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Hackensack Discussion / Re: Houses on Berry Street - Ken Zisa Connection
« on: June 05, 2009, 01:28:48 PM »
Article in the Hackensack Chronicle:
3 city officers set to sue police chief
(by Mark J. Bonamo - June 04, 2009)
Three Hackensack police officers have informed city authorities that they intend to file lawsuits against Police Chief Charles “Ken” Zisa. The officers allege that Zisa abused his power by retaliating against them for their political views and for not making large enough donations to his political campaign.
The notices of tort claims, which were received by the city on May 12, were filed by officers Anthony Ferraioli, Aldrin Lamboy and Scott Sybel.
Sybel, a city police officer since 1992, also alleges in a letter addressed to Chief Zisa and attached to his notice of tort claim that he was not paid for extensive construction and repair work Sybel did when off duty for the chief and for Deputy Chief Frank Zisa, the chief’s brother. According to the letter, the work, dating from 1996 to 2007, included framing a basement, building decks, replacing windows, fixing roof leaks and installing a hot tub. Sybel also states in the letter that he performed work at the former Dog House Grill restaurant building on River Street, a property partially owned by Chief Zisa.
“Chief Zisa abused his official position and powers to cause Officer Sybel [sic] to perform extensive labor and services for Chief Zisa’s personal enrichment,” the claim states.
Sybel is seeking damages of over $300,000.
Officers allege pattern of harassment
All three officers allege a pattern of retaliation and harassment by Chief Zisa surrounding political activities. Sybel maintains in the notice of tort claim that after he refused to donate more than $75 to Zisa’s assemblyman election fund in 2007, he was transferred out of the Narcotics Division to patrol. Sybel further alleges that Officer Kevin Toomey was illegally soliciting funds in the workplace for the election fund.
“Officer Toomey told Officer Sybel [sic] that his check was missing a “0” on the end of it,” states the notice of tort claim.
Officers Ferraioli and Lamboy claim that because they backed a different candidate than the one supported by Zisa in last year’s Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) election, Zisa retaliated by demoting them and by making them walk foot patrol beats.
Ferraioli was a candidate for president in the May 29 PBA Local 9 election; Lamboy was the vice presidential candidate. The two men lost their leadership bid to incumbents president Philip Carroll and vice president Tina Clouse, with Ferraioli losing the presidential vote by a 50-47 margin. Lamboy was suspended from duty on the same day as the election.
A source who closely observed the election, who wished not to be named, stated that the election results would be appealed to the local, county and state PBA union authorities on the basis of the alleged violation of union bylaws and alleged voter intimidation.
An alleged physical altercation at an April 22 PBA Local 9 meeting between Toomey and retired Hackensack police officer Thomas Aiellos was reportedly related to the PBA leadership struggle.
Involved parties comment
Although Chief Zisa declined to answer questions about specific issues mentioned in the notices of tort claims because of potential litigation, he generally refuted the allegations made in the notices in previously published comments.
“The allegations contained in these letters are false, and that eventually will be borne out by whatever litigation ensues with this,” he said.
City Attorney Joseph Zisa, the chief’s cousin, declined comment about Ferraioli’s and Lamboy’s notices. However, he stated in previously published comments that he fails to understand why Sybel’s allegations should involve the city.
“His claims against the chief are all his business dealings privately with the chief…and why they are even noticing the city on this makes no sense to me,” City Attorney Zisa said.
“If he feels like he didn’t get treated properly by his other partners, which is frequently allegations between partnerships, then he should access the courts like everybody else does instead of trying to make it a public forum,” he added.
Lamboy and Sybel could not be reached by press time. Ferraioli deferred all questions to his attorneys, Ty Hyderally and John J. Zidziunas. Zidziunas is also representing Sybel.
Hyderally, who is representing Ferraioli and Lamboy together with Zidziunas, noted that the two lawyers filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court in Newark on June 2 regarding Ferraioli and Lamboy’s allegation that Chief Zisa had used intimidation in a June 2008 PBA election to achieve results favorable to him.
“It’s a situation quite frankly that is sad to see happening,” said Hyderally. “It would appear that Chief Zisa does not respect the freedom of the ballot box. He abused his power to micromanage the election results in order to achieve his personal interests.”
Issues raised about real estate venture
In the letter appended to his notice of tort claim, Sybel made additional allegations about a real estate venture involving both Chief Zisa and City Attorney Zisa.
Sybel claims that in early 2003, Artie Mento, a retired Hackensack police officer, approached him, his brother Douglas and another business partner, John Schianchi, to discuss building a house on Berry Street. According to the letter, Mento would provide the funds, while Sybel and his partners would perform the construction. Sybel maintains that the men agreed that after the house was built, it would be sold immediately. Mento would receive the money he invested back, and the men would split the remaining proceeds evenly.
But later that year, Sybel claims that the deal changed when Mento informed him that Chief Zisa wanted in on the arrangement.
