Until 2015, the space on University Avenue was home to Skipper's Plane Street Pub, a popular bar that featured live jazz music.

NEWARK -- After serving 33 years as an officer, Sam Siino is trading in his badge for a spatula. 

The 67-year-old Newark Police Department retiree and his wife, Liz, have opened Suite 304 Bar and Restaurant in the city's Central ward, the same neighborhood where Sam Siino was raised along with six siblings.

"We grew up poor, but Newark was always good to me" Siino said. "I got a job here and an education here... (That's) why I wanted to do this."

Until 2015, the space on University Avenue was home to Skipper's Plane Street Pub, a popular bar that featured live music. The Siino couple spent two years giving the building a makeover, from replacing the floor to fixing the kitchen's sink. 

Speaking alongside the owners, Mayor Ras Baraka called the work put into the restaurant "heartwarming" and said he is excited another business is moving in.

"It warms my heart to be able to come back into this space because I would drive past it and see it closed down," Baraka said. "I'm glad that you're doing this."

Baraka, a spoken word poet, said he frequented the old pub with his parents to listen to live jazz and blues. The new space, he said, mixes Newark's past with its future. 

"We don't want to have a city of giant chains. We want to have a city mixed with creative and imaginative places," he added. 

Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins said the Siinos' eatery will help keep residents in the city, and spending money in Newark's economy. 

"You don't have to go to Montclair, you don't to Hoboken, you don't have to go to Jersey City in order to get a great dining experience" she said. "You can meet us in Newark."

Seeing recent investments in the city inspired Siino to be apart of what he called "Newark's comeback." 

Among the numerous development projects is a 22-story apartment complex across from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center that will cost an estimated $116 million.

"I see the potential of Newark coming back," he said. "I saw Newark when it was good, when it went down and as it's coming back up."

Co-owner Liz Siino said her husband's bucket list has always included managing his own food place, and she was thrilled to put her 25 years of knowledge to the test. For more than a decade, Liz Siino worked for Restaurant Associates, a New York City-based hospitality company. 

"He knew that I had the experience," Liz Siino said. "I said, 'Okay, let's go for it."

She said the restaurant will serve Italian and American food, and may begin offering live music on weekends. 

Top Chef Michael Logan used to run his own Italian restaurant in Manalapan and previously worked in Newark's Radisson Hotel.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Rajohn Wilson took part in murders, drive-by shootings and sold heroin

NEWARK -- A so-called 'five-star" general in the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods street gang was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison for his role in a host of crimes. 

Rajohn Wilson, 26, of Newark pleaded guilty to a racketeering count that included charges of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to distribute heroin. 

Wilson will also have five years of supervised release after completing his federal prison term.

He admitted to plotting two murders of rival gang members in 2007 and taking part in two drive-by shootings, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey William Fitzpatrick said in a release. Wilson also admitted to conspiring to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin, authorities said.

Rajohn Wilson is the younger brother of Narik "Spaz" Wilson, the reputed leader of the gang. 

The Sex Money Murder set operated primarily near Spruce Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Newark.

Narik Wilson's brother pleaded guilty to related crimes  in November.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said it was "pathetic" how many guns flood Newark streets from out of state, and called for federal, state and local cooperation to address the problem Watch video

NEWARK -- Two teenagers were shot and wounded on a Newark street Tuesday morning, in an incident seized upon by the mayor and public safety director to call for cooperation among all levels of government to combat the influx of guns from out of state.

"It's pathetic the amount of guns that are making it into our inner cities and into the city," Newark Police Director Anthony Ambrose told reporters. "I've been a law enforcement officer all my life, and this is the most guns I've ever seen. At some point the federal government, the state government, local government have to have a strategy to stop this."

Ambrose said police got a 911 call reporting shots being fired at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, at the intersection of Jeliff and Muhammad Ali avenues.

Officers responding to the scene found two teenage males who had suffered what he called "superficial wounds."

Officials said the two were taken to University Medical Center in Newark for treatment.

Officials said witnesses told investigators that the shots were fired from a black sedan, which then fled the area.

Ambrose said investigators were pursuing what he called "active leads." And members of the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Prosecutors Office and the Essex County Sheriff's K-9 were seen swarming the intersection looking for evidence, briefly closing off streets with yellow police tape and combing the area with dogs.

