River City: Despite paying big full time salaries to County Planner Alan Avery, Assistant Director of Planning David McKeon, County Engineer Ronald Lotrecchio, Director of Engineering Frank S. Scarantino, Assistant County Engineer Alan Rissmiller and Assistant County Engineer Patrick Connell, the money-squandering Freeloader Board awarded Massimo Yezzi another no-bid contract for $60,500 "to recommend how big" the new records building should be "and where it should be located."

It is clear that any one of these full time employees is eminently qualified to decide where the new building should go, a decision that apparently has already been made anyway.

And, as far as how many square feet the building should have, the full time engineering department and the planners could have taken care of that little detail in a week.

Taxpayers Will Come In Last, Once Again

At least Yezzi, the designated "County Architect" probably won't have to do any actual architectural work for the $60,500.

That will come later for a huge fee after a no-bid designation which recognizes Yezzi's political connections.

The taxpayers will come in last, once again.

Yezzi And Levin Never Identified "Even One Little Lie"

Yezzi and attorney Harry Levin filed a "libel" suit against OCP, Editor Richard Schiff and Commentator Robert K. Haelig Jr. alleging "lies" about Yezzi and "his family" and material published in "reckless disregard of the truth," but Yezzi and Levin never identified a single alleged lie and didn't specify anything even slightly "reckless."

So Superior Court Judge Marlene Lynch Ford set a Case Management Conference for Tuesday, April 12th after denying a motion filed by Levin demanding unlimited deposition privileges.

Amato Got Useless $85,000 Job

Carmen Amato, the Central Regional School Board President who handed April Yezzi a $70,000 job as Assistant Business Administrator, was recently handed an $85,000 county job as "Director of Printing and Graphics," a useless "position" and payoff from GOP County Chairman George Gilmore for which Amato is not remotely qualified even if the "job" wasn't useless to begin with.

Yezzi was appointed the "Official Architect" for the Ocean County Board of Freeloaders, and has been paid more than $1 million by the Ocean County Vocational School.

The liaison to the vocational school is Freeholder Joseph Vicari, who is the Superintendent of the Berkeley School System, the agency that paid Yezzi and two other pay-to-play contractors the $2.7 million discussed in the first segment of this report.

Yezzi, In The Twilight Zone, Says His $1.95
Million No-Bid Contracts Were "Competitive"

Yezzi says the contracts were "competitive," but former Central Regional School Board watchdog member Richard Elliott says the Berkeley elementary school work could have been done for less than one-third of $2.7 million "if there were competitive bids."

Levin demanded unlimited deposition privileges without first letting OCP Editor Richard Schiff and Commentator Robert K. Haelig Jr. know what they were charged with.

Wrong Docket Number, Missing
Exhibits From Levin Office

Schiff and Haelig noted that Levin put the wrong docket number on the court papers they were served with, and also noted that all of the "exhibits" were missing from the original paperwork.

Schiff Sues Levin To Recover $2500

In a weird prelude to all of this, Schiff filed suit against Levin to recover $2500 Levin owes him for work on a WebSite Levin ordered for his business more than a year ago.

Levin sent a letter to Schiff threatening more sanctions, claiming the only reason Schiff sued was because of the Levin/Yezzi libel action.

Calls Russo Jr. Names; Comes Out Against Name Calling

Then, a letter surfaced where Levin wrote to Schiff about a year ago acknowledging Schiff's work on the Levin WebSite, and promising to follow up as soon as possible.

In a bizarre twist, a very careless Levin also used the letter to launch a tirade of abuse against the character, integrity and intellectual vigor of former Mayor John F. Russo Jr.

Levin, who sometimes lets his mouth get way ahead of his brain, described Russo as "intellectually and experientially immature."

Levin Questions Mayor Russo's Character And
Integrity; Says Russo Is Lacking In Character

"I have little confidence in his skills, character or integrity," Levin said of Russo before he denounced name-calling in the Yezzi lawsuit.

One searches in vain for a reason for the Levin temper tantrum in a letter to Schiff that had nothing whatsoever to do with Russo, but we all have a right to hope.

Judge Ford Refused To Throw Out
Yezzi Lawsuit, But Said Defendants Can
Submit Motion For "More Specific Claims"

Judge Ford refused to throw out the Yezzi-Levin complaint, but set up a case management conference for April 12th at which ground rules will be established for motions and discovery.

The judge said OCP, Schiff and Haelig could submit a motion to make Yezzi and Levin submit "more specific claims," an order which would make the two pay-to-play vendors tell the defendants exactly and specifically what they are charged with.

"So far, this is like getting a speeding ticket where they don't tell you how fast you were going, what kind of a car you were allegedly driving, where the speeding took place, or who drove the car," Schiff told the court at the hearing in Toms River Friday.

Judge Ford also told Schiff and Haelig to obtain an attorney for the OCP business entity within 30 days, but said they could continue to represent themselves against the personal Yezzi-Levin claims.

This article prepared for publication March 7, 2005.

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