“Artie further said that if I said no or opposed your demands, my career would be finished and that I would be out of narcotics and back to patrol,” Sybel writes in the letter to Chief Zisa. “We had no choice. We had to let you in.
You came in, despite spending no money or labor.”
Mento could not be reached for comment by press time.
Property records indicate that Mento purchased the Berry Street property for $64,000 in July 2002, and that the four other men involved in the deal, including Zisa, bought into the property in March 2004. According to property records, the partners then sold the Berry Street property later that year for $435,000. Sybel claims in the letter that he received $18,000 when the sale was concluded.
“I objected to this and told you that I felt robbed,” Sybel’s letter to Zisa states.
City Attorney Zisa represented Chief Zisa, Mento, Schianchi and the Sybels when the partners sold the Berry Street property. In previously published comments, the city attorney said that upon conclusion of the sale, $317,000 went to pay the mortgage remaining on the property, and that after closing costs and additional fees were paid, the partners received $91,800. The city attorney also stated that a part of that money went toward legal fees.
According to property records, in 2004 the five partners registered a company, Cranberry Associates, LLC, with the state. The company proceeded to buy several lots in Paterson that same year. Cranberry Associates then built three houses on part of the property, selling them last year. However, Sybel alleges in the letter that he “never saw any money” from the Paterson house sales.
In previously published comments, City Attorney Zisa said that he represented Cranberry Associates in some of the sale closings but could not remember exactly how many. The city attorney also stated that he did not know how the profits were split between the partners.
“What the partners do with their money, they do with their money,” City Attorney Zisa said.
Recent legal controversies swirl around chief
Chief Zisa has been at the center of several legal controversies in recent months.
In February, Hackensack police officer Alessandra Viola leveled harassment allegations against the city police department that were allegedly related to the termination of a romantic relationship with Deputy Chief Zisa and that included allegations that Chief Zisa had attempted to intimidate Hackensack police officers as they voted in a PBA election. Viola also claimed that Chief Zisa reacted to her complaints by directing administrative charges against her.
In the same month, Chief Zisa filed a defamation lawsuit against Deborah Labrosse, a city resident and wife of Councilman-elect John Labrosse, for allegedly writing defamatory statements about him on NJ.com’s Hackensack forum. Deborah Labrosse subsequently countersued Zisa, alleging that Zisa “tampered” with her NJ.com postings, and that she has and will experience “intentional improper surveillance of her person and premises by reason of the activity” of Zisa.
E-mail: bonamo@northjersey.com
3 city officers set to sue police chief
(by Mark J. Bonamo - June 04, 2009)
Three Hackensack police officers have informed city authorities that they intend to file lawsuits against Police Chief Charles “Ken” Zisa. The officers allege that Zisa abused his power by retaliating against them for their political views and for not making large enough donations to his political campaign.
The notices of tort claims, which were received by the city on May 12, were filed by officers Anthony Ferraioli, Aldrin Lamboy and Scott Sybel.
Sybel, a city police officer since 1992, also alleges in a letter addressed to Chief Zisa and attached to his notice of tort claim that he was not paid for extensive construction and repair work Sybel did when off duty for the chief and for Deputy Chief Frank Zisa, the chief’s brother. According to the letter, the work, dating from 1996 to 2007, included framing a basement, building decks, replacing windows, fixing roof leaks and installing a hot tub. Sybel also states in the letter that he performed work at the former Dog House Grill restaurant building on River Street, a property partially owned by Chief Zisa.
“Chief Zisa abused his official position and powers to cause Officer Sybel [sic] to perform extensive labor and services for Chief Zisa’s personal enrichment,” the claim states.
Sybel is seeking damages of over $300,000.
Officers allege pattern of harassment
All three officers allege a pattern of retaliation and harassment by Chief Zisa surrounding political activities. Sybel maintains in the notice of tort claim that after he refused to donate more than $75 to Zisa’s assemblyman election fund in 2007, he was transferred out of the Narcotics Division to patrol. Sybel further alleges that Officer Kevin Toomey was illegally soliciting funds in the workplace for the election fund.
“Officer Toomey told Officer Sybel [sic] that his check was missing a “0” on the end of it,” states the notice of tort claim.
Officers Ferraioli and Lamboy claim that because they backed a different candidate than the one supported by Zisa in last year’s Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) election, Zisa retaliated by demoting them and by making them walk foot patrol beats.
Ferraioli was a candidate for president in the May 29 PBA Local 9 election; Lamboy was the vice presidential candidate. The two men lost their leadership bid to incumbents president Philip Carroll and vice president Tina Clouse, with Ferraioli losing the presidential vote by a 50-47 margin. Lamboy was suspended from duty on the same day as the election.
A source who closely observed the election, who wished not to be named, stated that the election results would be appealed to the local, county and state PBA union authorities on the basis of the alleged violation of union bylaws and alleged voter intimidation.
