The deal, if accepted by Mars Wrigley Confectionary would move 113 jobs from Chicago and 370 jobs from Hackettstown to Newark.

TRENTON -- The state Economic Development Authority Tuesday approved  a 10-year, $31 million tax enticement to the Mars candy company in Hackettstown that would bring 483 jobs to Newark, including 113 new jobs for New Jersey.

Mega candy maker Mars Wrigley Confectionary US LLC executives are planning to expand in either New Jersey or Illinois, where the famed candy maker already operates regional facilities. 

By a 11-0 vote and one recusal, the authority approved a $3.1 million annual tax credit package over 10 years. Mars Wrigley would make $42 million capital investment in a leased 110,000-foot office complex, a half-mile from Newark Penn Station, according to the company's application to the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program.

If Newark prevails over Chicago, Mars Wrigley would move 113 jobs from Chicago and 370 jobs from Hackettstown to Newark.

The tax credits are crucial to New Jersey's pitch, according to the application.

"The location analysis submitted to the Authority shows New Jersey to be the more expensive option and, as a result, the management of Mars Wrigley has indicated that the grant of tax credits is a material factor in the company's location decision."

The application does not say exactly where the building would be located. 

Sources familiar with the grant applications reportedly told ROI-New Jersey the headquarters would be located in the Ironside Newark -- a 456,000-square-foot commercial and retail center currently being renovated.

Upon completion, the building will serve as the cornerstone of the Mulberry Commons project, a development that promises to link the Prudential Center arena and Newark Penn Station.

If the deal goes through, it would be a return to Newark for the candy giant, which was headquartered in the Brick City from about 1940 to 1959, when it opened the Hackettstown location. 

Mission to Mars: Take a rare look inside the N.J. M&M's plant 

"It is estimated that the project would have a combined net benefit to the state of $219.2 million over the 20 year period required" by the Grow New Jersey law, according to a summary of the project provided to the EDA board.

The EDA also approved a second $1 million grant for a capital project in Hackettstown, that would bring 92 new jobs from Chicago, and stop 369 jobs from migrating to Chicago. Mars has committed to making $54.2 million in capital investments in Hackettstown, according to the summary.

"If the state of New Jersey approves our recent incentives application we hope to create offices in both Hackettstown and Newark in 2020," a Mars Wrigley spokeswoman told NJ Advance Media on Monday.

Mars -- now Mars Wrigley since a recent merger -- makes M&M's, Twix, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Dove and Milky Way candy bars. Half of the nation's M&M's are made in the Hackettstown facility in Warren County.

Staff Writer Steve Strunsky contributed to this report. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

On Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden released his memoir, "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose."

NEWARK -- He shared the pain of losing his son to brain cancer.

He talked about awe of working with the brightest person he's ever known -- the first black president of the United States. 

And he echoed the words of his late Irish-Catholic mother: "Don't think you are so special that somehow you are immune from all the things that happen in life."

Former Vice President Joe Biden came to Newark Tuesday to speak about his new memoir, "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose," which narrates his journey through grief and a historic White House administration.

"Hope really, really matters but you don't know where to look for it; you don't know whether it's ever going to come," said Biden, speaking at Audible headquarters to a roomful of employees and high school interns. "Even though it's a year later, you feel just as down as the day you got the news. There is a way through it and the way to get through it is with a sense of purpose, to begin to do something that matters."

His memoir was released Tuesday. The audiobook, produced by Audible and narrated by Biden, is also available for download.

"It gave hope to us," said Lynn Yeboah, 16, a junior at North Star Academy. "For a politician to tell us that we can make it, we can do whatever we put our mind to, is really good for us as people of color and a lot of women in the room."

Biden spoke with ease for more than an hour, weaving in and out of stories about his parents, his kids and the time he told Russian President Vladimir Putin he "had no soul."

"He did not take it as an insult," Biden said, "He said, 'We understand one another.' That's a long way to get to the short answer which is there's still an ability to work with someone who is not from our value set."

Biden, often called "middle-class Joe," spoke candidly about his working class upbringing and his family's emphasis on integrity and respect. He said his book was meant to tell the world about his remarkable son, Beau, but more importantly, to bring people who have loved and lost, some hope.

"When you are the recipient of empathy, you know how important it is," he said. "You have an obligation to return it."

For the high schoolers who heard Biden's message, they said they were surprised by how deeply personal his stories were. 

"He opened up and we saw a different side of him," said Micaela Generali, 17, of Science Park High. "I'm Hispanic and a lot of people would think, 'Oh you don't relate with a politician white guy,' but honestly I did relate with him, I really did."

