Passaic City Mayor Samuel Rivera has pleaded guilty to a federal corruption charge this morning and could face as much as two years in prison. Rivera resigned as mayor of Passaic effective at 5:00PM today (Friday), according to media reports.
YWN had reported on September 6, 2007 [HERE] that the mayor had been arrested along with ten others in a federal corruption probe including: Democratic state Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele, the chief of staff to Newark’s City Council president, Passaic Councilmen Jonathan Soto and Marcellus Jackson and five Pleasantville school board members.
The Herald News reports that Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to obstruct interstate commerce through extortion, obstructing interstate commerce, and the sentencing guidelines call for 18 to 24 months in prison for a conviction on the charge.
During the past months, with looming federal corruption charges, many Passaic residents had turned a blind eye to the allegations against the Mayor.
(Dov Gordon – YWN)
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11 Responses
“During the past months, with looming federal corruption charges, many Passaic residents had turned a blind eye to the allegations against the Mayor – most notably the Jewish Community”
Where do you get that from? I live in Passaic and almost everyone in the community can’t be happier that Sammy is out for good! We have not been able to weed out corruption in our municipal gov’t in the past few years and sammy and his cohorts have stifled the frum community recently. Good riddance!
Unconfirmed sources say that a frum councilman will take over as mayor until November, at which time there will be a new election.
Finally!!
This is just the tip of the iceberg. People turn a blind eye because this type of thing is so common in NJ it is almost considered acceptable.
I always laughed when I would see the city workers’ trucks with the slogan “Keep Passaic Clean – Mayor Sammy Rivera”. I know there should have been another word in that phrase… maybe “remove”?
In my years in this city, this is our 2nd Mayor who will sit in jail- what a proud achievement!
Once upon a time Louissiana was the most corrupt state in the country- NJ far and away is now the worst state in the country as far as sleazy politicians-
now you know why there are no “yeshiva” vouchers for passaic!
Another one in the long corrupt line of Passaic politicans!
So who is taking over Mayor Rivera ? will it be one of the jewish councilman Passaic Resident.
Why not elect more frum representatives, then you will hopefully have more say in your city. You certainly have enough Yidden in Passaic.
It is not clear that the author of the article was referring to any particular segment of the population when he said that “many Passaic residents had turned a blind eye to the allegations against the Mayor.” So let’s not jump to conclusions about what the frum community wants.
It is also not at all clear what support hanistor has for saying in comment #1 that “almost everyone in the community can’t be happier that Sammy is out…”. Has someone taken a poll, or asked everyone in the community?
Bottom line: The frum community is less than 2000 families in a city with a population of nearly 70,000. Sammy was elected (and re-elected!) with broad support across *all* segments of the city. While not everyone agrees with everything he did, or the way he did it, the frum community and its representatives basically worked with the Mayor fairly well over his term in office. And like many (most?) NJ politicians, he was corrupt, but that did not necessarily make him less effective that his predecessors.
Good riddance? Yes, if only because the city doesn’t need the stain of corruption. Will he be replaced by someone better? We’ll have to wait and see.
to #8:
Daas Torah in Passaic probably doesn’t want a frum majority in the council. Any and all problems in the city will be blamed on the Jews. also the Jews there are only interested in the issues concerning them–why do they need control of 50000 hispanics and their issues/concerns.
NAMB,
You said:
“It is not clear that the author of the article was referring to any particular segment of the population when he said that “many Passaic residents had turned a blind eye to the allegations against the Mayor.” So let’s not jump to conclusions about what the frum community wants.”
THE ORIGINAL POSTING BY DOV GORDON ENDED WITH …”most notably the Jewish Community”. IT WAS REMOVED AFTER MY REPLY WAS RECEIVED
It is also not at all clear what support hanistor has for saying in comment #1 that “almost everyone in the community can’t be happier that Sammy is out…”. Has someone taken a poll, or asked everyone in the community?
NO, OBVIOUSLY NO POLL WAS TAKEN BUT IF YOU ARE OBJECTIVE AND DO NOT HAVE ANY AGENDA IT IS CLEAR THAT MOST FRUM YIDDEN IN PASSAIC DO NOT WANT TO BE REPRESENTED BY A CORRUPT, BOORISH LOWLIFE WHO WAS A SECURITY GUARD AT THE PASSAIC VALLEY WATER COMMISSION BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED MAYOR OF PASSAIC (ONLY BECAUSE PASSAIC IS PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC, WHO SPEAD TIME IN JAIL FOR COVERING UP A HOMICIDE IN PUERTO RICO AND CANNOT SPEAK ENGLISH.
Bottom line: The frum community is less than 2000 families in a city with a population of nearly 70,000. Sammy was elected (and re-elected!) with broad support across *all* segments of the city. While not everyone agrees with everything he did, or the way he did it, the frum community and its representatives basically worked with the Mayor fairly well over his term in office. And like many (most?) NJ politicians, he was corrupt, but that did not necessarily make him less effective that his predecessors.
YOU SKEW THE NUMBERS. THERE ARE ABOUT 2,000 FRUM FAMILIES REPRESENTING ABOUT 10,000 FRUM PEOPLE, COMPARED TO A POPULATION ON 70,000. THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY THAT CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT WHEN WORKING AS A BLOC. SAMMY WAS OPPOSED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FRUM COMMUNITY WHEN HE RAN THE FIRST TIME AND DEFEATED THE FRUM CANDIDATE. WHEN HE RAN FOR REELECTION HE WAS BASICALLY UNOPPOSED BECAUSE HE HAD SOLIDIFIED HIS BASE (CORRUPTLY). THEN HE SHUT OUT THE FRUM COMMUNITY AND WAS GENERALLY REVILED.
Good riddance? Yes, if only because the city doesn’t need the stain of corruption. Will he be replaced by someone better? We’ll have to wait and see.
YES, GOOD RIDDANCE. HOPEFULLY THE NEW FRUM INTERIM MAYOR GARY SCHAER CAN DO THINGS BETTER.