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Monday, nov 4
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Verona, NJ
Obituaries
Gabriela Ayala-Cortes, Essex County Mom, Dies At 45
Gabriela Ayala-Cortes, a mom and Verona resident, died on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the age of 45 of cancer, according to her obituary on the Shooks Cedar Grove Funeral Home. Born in Ecuador, Ayala-Cortes emigrated to the United States in 2003, her obituary reads. She worked as the director of regulatory affairs operations for Organon and Company in Jersey City, according to her obituary. She is survived her husband, Carlos, her children, Camila and Isabella, her parents Rodrigo and Marcia, and numerous other family members and friends, her obituary reads. A fundraiser has been created to suppo…
News
Adam Sandler Spottings Continue: 'Happy Gilmore 2' Thrills Another NJ Town
"Happy Gilmore 2" is continuing its trek through New Jersey, this time making a stop in Essex County. The sequel to the 1996 cult comedy classic, starring Adam Sandler, filmed in Verona on Friday, Sept. 27. Filming took place near the Verona Community Center, with the street closed from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. The movie, which began production on Monday, Sept. 9, has been filming all over New Jersey, with Sandler most recently having been in West Orange on Tuesday and in Hackettstown last week. Sandler was previously spotted in Morristown. The actor and comic will return in his role as Gilmore al…
News
18 Unsolved Burglaries Cracked: Pair Arrested In Months-Long North Jersey Spree
Two men have been arrested and charged in 18 burglaries and one attempted burglary across North Jersey, authorities said. A months-long investigation found Kali J. Carter, 49, of East Orange, and Demetrius D. Hale, 49, of Bergenfield, were responsible for the incidents, all of which were residential burglaries, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Map of burglaries. Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Below is a list of each incident: January 2024: Residential burglaries in Ho-Ho-Kus, Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood (two), Chatham; attempted burglary in West Orange …
Obituaries
Baby Killed By Falling Tree Was Visiting Family In NJ, Campaign Says: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
The family of a 6-month-old baby is seeking support after his tragic death during a recent trip to New Jersey. Micah Gasin was visiting his grandparents in Verona when he and his grandfather were killed by a falling tree on Monday, April 29, while they were lying in a hammock. The tree in the back of their West Lincoln Street home became uprooted and fell on the two, Verona police said. "Micah was the happiest baby anyone ever met," Ben Canales, who organized a fundraiser for the family, based in San Diego, said. "He had a smile that could light up a room, and strangers would stop in the s…
Business
'Iconic' North Jersey Restaurant Closing After 60 Years
A popular Italian restaurant in North Jersey is closing after 60 years in business. The last day of business for Miele's Restaurant, located at 125 Bloomfield Ave., in Verona, will be on Sunday, Dec. 24, owner Steve Amadeo announced on Facebook. Posted by Steve Amadeo on Thursday, December 21, 2023 Miele's was founded by Tom and Rose Miele in 1954 before turning over the restaurant to Joann Amadeo, who began working there as a waitress in 1967. Steve Amadeo, Joann's son, has been running the place alongside his wife Leonor, but announced his retirement last week. At the…
Police & Fire
Elder
Abuse
: Financial Advisor Swiped $75K, Neglected 90-Year-Old Woman In His Care: NJ AG
A financial advisor from Verona abused his authority over a 90-year-old client's finances, stealing $75,000 while neglecting her care and well-being and letting her bills pile up, state authorities charged. John Boston, 47, tried to hide his hiring to manage the woman's affairs and assets, they said. He never told his employer and ignored a federal Financial Industry Regulatory Authority requirement to register the victim as a client, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a joint announcement with Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia. After obtaining durable fin…
Police & Fire
'Distressing': Chess Club Teacher Sexually Assaulted North Jersey Student, Authorities Say
Matthew Swajkowski, a 36-year-old Verona resident and teacher, was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a student, prosecutors said. Swajkowski oversaw the chess club at Verona High School and the victim was a member of the club, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II said. Police began investigating Swajkowski in July and determined he engaged in sexual conduct with the minor and also gave them alcohol, Stephens said. Swajkowski was arrested on Friday, Sept. 22, Stephens said. Prosecutors did not say how old the victim is, but noted "while the ag…