Generali was one of 30 high school interns from North Star and Science Park High School in Newark who sat in on the former vice president's talk and were able to shake his hand and take photos during a private meet-and-greet.

Audible CEO Don Katz said the paid internship program -- open only to Newark students -- helps train and prepare the city's youth for future employment. High school interns can move on to the college scholars program and are guaranteed part-time employment, in an effort to break the cycle of generational poverty that plagues many families.

Having speakers like Biden, Katz said, helps open more doors.

"They need encouragement from someone to have a sense of social responsibility no matter who you are," he said. "I think it's really powerful stuff." 

When asked about how to fight back in today's political climate by a young employee, Biden seemed fired up.

"You are diminished if your sister can't marry the girl she loves. You are diminished if your friend is profiled and you can't do anything about it. You can't hide with a deterioration of a civil society," Biden said. "Get involved in the things that stir your interest and you can change things, I promise you."

He encouraged people to go to their home towns and run for local office and imbued a sense of responsibility among a generation he called the most tolerant, well-educated and progressive in history. 

"America is an idea, it's an idea and what these guys are doing now is trying to organize based on tribe," Biden said, referring to the current administration. "It's dangerous, it's inconsistent with who we are."

"Kiddo," he said pointing to the back of the room. "You got to get up, you got to get involved."

The audiobook is available for download here: www.audible.com/biden.

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

NEWARK -- A male victim was shot and killed Tuesday night, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed.  The shooting occurred around 7 p.m. at 91 Prince St., the prosecutor's office said. The shooting happened somewhere inside the building, according to a law enforcement source.  No additional information was immediately available Tuesday night.  Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow...

NEWARK -- A male victim was shot and killed Tuesday night, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed. 

The shooting occurred around 7 p.m. at 91 Prince St., the prosecutor's office said. The shooting happened somewhere inside the building, according to a law enforcement source. 

No additional information was immediately available Tuesday night. 

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

A look at the top 20 performers from Tuesday's group semifinals

Settlement came after allegations from a whistleblower, according to federal officials.

NEWARK -- Two insurance companies agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations that they violated federal law by causing Medicare and Medicaid to pay for claims that the companies were responsible for, the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey said Tuesday.

The businesses -- Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, and Progressive Garden State Insurance Co., of West Trenton -- are part of the nationwide Progressive Group of Insurance Companies. The Ohio and New Jersey-based firms were accused of violating the federal False Claims Act.

When an individual has Medicare or Medicaid and other private health insurance, each type of coverage is known as a "payer." The insurance company that pays first, called a "primary payer," generally pays to the limit of its coverage for a customer's health care claim. When there are health care costs that the primary payer doesn't cover, the individual's other coverage may pay for those costs.

Federal and state law mandates that if an individual has private insurance along with Medicare or Medicaid, then the government programs can't be the primary payer for certain claims. Instead, officials said, the private insurer must act as the primary.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, "under 'health first' automobile insurance policies that it offered, Progressive designated the policyholder's health insurance carrier as the primary payer for medical claims that arose in connection with an automobile accident."

"Even though, under the law, Progressive could not decline to make primary payment to Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, the company permitted Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to elect a "health first" policy. Many of these policyholders in New Jersey who were Medicare or Medicaid," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.

"Because Progressive's 'health first' policies designated the company as the secondary payer, Medicare and Medicaid improperly paid for claims that Progressive should have paid," the release said.

"The United States and New Jersey alleged that this conduct violated the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and Medicaid regulations and, as a result, Progressive caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid," officials said.

The claims were settled without any determination of liability, officials said. 

"While we generally do not comment on pending or resolved litigation, we think it important to note in this circumstance that we strongly disagreed with the allegations in the lawsuit, none of which were proven or had any merit," Progressive spokesman Jeff Sibel said in a statement.

"We settled merely to avoid the distraction and expense of litigation whose outcome would not impact our customers, claimants or products," the spokesman said. "We look forward to continuing to devote our attention to serving New Jersey's drivers, who benefit from our commitment to their insurance needs." 

The settlement came after an investigation by agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and allegations from a whistleblower, according to officials. The whistleblower will receive more than $600,000 out of more than $2 million recovered by state and federal authorities.

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

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips

Roseann Trezza runs Associated Human Societies which has three shelters including one in Newark

NEWARK -- The executive director of a Newark animal shelter has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

Roseann Trezza, 70, of Matawan, runs Associated Human Societies which has three shelters including one in Newark. Trezza on Wednesday was charged with eight criminal counts of animal cruelty and eight civil counts of animal cruelty. 

Trezza did not immediately return a request for comment. 