An alleged physical altercation at an April 22 PBA Local 9 meeting between Toomey and retired Hackensack police officer Thomas Aiellos was reportedly related to the PBA leadership struggle.
Involved parties comment
Although Chief Zisa declined to answer questions about specific issues mentioned in the notices of tort claims because of potential litigation, he generally refuted the allegations made in the notices in previously published comments.
“The allegations contained in these letters are false, and that eventually will be borne out by whatever litigation ensues with this,” he said.
City Attorney Joseph Zisa, the chief’s cousin, declined comment about Ferraioli’s and Lamboy’s notices. However, he stated in previously published comments that he fails to understand why Sybel’s allegations should involve the city.
“His claims against the chief are all his business dealings privately with the chief…and why they are even noticing the city on this makes no sense to me,” City Attorney Zisa said.
“If he feels like he didn’t get treated properly by his other partners, which is frequently allegations between partnerships, then he should access the courts like everybody else does instead of trying to make it a public forum,” he added.
Lamboy and Sybel could not be reached by press time. Ferraioli deferred all questions to his attorneys, Ty Hyderally and John J. Zidziunas. Zidziunas is also representing Sybel.
Hyderally, who is representing Ferraioli and Lamboy together with Zidziunas, noted that the two lawyers filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court in Newark on June 2 regarding Ferraioli and Lamboy’s allegation that Chief Zisa had used intimidation in a June 2008 PBA election to achieve results favorable to him.
“It’s a situation quite frankly that is sad to see happening,” said Hyderally. “It would appear that Chief Zisa does not respect the freedom of the ballot box. He abused his power to micromanage the election results in order to achieve his personal interests.”
Issues raised about real estate venture
In the letter appended to his notice of tort claim, Sybel made additional allegations about a real estate venture involving both Chief Zisa and City Attorney Zisa.
Sybel claims that in early 2003, Artie Mento, a retired Hackensack police officer, approached him, his brother Douglas and another business partner, John Schianchi, to discuss building a house on Berry Street. According to the letter, Mento would provide the funds, while Sybel and his partners would perform the construction. Sybel maintains that the men agreed that after the house was built, it would be sold immediately. Mento would receive the money he invested back, and the men would split the remaining proceeds evenly.
But later that year, Sybel claims that the deal changed when Mento informed him that Chief Zisa wanted in on the arrangement.
“Artie further said that if I said no or opposed your demands, my career would be finished and that I would be out of narcotics and back to patrol,” Sybel writes in the letter to Chief Zisa. “We had no choice. We had to let you in.
You came in, despite spending no money or labor.”
Mento could not be reached for comment by press time.
Property records indicate that Mento purchased the Berry Street property for $64,000 in July 2002, and that the four other men involved in the deal, including Zisa, bought into the property in March 2004. According to property records, the partners then sold the Berry Street property later that year for $435,000. Sybel claims in the letter that he received $18,000 when the sale was concluded.
“I objected to this and told you that I felt robbed,” Sybel’s letter to Zisa states.
City Attorney Zisa represented Chief Zisa, Mento, Schianchi and the Sybels when the partners sold the Berry Street property. In previously published comments, the city attorney said that upon conclusion of the sale, $317,000 went to pay the mortgage remaining on the property, and that after closing costs and additional fees were paid, the partners received $91,800. The city attorney also stated that a part of that money went toward legal fees.
According to property records, in 2004 the five partners registered a company, Cranberry Associates, LLC, with the state. The company proceeded to buy several lots in Paterson that same year. Cranberry Associates then built three houses on part of the property, selling them last year. However, Sybel alleges in the letter that he “never saw any money” from the Paterson house sales.
In previously published comments, City Attorney Zisa said that he represented Cranberry Associates in some of the sale closings but could not remember exactly how many. The city attorney also stated that he did not know how the profits were split between the partners.
“What the partners do with their money, they do with their money,” City Attorney Zisa said.
Recent legal controversies swirl around chief
Chief Zisa has been at the center of several legal controversies in recent months.
In February, Hackensack police officer Alessandra Viola leveled harassment allegations against the city police department that were allegedly related to the termination of a romantic relationship with Deputy Chief Zisa and that included allegations that Chief Zisa had attempted to intimidate Hackensack police officers as they voted in a PBA election. Viola also claimed that Chief Zisa reacted to her complaints by directing administrative charges against her.
In the same month, Chief Zisa filed a defamation lawsuit against Deborah Labrosse, a city resident and wife of Councilman-elect John Labrosse, for allegedly writing defamatory statements about him on NJ.com’s Hackensack forum. Deborah Labrosse subsequently countersued Zisa, alleging that Zisa “tampered” with her NJ.com postings, and that she has and will experience “intentional improper surveillance of her person and premises by reason of the activity” of Zisa.
E-mail: bonamo@northjersey.com