Police & Fire
Verona Car Wash Employee In Intensive Care After Out-Of-Control Sedan Knocks Him 50 Feet
A Verona car wash employee was in intensive care after an out-of-control sedan driven by a 75-year-old man sent him flying, authorities said. The elderly Bayville resident's Cadillac left the roadway and hit the unidentified 41-year-old worker who was on the job in the driveway of Quality Car Wash on Bloomfield Avenue on March 26, Police Chief Christopher Kiernan said. The impact knocked the victim 50 or so feet, the chief said. The Caddy also whacked an SUV and another sedan before slamming into a utility pole, he said. The worker and two vehicles were struck before the sedan slamme…
News
Mastermind Of 84 Brazen Burglaries In Nine NJ Counties, Rockland Gets Plea-Bargained 14 Years
UPDATE: A Teaneck ex-con was sentenced to 14 years in state prison for leading a band of brazen burglars who authorities said committed no fewer than 84 broad-daylight home break-ins throughout New Jersey and Rockland County. Keith Perry, 39, took a deal from prosecutors rather than risk the consequences of a trial, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Tuesday, March 14. Perry was among several people arrested in April 2021 for dozens of burglaries committed over the previous six months in nine New Jersey counties — Morris, Bergen, Essex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Union, Passai…
Lifestyle
'You Look Like Joe Manganiello,' NJ Coffee Shop Owner Tells Joe Manganiello
Danielle Kermizian was getting ready to teach a workout class in the gym connected to her Verona coffee shop, The Compound Coffee Co., when a guy who looked just like Joe Manganiello walked in last Friday, Jan. 27. He was at least 6-foot-5 and very handsome. He was also holding a Chihuahua, the same breed as the dog Manganiello shares with his wife, Sofia Vergara. "You look just like that guy, Joe Manganiello," a flustered Kermizian said. Her manager agreed: "Yeah, you look just like him." Kermizian left to teach her class and told the ladies that they just had to see the dapper man who w…
News
Gotcha
! Hardcore Ex-Con Trio Robbed 80-Year-Old Shopper In Route 46 Costco Lot: Prosecutor
UPDATE: Authorities charged three hardcore criminals from Newark with robbing a defenseless 80-year-old shopper in the parking lot of a Costco off Route 46 in Teterboro. Ex-cons Alex Carroll, 35, David Fate, 38, and Tariq Kyam, 57, all have extensive, violent criminal histories, records show. Kyam and Fate were both charged with committing two robberies in 2009, one of which left a Verona gas station attendant shot dead. Kyam served nearly nine years behind bars after Fate testified against him. How much time Fate served in exchange for his testimony couldn't immediately be determined. Th…
News
Celebration Of Life For Beloved North Jersey Educator Will Be Livestreamed
A celebration of life for career North Jersey educator Michael Carlucci will be live-streamed later this week to what's expected to be an enormous audience. The beloved 57-year-old father of three from Verona had been swimming with his wife, Jeanene, and others on Saturday when he apparently was caught in a rip current generated by Hurricane Earl. His body was recovered after a 45-minute search. Carlucci’s funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. this Friday, Sept. 16, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit (36 Gould Street, Verona), where he was an active parishioner. MAP: Episcopal …
News
'Sweet, Selfless, Always Smiling': Beloved North Jersey Educator Michael Carlucci, 57
A celebration of life for career North Jersey educator Michael Carlucci will be live-streamed later this week to what's expected to be an enormous audience. The beloved 57-year-old father of three from Verona had been swimming with his wife, Jeanene, and others on Saturday when he apparently was caught in a rip current generated by Hurricane Earl. His body was recovered after a 45-minute search. Carlucci’s funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. this Friday, Sept. 16 at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit (36 Gould Street, Verona), where he was an active parishioner. MAP: Episcopal C…
News
Paid Actors Wanted For Short Film In North Jersey
Are you the parental type? A casting call is currently underway for paid lead and supporting roles in a short film about new parents that will be filmed in northern New Jersey. "The Begetters," by Clifton Robinson is about a young couple who "endure the task of being first-time parents," according to the casting synopsis. The filming will be in Verona with rehearsals starting Aug. 22 and shooting on Sept. 12-13. The production by DescrEye LLC is seeking actors and performers to portray the following: Leo: Lead, Male, 25-35; a charming and loving husband who is …
