New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 09/02/1982

New Jersey nightly news. With Kim and I have. Good evening and is on vacation I rely on to watch him making the headlines this evening. Attorneys for the Shivani construction company filed suit in a federal court today against a prime witness in the Donovan probe. The city of New York gets a much needed jail cells but the additions still won't solve the serious overcrowding problem. And Special Correspondent Michael Aaron will have an interview with the prosecutor in the Jodo Giorgi on the case. New Jersey Nightly News has learned that the president of Shivani construction company this afternoon filed a two and one half million dollars defamation of character suit against the man whose allegations prompted the probe of Labor secretary Raymond Donovan. The suit charges Mario Montoro a former labor official with making scandalous and malicious statements against Ronald Shivani president of the Shivani construction company of Secaucus Donovan was an officer of the construction company before being named labor secretary and it was my claim that Donovan was present at a Long Island restaurant when a payoff was made by

a shoe vone official to a union representative. The suit also charges that Montoro defame the Shivani family causing them severe embarrassment and mental anguish. The court papers allege Montoro deliberately fabricated and concocted his story for the purpose of defaming Shivani earlier this year Montoro want to two and a half million dollars to one two and a half million dollars in the New York state lottery. The exact amount Shivani is seeking and damages. In another development involving LABOR SECRETARY DONOVAN A spokesman from the Federal Elections Commission said today that the FEC has not officially closed its investigation of Donovan. The FEC is investigating whether Donovan or his associates broke the law in raising money for President Reagan's 1980 campaign. Special prosecutor Leon Silverman who is looking into allegations that Donovan had mob ties revealed in June that the labor secretary had not violated federal election law. However Silverman later referred the case to the

FEC for possible civil action. FCC officials say they received the referral but would not make any further comment Silverman's report includes indications that William is selling a reputed mob figure and key witness in the Donovan probe may have given money to Reagan at Donovan's request. But if the money was properly solicited and reported there would be no infringement of federal election law. The city of New York today got fifty eight new jail cells but the city would need seven times that number to adequately hold all its prisoners. The problem is the refusal of Essex County to take hundreds of inmates who are by law the county responsibility. But Essex insists the blame lies with the state which dumps its inmates on the county. Sandra King has more. New York's chief of police once described his central cell block as the last medieval torture chamber in America. There were no showers of bad plumbing roaches rats lice and up to 90 men packed into ten four by six

foot cells. By comparison the new cell block open today is luxury us. But given the trickle down effect from overcrowded state prisons it too falls far short of current need. There are only 58 cells for more than 350 prisoners. This does not solve the problem for you. But so far a city suit against the county now at the appellate level has been unsuccessful. So New York which would ordinarily be holding prisoners only overnight is forced to house some for as long as one month. And these new one man cells with only one bare bunk are only hours after opening already at double capacity. Even with that there's no space for those inmates in the county it will not take those men all 243 of them are being jammed into a

total of forty six archaic holding cells in the city's four police precincts. This east ward precinct has eight cells. Thirty four prisoners here conditions rival those of the old central cell block. And these men will remain here without showers sleeping on bare concrete floors until they make bail where the county finds room. We have additional proof against the police. These men were moved today from the North Precinct to the new 1.6 million dollar cell block. They say conditions at the precinct are unimaginable. Anything should be people in yourself the small the news twenty five federal lawsuits have already been filed against the city by

others who spent time in the lock ups and Mayor Gibson concedes his city is in violation of basic human and constitutional rights. But he says he's helpless to give relief unless he gets relief from Essex County. The Newark. The state has ordered the borough of Beechwood to hook up its water supply to nine hundred fifty homes that now draw their water from wells. Tests have shown many of the wells to contain dangerous levels of lead. The hookup will be expensive and Borough officials are concerned they may not get the money to pay for the work. Larry Stewart Nagel reports. James Brown of beech wood brought his reason for drinking bottled water with him as he went to the neighborhood water truck today. He's afraid his two and a half year old daughter Jamie might get lead poisoning by drinking from his home as well. Brown is one of nine hundred fifty homeowners who've been ordered by the Department of Environmental Protection to seal their wells in preparation for hooking up to the burrows water system. It will cost Beechwood two point four million dollars to comply with that

order. An application for a 1.9 million dollar federal loan is on its way to Washington. However before that money can be approved the state needs to give the borough one half million dollar small community development grant borough council president Greg Fay is worried about obtaining the money. The state of New Jersey has many areas of the country having a very difficult time with funding. We're getting the impression that yes it's going to be difficult but we're putting all the pressure we can. Two weeks ago I had a personal meeting with Governor Kaine which he promised full support of his office and his cooperation in this matter. Engineer John True hand will submit the grant application to the Department of Community Affairs. He plans to point out that the EPA has found 100 Beechwood wells with high levels of lead in the water. We have a very serious public health. Hazard which exists in the barrel. The health hazard is real the health hazard is immediate. It's now and I think that will it will expedite the release of funds for this project. A community affairs spokesman said they could not comment on Beachwood chances for the grant until