The NJSPCA said she failed to care for some animals in the shelter by providing filthy water bowls and mixing sick animals with healthy ones. The society said they filed the charges after working with the state Department of Health and the Newark Health Department. 

The Newark shelter has failed its last three inspections by state and local health officials who cited a medley of violations ranging from sick animals not being provided with vet care and insufficient ventilation for animals in the basement. 

Local and state health officials inspected the Newark facility on Aug. 22 and issued 40 violations. A follow-up inspection on Sept. 26 and Oct. 20 found the shelter made some fixes but was still not in compliance with licensing requirements. 

Trezza has served on the board of directors since 1973 and according to the nonprofit's 990 tax filing, reported $112,000 in compensation in 2016.

Societies has two other facilities in Tinton Falls and Forked River, including the Popcorn Park animal sanctuary.

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

Man found shot in a vehicle last month, according to police.

NEWARK -- Essex County prosecutors on Wednesday charged a 25-year-old Newark man with murder in a city shooting after authorities said the victim died days following the attack.

Robert Steele (Photo: ECPO) 

Robert Steele is accused in the slaying of Hydee Wrice, of Newark, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Newark police initially arrested Steele on an attempted murder charge after he shot Wrice Oct. 29 in the 100 block of Littleton Avenue, according to authorities. Officers found Wrice shot several times in a vehicle.

The 26-year-old died Nov. 5 at University Hospital after he was listed in critical condition, authorities said.

Police and prosecutors did not disclose a possible motive for the shooting. The state's largest city reported 57 murders as of Oct. 29, compared to 77 killings in the same period last year.

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

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips

At the moment, when it comes to fake photos, we have a lot more problems than solutions.

Remember the computer acronym WYSIWYG -- what you see is what you get? In this gallery, the pictures may cause the viewer to do a double-take, but I assure you that they are WYSIWYG photos. That is, no computer program was used to alter the images; the pictures depict what was seen through the camera's lens. 

Writing in "Photo Tampering Through History," Hany Farid notes that the practice of tampering with photos began not long after the creation of the first photograph. Early photographers employed double-exposures and alterations to negatives to achieve results that most people accepted at face value. Examples of this include spirit photographs from the 19^th century which purported to show ghosts and spirits but were double exposures.

This one is, of course, is completely real.Courtesy of flickr.com 

When computer technology allowed for photos to be digitalized and opened with software such as Photoshop, the likelihood that a photo might not be what it appears to be increased by leaps and bounds ... and our ability to notice doesn't appear to have kept up. A Washington Post article by William Wan from July 2017 notes that Sophie Nightingale, who researches cognitive psychology at the University of Warwick in England, thinks our ability to spot faked photos is "not good at all."

In a test designed by Nightingale and taken by more than 700 men and women, participants could tell an image was faked only 60 percent of the time -- a little better than if they guessed completely at random. And with the correct picks, only 45 percent of participants could pinpoint what had been changed in a photo. Men were slightly more adept at finding the specific change.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

"Many feel we should be more aware of fake photos," said Nightingale who is especially worried about the implications of fake photos in court, where images are often used as evidence. "But if you just go around telling people don't trust anything, then people will lose all faith in images, which is equally problematic. At the moment, when it comes to fake photos, we have a lot more problems than solutions, I'm afraid."

So, enjoy this collection of WYSIWYG photos. And, here are links to other galleries you might like.

Vintage N.J. photos that deserve a second look 2015

Vintage N.J. photos that deserve a second look 2014

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

Case has led to more than 50 convictions.

A cardiologist with a practice in Paterson and his wife on Wednesday pleaded guilty to their roles in a bribery scheme operated by a Parsippany medical testing firm, as part of a case that has brought more than 50 convictions and involved millions of dollars in payments, officials said.

Aiman Hamdan, 50, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes while his wife, Kristina Hamdan, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Federal Travel Act, the honest services wire fraud statute and conspiracy to commit money laundering, Acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

Hamdan in September 2008 received a $500,000 loan from the testing company, Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC, in exchange for agreeing to refer patient blood samples to the now-defunct Morris County firm, according to officials. The doctor caused about $53,000 worth blood samples to go to BLS, which received payments from Medicare and private insurers.

For her part, Kristina Hamdan, who worked in sales for the lab, agreed along with other individuals to pay doctors bribes in return for agreements to refer patient blood samples to BLS, according to case filings.

In one case, Kristina Hamdan bribed Yousef Zibdie, an internal medicine doctor with a Woodland Park practice, in exchange for bringing more than $900,000 in business for BLS, prosecutors said. The lab funded the illegal payoffs while the doctors were paid by Kristina Hamdan using a "sham entity" in a scheme to hide the bribes.

