The owner of One Newark Center will lease the club's 18,000 square feet on the 22nd floor as office space, the general manager said

NEWARK -- Deal making was different when the Newark Club was new, and Harry Prott had just started working there as a 27-year-old waiter.

"People don't do lunches the way they used to," said Prott, now 51 and general manager of the private eating club on the 22nd floor of a downtown Newark office building. "It used to be two martinis and a handshake and it was done. Now, it's 10 emails and an attorney."

And now, it's the Newark Club that's done.

After 24 years of receptions, business and industry gatherings, and power lunches perched atop One Newark Center, the Newark Club has served its last Caesar salad and poured its last glass of chardonnay.

What had been a private luncheon club for a who's who of lawyers, politicians and business people that doubled as reception hall with breathtaking views, served its last lunch in December, and hosted its last event -- a wedding reception -- on Saturday night.

On Tuesday, a crew from the Michael Amodeo & Company auction house was doing an inventory of the countless plates and saucers, knives and forks, tables and chairs, and other items to go on sale Wednesday afternoon at the club. A Kimball baby grand piano, bottles of booze and even the club's little golden Buddha are all on the block.

The owner of One Newark Center, a Manhattan investment group for which Mack-Cali runs the building, is also the owner of the club, said Prott. So with martini sales down and membership having fallen below 400 from a peak of about 1,300, Prott said the owners decided to close the club and lease its 18,000 square feet as office space with unparalleled views.

Soon, like the 2,000-plus brides and grooms who cut their cake and soloed on the club's inlaid wooden dance floor, businesswomen and men will be able to gaze out floor-to-ceiling windows at the views of Manhattan to the east, the bending Passaic River to the south, the Watchung Mountains to the west, and rooftops throughout all of Newark and beyond.

Notable nuptial celebrations there included those of New Jersey telepundit Steve Adubato Jr., and U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., whose late father was among the countless Garden State politicians to hold fundraisers at the club, said Prott. On more than one occasion, Prott added, the club had room enough for three current or former New Jersey governors at one time. 

"I'd have (Tom) Kean and (Brendan) Byrne in the back, and (Jim) Florio out here," said Prott, sitting on a soon-to-be-sold chair in the club's Metropolitan Room. "Chris Christie would have all his holiday parties here when he was U.S. attorney."

Christie's lower-key successor as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, Paul Fishman, was a member before becoming U.S. attorney, Prott said.

Queen Latifah threw a party there, and fellow Newark native Whitney Houston's funeral repast was held at the club after her death in 2012, said Prott.

For such rarefied air, the club's annual membership fee was a down-to-earth $350.

"For the privilege of coming up here for lunch," Prott said, summarizing the benefits.

Booking the Newark Club for an event was considerably costlier, with a typical Saturday night wedding running about $25,000, including food, but not entertainment.  

Prott himself was recently married, and he and his wife, Annabella, just moved from Harrison to Sayreville. He said he's had offers to run other establishments, but declined to name names. And the Newark native was in no rush to decide what to do next, other than spending more time on his photography.  

"I'll figure that out in a couple of weeks," said Prott, amid tables piled with the tools of the hospitality trade. "I'm still trying to get rid of the rest of this stuff." 

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Thomas Tsilionis is speaking out on his resignation in the wake of a scandal over racially-charhed texts.

ROSELAND -- A day after borough leaders announced two councilmen caught in a racially-charged text exchange resigned their posts, one of the ex-councilmen issued an apology letter lashing out at what he called political retaliation.

Thomas Tsilionis blasted his former colleague Councilman Richard Leonard for the release of the texts last week after Tsilionis and other council members refused Leonard's bid to be council president.

In his letter, emailed Tuesday to NJ Advance Media, Tsilionis called Leonard "corrupt" and alleged indiscretions during Leonard's long tenure on the council.

"I have seen Leonard vote on items from which he should have abstained since he had a clear conflict of interest," Tsilionis said. "I have also seen Leonard improperly participate in discussions and make arguments regarding those same matters instead of removing himself."

Poll: Should councilmen have resigned over texts?

In a phone interview Tuesday, Leonard denied taking part in anything as a councilman in which he had a conflict of interest as a resident and realtor in the town. He has also denied Tsilionis's accusations that his actions over the text conversation have been self-serving.

"Tom Tsilionis made some great contributions as a councilman to the borough of Roseland," Leonard said, adding that David Jacobs, the other councilman who resigned over the texting scandal, had "offered consistent help" during his tenure on the board, too.

"They should not just be remembered for a text situation, even though it was certainly inappropriate, and is something that Roseland now has to get past," Jacobs said. "They served the people of Roseland."