Mayor Ras Baraka also spoke, questioning the state's bail reform law that took effect this year, which he said had the unintended consequence in some cases of turning violent crime suspects loose on the streets soon after their arrest.

"I am a proponent of bail reform" Baraka said. But, he added, "People who are committing violent crimes or what we believe is criminal activity are getting out of jail."

"The only good that that came out of today was that the two kids were not killed," Baraka added.

Ambrose said his department had sezied 200 guns to date this year, in addition to another 150 seized by other law enforcement agencies. Since 2012, he said, a total of 3,500 guns had been seized in Newark. But, he added, the guns keep coming.

Ambrose said Tuesday's shooting was less than 24 hours after his officers had arrested four individuals and seized three guns in a separate incident at 15th Avenue and 18th Street.

 "I think our system is failing us," Ambrose said. "Only yesterday, our officers put their lives on the line. Too many innocent people are getting injured. Something definitely has to be done with the amount of guns that are coming into the inner city, especially Newark, New Jersey."

NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Karen Yi contributed to this report

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

Bandit jumped over bank counter, threatened teller, according to court papers.

NEWARK -- A New York City man on Tuesday admitted in federal court that he stole about $44,525 in the knifepoint robbery of a Fort Lee bank.

Andres Dominguez, 38, of the Bronx, pleaded guilty to bank robbery for the Jan. 12 afternoon holdup at the Bank of New Jersey on Palisade Avenue, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

Armed with a large kitchen knife, Dominguez approached a teller and jumped onto a counter, according to court documents. He demanded the teller hand over the money or he would kill the bank worker.

The teller followed orders and the robber jumped back over the counter before he fled from the bank on foot, according to federal court documents. Investigators retrieved the knife from a dumpster behind the bank and also found clothing the bandit was wearing during the holdup blocks from the bank.

Authorities tracked Dominguez to the Bronx, where he was arrested a day after the heist. He faces a possible maximum 20 year prison term when he is sentenced Oct. 31.

Fitzpatrick credited special agents with the FBI's Newark division and Fort Lee police with working on the investigation.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Anyone with information urged to call investigators.

NEWARK -- Authorities on Tuesday asked for tips from the public as they investigate the slaying of a 52-year-old Newark man in the city's Central Ward.

Luis A. Hernandez was found shot in the 700 block of Wicker Court around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. He died at the scene, the Wynona Lipman Gardens public housing complex off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. 

There were no arrests and investigators have not identified any suspects, the prosecutor's office said. More information was not immediately released.

Anyone with information was urged to contact the prosecutor's office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

The man "punched and kicked" officers as they placed him in handcuffs, according to police.

BAYONNE -- A Newark man was arrested after nearly hitting a police officer with a stolen vehicle earlier this month, police said.

On July 15, Michale Roman, 26, was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, aggravated assault, eluding and resisting arrest after fleeing from police in a vehicle stolen out of Jersey City, authorities said.

Roman was stopped by police on 18th Street and Avenue A and was found operating a white Ford Econovan that was reported stolen, authorities said.

Roman then attempted to flee from police in the car, accelerating toward the officer causing him to jump out of the way, police said. 

The Newark man fled north on Avenue A and turned left onto 20th Street where he crashed into three parked cars, authorities said.  

He then attempted to flee on foot through an alleyway of a residence on West 20th Street, but was stopped by police. However, Roman "punched and kicked" officers as they placed him in handcuffs, according to cops.

The tale of Justin Bieber, Carl Lentz and Montclair just got juicier

MONTCLAIR -- The tale of Justin Bieber and his increasing visits to a New Jersey suburb may have just gotten a lot juicier. 

The pop mega-star shocked the music world Monday with the announcement that he had canceled the remainder of his Purpose world tour, including Aug. 23 and 24 dates with MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. That's a cool 110,000 fans over two days missing out on "Love Yourself" and "Sorry" sing-alongs. 

At first the cancellation came without cause, reportedly infuriating his crew of more than 200, who had no idea the 23-year-old singer would be ending his roadshow, TMZ says.

So where does that New Jersey suburb -- Montclair, where the Canadian star has been seen around town on multiple occasions -- fit into all of this? 

