For all the talk of corruption and dishonor revolving around the July 23 arrests of 44 political and religious leaders in New Jersey, topic A comes down to one word: M-O-N-E-Y.
Whether it’s the millions of dollars allegedly being moved by money-laundering rabbis or the tens of thousands of dollars allegedly taken by glad-handing officials, cash is what brought 44 people’s lives crashing down.
The government’s “cooperating witness,” real estate developer Solomon Dwek, offered campaign donations and other money to elected officials and their associates. A tally of all the money taken comes out to approximately $340,000.
All of that cash will have to be returned to the government.
The first two officials to plead guilty – former Jersey City employees Guy Catrillo ($15,000) and Maher Khalil ($72,500) – are supposed to return the money by the time of their sentencing on Dec. 15.
Joseph Castagna is retiring with a pension of $60,740 a year.
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Others resigned, such as former Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, who stood to earn an annual salary of $129,000 if he stayed in office, and former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, who had served in office since 2001 and was earning $23,384 for the part-time position of mayor.
Pensions
Of the 16 Hudson County-based officials arrested, eight are eligible for state pension benefits: Louis Manzo, Mike Manzo (not related), Elwell, L. Harvey Smith, Richard Greene, Denis Jaslow, Michael Schaffer, and Mariano Vega, with King and Jaslow already collecting benefits.
They qualify due to at least 10 years of public service, and receive an amount each month according to a three-year average of the highest public service salary they’ve earned that is recognized by the state pension system.
Yet they could lose most or all of their benefits, which would be determined by the state’s Pensions and Benefits Board once the case has been completely adjudicated. According to Tom Bell, spokesperson for the state’s Treasury Department, which oversees the state’s Pensions and Benefits system, the board holds an honorable service review of all the transcripts from a case and then makes a decision regarding partial and or total forfeiture of benefits.
Finding security in an insecure time
Those facing charges are already looking at ways to survive financially.
The most glaring if not galling example of someone preparing financially is Jersey City health official Joseph Castagna, who was arrested in July for allegedly taking a $5,000 payment.
He was approved for early retirement by the Jersey City Employees Retirement System at their board meeting in Wednesday, one month after he put in retirement papers.
Castagna, 53, worked for the city for 29 years and earned $105,164 a year. His pension would be $60,740 a year, and he will receive a one-time payment of $84,414 for unused vacation and for 80 percent of unused sick time.
But city spokesperson Jennifer Morrill said the city’s pension board approved the retirement only on the condition that they can take a second look if he is convicted or pleads guilty to the charges pertaining to the federal case.
According to Morrill, the Jersey City Police Department is investigating whether Castagna issued more food vendor permits than allowed under city statute. City officials have said that this investigation is why he applied for retirement early.
Castagna was suspended without pay after his federal arrest in July. Also, he is credited with only six years in the state pension system, so he may not even get a pension.
According to various sources, former Jersey City mayoral candidate and state Assemblyman Louis Manzo has put his condo in Journal Square up for sale for about $400,000 in order to pay his attorney’s fees, and the condo has been listed in local papers recently. Manzo would stand to receive benefits based on a three-year average of $61,604.
And then there’s former Jersey City council candidate Jimmy King, who announced last month that he will no longer operate his successful civic association. For more than five years, and with hundreds of members, the club not only tackled quality-of-life issues, but also donated time and services worth thousands of dollars such as delivering free turkeys to seniors on Thanksgiving.
But King has some cushion, as he collects state benefits equaling $3,550.19 a month, or more than $42,000 per year.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.