Aiman Hamdan faces a maximum possible five year prison term, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Kristina Hamdan faces a possible maximum five year prison sentence on one count and a possible 20 years behind bars on the other offense. The counts also carry fines. 

Under a plea agreement, the Wayne couple agreed to forfeit $15,000 and pay back $1.2 million in ill-gotten gains, officials said. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2018. 

Zibdie, of Wayne, previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

The bribery probe has, so far, netted 53 convictions, including 38 doctors, according to prosecutors. Organizers of the scheme admitted it involved millions of dollars in bribes and led to more than $100 million in payments to the lab from Medicare and private insurance companies.

BLS pleaded guilty in June 2016 and was ordered to forfeit all of its assets in the case, which has led authorities to recover more than $13 million in forfeiture funds.

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

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips

A look at the sectional semifinals.

Artichoke Basille's Pizza has designs on five of the state's biggest hubs.

One of New York City's most popular pizza joints has inked a five-unit franchise deal with a New Jersey developer to bring the pizza across the Hudson River and into the Garden State.

Artichoke Basille's Pizza, the "rapidly-expanding" New York pizza concept known for their creative spins on pies, signed a contract with local developers and "passionate customers" Premal and Leela Shanghvi to open up their first New Jersey locations. 

The locations will be in Hoboken, Jersey City, New Brunswick, Princeton and Newark in the near future, according to a press release.

"We've always been huge fans of Artichoke Basille's Pizza," Premal Shanghvi, who according to his Linkedin, is the president of a New Jersey commercial real estate investment company, said in the release.

"We're excited to have the opportunity to bring their creative take on New York pizza to New Jersey, and anticipate that our neighbors will enjoy their pizza as much as we do."  

A spokeswoman said, while the deal to open five New Jersey locations has been finalized, exact addresses for those locations and opening dates are still unknown. She said the Shanghvis and the owners of Artichoke Basille's Pizza are anxious to find storefronts and open them as soon as possible.

#artichokepizza #nycpizza Artichoke Park Slope

A post shared by Francis Garcia (@francisartichoke) on Jan 27, 2016 at 8:35am PST

Founded by cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, the two opened their first Artichoke Basille's Pizza location in Manhattan in 2008. Now, they have 12 total locations, including ones in Brooklyn, LaGuardia Airport and Miami.

They serve a variety of pizzas, including untraditional ones like their "Crab Pie," which is crab sauce, fresh mozzarella with a surimi stuffing, or their very on-brand "Whole Artichoke Pie," which is topped with artichoke hearts, spinach, cream sauce, mozzarella and pecorino romano cheese.

CBS New York named Artichoke Basille's Pizza as having one of the best slices of anywhere else in the five boroughs.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Wild state tournament dramatically changed the boys soccer Top 20.

The Top 20 gets one last twist before the state finals on Saturday.

Saladine Grant, 43, of Irvington receive a 12-year term

A top member of a criminal ring that carjacked $8 million in luxury vehicles in New Jersey and New York to ship for sale in West Africa has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Saladine Grant, 43, of Irvington, will have to spend at least four years in prison before becoming eligible for parole, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said Thursday.

The thieves targeted high-end cars, particularly SUVs made by Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Honda, Porsche, Jaguar and Aston Martin.

Many of the carjackers targeted people by bumping them from behind on highways, causing minor accidents and then carjacking the vehicles when the victim pulled over.

Thefts also commonly occurred at airports and car washes while the vehicles were running. Thieves would also rob valets, authorities said.

Members of a carjacking ring that were charged in 2014. Office of the Attorney General 

The cars were brought to ports and then transported overseas, where they commanded high prices. 

Grant was one of 26 people charged in 2014. About 140 of the 160 vehicles were recovered.

Eighteen of those charged have been convicted and are either serving prison terms or await sentencing. 

The ring operated in multiple counties in New Jersey, including Essex, Union, Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Bergen and Somerset.

Grant pleaded guilty to financial facilitation of criminal activity earlier this year. 

"Grant was a top member of this dangerous crime ring, whose members routinely conducted armed carjackings to obtain the high-end cars they prized," Attorney General Chris Porrino said in a statement. "By putting Grant and his co-conspirators in prison, we've ended their reign of terror and, in all likelihood, saved lives." 

In 2009, Grant was sentenced to nine years in prison for running an auto theft ring. Grant was previously jailed from April 2003 to January 2005 on theft charges.

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

Two teens were shot last October, police said.

NEWARK -- A Newark man pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness who identified him as the gunman after he wounded a 15-year-old girl and another teen in a city shooting last year, prosecutors said Thursday.

