Vigilante Returns to Town Council

Five years after losing his bid for re-election to the council, James Vigilante says, "I'm back, and it feels good."

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council officially has a new member, sort of. Air Force reservist and businessman James Vigilante, who served on the council from 1995-2007, was sworn in Tuesday night at Town Hall to temporarily fill the seat once occupied by newly appointed Freeholder John Cesaro. "I'm back, and it feels good," said the new-again councilman after taking the oath of office. "The last time you were up here, you had a lot more hair," joked Councilman Michael dePierro. "It's deja vu all over again," said resident Roy Messmer. In more ways than one. When Vigilante was sworn in for previous terms, the oath was adminstered by Asm. Alex DeCroce presided over the formality. This time, the late assemblyman's widow, Asw. BettyLou …

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Column: Aliens, Moon Landings, 9/11 and Obama

Who kidnapped all the moderate Republicans?

None of the Apollo missions really landed on the moon. The footage from NASA was all filmed on a sound stage. Osama bin Laden did not order the September 11 attacks. It was an inside job, so to speak, and possibly Israelis were involved—Jewish workers were warned to stay out of the World Trade Center that day! A UFO crashed near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, and it’s one of hundreds (or more) of alien spacecraft that have been visiting Earth for centuries—extraterrestrials built the pyramids, after all, as well as those Nazca Lines in Peru! And, of course President Obama is not a citizen of the United States and, thus, should be tossed from the Oval Office immediately! After all, a Denville man with a Ph.D. wrote the book “Where’s the Birth…

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Mike Pignataro

10:04 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Thank you all for your comments. However, some of them have been off topic and inappropriate. We will be closing the comments section to this article.   more ›

DeCroce Crime Victims' Bill Approved By Assembly Committee

Late Assemblyman's widow and successor is one of measure's co-sponsors

A bill named in memory of the late 26th District Assemblyman Alex DeCroce cleared its first hurdle  Monday. "Alex DeCroce's Law," which would strengthen crime victims' rights, won bipartisan approval from the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee. Among the bill's sponsors is the former GOP leader's widow, Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, who recently took over her husband's legislative seat. “This bill builds upon the rights of crime victims that Alex and I fought so hard to secure through a public referendum that changed the constitution,” said DeCroce. “As the court process plays out, crime victims deserve equal, if not preferential treatment from the court system. They deserve to know when hearings will occur, be safe from …

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New Assemblywoman DeCroce Will Get Salary Plus Pension

Former DCA deputy commissioner retired as of Feb. 1 to take the Assembly seat.

BettyLou DeCroce: 'I'm Where I'm Meant To Be'

Assemblywoman reflects on missing husband and the journey that took her to Trenton.

The new 26th District Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, fresh from her swearing-in ceremony at the State House Thursday, is still processing how her life has changed in just over five weeks. On the morning of Jan. 9, she was a former Mine Hill council member and Roxbury Township municipal clerk serving as deputy commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs and the wife of Assemblyman Alex DeCroce. By the day's end, she was a widow, just days away from being elected by area Republicans to fill her late husband's legislative seat. In a freewheeling Friday conversation with Patch, DeCroce, 59, pauses from her increasingly busy schedule—she's already received committee assignments and is getting started on her pet issues, education …

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Voter Fraud May Have Tainted Parsippany Primary

In dispute over GOP Freeholder primary, votes for Team Parsippany questioned.

Attorneys and a judge suggested Tuesday the Parsippany Township Council's Republican primary race could have been tainted by voter fraud Tuesday—adding another twist to a court battle over who really won the GOP's primary for Morris County Freeholder. Superior Court Assignment Judge Thomas Weisenbeck on Wednesday will question statistician James Carroll—whom Attorney Sean Connelly said would be able to sort through a statistical analysis and show William "Hank" Lyon should be declared the Republican nominee for Morris County freeholder on the November ballot. Connelly is defending Lyon in an election contest brought by incumbent Freeholder Margaret Nordstrom of Washington Township, who trails Lyon of Montville by six votes in counts so far…

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Daily Record: Vote Fraud Alleged in Parsippany GOP Freeholder Primary Race

Incumbent Nordstrom, challenger Lyon and others discuss what to do if the vote is tossed.

Crawford: 'I'll Run Until They Tell Me to Stop'

Town attorney says newly minted Democrat's general election bid for a council seat is illegal.

Township Attorney John Inglesino declared that the so-called "sore loser" law makes Robert Crawford's general election move to run for the unexpired council seat as a Democrat illegitimate.  Crawford ran against incumbent Vincent Ferrara for Freeholder Ann Grossi's unexpired term two-year seat on Town Council in the June 7 primary. Ferrara won the contest and was expected to face an uncontested general election race in November. But Crawford won more than the Republican votes cast for him in the primary. He also received 44 write-in votes from Democrats. This gave him the option of changing parties and taking Ferrara on again in the fall election. The local Democratic Party invited Crawford to become its nominee for the seat and on Monday…

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Township Attorney Says Crawford Democratic Candidacy Denied

Town lawyer says a state statute prohibits Robert Crawford's bid for council seat as a Democrat.

During Tuesday night's still-continuing Town Council meeting, Municipal Attorney John Inglesino announced that Robert Crawford's attempt to win the unexpired two-year seat on the council is over. Though Crawford lost to incumbent council member Vincent Ferrara in the Republican primary election last week, he earned 44 Democratic write-in votes. The Morris County clerk's office said 39 votes were needed to secure the Democratic nomination and face Ferrara in the general, and Crawford exceeded the amount needed. The Parsippany Democratic Committee invited Crawford to continue his quest for the seat once held by Freeholder Ann Grossi as a member of the Democratic Party. After a few days of thought, Crawford agreed and made the decision to …

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Natalie Davis

5:39 pm on Saturday, June 18, 2011

Actually, and this comes from someone with no dog in the hunt one way or another, it wasn't a vast majority -- only about 300 votes. A majority, yes. Vast? No. And not the people of Parsippany, only those Republicans who cared to cast a ballot. Keep in mind that only under 13 percent of the people bothered to vote. And when it comes down to it, if you add up the number of Democrats and …   more ›

Elections 2011: June Primary

Republicans Declare Victory at Team Parsippany Bash

DePierro, Stanton, Ferrara and newcomer Carifi thank supporters; county clerk says vote count not complete.

Before a full house at the old firehouse on Centerton Road Tuesday night, three incumbent Town Council members—along with challenger Paul Carifi Jr.—claimed victory in the Republican primary.  Using numbers Team Parsippany staffers gathered from polling places, council members Michael dePierro and Brian Stanton, as well as challenger Carifi, were declared the winners in the GOP primary, beating out Town Council President—and Team Parsippany member—John Fox. Fox conceded graciously and offered congratulations to all the unofficial winners. Carifi, who works with the Morris County sheriff's office stated before the crowd that Fox "is the greatest sheriff Morris County ever had." For the two-year upexpired seat, the figures gleaned by Team …

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