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Police & Fire
Shoplifters Fresh Off Heist Busted With Ecstasy, $5K In Merch On Route 23: Wayne PD Shoplifters Fresh Off Heist Busted With Ecstasy, $5K In Merch On Route 23: Wayne PD
Shoplifters Fresh Off Heist Busted With Ecstasy, $5K In Merch On Route 23: Wayne PD Police arrested three shoplifters found with more than $5,300 in stolen merchandise after keen-eyed stopped their car on Route 23 last week in Wayne, officials said. Dugleidy Gonzalez-Riera, 28; Yefferson Prieto-Galviz, 23; and Morelis Blanco-Cineros, 41; all of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, were being held in the Passaic County Jail on various theft and drug charges, Wayne Detective Capt. Dan Daly said. Trouble began around 3:35 p.m. last Valentine's Day when Wayne Officers Harrison Kirby and David Talerico saw the Toyota sedan following another vehicle too…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Lili Maali, Bergen Interior Designer Who Sought Better Life Amid Iranian Revolution, Dies Lili Maali, Bergen Interior Designer Who Sought Better Life Amid Iranian Revolution, Dies
Lili Maali, Bergen Interior Designer Who Sought Better Life Amid Iranian Revolution, Dies Lili Maali, a longtime interior designer died on Monday, Feb. 12, according to her obituary on the Vander Plaat Memorial Home website. Maali was born in Iran and grew up in Tehran, her obituary reads. She married her husband, Farzin, before fleeing to France amidst the Iranian Revolution in 1979, according to her obituary.  She moved to Los Angeles and later settled in the tri-state area with their son, Sherwin, her obituary reads. As an interior designer based in Franklin Lakes, Maali designed office space at Merrill Lynch and apartments at Trump Tower, according to her obituary. She…

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by Sam Barron
Lifestyle
NJ Woman Behind Elmo's Viral Tweet In Disbelief: 'Wildest Week Of My Life' NJ Woman Behind Elmo's Viral Tweet In Disbelief: 'Wildest Week Of My Life'
NJ Woman Behind Elmo's Viral Tweet In Disbelief: 'Wildest Week Of My Life' Elmo checked in. And the internet responded. Christina Vittas, 25, a Wayne native who now lives in Hoboken, is the social media manager for Sesame Street's furry red monster. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Christina Vittas (@c_vittas) On Jan. 29, Vittas tweeted out a seemingly innocent question to Elmo's followers. "Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?"  Vittas, whose LinkedIn page shows she's been working at Sesame Street for 3 years, never could've predicted what followed: Hundreds and thousands of response…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
NJ School Closings: These Districts Have Early Dismissals Ahead Of Snow Storm NJ School Closings: These Districts Have Early Dismissals Ahead Of Snow Storm
NJ School Closings: These Districts Have Early Dismissals Ahead Of Snow Storm School districts across New Jersey have begun announcing schedule changes for Friday, Jan. 19, ahead of the second snow storm of the week. Parts of the state could see up to six inches of snow, expected to begin falling between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said. The following districts have early dismissals: Cranford Dumont Franklin Lakes Hackensack Hanover Park Regional HS Lyndhurst Marlboro Maywood Millburn Mountainside North Arlington Oradell Parsippany-Troy Hills Pompton Lakes Rockaway Roselle Park Scotch Plains-Fanwood Totowa Warren Watchung/Watchung Hills R…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Aldi Opening In Wayne Aldi Opening In Wayne
Aldi Opening In Wayne Grocery shoppers in Wayne will have another place to peruse the aisles. Aldi, a German supermarket chain, will be opening at the Plaza Square Shopping Center at 625 Hamburg Turnpike in the township, according to Regency Centers, which owns the shopping center.  The store will be 42,816 square feet, according to Regency Centers. An opening date has not been announced. Tenants at Plaza Square include a Wendy's and a T-Mobile. Aldi's has 61 locations in the Garden State, according to its website. 

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by Sam Barron
Obituaries
L.E.A.D VP, Retired NJ Police Chief Bret Alemy Dies During Florida Retreat L.E.A.D VP, Retired NJ Police Chief Bret Alemy Dies During Florida Retreat
L.E.A.D VP, Retired NJ Police Chief Bret Alemy Dies During Florida Retreat Bret Alemy, an Air Force veteran who later served as police chief in Hardyston, died on Thursday, Jan. 4, while attending a retreat in Orlando. He was 50 years old. Alemy was serving as Vice President of Program Development for Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence (L.E.A.D.) at the time of his death, the organization said.  "The L.E.A.D Family is in mourning over the unexpected passing of our cherished, admired and beloved Vice President of Program Development Chief Bret Alemy," L.E.A.D. said on Facebook.  "The organization is stunned but focused on serving the Alemy family …

