Another Waterfront Commission Story

PolitickerNJ is reporting on a feud between Sen. Raymond Lesniak and the Waterfront Commission.  See here.

For some background on Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, read here.

For some background into alleged mob influence at the docks, read here.

For more sleaze, read the entire Waterfront Commission Report here.

The report indicates key findings of conflicts, abuses, misconduct, incompetency and worse against former Waterfront General Counsel Jon Deutsch, a former Union County Prosecutor, and former NJ Waterfront Commissioner Michael Madonna, who, until September 1, 2008, was simultaneously employed as a detective in the Borough of Oakland and between 2001 and 2008, Madonna served both as commissioner of the Waterfront Commission and president of the New Jersey State PBA.

According to one section of the Report entitled, "General Counsel Deutsch Obtained the Position through Political Influence", Michael DeCotiis, then-Chief Counsel to New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, recommended Deutsch for the position. In a letter addressed to Madonna, DeCotiis wrote that he personally interviewed Deutsch and found that he was 'uniquely qualified to be General Counsel.' Decotiis neglected to reveal that he and Deutsch had a familiar relationship."

Some other findings according to the Report:

"Former General Counsel Jon Deutsch used his position at the Waterfront Commission to improperly assist others despite obvious conflicts of interest."

"In one particularly egregious instance, former General Counsel Jon Deutsch fashioned a scheme to allow Frank Cardaci, a convicted felon, to place his warehouse in his wife’s name and continue to operate uninterrupted in direct violation of the Waterfront Commission Act." (Michael DeCotiis represented Cardaci)

"Deutsch had a series of violations which involved his relationship with Al Cernadas, Jr., Deutsch’s former co-worker and friend. Deutsch conducted the questioning of Cernadas, Jr.’s father during an official investigation, leaked non-public information to him, and was inappropriately involved in a police investigation for a friend of the Cernadas family."

Lesniak is worried about some low-paid former commissioner appointed by Corzine after the damaging Waterfront Commission was released?  Simply amazing.