The messages, sent in May 2016, were part of an ongoing group chat between all six council members and the mayor. The texts from Tsilionis included racial slurs and comments about penis size.

"I would like to personally apologize if the recent text messages referenced in the Progress and Star-Ledger newspapers offended anyone," Tsilionis wrote in the letter, contending the texts were meant as a joke.

"When taken 'out-of-context' my texts were offensive, disgusting and disturbing. However, the texts do not speak to who I am. There isn't a racist or anti-Semitic bone in my body."

Tsilionis had been on the Roseland borough council since 2010.

"Representing the residents of this great community has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It is with great gratitude and sorrow (tears), that I must resign from this position," Tsilionis wrote.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Which players are the most exciting in New Jersey basketball?

Who's going to win every region at every weight?

One of the most exciting weeks of the wrestling season is here - region week. Competition begins on Wednesday night at eight locations across New Jersey. 

Our staff of wrestling reporters have previewed each of the regions. We'll tell you what to watch for -- and we predict all 112 region champions. 

• REGION 1
• REGION 2
• REGION 3
• REGION 4
• REGION 5   
• REGION 6
• REGION 7
• REGION 8

CLICK HERE TO LIKE NJ.COM HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING ON FACEBOOK

Joe Zedalis may be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephzedalis. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued two memos on Tuesday outlining a more aggressive approach toward enforcing the nation's immigration laws and more broadly targeting those here illegally.

NEWARK -- She crouched in her bathroom, barely audible as she told a reporter her biggest fear. 

"My grandson is 10 years old, I live with the fear that when he comes home from school his family won't be here," an undocumented woman told NJ Advance Media hours after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced its crackdown on illegal immigration. 

"I'm terrified that they will disintegrate my family," she said on the phone in Spanish, whispering over her sobs so her family wouldn't hear. The 47-year-old single mom lives with her two older daughters and grandson in Newark. 

She requested her name not be published out of fear she'd be targeted.

A growing panic is pulsing through immigrant communities here as families worry whether they are safe taking the train to work or dropping their children off at school under a president who promised to clamp down on illegal immigration -- and create a deportation force to do so.

The DHS guidelines released Tuesday explained how the department plans to enforce President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration. The rules widen the net of who can be detained and deported -- and include hiring 10,000 more officers.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer rejected claims by immigrants rights groups that the goal was mass deportation.  

"The message from this White House and from the DHS is that those people who are in this country and pose a threat to our public safety or have committed a crime will be the first to go and we will be aggressively making sure that that occurs," he said in his briefing. 

Still, some are bracing for the worst. 

"I'm trying to take out their Ecuadorian passports," another undocumented woman in Newark said of her two U.S. citizen children. She said if her husband, who is also undocumented and works in construction, gets deported, she will pick up her kids and leave, too.

"My husband could come back, he may not. My income is little. I am not in the capacity to sustain my kids," she said, declining to give her name. "I can't stay alone here."

Michael Younker, an immigration attorney for Catholic Charities, said the rules broadened who could be detained and expanded the ability of immigration officials to expedite deportations -- and bypass the courts. 

"In the past they had (expedited removal) around the border. Now it's anywhere in the country," he said. "It's going to be a big expansion of detention."

Among those included in the prioritized list of undocumented immigrants are those who "in the judgment of an immigration officer, otherwise pose a risk to public safety or national security," one of the memos reads.

"That's leaving these individual law enforcement people with a lot of power," Younker said. "It's very arbitrary."

Mariana N., an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, says she's contributed to the U.S. for the last 10 years and had finally achieved her dream of owning her own business.

"It's unjust that they would take away those dreams," she said. "It hurts me, this situation hurts me. We're not harming anyone, we are paying taxes, we don't receive any government assistance."

She and other women in her neighborhood started an eco-friendly cleaning cooperative where everyone is part owner. Those who are undocumented pay taxes through an IRS-issued tax ID number, given to people regardless of immigration status so they can pay taxes.

"We're not enriching ourselves. On the contrary, we're investing here, we're leaving all our money here," Maria said. 

But that drive is starting to fade and fear is trickling in.

At church on Sunday, her son grew panicked when he saw a police officer nearby. Maria told her son to calm down. 

"I told him nothing is happening, nothing is happening," she said. "But inside, I was scared, too."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

The bus was in West Orange when the man jumped, officials said

WEST ORANGE -- A man suffered a serious head injury after jumping from a moving NJ Transit bus Wednesday morning, a township spokeswoman said.

