HOBOKEN -- Early in Wednesday night's Hoboken City Council meeting, Council Vice President Michael Russo resigned from the vice presidency in response to the damaging FBI tapes of him released this week. He still remains on the council and is running for re-election on May 10.
He was also removed as chair of the council's Finance Committee.
Russo also sits on the Hoboken Housing Authority board, which oversees Hoboken's public housing projects. Some believe he should resign that position too.
Several residents blasted him early in the meeting. And some allies of Mayor Dawn Zimmer also blasted Zimmer's rival, Council President Beth Mason, who until Tuesday was a Russo ally on the council. Tuesday, Mason denounced Russo's actions on the tape. But speakers said on Wednesday that she should go further and demand that Russo resign his other positions.
Earlier that day, Zimmer -- who is often criticized by Russo and his allies -- released expedited transcripts of the Russo tapes, which cost the city $943.50.
On the tapes, Russo has lunch and apparently nods in agreement with a plan for a purpoted real estate developer to give him a $5,000 campaign donation. The faux developer was FBI informant Solomon Dwek, who asked Russo for preferential treatment with development projects. Dwek was used by the FBI to bring down dozens of politicians and religious leaders in a 2009 sting operation. Russo was never charged with any wrongdoing, as he did not actually take a bribe.
For more about the meeting, return to www.hudsonreporter.com for an update.
The farce last night by the Russo majority was even worse than the betrayal to Hoboken shown in the video. The toothless and politicized watered down no action resolution passed by the Russo team was pathetic.
It attempted to tar and feather "other" council members and people in the administration who met with Solomon Dwek. That party line is being carried and led under the banner of Beth Mason in the resolution and her political operatives on Hoboken411.
The truth is no council members did and neither did anyone from the mayor's administration. But the Russo Team insisted it remain in the resolution. Terry Castellano said if you didn't do it, then you have nothing to worry about.
How insane is that?
Beth Mason, Nino Giacchi, Terry Castellano and Tim Occhipinti will suffer the consequences for this travesty on May 10th.
Several of them will pay and this "action," will have a part in why.
We have heard the all before and the he repeated the same way.
Mr. Russo says giving up a ceremonial post is enough punishment for his digusting and shocking actions
This political shell game is insulting to the people of Hoboken.
Hoboken deserves better.