life Full But Too Brief: Beloved NJ Firefighter, IT Whiz, Dies At 57
A Life Full But Too Brief: Beloved NJ Firefighter, IT Whiz, Dies At 57 TRIBUTE: The holiday season at the Emerson Fire Department won't be the same without Mark Brackenbury. Little else in town will be, either. The lifelong firefighter died peacefully at his Jersey Shore home surrounded by loved ones on Sunday, March 13, following a battle with cancer. He was 57. A Queens native, Brackenbury earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken before becoming an accomplished IT director. He began his professional career in 1993 as an IT manager with Health Management Systems in New York before joining Pfizer in 2002. Bracke…