The man, whose name was not released, attempted to break out of the rear door of the bus while it was driving, NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said. He fell out of the door onto the street at 10:25 a.m. near the intersection of White and Main streets, Smith said.

He was taken to University Hospital in Newark for treatment, the spokesman said.

It is unclear how fast the bus was traveling at the time.

The man who jumped was one of three passengers on board the No. 21 line bus, which was headed from Newark Penn Station to West Orange. No injuries to the other people on board or damage to the bus was reported, NJ Transit said.

It is not clear why the man jumped, or what types of head injuries he sustained. The incident is under investigation, Smith said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

After playing with the New York Phil earlier this month, the Russian-born performer will play with NJSO this weekend.

New York and romantic Russian concertos have been a good match for pianist Kirill Gerstein. In 2011, Gerstein made his New York Philharmonic debut playing Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. It was a success - with the New York Times saying he was "emerging as one of the most respected pianists of his generation."

This month he was back, once again playing the Tchaikovsky #1 with the New York Phil (in a version he recently recorded for Myrios Classics that is closer to the score that premiered in 1875). He's also preparing to play another major romantic blockbuster with the New Jersey Symphony this week, Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto.

This marks Gerstein's first time collaborating with Artistic Director Xian Zhang, but his return to the NJSO after a heralded debut at NJPAC two years ago. In a review on NJ.com, he was singled out as "one of the most compelling guest artists of the NJSO in recent seasons."

Speaking with Gerstein, it's clear that the NJSO's unique, traveling season made an impression on the Russian-born pianist.

"It's interesting that the orchestra plays in several venues," he said, in an interview with NJ.com earlier this month. "It feels a little like being on tour." 

He added: "it does add certain challenges, each venue has different acoustics, and it's not economically sensible for me to play the same piano in each place. But on the other hand, it brings an element of freshness and variety to each performance."

In the four concerts this weekend with NJSO -- beginning on Thursday night at bergenPAC in Englewood -- Gerstein will be performing Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. This piece is almost as ubiquitous as the Tchaikovsky #1 -- both have been featured in countless films and ice skating routines -- but there's one big difference. Rachmaninoff recorded his Second Piano Concerto --with himself at the keyboard.

Asked if its helpful to listen to such a definitive account of the score, Gerstein says: "I joke that every year, whenever I come back to listening to his recordings, he keeps improving." 

Since most of the big romantic concertos that are favored by orchestras and audiences were written before recordings came about, the Rachmaninoff albums are an exceptional -- if also daunting -- resource.

Gerstein embraces the recordings: "So much can be learned from them. He even tracked down the Steinway that Rachmaninoff used in those famous, pre-World War II recordings of the concertos with the Philadelphia Orchestra. 

"The recordings are more to be studied for the information contained -- not to mimic or play like him. It would be unnecessary to make a facsimile of his playing-- and also not possible. Rachmaninoff was also one of the greatest pianists. I still think the score is obviously the basic source, but it would be irresponsible to ignore his recordings."

Gerstein was born 500 miles south of Moscow, but became a naturalized American citizen in 2003. When asked as an artist what he feels about the state of relations between the United States and his native country, he said, "Without getting into politics, the importance of culture and supporting the arts, is that it brings people together. When we listen to something -- in person, not just on Spotify or on iPods -- together, we experience these thoughts and expressions of Rachmaninoff together."

To that end, Gerstein said he sees another benefit to the fact that the NJSO regularly plays in different cities around the state.  "I think its not just a good thing, but it's maybe the most important aspect of an orchestra: serving its community."  While many orchestras tour and export their style of music, Gerstein admires the New Jersey band's mission. 

"Bringing music to the people," he said, "this is what matters most."

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto

Feb. 23, bergenPAC in Englewood

Feb. 24, New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark

Feb. 25, Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank

Feb. 26, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown

Tickets: $20-$88; available at www.njsymphony.org

James C. Taylor can be reached writejamesctaylor@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Luis Pacheco is accused of trying to kill the woman during a robbery at the store in 2014.

NEWARK -- After Luis Pacheco beat, choked and snapped the neck of a Newark pawn shop employee in front of her 2-year-old grandson in 2014, the woman had to beg for her life, prosecutors said Wednesday. 

Luis Pacheco (Courtesy of Essex County Corrections)

Pacheco, 32, robbed the shop and left the woman beaten and bloody until first responders brought her to University Hospital, Assistant Prosecutor Jason Alterbaum said.

"Don't kill me," Alterbaum said the woman exclaimed. "Take whatever you want. Please don't kill me."

The description of the attack came during opening arguments in state Superior Court in Essex County in Pacheco's trial on an attempted murder charge and five related offenses.