Representatives from the New York-based Evangelical global church Hillsong, led in part by pastor Carl Lentz, told TMZ Tuesday that Bieber cancelled his tour because "he has rededicated his life to Christ." Lentz, a celebrity spiritual leader with nearly half a million Instagram followers, has been close with Bieber since 2008, the New York Post reports. 

Though previously it was never confirmed that Lentz actually lived in Montclair, a new property record shows Lentz and his wife Laura recently purchased up a renovated Mid-Century home in Upper Montclair with four bedrooms, including a basement au pair suite -- perfect for the Biebs?

TMZ says Lentz did not instruct Bieber to cancel his tour, and in a video posted to TMZ Tuesday Bieber alludes to the fact that he's simply tired from two years of touring and is ready to relax and "ride bikes." 

But if Bieber did, in fact, drop the rest of the tour to refocus his religious compass, there's a good chance more superstar sightings could be coming soon in Montclair.

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Lisa Durden, who was ousted from her position at Essex County College over remarks she made on television, is the Green Party candidate for lieutenant governor.

NEWARK -- The fired adjunct professor who made national headlines when she was ousted for her comments on a Fox News television show is joining the Green Party ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor. 

Lisa Durden, 53, of Newark, announced Tuesday she was joining Seth Kaper-Dale's gubernatorial campaign. Kaper-Dale is a pastor at the Reformed Church of Highland Park. 

"I've never heard of a politician who stood strong on the angle of social issues in addition to crime, education and health care," Durden told NJ Advance Media. She says she was particularly drawn to the core message of Kaper-Dale's platform: The last are the first.

"He feels from the bottom up is how we should work, it's about priorities," she said. 

Durden, who has never run for public office and switched her party affiliation from a Democrat last month, said Kaper-Dale speaks to the issues she's spent her life advocating for: Black Lives Matter, women's issues and the fight against mass incarceration. 

"What's right sometimes isn't always comfortable," she said.

Durden was an adjunct communications professor and was fired after a June 6 appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in which she defended the Black Lives Matter movement's decision to host a Memorial Day celebration in New York City to which only black people were invited.

The college's newly appointed president, Anthony Munroe, said Durden was fired after the college received complaints about her comments even though she did not affiliate herself with the college while on the show. 

Kaper-Dale, who has often spearheaded fights to keep undocumented immigrants in his community, said that Durden "is exactly the voice that New Jersey needs to listen to."

He said he learned about her once he heard about her ouster and said he "immediately knew this was the person who should be my lieutenant governor."

"I'm not at all worried about picking someone who is divisive," Kaper-Dale told NJ Advance Media. "I think the lens that she brings is very much like my lens but in other ways it's different. It's a lens worn by a black woman instead of a white man. It's an absolutely essential voice in terms of crafting what the last and the first looks like in New Jersey."

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

Cardolite Corporation pleaded guilty to six charges of violating the Water Pollution Control Act and agreed to pay a $100,000 fine and $53,000 in restitution.

TRENTON -- A chemical plant that once operated in Newark will pay more than $150,000 in fines for discharging waste into the sewer system in ways that did not comply with the law, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said Tuesday. 

Cardolite Corporation, headquartered at Monmouth Junction, pleaded guilty to six charges of violating the Water Pollution Control Act before Superior Court Judge John I. Gizzo in Essex County. The international company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine and $53,000 in restitution to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, which helped in the investigation. 

A call to the attorney representing Cardolite was not returned. 

Authorities said Cardolite admitted that between April and July 2015, it failed to properly manage and report its waste discharges six different times. The Water Pollution Control Act requires companies self-monitor and report violations but Cardolite tampered with the measurements, authorities said. 

"When so many of our environmental laws require self-regulation, this case should serve as an important reminder to our regulated communities that we will not tolerate misreporting and failures to comply," Porrino said in a statement.

"Cardolite was required to accurately monitor and report pH levels of the waste it discharged into the sewer system, and instead it manipulated and falsified results," he added. 

Authorities said the company's violations did not directly cause any harm to the environment. 

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

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating a fire that damaged three structures in the 100 block of Brookdale Avenue Tuesday night, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.  Only one of the structures were occupied and no one was hurt, although 11 people, including a child, were displaced. The fire was concentrated in one of the unoccupied structures, Ambrose said. ...

