Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Kerik tied to lawyer indicted in mob gaming
northjersey.com ^ | 12/17

Posted on 12/17/2004 12:27:02 PM PST by ambrose

Kerik tied to lawyer indicted in mob gaming

Friday, December 17, 2004

By TOM TRONCONE STAFF WRITER

Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik dated an attorney in the early 1990s who was indicted in a multimillion-dollar, mob-run gambling ring.

Kerik, a Paterson native, and Hackensack attorney Linda George split shortly before George and her estranged husband were indicted by a Passaic County grand jury on allegations they owned a Paterson cafe used from 1988 until 1993 as a video gaming den.

Prosecutors described the storefront as part of a $26 million-a-year organized-crime gambling ring. Kerik and George lived together in an East Rutherford town house bought by Kerik in 1994 after the pair had dated for several years, according to people familiar with the situation.

Neither George nor her estranged husband, Marcello Ferreira, was convicted in the politically tinged case, as prosecutors permitted their corporation to plead guilty to the charges and pay a fine.

Indicted with George in the case were several prominent reputed organized-crime figures, including Fortunato "Frank" Inzone, a felon who served time in federal prison for conspiring to import heroin in the famed New York City "Pizza Connection" case. Inzone received 18 months' probation in the gambling case.

Several Paterson police officers and a former Passaic County Prosecutor's Office investigator also were indicted.

A call to Kerik spokeswoman Sunny Mindell was not returned.

A source familiar with the situation told The Record that Kerik and George bought the town house together, but Kerik later moved out and into an apartment in the Bronx.

Mindell said last weekend that the pair agreed that George would continue to pay maintenance fees and the mortgage on the unit. When she stopped paying, the condominium association sued Kerik, and banks began foreclosure proceedings, Mindell said.

Copies of the civil suit filed by the condo association show a Bergen County judge issued a warrant for Kerik's arrest when he failed to appear in court.

The March 1995 indictment charged George and Ferreira with maintaining a gambling resort at The Spot, a cafe on Paterson's Cianci Street. Altogether, 34 defendants were named in the 149-count indictment.

It was not entirely clear Thursday how long Kerik and George dated. George has declined to discuss the relationship.

Several people familiar with their relationship said the pair dated in the "late '80s to early '90s." The relationship had ended by 1995, and Kerik married his current wife, Hala, in 1998.

Kerik was warden of the Passaic County Jail in 1986 before embarking on an eight-year stint as a New York Police Department narcotics officer.

His partner on the force was current Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale who, coincidentally, retains George as his private attorney.

Kerik joined the New York Corrections Department in 1994 and was appointed by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1997 to the newly formed New York City Gambling Commission. In 2000, he became police commissioner.

George remains a Hackensack defense attorney.

Like Kerik, George withdrew her name from a nomination in recent days. George, a former Democratic aide in the state Senate and a friend of former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli, had been nominated to the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission.

Kerik withdrew his name last Friday from consideration as the next U.S. homeland security chief, saying he employed a possible illegal immigrant as a nanny in his Franklin Lakes home.

Numerous other allegations and character questions have emerged since then, including reports alleging that he arranged high-paying jobs for his brother and a close friend at a Clifton construction firm long dogged by reputed ties to organized crime, from which he also allegedly received improper gifts.

There also were questionable stock-option windfalls, an inmate cigarette scandal and allegations of improperly using NYPD detectives to help research an autobiography.

A published report on Monday said that Kerik carried on extramarital affairs with two women, including the publisher of his autobiography, in a Battery Park City love nest.

E-mail: troncone@northjersey.com


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News
KEYWORDS: kerik
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

1 posted on 12/17/2004 12:27:02 PM PST by ambrose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ambrose

Media loves beating a dead horse.


2 posted on 12/17/2004 12:29:10 PM PST by chemicalman (Finally an answer for the prisoner problem at Abu Ghraib: Don't take any.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chemicalman
Media loves beating a dead horse.


3 posted on 12/17/2004 12:31:59 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (Congratulations President-Re-Elect George W. Bush!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: chemicalman
Actually, the media likes a good story involving sex, power, corruption, the mob, and NYC.

Kerick's 24 hr nomination was apparently not a good career choice. If this guy is half of what the media is reporting, he should have known better.

4 posted on 12/17/2004 12:33:04 PM PST by ContemptofCourt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ambrose

Well, according to the liberal media, Kerik is Satan incarnate. But now that he has no chance of running Homeland Security, who cares?


5 posted on 12/17/2004 12:33:12 PM PST by MisterRepublican ("I must go. I must be elusive.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MisterRepublican
But now that he has no chance of running Homeland Security, who cares?