they see the application. Right now the people with contaminated wells are either obtaining County supplied water from trucks or buying bottled water. If the grant application is approved the affected homes can be hooked up to the borough's water supply by winter if the application isn't approved and Borough officials say they're back to square one and nine hundred fifty families will be trudging through cold weather to get their drinking water in Beachwood County. I'm Larry stupid. A state employee union today asked Governor Kaine to investigate the safety of a building on the Rutgers Newark campus. The college officials declared cancer free yesterday. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Workers also asked the governor to remove Rutgers president Blaustein from the matter. The union which represents 3000 Rutgers workers has questioned the accuracy of reports that Smith Hall poses no health threats to its occupants. Classes in the building which had been closed since last February are scheduled to begin next week. The controversy surrounding the

building began two years ago when employees complained of abnormally high rate of cancer and other illnesses among those who worked in the building. Structural weaknesses and outmoded heating and electrical systems are endangering one of Trenton's most famous historical landmarks in order to save the two hundred twenty four year old building its managers are seeking an emergency legislative appropriation. Brenda Flanagan reports Hilton 1758 the old barracks housed the British troops during the French and Indian War and Hessian soldiers during the war of independence in 1014 the state took over the building and turned it into a museum which now draws 25000 visitors per year. But museum director Cynthia Cooke claims the old landmark badly needs repairs. The situation in the roof of the building in which we're standing the old barracks is really made up of two buildings. It's very serious and that's why we're making this appeal now we're fearful that should a lot of snow be allowed to collect on the roof of this building that it could

indeed collapse the season up in the attic support beams show signs of stress. A special brace installed three years ago has already shifted with the strain and antiques collect rainwater from several leaks. Cook says the heavy slate roof must soon be replaced by a new lighter material. And there are other problems. The wiring the electricity and the plumbing all date from pre World War 1 when the building was originally installed. All of those are chronically breaking down chronically giving us problems. Cook hopes help is on the way in the form of an emergency funding bill being drafted by State Senator Gerald Stockman. The senator and other state and local officials met at the museum today to discuss whether that money is available for repairs Cook says would cost the state five hundred ten thousand dollars. And she admits supporters of the barracks may be in for a very hard battle during these difficult economic times in Trenton. I'm Brenda Flanagan. Penthouse international Incorporated has fired much of the staff at its Boardwalk Hotel project and the president of the proposed proposed casino hotel has

resigned. About 15 staff members were fired in an effort to save about a million dollars a year only about seven staff members are still working at the financially Ciena Hotel which is only partially completed. Penthouse boardwalk properties which is building the 200 million dollar project still needs about 100 million dollars to complete it. A dispute between the city of Salem and the Delaware River Port Authority is closer to resolution tonight. Salem wants to develop a port to export grain and import raw materials. But the Port Authority had planned to block that development. The shade explains. This quiet stretch along the Salem river is a sign of prosperity for the county's depleted economy. Two thousand feet will be bald headed to accommodate barges for a promising import export business. What makes this attractive. Well the Salem River joins the Delaware River and it's five minutes from there to the shipping traffic of the Delaware Chesapeake Bay can now. But what seems to be a port in an

economic storm is raising a political squall an angry Delaware river port authority claimed jurisdiction and filed suit to stop the redevelopment of the old major's wharf. It's a case of of. Mr. Miller has been the director of the bay authority for the last 20 years with no port development. And now he sees that there is going to be poor development it's a natural occurrence it's going on. And I think he just wants to be in charge the DRPA intervened after and against the odds test took place successfully on Memorial Day with the backing of Congressman Bill Hughes the first barge in at least three decades came to the port seven farmers joined forces town full jerry rigged docking equipment and soybeans were loaded aboard a Mississippi Hopper a barge took its $300000 load to Norfolk Virginia where cargo oil pay 50 cents more per bushel more than offered by regional brokers. They give you. And they got the market price enough to give you if you got to a point where you couldn't. So a hundred thousand or something like that you know get some guys together where you show quite a bit more you get more price for it

which we do. We need better prices. Way better pressure is what we get now or else what will be our business better marketing and cheaper transportation costs prompted the redevelopment of the Salem port during the month of September. A million dollars worth of grain and raw materials will move through these waters. Yesterday Owens-Illinois And Leone industries said they are interested in using the barges to cut transit costs. Several other companies we train included have plans for nearby dockside warehouses. Once the City of Salem approved the barges could move through these waters without any problem. Commercial interest leapfrog. Today we're told that the Delaware River Port Authority is planning to withdraw its suit in Salem. I read a shade and there was some good news for the City of Salem late this afternoon after Rita filed her report. Governor Kaine has vetoed the minutes of the last port authority meeting which now forces the authority to withdraw its suit against the city. And here's a look at the weather forecast and I will be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thunder showers.

Temperatures will be in the upper 60s. Partly cloudy and less humid tomorrow with daytime highs in the upper 70s and the outlook for Saturday partly sunny and. Warm. Five hundred sixty five pound sex offender Joseph Joe Joe Georgianna spent his first full day as a prisoner today. He gained national notoriety earlier this

month due to his early release from prison. The 33 year old Trenton man had served only one week of his 15 year sentence when he was freed on probation because his lawyers and lawyers argued his health made it impossible for him to survive prison life. But yesterday a superior court judge Richard Barlow who had ordered Georgiana's release on August 6 ordered him back to prison. Georgie Ani was temporarily assigned to the prison unit at St. Francis Medical Center. Giannis case has generated intense publicity and has raised a number of questions and issues. Well earlier today Michael Aron talked with the prosecutor in the case Philip Kotchman about those issues. Phil yesterday Judge Barlow who's been been under a fair amount of pressure sort of lashed out at the prosecutor's office said you didn't present enough facts the first time around. You then said based on the facts you did present he should have made a different decision it seems as if you're passing hot potato back and forth between one another now.

Well on July 29 30 which was the date of the original sentencing. We presented evidence to the court by way of reports the defendant presented evidence by way of reports. We argued to the court at that time it was the defendant's burden to establish the medical condition of the defendant. The judge agreed with our position at that time and sentenced the defendant to 15 years in jail. On August the 6th there was some testimony from one of the witnesses a doctor on. The condition of the defendant in the institution. On cross-examination our assistant prosecutor established that the. Facilities at the institution could handle any medical problems. We argued at that time that the defendant had not established his burden. The judge disagreed with us. It was at that point that we started our appellate process. You didn't argue with that point that he could be placed in St. Francis Medical Center. Was that a mistake on your part. Should the judge have known that this correctional facility exists

for people with medical problems. The issue of St. Francis Medical Center has come up. The testimony that was a deuce that the August 6th hearing indicated that the man was at yard Hill Correction Center and was in a hospital facility. I don't think his ultimate destination had to be an issue. What the doctor indicated at that time was that there were adequate facilities. As I've indicated we had a disagreement with the judge and that's what started the appellate process. And it seems to me that the Trenton Times. This is today's Trenton Times they've been covering this like crazy and it seems to me that they caused this whole Fuehrer over and caused this spectacle and that your office reacted on August the 7th they published a huge headline like this it makes you wonder how they're going to write about World War 3 if they give excuses like this is kind of headline but. What. Would you have reacted the same way. Well I think the chronology is very important and that's an excellent question. The decision to appeal

this case was first discussed in the afternoon of August the 6th. On August the 9th when the assistant prosecutor how he was snow handled the case and I met this is before any newspaper publicity. We determined that the case was going to appeal be appealed and we released that information to the press. That was reported the next day. The headlines that you talk about didn't occur until later in the week. The public reaction this Fewer this outrage and the wide media coverage that we reacted from all of that occurred about three or four days after the initial decision to appeal was made and in fact publicized What's it been like for you event the center of a firestorm of publicity. Does that affect your ability to do your job. No I think when the job had to be done the staff came together and realized that in many ways the eyes of the nation and perhaps in some cases the eyes of the world were were looking at us but we had a job to do it was done it was done very quickly under the circumstances

and it resulted in a an extremely expeditious resolution of a very difficult problem that preoccupy you did other things get shunted aside. Honestly among I think. I think there was a tremendous amount of effort expended. But in an office such as ours the work that has to be done is done and cases that had to be disposed of were disposed of. We had one advantage. This is August. The courts are closed. We were not confronted with our daily trial obligations so that we had the benefit of of the summer recess of the courts. But. I think I would be foolish if I indicated to you otherwise that there was not a great deal of time spent on this case. It looks as if this is a communication breakdown between. The judiciary and the prosecutor. We are not trying to assign blame now but it all came to a head because the judge Judge your Jannie ways Giorgi any ways 500 hes grown as the story's grown he's grown 505 forty five now five sixty five whatever he weighs.