Kyon Coleman, 20, also pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault for the attack, acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino said in a statement.

Kyon Coleman, 20 (Photo: ECPO) 

Coleman shot and wounded a 15-year-old girl on Eagles Parkway, near Lincoln Street, shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 25, 2016, according to authorities. Another girl with the teen during the shooting was not injured.

Coleman also shot a 17-year-old and fired at another person on Lincoln Street in the incident, authorities said. The shooting victims survived their injuries.

"After the shooting incident Coleman attempted to tamper with witnesses who had given statements identifying him as the shooter," the prosecutor's statement said.

Prosecutors did not publicly disclose how Coleman tampered with the witness in the case.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, Coleman is expected to be sentenced Jan. 5 to seven years on the witness tampering charge and five years for aggravated assault, according to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Sean Dickson, who handled the case.

"Witness tampering is a serious crime that undermines the administration of justice," Dickson said. "We hope the final disposition of this case will make clear that such cases will be taken seriously by our office and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Coleman must serve 85 percent of his prison term before being eligible for parole, according to the prosecutor's office. He will serve another three years under parole supervision.

Police at the time said the shooting apparently stemmed from ongoing disputes involving the teens.

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

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Senator Bob Menendez and his attorneys spoke outside the federal courthouse in Newark after a mistrial was declared early Thursday afternoon. Watch video

NEWARK -- An emotional U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez thanked God, his family, his supporters and the jury as he left the courthouse Thursday after a mistrial was declared in his federal corruption trial in Newark. 

Menendez stood with his family and praised the 12 jurors "who saw through the government's false claims and used their Jersey common sense" to reject it.

Standing before a bank of television cameras and reporters, the Democrat blasted prosecutors for pursuing the corruption and bribery case against him.

"The way this case started was wrong. The way it was investigated was wrong. The way it was prosecuted was wrong. And the way it was tried was wrong as well," Menendez said.

"Certain elements of the FBI and of our state cannot understand or even worse accept that the Latino kid from Union City in Hudson County can grow up to be a United States Senator and be honest," Menendez said.

Menendez said he's made mistakes but none of his mistakes were a crime. 

The senator's comments came shortly after the judge declared an abrupt end to the contentious 11-week corruption trial. The jury sent the judge a note shortly before noon saying they were hopelessly deadlocked.

"We cannot reach a unanimous decision on any of the charges," the jury's note said, "nor are we willing to move away from our strong convictions."

Menendez hugged his son and daughter in the courtroom as his friends and supporters gave each other thumbs up and embraced each other. 

Parting words from @SenatorMenendez #menendeztrial pic.twitter.com/poT2BCvynx

-- Karen Yi (@karen_yi) November 16, 2017

Outside the courtroom, Menendez's longtime friends frantically called relatives and friends to let them know the news. "Innocent, innocent," Mateo Perez, 78, told friends in Miami on his cell phone. Perez has known Menendez for 40 years. 

When he heard the word mistrial, "my heart beat fast," Perez told NJ Advance Media in Spanish. "It's a triumph for him and Hispanics."

The government now must decide whether to retry the New Jersey lawmaker and co-defendant Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida ophthalmologist, who are accused of swapping lavish gifts for government favors.

Melgen's daughter, Melissa, was seen leaving the courtroom wiping away tears with a tissue. 

"This is what happens when you put a real 25-year friendship on trial," Menendez's attorny Abbe Lowell told reporters. "This jury could not, would not and did not return a verdict that validated any of the government's charges."

At one point, Menendez was overcome with emotion and paused before addressing a gaggle of reporters. His son, Robert Menendez Jr., placed his hand on his father's back. 

"To those who left me, who abandoned me in my darkest moments, I forgive you. To those who embraced me in my darkest moments, I love you," Menendez said. "To those who were digging my political grave so they could jump into my seat, I know who you are and I won't forget you." 

Menedez said he wants to get back to the Senate as soon as possible.

"I have served with honesty and integrity, and have given it my all every day," Menendez said. "I look forward to going back to Washington and fighting for the people of New Jersey."

Before getting in his car, Menendez told reporters, "I leave here today in the same way that I walked in, innocent."

He declined to say whether he planned to run for re-election. 

Staff writer Kelly Heyboer contributed to this post.

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

Spacey served as artistic director at London's Old Vic theater, where employees claimed his alleged penchant for groping men was common knowledge. Sylvester Stallone and Sen. Al Franken are also the latest to be accused of sexual misconduct

London's Old Vic theater says 20 people allege Kevin Spacey engaged in sexual misconduct during his decade-long tenure as the theater's artistic director. The news arrived amid another flood of allegations against powerful men in politics and entertainment.

Theater staff issued a statement Thursday detailing the results of the Spacey-centered investigation shortly after a radio anchor alleged that another high-profile figure, Sen. Al Franken, groped and forcibly kissed her during a USO tour in 2006.

Not long after that, the Daily Mail reported allegations that Sylvester Stallone had sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in 1986. 

As claims against Spacey grew in number earlier this month -- actor Robert Cavazos, a former Old Vic employee, wrote on Facebook that Spacey's penchant for harassing and groping men was widely known at the theater -- the Old Vic hired a law firm to investigate such allegations. Spacey, who has since been completely excised from an upcoming movie, replaced by Christopher Plummer and dropped from his Netflix series "House of Cards," had also been accused of groping or sexually assaulting men when they were teenagers, two as young as 14.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal that has sparked a groundswell in women and men speaking out about claims of sexual misconduct, actor Anthony Rapp was the first to come forward to say Spacey allegedly made sexual advances towards him in 1986, when he was 14. 

Spacey was widely criticized for his answer to Rapp's allegations, with many saying his decision to come out as gay in the statement functioned as a transparent ploy to detract from the claims. 

"There are many of us with a 'Kevin Spacey story,'" Cavazos had said. "It appears that all that was needed was a male under the age of 30 for Mr. Spacey to feel free to touch us."

Spacey, 58, a native of South Orange, was the theater's artistic director from 2004 to 2015. The claims of misconduct from Spacey at the Old Vic span 1995 and 2013, the theater said, with 18 coming before 2009. The theater said that no formal grievances or legal claims were made relating to the accusations, and that it was not possible to verify the allegations. One person, it said, did come forward at the time of the alleged incident. 

"The Old Vic was in a unique position of having a Hollywood star at the helm around whom existed a cult of personality," the theater's statement said. "The investigation found that his stardom and status at The Old Vic may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help."

Earlier, actor Harry Dreyfuss, son of Richard Dreyfuss, wrote an essay for BuzzFeed in which he alleged that Spacey had groped him when he was reading lines with his father, who was preparing for an upcoming Old Vic production directed by Spacey. 

"I have genuine and deep sympathy for all those who have come forward and said they were hurt in some way by my predecessor's actions," said the theater's current artistic director, Matthew Warchus, in a statement. "Everyone is entitled to work in an environment free from harassment and intimidation. The Old Vic is now actively engaged in the process of healing and the process of prevention."

Warchus added that the allegations against Spacey came as a "shock and a disturbing surprise." Following claims that the theater had ignored sexual harassment and groping allegations against the actor, Warchus rejected the notion that "everybody knew." 

On Thursday, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., became the latest political figure to answer to allegations of sexual misconduct when Leeann Tweeden, a radio anchor at KABC in Los Angeles, accused him of forcibly kissing her and groping her while she slept during a USO tour in 2006.  

Tweeden, who related the story on the radio station's website, also shared a photo showing Franken with his hands positioned over her breasts when she was sleeping as they traveled back to the United States from Afghanistan. She said she didn't find out about the photo until she got home. 

Tweeden said the kiss happened when they were rehearsing a bit that Franken wrote. She had tried to get out of rehearsing the kiss, but Franken insisted, she said.  

"We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth," Tweeden said. 

Franken, 66, said he didn't remember the rehearsal the same way. 

"But I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann," he continued, in a tweet. "As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it."

Later, Franken issued a longer statement. He apologized to Tweeden, and "to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women," he said, adding that he felt ashamed and that the picture Tweeden shared made him feel disgusted with himself. 

"Coming from the world of comedy, I've told and written a lot of jokes that I once thought were funny but later came to realize were just plain offensive," he said. Franken added that his intentions did not excuse the harm caused by his behavior. He reiterated that he did not remember the rehearsal how Tweeden did, but asked for an ethics investigation. Women who come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct "deserve to be heard, and believed," he said. 

Another Thursday report concerned Sylvester Stallone. The Daily Mail, citing what it claimed to be a copy of a police report, reported that Stallone, 71, had allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old in Las Vegas in 1986 when he was 40, forcing her into a threesome with his bodguard, Michael De Luca, then 27 (he was killed in 2013 after being shot by police during a traffic stop).

Stallone, the teen in the report said said, had been in Las Vegas filming the 1987 movie "Over the Top," and met her at the Hilton, where he was shooting the film and she was staying while visiting family friends. The Balimore Post-Examiner was the first to report the allegations in 2016. 

According to the Daily Mail report, the teen never pressed charges because she feared retaliation from Stallone and De Luca. She said they told her that if she said anything about the alleged incident, the men, who were both married, would "have to beat her head in." 

"This is a ridiculous, categorically false story," Michelle Bega, a spokeswoman for Stallone, told the Daily Mail. "No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter."

The actor's response, per BuzzFeed: "It never happened." 

An arrest warrant has been issued for 19-year-old Nasiar Day of Newark.

JERSEY CITY -- Authorities are asking for help locating a second suspect wanted in the stabbing death of a 30-year-old father of 11 inside his home. 

An arrest warrant has been issued for 19-year-old Nasiar Day of Newark for the Nov. 14 killing of Jose "Migue" Malave. Day is charged with murder, armed burglary, weapons offenses and conspiracy, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced. 

A 17-year-old boy was arrested a short time after the killing on the same charges. 

Suarez said Day should not be approached and is considered armed and dangerous. 

Malave's family said he was defending his son from a sneaker robbery when he was fatally stabbed. Friends and family gathered to mourn the victim outside 197 Palisade Ave. on Wednesday evening. 

Malave's death is the 23nd homicide in Hudson County and 18th in Jersey City this year. 

Anyone with information about Day's whereabouts is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office at 201-915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor's website. All information will be kept confidential. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

Rodney Gilbert, Newark's impresario of arts and culture, leaves the city with a legacy of fiercely developing and promoting visual and performance artists.

The sidewalk celebration was classic Rodney Gilbert, Newark's impresario of art and culture, its guardian of creativity for murals and theater.

On Oct. 26, African dancers and drummers performed in front of his three-story brownstone on Spruce Street. Kenny Bobien, a House music legend, was there and belted out his 1997 hit, "You Are My Friend."

Gilbert was indeed a friend and much more for those who came for a public farewell and to acknowledge his work in the arts. Gravely ill, Gilbert was able to thank them for being in his life before he died Nov. 8th.

An actor, theater and film director, Gilbert fiercely promoted Newark's visual and performance artists, creating opportunities for them on stage and within the city's public art landscape.

"He was very much a champion looking for spaces for us to share our stories --making openings, throwing elbows, working his mojo'' said Chisa Hutchinson, a Newark playwright, whose work he has directed.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns  

As founder and chief executive officer of Yendor Productions, a Newark-based theater and consulting company in his basement, Gilbert made art accessible to Newark residents and surrounding urban communities. People of color, he believed, deserved to engage in the theatrical experience, to see themselves in art.

"He always talked about reaching the underrepresented and he wanted the murals to reflect that,'' said Jo-El Lopez, a Newark artist.

In a field where diversity is lacking, his colleagues said Gilbert pushed for inclusion of Latino and African-American artists on projects, showing them they could make it in the arts if they put in the work.

Gilbert certainly did. He gave everything he had to Newark before his fatal diagnosis - progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a rare brain disease.

The city, numb and shaken from his death, is not ready for the celebration of his life to be over.

It continues today (Friday)  as family, friends, and the artist community fill seats in Victoria Theater at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The viewing is at 10 a.m., the funeral service begins at noon.

A Newark native, Gilbert's fingerprints are all over the city. Walk anywhere, especially its neighborhoods.  He's responsible for half of the city's 50 murals through the Newark Mural Arts project, a city-sponsored program he's managed since 2009 by hiring artists under Yendor.

"Newark would not be where it is today with the arts were it not for Rodney Gilbert,'' said Jeremy Johnson, executive director of Newark Arts.

As much as he was known for murals, Gilbert's love for the arts started in theater, a gift he honed after graduating from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 1989. He would go on to have a 30-year career as a professional actor and director on stage, film and television. Gilbert, a leading teaching artists in the area, was in charge of the Newark Public Schools theater program. He used it to foster diversity for his students, co-creating a curriculum for the district's Advantage Arts program with the Drew University Theatre partnership. Newark students attended Drew in the summer to learn about theater and Drew students would come to Newark. 

On the college campus, Gilbert was a popular assistant professor. He started teaching speech and introduction to acting and directing in the late 1990s, until he joined the faculty full time this fall.

"What set him apart was his level of intensity and rigor, pushing you to be better,'' said Nicolette Lynch, his former student, who is now an actress and co-manager of Yendor Productions.

From the streets to the corporate board rooms, he opened a lot of doors for artist in various leadership positions, including director of the  Writers Theatre of New Jersey. There were stage readings at NJPAC and other venues. Any mural or theater projects that came to Newark, Gilbert made sure local artists were involved. And they had to get paid. He was a stickler for that.

"That's why people loved him so much,'' said Michele Morgan, a Yendor staff member and friend.

Oftentimes, he'd forgo a salary, doling out his cut to artist struggling with bills.