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating a fire that damaged three structures in the 100 block of Brookdale Avenue Tuesday night, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement. 

Only one of the structures were occupied and no one was hurt, although 11 people, including a child, were displaced. The fire was concentrated in one of the unoccupied structures, Ambrose said. 

The blaze was extinguished around 7:15 p.m.

Two of the men face charges of promoting organized street crime, prosecutors say.

NEWARK -- Three men arrested in connection with the shooting of a 23-year-old city man outside a Mulberry street bar in April have been indicted on murder charges, prosecutors announced.

In addition to murder, Rashan Jackson, Hakeem Maloney and Naim S. Jones face charges of conspiracy, illegally possessing a handgun and possessing a handgun for an unlawful purpose in the April 21 shooting of William Porter, according to a statement from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutors said Jones, 41, of Newark, and Maloney, 37, of Irvington, also face charges of promoting organized street crime, although they did not specify the nature of the criminal organization.

All three are expected to be arraigned on the charges Aug. 21 before Superior Court Judge Ronald D. Wigler in Newark. Records show they are being held in the Essex County Correctional Facility on pre-trial detention orders.

Investigators said Porter was shot in a parking lot across the street from the bar, near the Oliver Street intersection, around 2:30 a.m. Porter, who law enforcement documents said was shot in the head, was pronounced dead at University Hospital just over three hours later.

Jackson, 30, of Irvington, was one of nine people charged in April 2016 as part of a citywide narcotics investigation by the prosecutor's office in Newark. In that instance, authorities said, Jackson sold heroin to an undercover police officer, and was also charged with selling heroin within 500 feet of a school.

The disposition of those charges was not immediately available Tuesday.

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

Freeholder boards range from three to nine members in New Jersey. Each county's freeholders earn salaries that they set for themselves.

The mission is to take unwanted guns off the streets and out of homes

Watsessing Park in East Orange and Bloomfield unveiled a $986K expansion.

EAST ORANGE -- A giant water-shooting crab. An oversized water slide. A lighthouse that'll douse you as you glide by.

Bottom line: If you head to the new addition to Watsessing Park in East Orange - you're going to get wet.

Essex County last week unveiled a 3,000 square foot expanded playground and spray park - which area kids were quick to check out.

This is an amazing day and it's great to see all the children enjoying themselves," Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake said in a statement about the opening. Gouri Sadhwani, president of the Friends of Watsessing Park group, added, "this park gets used a great deal and I can't think of a better place for the county's first water feature."

How an N.J. county spent $300M in 15 years on parks

The new wet wonderland and playground expansion, part of an expansive and ever-growing parks system in Essex County, cost $986,091 to design and build, county officials said. It was paid for by a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, as well as the county's capital budget.

It should be open between Memorial Dan and Labor Day each year, officials said.

"We are always looking for new ways to make our playgrounds more attractive and meet the needs of the community," County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said in a statement.

"The water spray equipment and climbing apparatus expand the recreation opportunities at both playgrounds, enhance the excitement children will have when they come to the park and provide a unique feature where they can cool off on hot days."

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

A 21-year-old Hudson County felon serving a sentence for a handgun offense is listed as having "escaped" from a Newark work release facility on Sunday, state corrections officials say.

JERSEY CITY - A 21-year-old Hudson County felon serving a sentence for a handgun offense is listed as having "escaped" from a Newark work release facility on Sunday, state corrections officials said.

On Nov. 4, 2016, Tyree J. Jackson, of Jersey City, was sentenced to five years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 42 months for unlawful possession of a weapon regarding an offense that occurred on April 22, 2015, state corrections records say.

Jackson, who began serving his prison term on Nov. 4, 2016, is listed as having escaped from the Urban 1 facility. His maximum prison term would end on May 7, 2019, state corrections records say.

Anyone with information on Jackson's whereabouts is asked to call the New Jersey Department of Corrections Fugitive Unit at 800-523-3829 or email the Fugitive Unit. 

Dreaming of a deluxe apartment in the sky? Check out this options

Several New Jersey communities have hopped on the 'Kindness Rocks!' bandwagon.

WEST ORANGE -- Some look like superheroes. Others look like bugs. Still, others have inspirational messages scrawled across them.