Alterbaum told jurors the pawn shop employee left the Broad Street store on Aug. 22, 2014, to take her grandson to get something. When they returned, Pacheco attacked her as she opened the door to the shop's office, Alterbaum said.

As Pacheco, of Paterson, sat silently and listened to the proceedings through a Spanish interpreter, his lawyer told jurors the wrong man was on trial. Newark police and the county prosecutor's office had inadequately investigated the incident, Public Defender Sharon Amobi said.

"This case is about getting the right person -- not the quick person, not the easy person, the right person," she said. "Mr. Pacheco is not the right person." 

A glass pipe found at the pawn shop with Pacheco's DNA is not the smoking gun prosecutors will make it out to be, Amobi told the jury. His DNA shows he touched the pipe at some point, but does not prove he assaulted the woman, Amobi said. 

She added that although the woman likely will testify she hit Pacheco with a model car, his DNA was not found on the toy. It also was not found on a bag of clothes found at the store believed to have belonged to the perpetrator, Amobi said. 

The trial in front of Judge John Gizzo will continue Thursday.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police charged two Jersey City residents in Essex County scam.

BLOOMFIELD -- Two Jersey City men were accused in two Essex County burglaries where they posed as water department employees checking for a leak in a ruse to get inside homes and steal valuables, police said Wednesday.

Wando Delmaro, 58, and Michaelangelo Costello, 31, face charges of burglary, theft and conspiracy after they were linked to diversions burglary scams in Bloomfield and Nutley, according to authorities.

The arrests came after Bloomfield detectives tracked a vehicle used in the crimes based on a license plate and located the wanted car in Jersey City, police said in a statement. Investigators set up surveillance in Jersey City and arrested the men. 

'Selfless' cop thanked by suspect after frigid river rescue

The pair claimed to be utility workers and told residents they needed to check pipes in the basement for a possible water leak, according to police. When the homeowner let them inside, one accused scammer distracted the resident in the basement while the other man went hunting for jewelry and other goods around the house.

After one burglary Friday on Mountainview Avenue in Nutley, police obtained security camera footage of a pickup wanted in the crime and issued an alert to nearby towns, according to Nutley police Detective Sgt. Anthony Montanari. Police later found the pair had items stolen from the Mountainview Avenue residence.

Bloomfield Police Director Samuel DeMaio credited detectives with "following every lead, no matter how small."

"This is yet another incident where people from outside our township attempt to diminish our quality of life," DeMaio added in a statement. "We will work tirelessly to bring to justice anyone who comes to our township to commit criminal activity."

Alphonse Petracco, Nutley director of public safety, urged residents to be vigilant of the common scam. Residents should call the police before allowing purported workers inside their house, he added. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

We project 25 marquee matchups for Saturday night.

All of NJ.com's coverage of the pre-quarterfinal round, from around the state.

2017 REGION WRESTLING FIRST ROUND

The road to Atlantic City continues this week with the region tournaments, beginning tonight. The top four wrestlers will advance to the state championships next week — a rule change for this year.

Tonight, we begin with the first round of the regions — also known as the pre-quarterfinal round. District champions get the night off, with byes into the quarterfinals on Friday. 

Everyone else is wrestling to keep their seasons alive. 

REGION HOMEPAGES
R-1 |  R-2 |  R-3 |  R-4
R-5 |  R-6 |  R-7 |  R-8

Our staff will be at multiple locations tonight, providing live coverage via the links below. We will be updating brackets all night long, as results come in.  

Region 1
• First round results
•  Photo gallery
• Wednesday night recap
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 1 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 2
• LIVE UPDATES at 6
• First round results
• 'It says they kind of messed up.' DePaul's Cabanillas earns meaningful win on Day 1
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 2 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 3
• LIVE UPDATES at 6
• First round results
• Staff report from Region 3
•  Photo gallery 
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 3 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 4
• First round results
• Wednesday night recap
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 4 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 5
• First round results
• Wednesday night recap
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 5 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 6
• LIVE UPDATES at 5
• First round results
• Staff report from Region 6
•  Photo gallery
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 6 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 7
• LIVE UPDATES at 5
• First round results
• West Deptford's Gio Gismondi keeps moving forward to R-7 quarters  
• Cherokee's Colin Wickramaratna wins 100th match, looking for first major title
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 7 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 8
• LIVE UPDATES at 5:30
• First round results
• Staff report from Region 8
•  Photo gallery
• Quarterfinals pairings
•  Complete Region 8 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

The eight-member Senate Select Committee on School Funding Fairness held a hearing in Newark on Wednesday to discuss how to fairly -- and equitably -- fund public schools.