Police & Fire
North Jersey Car Burglars Caught In The Act Had Loaded Magazine, Handgun: Police
A pair of car burglars caught mid-act by officers were found with a loaded magazine and handgun, police in Essex County said. Charles Pugsley, 23, of Newark, and Daniel Gomez, 26, of the Bronx, were standing next to an open car door outside of a Verona house around 5 a.m. Thursday, June 30 when the officers pulled up, Verona police said. A search of the suspect vehicle turned up a loaded handgun under the driver's seat, and a magazine that contained 30 rounds of ammunition inside one of Pugsley's bags, officers said. The homeowner's security camera showed the pair taking proceeds in plain …
Police & Fire
Car Slams Through Medical Center In North Jersey (
Photos
)
A car slammed through the side of a brick medical center early Wednesday, May 4 in Essex County. The driver of the Toyota wagon was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries after the crash at 50 Pompton Avenue in Verona around 7 a.m., police said. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at First Care Medical due to the damage to the building. The accident remains under investigation and anyone with any additional information can contact Officer Ruff at (973) 239-5000. Posted by Verona Police Department on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Posted by Verona Police Department on Wednesd…
Police & Fire
NJ Motorcyclist Killed In FL Crash Was Not Wearing Helmet: Report
A 52-year-old motorcyclist from North Jersey died in a Florida crash Monday, April 4, NJ Advance Media says citing a crash report. The unidentified Verona man veered off of a roadway in Vineyards and struck a curb, before the motorcycle overturned on the median, the outlet said citing the Florida Highway Patrol. The motorcyclist was hospitalized and subsequently pronounced dead. The crash report shows he was not wearing a helmet, NJ Advance Media reports. Click here for more from NJ.com.
Weather
NOR'
Easter
: New Jersey Towns With The Least & Most Snow
New Jerseyans on Saturday afternoon began digging out of the second snowstorm this month. Some had a only few inches to shovel away -- others, feet. Here's a look at snow totals (in inches) from across the state, according to the National Weather Service. Wayne: 3.3 Asbury: 3.5 Verona/Montclair: 4 Hewitt: 5.1 Chatham: 6.3 Bergenfield: 6.9 Wood-Ridge: 7.2 North Brunswick: 8.3 Elizabeth: 8.5 Evesham: 10 inches Hammonton: 10 inches Cape May Harbor: 13 Holmdel: 14 Jackson: 14.1 Eatontown: 14.2 Avalon: 15 inches Little Egg Harbor: 18 inches Linwood: 19 inches Bayville: 21 Expect cold and blus…
News
Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge
Two high-ranking members of the Pagans who were beaten with baseball bats in a barroom brawl sought revenge by shooting at one of the Hells Angels on the New Jersey Turnpike, federal authorities charged. Larry "Savage" Ortiz, 31, of Elizabeth, and Junius "Jayo" Aquino, aka 38, of Vauxhall, were in a Verona bar when they were attacked on Oct. 21, 2020, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A week later, the pair shot at an associate of the rival biker gang "in retaliation for the Verona assault," an indictment returned by a grand jury in Newark charges. The indictment retur…
News
Attention Centers On Accused Mastermind Of 84 Brazen Burglaries In Nine NJ Counties, Rockland
A Teaneck ex-con accused of leading a band of brazen burglars who committed no fewer than 84 broad-daylight break-ins throughout New Jersey and Rockland County could find two of them testifying against him if he goes to trial. Porsche Brown, 29, of Lodi, and Kay Brown, 23, of Paterson (no relation) took guilty pleas rather than take their chances with a jury. The likelihood that either or both could testify against him in exchange for leniency at sentencing could determine the course that Keith Perry, 38, takes in his defense. A grand jury this week indicted Perry on a host of charges, inc…
Weather
8th Tornado Across NJ, PA Confirmed In Lehigh County
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in Lehigh County during Thursday's storm -- making that the eighth across New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. The EF0 twister touched down in Slatington and had winds up to 85 mph (click here for photos). It touched down on the grounds of Northern Lehigh High School, snapping and uprooting several trees. A wooden dugout on the baseball field lost its roof and some anchored metal bleaches were tossed, the NWS said. The twister continued its path straight west to east from the high school to the airport, where a plane ha…
Obituaries
Penn State Grad, 30, Killed In Fiery Crash On Garden State Parkway