People who are happy it reflects poorly on gulagiani, like me.

6 posted on 12/17/2004 12:35:00 PM PST by steve86
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: BearWash
gulagiani

Who the h*ll is gulagiani, a Russian prison guard?(humor)

7 posted on 12/17/2004 12:38:18 PM PST by Mister Baredog (PLEASE be sure you have a flag up on your FReeper homepage.!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ambrose

Yet somehow this same media has been unable to investigate most of McGreevey's dark past (including similar mob ties). I guess breaking a leg on the beach is a common occurance?


8 posted on 12/17/2004 12:42:18 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mister Baredog

So sorry, I'll have to use the spelling czecher next time.


9 posted on 12/17/2004 12:43:36 PM PST by steve86
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MisterRepublican
This Kerik character is like a political pinata. The more you hit him the more candy pops out. It just keeps on coming. Can't wait for the next episode. Where's the nanny now? First he has one and now he has none.
10 posted on 12/17/2004 12:43:57 PM PST by hombre666 (It gets better and better everyday)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Like Kerik, George withdrew her name from a nomination in recent days. George, a former Democratic aide in the state Senate and a friend of former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli, had been nominated to the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission.
11 posted on 12/17/2004 12:45:40 PM PST by ambrose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: BearWash

It reflects no worse on Giuliani than Halliburton does on Cheney.

Giuliani will be either the P or VP on the ticket, and frankly after all the over-the-top, obnoxious, unnecessary, and incessant demonization of him, I'm going to enjoy watching the cranks have their conniption fits when it happens.


12 posted on 12/17/2004 12:47:50 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Giuliani will be either the P or VP on the ticket

I believe that whole legions of pro-life conservatives will withhold their vote if your prediction comes to pass.

13 posted on 12/17/2004 12:50:35 PM PST by steve86
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Giuliani will be either the P or VP on the ticket,

I like Rudy BUT he's WAY too liberal to win Republican primaries, without a doubt.

Perhaps VP, but I don't think that's his goal.

14 posted on 12/17/2004 12:53:07 PM PST by Mister Baredog (PLEASE be sure you have a flag up on your FReeper homepage.!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: BearWash

I believe that hyperbole is probably total baloney. I am a pro-life social conservative Christian, who is EXTREMELY disappointed in some of Guiliani's positions, and especially some of his social behavior. Nevertheless, I am weighing his candidacy on the totality of the situation, and unless the political landscape changes drastically, we will still be somewhat divided in 2008. With control of both chambers and the WH, the GOP is going to get unfairly blamed for many of the negative things that happen in the next 4 years, and another presidential win will likely again be won only through a tough fight. Thus we may be forced to choose the nominee with the best chance of winning in the general rather than closest to my positions. Rudy easily has the most crossover appeal of any current realistic potential candidate (though certainly an unknown could emerge), enough that would likely more than cancel out the "sit at home because I prefer suicide to compromise" crowd.

Not to mention that if Bush is successful in naming 3+ strict constructionists to the USSC, including the replacement of at least 1 liberal, than abortion becomes less important as an election issue. Plus I think he can moderate his position on guns.


15 posted on 12/17/2004 1:00:07 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ContemptofCourt

This sort of reminds me of the McCarthy thing in the fifies.

You date a girl and break up with her. Then, later, she is found with dirt on her hands that has nothing to do with you. Heck, maybe the dirt is the reason you broke up with her.

Don't matter though. The headline alone is what sells the paper. There is really no story here.


16 posted on 12/17/2004 1:05:05 PM PST by RobRoy (Science is about "how." Christianity is about "why.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy

You would have a point if this were an isolated incident in Kerik's life. It is not.


17 posted on 12/17/2004 1:07:04 PM PST by ambrose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Yours is an exceptionally well reasoned and thoughtful post.

However, may I correct one thing:

sit at home because I prefer suicide prayer to compromise"

Have to go put up Christmas ornaments (and pray) now.

18 posted on 12/17/2004 1:08:18 PM PST by steve86
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ambrose

Sorry, I don't get your point. I can tell you that anyone, no matter how pure, brought up in a tough neighborhood, would have a lot of "questionable" relationships in their past. For me, it is irrelevant unless there is some evidence other than just the relationship to bolster concerns.


19 posted on 12/17/2004 1:16:26 PM PST by RobRoy (Science is about "how." Christianity is about "why.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy

Kerik is a scumbag who associates with scumbags.


20 posted on 12/17/2004 1:20:56 PM PST by ambrose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson