Even as he was being interviewed regarding questions that came up at the online Hudson Reporter debate for Bayonne council candidates, John R. Cupo’s campaign workers milled around in front of his office, some tapping on his door to be let in.
Some of his campaign workers, including one of those in front of his office, had complained earlier this month to the “Bayonne Community News” that they have not been paid for their services.
“That’s not true,” Cupo said, producing the contracts that the workers signed. “I’ve paid them half – although I do still owe them money. But my campaign is broke. They’ll get paid when I close on some sales.”
“Because I didn’t comply with the earlier agreement, the commission revoked my license.” – John R. Cupo
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Problematic business dealings
But Cupo has come under fire on a variety of issues concerning his businesses, especially during the years when he worked in real estate in Hoboken.
There is still litigation over a property dispute regarding a former city diner that Cupo converted into his real estate office in Hoboken in 2008.
Cupo was also involved in planning a 2008 festival in Hoboken, for which he took money from local merchants but failed to get the necessary permits. The festival never took place and the merchants never got refunds.
Last week, Cupo claimed the permits he needed from the city were voided shortly before the event was to take place. He said that since the money collected from the merchants had already been paid out to various vendors as deposits for services, he could not pay it back.
“I wanted to put tents up on the street and the city wouldn’t let me,” Cupo said. “They wanted me to put them up on the sidewalk, which meant I would have to get permission from every property owner.”
But John Pope, currently the director of Environmental Services for the City of Hoboken, recalled the events differently.
“He did work with the city with the festival, but he was not able to adhere to rules,” Pope said. “He wanted to use Hudson Place, and the city wouldn’t allow it on the cobblestones. The construction official would not allow him to use the sidewalk, so we offered him an alternative site.”
This was a private street near the New Jersey Transit train station, near Pier A in Hoboken.
“We even showed him where he could put the bandstand,” Pope said. “But he never actually got the permits because he wouldn’t comply with the rules and regulations.”
Bayonne debate
During the Bayonne council debate, Councilman Terrence Ruane, one of the five other candidates Cupo is running against, questioned whether Cupo is even licensed to sell real estate since he was forced to surrender his license as a result of a 1999 judgment by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission.
Cupo was supposed to be banned from applying for a real estate license for five years. He also had been banned from applying for a license to sell real estate for at least a year for his failing to live up to a previous consent agreement. Cupo faced the permanent suspension of his license.
“I had gone broke and was supposed to make payments for what I owed,” Cupo said last week. “I couldn’t make the payments. I couldn’t even get a job. I went on interview after interview. Because I didn’t comply with the earlier agreement, the commission revoked my license.”
This included his sales, real estate, and real estate instruction licenses, he said. He owed slightly over $17,000 in fines.
“I managed to pay part of it, but I still owed $16,000 in fines,” he said. “There was no conviction. I just couldn’t comply with the commission’s rules.”
He recalled it being a very low moment in his life, and remembered his mother looking at him and telling him, “You ought to be ashamed.”
“That’s all she said,” Cupo said.
After paying his fines and appealing his case, the N.J. Real Estate Commission lifted its previous ruling, allowing Cupo to return to selling real estate.
While he said he is not all the way back, he is on the road.
“I knew I was going to get stung over this when I decided to run for office,” he said. “But I have thick skin.”