There aren't any design rules to take part in the national rock-painting phenomenon that's recently taken hold in West Orange. Families hoping to participate just need to pick up rocks from a local park, paint them, and hide them in another town park.

If you find a rock, you can take it home with you, or re-hide somewhere else.

"It's a great way to get the community out into the parks," said Perry Bashkoff, the township's social media consultant who launched the program in West Orange.

The movement has gained steam on social media, first taking hold through a few nationally organized groups like the Kindness Rocks Project and the Facebook group USA Painted Rocks Etc.

In individual towns, organizers use social media pages to spread the word about rock painting, hiding, and seeking, and ask participants to post pictures of their jagged creations.

A few communities in New Jersey have started their own pages, and over the past month and a half in West Orange, #WORocks has attracted about 450 members on Facebook, and another 100 on Instagram.

According to a Today Show story on the online phenomenon, communities all across the country have attracted tens of thousands of their residents to take part. Megan Murphy, a Massachusetts life coach who started the Kindness Rocks Project, told the Today Show, "The project is about people. ... It's about after people find a rock and they have that feeling about the rock and realize there's another human being who actually gets them. They realize they are not alone in this world."

In West Orange, the public library and Lyric Performing Arts Center are both planning rock painting parties to encourage involvement.

#WORocks has taken off, Bashkoff said, because the social media frenzy can "spread positivity, encourage creativity, and bring the community together."

The fatal crash on Tuesday afternoon remains under investigation

PARSIPPANY -- A 37-year-old woman from Bayonne was killed Tuesday afternoon after her vehicle veered off Route 280 and struck several trees, state police said.

Nicole Nawrocki was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which was reported at 3:14 p.m.

State police provided her name Wednesday. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Nawrocki was driving alone in a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero and heading west, New Jersey State Police Trooper Lawrence Peele said.

The crash occurred at about mile marker one in Parsippany, near where the expressway meets Route 80. 

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook

The man was arrested after allegedly using forged documents to rent a car at the airport.

Devarel Teronio, 32, of Brooklyn, New YorkPort Authority police 

NEWARK -- A man fled from police last week after allegedly using fake documents to try and rent a car at the Hertz Car Rental at Newark airport, according to police.

Devarel Teronio, 32, of Brooklyn, was arrested last Friday and charged with forgery, false government documents, credit card theft, resisting arrest and intent to defraud a cardholder, according to a statement from Port Authority police.

At about 10:15 p.m. on Friday, Port Authority police responded to the Hertz Car Rental at Newark airport for a report of a man suspected of using forged documents to rent a car at the agency.

When Port Authority police went inside the rental agency, they saw Teronio interacting with a Hertz employee, who told police that Teronio had given a forged commercial driver's license and a credit card with a name on it that was not his, according to police.

When confronted by authorities, the man maintained that the driver's license was valid and that it was his credit card, according to officials.

However, after he was unable to confirm the date of birth, he fled.

Port Authority police ultimately apprehended the man at the corner of the Lindbergh and Hotel roads.

Teronio was arresed on fraud charges n May in Montgomery County, Texas, according to police.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Wawa, a convenience store and gas station chain, plans to open a new location in Newark.

NEWARK -- Wawa, the popular Philadelphia-based convenience store chain, has plans to open its first location in Newark, the city's development agency confirmed. 

The convenience store and accompanying gas station is seeking approval from the Newark Planning Board next month before moving ahead with a 5,000 square-foot facility on McCarter Highway. The property is currently vacant.

"It is a big deal," Carmelo Garcia, executive vice president and chief real estate officer for the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation told NJ Advance Media. "We welcome it; we're happy that you have national retailers making the commitment and investment in Newark."

Garcia said it'd be Newark's first-ever Wawa and once approved, will open in a blighted commercial strip along one of the city's main arteries in the Central Ward. 

Garcia said he and Mayor Ras Baraka have been courting retailers at the The Global Retail Real Estate Convention, a gathering for the shopping industry, and it's finally paying off. 

"You go there to recruit them, you go there to impress upon them that your city is moving in a positive direction," Garcia said. "Going to this event is what impacted (Wawa) considering coming to Newark."

An email to Wawa's public relations team was not returned, neither were messages left for the developer's attorney. 

According to Wawa's website, there's only one other location in Essex County, in Maplewood. 

The planning board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. 

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