NEWARK -- The ongoing debate over how to fairly -- and equitably -- fund public schools prompted disagreements Wednesday between two Democrats who once were considered contenders for the gubernatorial race.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop urged a bipartisan Senate committee to more thoughtfully forge ahead with changing how public schools are funded, arguing current proposals are vague and threaten to help affluent areas "at the expense of the most needy children." 

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), who co-chaired the committee, said Fulop's remarks were "1000 percent wrong."

"It's actually insulting in some ways for him to say that we're trying to divert money from urban districts," he told reporters. "The Governor's plan does that, it creates an 'us versus them.'"

New Jersey spends more than $9 billion a year on public schools using a formula that considers each community's ability to raise revenue through property taxes.

It expects wealthier communities to pay a higher percentage of school costs with their own tax dollars and gives school districts extra money for students from low-income families. 

Last year, Gov. Chris Christie proposed a dramatic change which would give districts $6,599 per student regardless of income or other needs. 

Sweeney's plan would include fully funding the state's 2008 formula that determines how much state aid each school district receives according to school enrollment and student need. The state has been unable to fully fund its formula for years as it grapples with rising pensions costs and a dwindling transportation fund.

Part of Sweeney's plan also includes reallocating hundreds of millions in adjustment aid, money currently doled out to the districts like Jersey City and Hoboken solely so they don't lose state aid from previous years.

Fulop said though he supported fully funding the state formula, eliminating the adjustment aid would hurt urban districts like Camden, Asbury Park and Newark. Jersey City received $114 million in adjustment aid this year. 

"It is clearly an attack on poorer, predominantly African-American, Latino and minority communities," Fulop told the eight-member Senate committee during its fourth hearing on the issue at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. 

But Sweeney said urban districts like Newark and Paterson would see a net gain under his proposal because they receive less funding than they should from the state. Newark is underfunded by more than $100 million, his staff said. 

"Newark has cut bare bones and it hurts," Antoinette Baskerville Richardson, chair of Newark's School Advisory Board, told the committee. "Without full funding we don't know what the future will be for Newark public schools."

"We don't want to come up with a new formula, the formula works," Sweeney said. "We need to fund it."

He said some municipalities which are overfunded by the state need to step up local contributions to prepare for a decrease in aid. Jersey City, he said, pays 36 percent of what the state believes is their local fair share in taxes.

"Where they can afford to start paying, they need to start adjusting," Sweeney said. 

Fulop said lawmakers needed to understand Jersey City was not just affluent development. He said there are still pockets of poverty and 70 percent of students receive free and reduced lunch. 

"Pointing to a waterfront and classifying an entire city being indicative of a waterfront is unfair," Fulop said. He added that municipalities shouldn't be penalized for using tools given to them by the Legislature, such as tax abatements for new developers; school districts receive no money from abatement revenues.

During the nearly four-hour hearing, other school districts such as Bayonne testified about looming teacher layoffs because of severe underfunding. 

"Bayonne is in a serious structural budget crisis, it has caught up to us," said Schools Superintendent Patricia L. McGeehan. She pointed to their other Hudson County neighbors who were receiving more than enough state money. "So one more time: why not Bayonne?"

Charter school advocates also argued in favor of fully funding the formula. "What's good for districts is good for charter schools," said Rick Pressler, of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association.  

Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris) who also co-chaired the committee said not everyone agreed with the formula.

"The formula itself is skewed, gamed and it's political," he said. 

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. 

Six of those arrested include men charged with paying for sex

NEWARK -- Six men have been charged with soliciting prostitution and 10 women with prostitution by the police department's Special Enforcement Bureau, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said Wednesday.

The suspects were arrested Friday following complaints from residents near Sherman Avenue and East Bigelow Street, as well as Frelinghuysen Avenue, which has been targeted before in an ongoing campaign against prostitution in the city.

The following city residents were charged with prostitution: Christina Daggett, 29; Davitta Johnson, 52; Carmen Sanchez, 50; Dana Everette, 48; Leah Gibson, 24; and Tiarah Wheeler, 31.

19 arrested in prostitution bust in Trenton

The following men were charged with soliciting: James Haywood, 52, of Newark; Jose Quizpilema, 33, of Newark; Victor Santos, 45, of Harrison; Musa Kamara, 20, of Staten Island, NY; Lhadj Doukoure, 22, of Newark; John Whitaker, 54, of Elizabeth; Youssef Abadir, 41, of Elizabeth; Arthur Settle, 29, of Newark; Derrick Jones, 20 of Newark; and Zaher Hamdeh, 30, of Woodland Park.