A 30-year-old West Orange man died in a crash on the Garden State Parkway earlier this week. Craig Waldron was heading north when his GMC SUV ran off the roadway to the left, went down an embankment and struck several trees in Bloomfield Tuesday morning, New Jersey State Police Trooper Charles Marchan said. The vehicle went up in flames near milepost 153.7 around 11:15 a.m., and Waldron was pronounced dead. According to his obituary, Waldron -- who went by CJ -- graduated from West Orange High School in 209 and earned his bachelor's degree from Penn State University. He had been working i…
Police & Fire
Newark Projects Dealer Caught With Gun Gets 5 Years In Fed Pen
A Newark drug dealer caught with a gun was sentenced to five years in federal prison, authorities said. Ricky Terrell, 24, was one of several dealers targeted for running an open-air drug market – slinging heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and more -- at the Stephen Crane Village public housing complex near the Belleville border, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Several law enforcement agencies teamed up to smash the operation, making undercover buys and intercepting phone calls and text messages, among other tactics, she said. On Feb. 25, 2020, they raided Terrell’s home and found hero…
Police & Fire
Ocean County Man, 88, Gets 10 Years State Prison For Jersey Shore Manslaughter
An 88-year-old man with addresses in Ocean and Essex counties has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison in connection with the brutal death of a Florida man, authorities said. Thomas Hatchett of Manchester Township was sentenced on Tuesday as a result of his earlier guilty plea to aggravated manslaughter, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. On July 1, 2019, Manchester Township police received a 9-1-1 call about a victim lying face down in the street in front of a residence. Officers found Igal Hedad, 71, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bleeding from&n…
Lifestyle
NEW
Rankings
: These New Jersey Towns Named Among Safest In State
A new report from AdvisorSmith ranked the crime rates of hundreds of municipalities across New Jersey to determine the safest small, midsize and large cities. The study — which analyzed a total of 37 large cities, 200 midsize cities and 247 small cities — used data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Dataset to calculate and compare crime levels, putting more weight on serious and violent crimes like murder, rape and assault. The analysis found the safest small, midsize and large cities to be Matawan, Warren Township and Middletown, respectively. The average crime score for the large ci…
Police & Fire
Feds: Undercover Buys, Wire Snare Members Of Crew That Slung Smack, Crack In Newark Projects
Federal agents arrested three accused members of a crew that the government said has controlled the heroin and crack market in a labyrinthine complex of affordable housing and senior apartments in Newark. ATF agents working with U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito’s office and other local, state and federal law enforcers zeroed in on the privately-owned Pilgrim Baptist Village housing complex. Commonly known as “Pilgrim Village,” the project consists of 46 buildings, each with four units, with interior stairwells leading from each apartment to a common hallway that connects multiple buildings, …
Obituaries
Celebrity Chef Floyd Cardoz Of Verona Dies Of Coronavirus, 59
Acclaimed Indian chef and Verona resident Floyd Cardoz died from COVID-19 at the age of 59, reports say. Cardoz, known for his roles at Indian fine dining restaurants Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar in Manhattan, came back from India via Frankfurt on March 8 “feeling feverish,” he said in an Instagram post. He admitted himself to a hospital in New York thinking he had the flu, said Lou Palma, Cardoz’s close friend. Cardoz -- who appeared on Season 2 of David Chang's "Ugly Delicious" -- died from complications of the virus at Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center in Glen Ridge. …
Police & Fire
No Pets Inside, No Injuries Reported In Fire At Animal Hospital In Fairfield
No pets were in the Animal Hospital of Fairifeld when a destructive fire broke out Saturday night, responders said. Staff made it out before the three-alarm blaze tore through the Fairfield Road building, which isn't a boarding facility. The fire broke out shortly after 9 p.m. and immediately went to two alarms, the Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department said. Flames blew through the roof as firefighters conducted a "surround and drown," the department said. The scene was cleared at 11:50 p.m. Colleagues from Cedar Grove, Lincoln Park, Bloomfield, North Caldwell, West Caldwell, Pine Brook a…
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