It makes you wonder whether there are 100 thin judges walking around out there who. Slipped through the cracks somehow. Well perhaps they slipped through the cracks in terms of the media. There are cases that arise like this on a daily basis where we do have disagreements with the court and when I say we I'm talking about the prosecution as well as the defense. That's what we have appellate courts for to deal with these disagreements. If the judge decides against us we take an appeal if the defendant is is on the wrong end of the decision. He takes an appeal. What I think is different about this case is that this case has generated a tremendous amount of attention so that people are watching this case perhaps as they've never watched another case like it. One last quick question where do you get that videotape of Giotto at the fight. That was the complements of a cable network ESPN. And we were very lucky to obtain that tape and obviously it was a very important factor in the decision and I think most a county prosecutor fill a card.

Thanks a lot. Thank you. Who is going to do that. Filling in for Bill Perry. Here's Pat Scanlon with sports. Pat. Thank you Rolonda. The Cosmos advances semifinal round of the NASL playoffs with a 1 nothing win against told so last night the Kosmos next opponent will be the winner of tonight's Vancouver San Diego game with the first game of the semis on Sunday night at Giants

Stadium. Last night however goaltender David Berg recorded his second shutout in three playoff games. Twenty minutes into the game toso with an indirect corner kick Lara Abrams for a kid circus header saved by Bruce H. With number one goalie Hubert Burke an injured but expected to play Sunday but has filled in superb play five minutes later. Roberta combine is on the attack the bonniest crossing knocked out to Steve Han shot deflected along the goal line. Stephen can't believe it didn't go in. It was a scoreless first half and 20 minutes left in the game. Tulsa comes on the attack. Pace a shot save burst again. The Cosmos tried for a winner finally with 15 minutes remaining Boyan to combine us over a bogey shot save rebound cleared by toss up finally with 138 left on the clock. Bogey comes on the attack to hunt. Given go AJC ROMERIL back to hot shot goal. Stevie says 24000 cosmos fans home happy. Here's the play again. Romero out of the doghouse to serve it up for a hot shot beats once in a bo short side of the cosmos

when it wanted nothing. Tomorrow night Rutgers opens its college football season against Syracuse at Giants Stadium and New Jersey network will broadcast the game on tape delay at 10:30. Today the Scarlet Knights broke camp at the Petit school and coach Frank Burns will put the club through a workout at Giants Stadium tonight. Burns is counting on tackle Bill pick Cal to anchor the defense this season. Look into the eyes of this 6 6 £260 All-America candidate McAllister one of the best in the east. But he's not concerned with winning honors. He's just worried about winning some games this fall. I'm not really worried about the individual status and won't sure I like to be an all American if I could be one but you know just through our play to best I can every week still just make it through the season healthy. Pick out only made it through the first six games last year until a back injury sidelined him. Riker's was 5 in 1 with 0 and 5 without him 58 tackles in those six games earned bill a spot on the AP but that's history now. The

defensive captain is only concerned with getting the season off to a good start. I get Syracuse opening games always a big win because it's a temple for the whole season to play well the first game you know it's on the right foot going it's a really good attitude and look forward to the next game. If you lose you go for you know you know I work in camp two things down the drain you know you. Don't count on Riker's blowing the opener tomorrow night Frank Burns has had a very competitive pre-season camp. Switching now to the National Football League the Giants will turn to Cliff Chapman to try to fill the void at fullback tomorrow night against Miami. Rob Carpenter is still holding out for a big contract and Leon Perry is nursing a sprained ankle. So Chatman a rookie from central state in Oklahoma will see a great deal of action. He may start Chapman was on injured reserve with a back problem last year but looked good against the Jets in his first preseason action getting 29 yards on seven carries and catching two passes for seven yards. Chapman is 1:54 25 and runs a 4 6 in the 40. This morning at the U.S.

Open Tennis Championships Fairfield's Pancha Sal lost to Kim Steinmetz 6 3 6 3 while Princeton's Andrea Lee and advanced with a three set victory over Lisa modern score 6 3 2 6 6 2. And in the NBA Philadelphia offered free agent center Moses Malone 13 million dollars had over six years to play for the 76 years. Last week you remember the Sixers traded center Darryl Dawkins to the nets. Now keep in mind he can match that offered to loan in 22 days and keep their MVP center and that's sports. Let's go back to Rwanda. Thirteen million to settle out so that's what you will I right. That's the news for Bat Scanlon and the rest of the nightly news team. I'm rely on to watch good night. New Jersey is a production of The New Jersey. The issue with nobody when E.T. 30 the program is broke. It's 6:30 on June 15 and looks of a beauty on the the jersey

is a repeat broadcast at ten o'clock. That's something a block of only morning on Channel 13 Fortune's recruiting.