Eight vehicles were also towed during the arrests.

"These arrests are due to the public's involvement in alerting us to criminal activity occurring in their neighborhoods," Ambrose said. "Our partnership with our citizens is one of greatest assets. We will continue to respond to and answer citizen complaints while enforcing the law."

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Police say Anthony Mollison shot a 22-year-old man at the Bradley Court housing complex on Jan. 15

Newark Police 

NEWARK -- Two suspects were arrested Wednesday in connection with a shooting and a separate robbery last month, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

The police department's Fugitive Apprehension Team and the FBI's Fugitive Task Force arrested city resident Dujuan R. Curry, 28. Curry allegedly robbed his cousin at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Jan. 23.

City detectives also arrested Anthony Mollison, 22, of East Orange, on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Police say Mollison shot a 22-year-old man at the Bradley Court housing complex on Jan. 15.

The victim was treated at University Hospital and released.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Only 14 drivers from New Jersey have started in the Indianapolis 500 since 1911.

I never really liked the term "bucket list," but I will admit that if I had one, it would include a visit to Indianapolis on Memorial Day Weekend for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indy 500.

I try to watch it every year, and used to listen to it on the radio (absolute truth) when I wasn't near a TV. The sight of the cars three-abreast coming down the front straightaway, the pageantry and a half million people in one oval container are things I would love to experience someday.

Funny thing is, not a whole lot of New Jerseyans have been to Indy if we're talking about drivers.

They've been running the race since 1911, with only short interruptions for World War I and World War II. Of the thousands of men and, beginning in 1976, women who've driven at the brickyard, only 14 hailed from New Jersey, according to oldracingcars.com.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Some names are fairly well known; Summit's Mark Donohue raced five times and won in 1972; Wally Dallenbach from New Brunswick ran 13 times between 1967 and 1981, and Steve Krisiloff of Newark competed 11 times between 1970 and 1984.

Malcolm Fox of Westville gets towed to the pits after being struck in the right rear tire by a car driven by Lester Spangler during the 1933 Indy 500.courtesy of indycar.com 

The others? Walt Ader (Long Valley), Norm Batten (East Orange), PJ Chesson (Far Hills), Art Cross (Jersey City), Malcolm Fox (Westville, pictured at right), Walt Hansgen (Westfield), Mike Magill (Haddonfield), Eddie Miller (Dumont), Bob Sall (Cream Ridge) and Jeret Schroeder (Vineland - yaayyyy!!) all started at least one Indy 500.

New Jersey may not have a 500-miler to call its own, but it does have a rich history of auto racing as well as classic cars.

Here's a gallery of classic cars and racetracks from New Jersey. Have captions enabled to read all about them.

And here are links to last year's classic cars galleries: Click here and click here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

The lawsuit is the second announced against the Caldwell Police Department this year over alleged discrimination and harassment

NEWARK -- A Caldwell police officer has filed a lawsuit against the borough and Police Chief James Bongiorno, claiming he has harassed and discriminated against her for more than a decade.

Candice Marinaro is the second Caldwell officer to pursue legal action this year in response to alleged discrimination and harassment by Bongiorno, who Marinaro said has targeted her since she was hired by the department 12 years ago.

Mayor Ann Dassing, Borough Administrator Paul Carelli and Borough Attorney Greg Mascera did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday evening.

Bongiorno declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Marinaro's attorney, Patrick Toscano, is also representing Lt. Michael Geary, who this summer filed notice of his intent to sue Bongiorno and the borough for racial discrimination.

"When Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus closed down after all these years, we did not realize that it would re-open in suburban Caldwell, New Jersey," Toscano said in a statement Wednesday to NJ Advance Media. "The fine law enforcement officers in that small but first-rate department deserve far better from their municipal leaders."

Marinaro, who was born in Trinidad, claims Bongiorno was overheard making a sarcastic comment about the borough hiring a "black girl" when she joined the department in 2005.

The complaint alleges that Bongiorno later made numerous sexual remarks about her and about another female officer.

Marinaro further claims that, among other actions, Bongiorno opened an unnecessary internal affairs investigation of her and spied on her while she was on patrol.

The complaint says she was interviewed by an investigator hired by the borough to look into her harassment claims, but was later denied access to the final report. 

In a notice of tort claim sent to the borough in July, Geary, who is Asian-American, said that he changed his last name from Fung after hearing officers were making racist jokes about him following his hiring in 2004.

Geary claimed he was told he was only hired to lessen the chance of a lawsuit by another minority officer. 

