Though Hoboken residents were eager to voice their opinion regarding Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano’s resignation when interviewed on the street recently, Secaucus residents are much less willing to comment on the recent corruption charge and resignation of longtime mayor Dennis Elwell.
Some residents had a lot to say, but were unwilling to give their name. Only a few residents were willing to speak openly.
Was it because Elwell and his family are such fixtures in town? Cammarano had only been in office in Hoboken for a few weeks, after a very contentious election. Elwell was more popular, although he was gearing up for a tough re-election battle in November against Councilman Michael Gonnelli.
Willing to be heard
Two Secaucus residents were willing to provide opinions on the situation with Elwell’s resignation.
Robert Coffman, owner of Haircutter in the Meadows in Harmon Meadow Plaza, a salon specializing in hair cuts and Japanese hair straightening, said that his marriage was officiated by Elwell in 2005.
“[The mayor] was always cheerful and also polite and seemed to have a lot on his mind,” Coffman said. “To give the benefit of doubt, I suspect that his career choice and genuine intent early on later became jaded by a political system.”
“I feel very sad about the situation and very disappointed.” – Anna Torino
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“I suspect that there are many who are not surprised, but outraged while they measure the effect of corruption as it continues to eat away at their civil liberties,” said Coffman.
The salon owner is a Secaucus resident of 20 years. He is currently involved in helping his friend, Robert Burck, also known as the Naked Cowboy, with his political campaign for mayor in New York City. Burck lives in a Secaucus hotel but will move to New York if he wins the mayoralty.
“I find, though, as the future draws near, more and more people are able to palate these kinds of conversations,” said Coffman about those who find the political scandal an uneasy topic to discuss. “A growing numbers of people are actually initiating such conversations, from what I can tell.”
Others were just disappointed.
“I feel very sad about the situation and very disappointed. The mayor is a very nice man, a family man. He’s been with the town for many years and is very pleasant,” said Anna Torino, a Secaucus resident.
Torino also noted that she didn’t know the mayor personally but saw him at many of the town’s events, and then added “I hope him well.”
No comment comments
A resident who preferred to remain unnamed was a senior citizen who had been a town resident for 50 years. She said she had only seen positive things from Elwell and said that sometimes “we all made mistakes.”
However, she was unwilling to go public because she said she is an acquaintance of Michael Gonnelli.
Several residents reacted without saying a word, while others simply waved their hands saying “no comment” or “no, no, no.”
A couple with three young children said they were residents and were shocked by the corruption scandal they heard about in the news but didn’t know much about Elwell.
A sanitation worker had a theory.
“Sometimes you get hungry for what you can’t have, and it goes into your mind,” he said. “It’s a bad example for young people.”
What’s your opinion on Elwell resigning?
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com