When seeking funding for programs, Gilbert became the voice advocating for minority artists. He wasn't afraid to use his platform and never shied away from it, said Chris Daggett, president and chief executive officer of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which has funded his work.

"If we're really going to make organizations of color have an impact and get some presence and build some capacity, they need the kind of funding that foundations and individuals can provide,'' Daggett said.

Gilbert was serious about that, but on a lighter side, he looked fabulous getting his point across. His high end casual style had everyone waiting to see what he'd wear. It could be a drop-dead gorgeous fur coat draped over leopard patterned shoes; a captain jacket with an ascot and pocket square that blossomed like a flower; or a regal African ensemble, complete with headdress.

MORE CARTER: N.J. Sen. Cory Booker gives Newark American Legion a veteran day gift

His fashion swag came from his mother Camilla Gilbert, who talked about his penchant for dress at age 5. She bought him a plaid, red and blue suit for his kindergarten graduation. Instead of a solid colored bow-tie that she suggested,  he picked a blue bow-tie with white polka dots.

"It was a hit,' his mother she said, laughing.

As an adult, Gilbert was cosmopolitan, high energy, down to earth and eccentric. His company, Yendor, is his first name spelled backwards. He didn't drive, opting for Uber or public transportation. He loved his Newark people, always stopping to greet folks.

This time, a steady stream of friends gathered Oct. 26 for his last-minute Facebook request: "Come help me celebrate life, love and happiness,'' he wrote.

"People usually don't get that until their death, but he was able to do that before,'' said Kim Gilchrist, his close friend, who is more like a sister since their freshman year at Newark's Arts High School.  "He wanted to celebrate his life. And that we did.''

Some waited in the foyer. Some gave video testimonials outside. Among the crowd were artists philanthropists, educators and Mayor Ras Baraka, who, in a video testimonial, said: "The whole renaissance in this city couldn't be the way it is without you.''

They clapped as Bobien sang. They danced, too. They called Gilbert's name.

"We love you Rodney."

Overcome with emotion, Gilbert heard the people from the front room, where he sat on a lounge chair, his two favorite pictures hanging on the wall. One is of Diana Ross, his idol, whom he emulated. 

In the second photograph, he's 10 years old. It appeared with a story about him, his mother said, in The Star-Ledger in 1977.

It was his first role as a young actor in the play, "A Raisin in The Sun.''

And the sun is where he stayed.

 Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or 

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

Scam involved dozens of properties around the state, according to federal authorities.

An Essex County-based attorney and another man were arrested Thursday and accused of running a mortgage fraud scam that involved dozens of properties around New Jersey and bilked financial institutions out of more than $30 million, federal prosecutors said.

Christopher Goodson, 44, an attorney from Newark, and Anthony Garvin, 47, of Jersey City, were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud in the short sale mortgage fraud conspiracy that lasted from January 2011 through August, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey.

Conspirators in the scam setup simultaneous fraudulent transactions using the same target property, according to a federal criminal complaint. The scam allegedly involved properties in Jersey City, Clifton, Union and other communities.

In the first transaction, where the sale was by the owner, the scammers convinced financial institutions holding the mortgage to accept the sale of that property at a loss, authorities alleged. The buyer was often another conspirator or entity part of the fraud.

With the second deal, conspirators flipped the same targeted property from the first buyer to another buyer, according to the complaint. That second buyer typically obtained a mortgage from another financial institution using bogus loan applications, bank account statements and other documents provided by others involved in the fraud.

"As a result, the second transaction frequently closed for significantly more or even double the price of the first transaction," officials said in a statement.

Prosecutors alleged Goodson, Garvin and other unnamed individuals "rigged" the short sale process along each step to "maximize the difference in price between the two transactions and keep the victim financial institutions from detecting the fraud."

Goodson hid the fact that he played different roles in the short sale deal, authorities said. He allegedly created fake pre-approval letters from a New Jersey corporation he owned that claimed to be a short-term lending firm based out of California.

"These letters were used to deceive banks into believing that the purchaser - typically a conspirator or entity controlled by Goodson - had the credit necessary for the transaction," the statement said.

He is also accused of negotiating fraudulent short sales with banks, making phony deeds which backdated closing dates of the first real estate transactions and allegedly served as the closing attorney in some short sales.

Garvin, a real estate agent and investor, coordinated the scam transactions, according to federal authorities. The accused conspirators allegedly moved money from the plot into various accounts to cover up the scheme and split the profits.

It was not yet clear if Garvin and Goodson had retained attorneys to comment on the allegations. A phone message left at Goodson's law office was not immediately returned.

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

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