In the same filing, the lieutenant supported many of Marinaro's accusations against Bongiorno, alleging he also overheard him make racist comments and that the chief was angered when Geary forwarded a harassment complaint by Marinaro to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

"Since the beginning of my career, I have dealt with numerous hardships in my employment with Caldwell PD due to my ethnicity ... and for speaking up on behalf of Officer Marinaro's complaints," Geary said in the notice.

TapIntoWestEssex reported Tuesday that Geary, who has been placed on leave, is currently fighting a 36-hour suspension sought by the department for what it says was insubordinate behavior toward the chief.

Geary claims the internal affairs investigation is retaliation for his litigation against the administration, the report said.

Marinaro's lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages to be determined by a jury, as well as attorneys' fees and the costs of litigation.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The converted building at Halsey Street and Raymond Boulevard has 2- and 3-bedroom units, plus three retail stores

NEWARK -- Mayor Ras Baraka says Newark has plenty of room for more residents, and the developers at Paramount Properties are eager to help fill it, with their projects and even themselves.

Baraka was speaking at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday for Elizabeth-based Paramount's first completed project in Newark, the conversion of a largely unused former industrial building into 15 apartments and three retail stores at street level, in a rapidly redeveloping downtown neighborhood.

"We've had ribbon cuttings, opened up new spaces, reinvented these spaces, transformed these places, made them available to new Newarkers and the old Newarkers as well, because we have room," Baraka said.

"We have room in our city. We have a lot of room," Baraka added. "Newark used to be a city with about a half a million people. We have about 300,000 at this point, so we have room for at least 200,000 more folks. So, bring them in as quickly as you can."

The developer, Maurice Levy, said the company paid $1.5 million for the Halsey Street building, then put another $2.5 million into gutting it and rebuilding the interior.

"These are the tougher ones, where you're taking an existing building for a different use and it has to be retrofitted," said Levy, whose company has purchased 15 properties around Newark over the past two years.

Levy has not only adopted Newark as the new focus of his business, but also as his new home, with plans to move into the Ironbound neighborhood from Elizabeth.

The five-story, yellow brick building stands at the corner of Raymond Boulevard and Halsey Street, three blocks west of the widely acclaimed Hahne and Company department store site, now completing it conversion to 160 apartments, a Whole Foods supermarket, a Rutgers arts center, and other uses.

Dubbed Halston Flats, the Halsey Street building includes 2- and 3-bedroom apartments ranging from 800 to 1,400 square feet, and renting for $2,000 to $2,500 a month, said Richard Dunn, a Paramount vice president.

A Harvest Table healthy food restaurant and Poke sushi bar already occupy two of the three retail spaces, while a Krauser's convenience store is schedule to open in about a month.

"It's a good location," owner Jagat Parikh said of his fifth Krausers franchise.

High ceilings, exposed brick and heating and air conditioning pipes provide a loft-like feel, with a neon "Yes" mounted above the elevator just inside the main entrance.

"There is power in positivity," said the interior designer, Adele Schachner.

City Councilwoman Gayle Cheneyfield Jenkins said she was so taken by the restoration job that she could not recall what the building looked like before. Councilman Eddie Osborne, a former construction worker who is now an official with the Laborers International Union of North America, congratulated Paramount on "a job well done."

Dunn said the building was constructed sometime between 1894 and 1904, and used by the Columbian Steam Laundry company to manufacture and launder shirts.

Adding to its historic nature, city officials say the building stands at the site of the original terminus of the Morris Canal, which was later used for the Newark City Subway.

Baraka thanked Paramount father and son Solomon and Maurice Levy for investing in his city, and for having the sensitivity and good sense to usher the city's existing structures into a new era of prosperity after decades of hard times and contraction.

To encourage the Halsey Street project, the city granted Paramount a 20-year deal involving payments in lieu of taxes worth 10 percent of the building's annual gross revenues, said Carmelo Garcia, vice president and chief real estate officer for the Newark Economic Development Corporation.

"These are the anchor projects we've been working on to redevelop these blocks," Garcia said. "All you need is one."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Twenty-three individual schools in New Jersey also made the national list.

Two New Jersey school districts were among a small number recognized nationally as "Districts of Character" for their work teaching kids what it means to have good character.

Cherry Hill Public Schools in Camden County and New Providence School District in Morris County made Character.org's list of Districts of Character for 2017, while 23 schools in the state were named Schools of Character.

The districts and schools will now be in the running for national designations from Character.org, formerly known as the Character Education Partnership, based on the organization's 11 principles of character education.

