Exclusive: The Transcript Revealed

Dogs make better friends

Folks, didn't GA tell you 'The Transcript' had been making the rounds? 

HHA Director Carmelo Garcia's secretly recorded conversation between himself, the mayor's hubby and a longtime friend is another open secret a county of open secrets; we all know the WHO, the WHEN and the WHERE.

Let's get to the WHY.

Garcia's attorney Louis Zayas will try to convince a Hudson County Superior Court judge that Plaintiff Garcia was a persecuted whistle-blower; that the Mayor had presented her evil ethnic-cleansing Vision 20/20 proposal; the realization of an all-white, all- affluent Hoboken that she and hubby had "embarked on" in their "ambitious political quest" "since arriving in Hoboken". She, her husband and an HHA commissioner persecuted Carmelo because he wouldn't lay ball with the Mayor's evil scheme, instead Plaintiff Garcia  proposed his own good Vision 20/20.

That's one version. The Peter Pan one.  Or Puff the Magic Dragon.

The other is based on reality: fact, circumstance and the transcript.

The transcript tells quite a story; this is my OPINION of the story it tells.

Garcia, who knows he's on tape 'for use later' couches his language carefully.  He uses phrases like "if my career is where I want it to be", "where I am in my career"  or "good standing in my career" to mean his dominion over the HHA will stay unimpeded by any reform effort to 'clean house'.  Remember the context of the lunch; power struggles between HHA Chairman Stuiver and Garcia over bringing in a new attorney, a new auditor, whether Garcia's employment contract was valid, and creating a Deputy Executive Director position.  Garcia, desperate to "call off the dogs" so that his career will be "where he wants it to be", arranges a meeting with the Mayor's hubby, all wired up to entrap him into making a statement which may be used as 'leverage' in a future discussion with the Mayor.   In exchange, he offers to throw his best friends and political allies under the bus, and join Team Zimmer.

GA doesn't believe for a minute that Garcia was serious about hiring Joe Garcia though he "all but offers the job" to him. Nope, GA believes that was about entrapping an honest, decent man like Grossbard to agree to contract steering, a federal crime. And that's the story of the transcript.

Now, with those two versions in mind: (1)  Zayas' ethnic cleansing/ whistleblower one and (2)  desperate, wired guy uses all means to keep his job and absolute  control of Hoboken Housing Authority- including setting up the mayor's husband, here is a portion of the actual transcript.   

Ruben goes under the bus!  Buh-bye, Ruben!  Watch out for those tires!



Joe Branco goes under the bus! Buh-bye, Joe!   See ya later!
(stenographer error calls him "Joe Garcia")


 
That's enough, you get the drift.  We may speculate about the two versions of the WHY the taping took place: Zayas' and the fact-based one, but it will be up to a judge to make his/her determination on Garica's claims.

Speaking of which, GA forwarded Garcia's complaint to my legal department, Not-Stempler.  I removed the attorney's name, etc. and just provided him with the claims.

You provided me with a copy (with the name of the law firm/attorney redacted) of what, upon initial review, appears to be a complaint of some sort that was filed in NJ Superior Court. You asked me to comment on the document. I am at a loss of words to describe the document that you submitted. It barely, and I am being generous, sets forth any legal theory upon which a judge could render a judgment. To go through the muck of race baiting allegations which are set forth in the document, unsupported by any factual statements is unproductive and would give the feckless individual who produced this document too much undeserved attention. Suffice it to say that the drafter (and I have to assume that this was not the final work product of an attorney) fails to set forth the requisite facts to sustain a CEPA claim in NJ. Nor has the drafter plead any facts (as opposed to setting forth wild allegations of ethnic cleansing) which would sustain a hostile work environment claim under the NJ Law Against Discrimination. Similarly, there is nothing factual contained which would support a claim of "extortion", under either criminal or civil liability. The document is so riddled with errors and lacks any foundation for the requested relief that it clearly will not sustain any serious scrutiny and raises questions with regard to the motives behind its filing. Respect for the profession does not permit me to go any further.

Thank you, Not-Stempler.

Comments

  1. Many years ago, I remember Garcia trying to brush off branco and publically treated him like poorly like the neighborhood kid who always had snot running. Joe being joe persisted on pursuing him as a friend and then I guess Garcia realized his tent of friends was shrinking and this dope owned a bar.

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  2. carmelo sounds unstable, or at least clearly an egomaniac: "I know I am destined for greatness." who actually says crap like that? i'm surprised the transcript doesn't indicated laughter from across the table.

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    1. Garcia sounds like a 3rd world dictator who boasts that his people love him....just before they storm the palace, drag him out and hang him in the main square.

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  3. In 'street-talk', Carmelo will unethically 'use' anyone for his personal gain. He has now buried himself by losing all credibility and is a man without honor -"one who deceives once is not be be trusted forever". The devil is most dangerous when he appears to be respectful. This man has lost all respect. So be it!

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    1. RESPECT ?

      Carmelo's had his HHA chorus girls get up at the City Council and demand RESPECT. The transcripts show that he has no RESPECT for them or anyone.

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    2. Respect is earned. Very few people who make demands without a very compelling and thought out rationale earn my respect. Standing on a soapbox and screeching the way some people do in this town is not a good way to earn my respect especially when what you are demanding is guaranteed to increase my taxes. And when you make demands w/o even understanding what you are demanding like in the case of all these people who have no idea what the 20/20 plan even says, you lose my respect even faster.

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  4. Branco has been known to comment here, hopefully he chimes in and let's us know how he feels. If not. maybe we'll have our answer when we don't find him at HHA meetings stirring up the Carmeloitas anymore.