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by Sam Barron
Obituaries
'She's My Ride' Owner Michele Posthumus, Wayne Valley HS Grad, Dies 'She's My Ride' Owner Michele Posthumus, Wayne Valley HS Grad, Dies
'She's My Ride' Owner Michele Posthumus, Wayne Valley HS Grad, Dies Michele Posthumus, a Wayne native who lived in Asbury Park, died on Tuesday, Dec. 26 at the age of 57, according to her obituary. Born on Feb. 17, 1966, she graduated from Wayne Valley High School and ran two businesses, "Absentee Property Management" and "She's My Ride, her obituary reads.  She enjoyed skiing, golf, swimming and spending time with her dog, Arthur, according to her obituary. Michele will be missed more than many can understand 💜 Posted by Jane Reynolds on Thursday, December 28, 2023 Michele is survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, her obituary reads…

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by Sam Barron
Sports
Tommy Trademarks: Giants QB Files Copyright To Sell Branded Pizza Tommy Trademarks: Giants QB Files Copyright To Sell Branded Pizza
Tommy Trademarks: Giants QB Files Copyright To Sell Branded Pizza No one ever accused Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, a Don Bosco graduate, of not trying to cash in on his fame. DeVito, who made national news after a dustup over a canceled autograph signing at a pizzeria, has filed new trademarks for "Passing Paisano" and "Tommy Cutlets" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday, Dec. 20 through TD LLC, a limited liability company, based in New Jersey. Big Blue's newest star earned the nicknames after he expressed love for his mother's chicken cutlets while celebrating his Italian heritage on the field. DeVito, 25, lives at h…

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by Sam Barron
Police & Fire
Bloods Leader, Passaic County Man Busted with 28 Lbs Of Coke, 500 Lbs Of Pot At Teterboro: FBI Bloods Leader, Passaic County Man Busted with 28 Lbs Of Coke, 500 Lbs Of Pot At Teterboro: FBI
Bloods Leader, Passaic County Man Busted with 28 Lbs Of Coke, 500 Lbs Of Pot At Teterboro: FBI A high-ranking member of the Bloods with longstanding mob ties and a Passaic County man with a criminal history of his own were seized when they tried to fly to London out of Teterboro Airport with 28 pounds of cocaine and 500 pounds of pot on a private jet, federal authorities said. Leonardo Petrosillo, 45, of West Milford, and Edwin Spears, 49, of Newark brought three companions -- Spears’s girlfriend, an exotic dancer from Maryland and a friend of hers -- as a front for a dozen drug-stuffed bags of luggage, they said. The plane was to fly it all to John Lennon Airport in London, accordin…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Sports
Tommy DeVito Hires Marketing Agency After Agent's Booking Snafu Tommy DeVito Hires Marketing Agency After Agent's Booking Snafu
Tommy DeVito Hires Marketing Agency After Agent's Booking Snafu Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, a Don Bosco graduate, has hired a marketing agency to take over his personal appearances after an autograph signing at a Morristown pizzeria was canceled when his agent tried to double DeVito's fee. Maxx MGMT will now be handling DeVito's appearances, a rep for the agency confirmed. DeVito's agent, Sean Stellato, who had been making headlines for his "Goodfellas" cosplay, will still be negotiating his football contract, according to the New York Post. The move comes after Stellato tried to double DeVito's fee from $10,000 to $20,000 for an appearance at Con…

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by Sam Barron
Obituaries
Longtime Wayne Township Employee Brian Reardon Dies Unexpectedly, 57 Longtime Wayne Township Employee Brian Reardon Dies Unexpectedly, 57
Longtime Wayne Township Employee Brian Reardon Dies Unexpectedly, 57 Brian Reardon, who spent 37 years working for Wayne Township in the water and road department, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Dec. 10 at the age of 57, according to his obituary. Reardon grew up in West Paterson and graduated from Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls and then went to work for Wayne, his obituary on the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home website reads.  He was renowned by his co-workers for being able to lift a manhole with a single hand, according to his obituary. To my friend Brian Reardon. I will miss the jokes and the laughs. Thank you for being such a …

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by Sam Barron
Business
BBQ Food Truck Opens Across From Former Phillipsburg Mall BBQ Food Truck Opens Across From Former Phillipsburg Mall
BBQ Food Truck Opens Across From Former Phillipsburg Mall A roadside food truck offering sweet and savory barbecue specialties has opened across the street from the former Phillipsburg Mall. Drake’s Joint Roadside BBQ is “bringing the smoke show to you” at 1193 Rt. 22. It first opened on Rt. 10 in East Hanover and has two additional locations slated for Newark and Wayne, its website says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Drake’s Joint (@drakesjoint) The place was opened by Daniel Risis, whose old spot Toby’s Cup, is heading to auction later this week. Drake's offers platters stacke…

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by Valerie Musson