According to a press release from New Providence schools, the educational movement encourages schools to work on students' ethical, social and emotional development, in addition to traditional classrooms skills.

Important parts of character development include teaching morality, honesty, fairness, responsibility, creativity and respect, and teachers and parents are encouraged to give students opportunities for "moral action," the release said.

Pick a Camden Co. musical we'll photograph

Cherry Hill Superintendent Joseph Meloche said in a statement that the district has been committed to character education in all of its 19 schools.

"On behalf of our entire school community and Board of Education, I am delighted that our district as a whole has been recognized for the work of our students, staff and administrators to foster a culture that develops not only academic achievement, but excellent student behavior and a positive school climate in all of our schools," he said. "We will continue this work moving forward, always seeking to strengthen and expand our character education initiatives."

Two Cherry Hill elementary schools, A. Russell Knight and Bret Harte, were also named to the list of 2017 Schools of Character.

New Providence Superintendent David Miceli congratulated students and staff for their work designing and implementing the character development programs in the district. "Your efforts and passion in our mission have made this achievement possible," he said in the release.

All of the schools and districts that made the lists will be considered for the title of national school or district of character by Character.org.

Twenty-three of the 80 Schools of Character for 2017 are in New Jersey and will be recognized during the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development conference at Rider University May 19. They are listed below.

• A. Russell Knight Elementary School, Cherry Hill
• Alexander Denbo Elementary School, Pemberton
• Bret Harte Elementary School, Cherry Hill
• Broad Street School, Bridgeton
• Burlington County Alternative School, Mount Laurel
• Campbell Elementary School, Metuchen
• Cinnaminson Middle School, Cinnaminson
• Essex County North 13th Street Tech High School, Newark
• Frank J. Smith School, East Hanover
• Harrison Elementary School, Roselle
• Helen A. Fort/Marcus Newcomb Middle School, Pemberton
• Howard L. Emmons Elementary School, Pemberton
• Jonas Salk Middle School, Old Bridge
• Mahala F. Atchison School, Tinton Falls
• Merriam Avenue School, Newton
• Morgan Elementary School, Hamilton
• New Brunswick Middle School, New Brunswick
• Paradise Knoll School, Oak Ridge
• Somerset Intermediate School, North Plainfield
• Tinton Falls Middle School, Tinton Falls
• Toms River High School East,  Toms River
• Whitehouse Elementary School, Whitehouse Station
• Yardville School, Hamilton

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The girls basketball Top 20 has a different feel this week after a number of upsets.

The online donation site YouGiveGoods is joining the Newark Boys & Girls Clubs to give books by historical novelist Rita Williams-Garcia to young readers

NEWARK -- People can celebrate Black History Month by donating books by historical novelist Rita Williams-Garcia to young readers in Newark.

"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia

The New Jersey-based online charitable giving site, YouGiveGoods, will provide the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark with copies of Williams-Garcia's best-selling and critically acclaimed novels for young adults, which are set in key periods and locations in African-American history.

The Newark drive is part of a nationwide Black History Month book drive on YouGiveGoods that's co-sponsored by the Anthem health insurance company and the Enterprise non-profit housing builder and social services network.

To donate, go to the the YouGiveGoods home page, click on Give to Drive, then click on Anthem Celebrates Reading. Scroll down to number 18 on the list of Apex Enterprise chapters, which is administering the Newark Boys and Girls Club drive. Click on the red "Shop" icon, and then choose from four options for a donation: a package of three of Williams-Garcia's books for $25, or a single book for $7.99 or $12.99 each. (Or you can take this shortcut to go straight to the shopping page.)

"It's your typical online shopping experience, but when you shop with YouBuyGoods, everything you buy goes to charity," said Lisa Tomasi, who founded the site after the Haitian earthquake of 2010.

Tomasi runs the site in Chester, and has a warehouse for donated goods in North Brunswick.

In 2011, Williams-Garcia's book, "One Crazy Summer," published a year earlier by Amistad, won the Newbury Honor Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Set in 1968, the book involves three sisters, ages 7, 9, and 11, who have grown up Brooklyn with their father, but spend a summer in Oakland, Calif., with their mother, a poet involved with the Black Panther Party.

Williams-Garcia also won the Coretta Scott King Award for the novel's sequel, "P.S. Be Eleven," in 2011, and won the King award again in 2014 for another book, "Gone Crazy in Alabama."

Through the end of February, donors can purchase Williams-Garcia books for children and youth through YouGiveGoods. The books will then be shipped directly to the Boys and Girls Club, where they will be distributed throughout the month of March. Donors will receive a tax receipt through the mail.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.