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  5. I love that last comment "respect for the profession will not allow me to go any further". It implies he doesn't respect the author.

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  6. Pride: A deadly sin. He calls him self a maverick, destined for greatness (as the poster mentioned above), revered by HUD.

    Keep it up there Chico, the Man doesn't fool around.

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  7. Is anyone advising Carmelo Garcia?

    Now is the best time to resign. Save some face.

    He has cooked his own goose. On his very own, dug his own grave.

    Resign.

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  8. So, now we have the reason for the idiotic lawsuit. CG needed to get out "ahead" of the inevitable release of this work of art. But it begs the question - if all comments are to go to the attorney and the attorney authored the lawsuit, is this the blind leading the blind? This is playing out like a bad version of the Keystone Kops. Who came up with this "strategy"? It makes Betty Boopless's minions seem like geniuses.

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  9. Pride, ambition, arrogance, deceit and lack of conscience will prohibit him from resigning. There is a fire official with the same behavioral traits - and he is still in his position because the feds work slow and the city action is on hold. In Garcia's case, what will the HHA Board do?

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    1. In the transcript, Mr. Garcia uses the first person "I" excessively and sounds very narcissistic. How true this is!

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  10. As many have suspected Carmelo Garcia is a weasel who is out to take care of himself. period.

    Carmelo's HHA Chorus Girls, I hope they understand that they are being used.

    The Bloomfield Buddy Boys. Have to say Carmelo gutting his friend Joe Branco was an eye opener but old guard has history doing that of taking puffed up fools in, using them and dumping them in the trash when they got what they want.

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  11. hahahahahahaha! Just got the graphic! Joey B's yupified boat shoes! Can't take the projects out of the boy...

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  12. Carmelo's Audio LibraryAugust 19, 2013 at 12:28 PM

    It's far worse. I'm hearing from different people there's been rumor of Carmelo Garcia taping people for a long time. So he has recent vintage tapes and others of far older vintage. If the FBI ever gets ahold of Carmelo's library on Bloomfield, a lot of people could be in big trouble.

    Who knows how many people Garcia has tried to extort?

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    1. All those tapes will now come out b/c of this suit if Zimmer is smart. She will demand the whole library and then like any library, she will let everyone check it out to read ;-)

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  13. Extortion is a serious crime. What is the statue of limitations?

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    1. Carmelo the ExtorterAugust 19, 2013 at 3:30 PM

      Not sure but it's unlikely this is the first or only attempt at extortion by Carmelo Garcia. There must be other tapes within the statute of limitations too. Carmelo clearly sought to make an agreement outside of any legal bidding process.

      That's a federal crime. No dopey distraction of a lawsuit can cover that up right in the transcript.

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  14. Zayas may or may not be a hack, but I wonder if he wrote up this complaint and then Carmelo took it and rewrote it in the Garcia style we've all come to know from HHA and CC meetings: all over-the-top non-sequiters of bluster and lots of $5 words he thinks sound impressive.

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  15. Who has the money for the anti-Garcia Assembly commercial?

    Calls himself a maverick and revered and now his ego wants to go to Trenton...by any means possible

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  16. Will Brian Stack have to participate in any debates prior to the election? if so, will any opponent or moderator have the spine to ask him how he (or any voters) can trust Carmelo, or what he thinks of his running mate's behavior?

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    1. Stack is only facing token opposition. In fact, his opposition is Hoboken resident James Sanford. Not sure he is seeking debates but if he is Stack will likely ignore him and get about 85% of the vote.

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  17. Poor Joe stick to try to make your bar make MONEY !

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    1. I was at CVS today and noticed all of the dead bushes in the planters outside of his bar. There has to be about half dozen of them. All dead. Really dead. Like they have been dead for awhile. Like a Christmas tree looks at Easter if you don't take it down. Very unattractive and seedy looking.

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  18. GarciA is truing to make politocal deals to have hha ontracts awarded and he pairs this in writing?

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  19. Honest question: how do we know the stenographer meant Branco but mistakenly wrote "Joe Garcia"? I guess is makes sense based on what Carmelo says afterwards but just wondering.

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    1. Carmelo says "He didn't get on the Board".

      Joe Branco famously tried to get Mike Russo's seat on the HHA- which went to Dave Mello, then tried to get Marianne Camporeale's seat - which went to Greg Lincoln. Joe Branco's pursuit and failure to be an HHA Commissioner and public sour grapes are a fact.

      Carmelo said, "I would tell Joe, I am your neighbor, and that is it"

      Branco and Garcia live less than a block away on Bloomfield.

      The offer of "disowning" implies the existence of a very close relationship. People disown kin, not lawyers. Carmelo and Joe are BFFs- like brothers, just check Branco's Facebook page.

      Further, Joe has been active in Hoboken politics, recently heading the miserable failure of the Move Forward campaign, one which famously used 'The Nazi Truck' to attack a woman who had no involvement in the KF campaign, but lied that she was "KF's graphic designer." A miserable, nasty and pathetic campaign.

      For all those reasons and more (pitching Joe Garcia as HHA attorney), the context of the remarks, clearly the stenographer erred. She heard the name 'Garcia' repeatedly through out the lunch, so it's not that surprising a mistake.

      Clearly Garcia was talking about 'disowning' his BFF and neighbor Joe Branco, not a lawyer he was trying to pitch to his lunch companions.

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    2. That's what I figured, makes sense, thanks. I wish Joe would come here and comment on how he feels about it all. I guess no more HHA meeting Carmelitia pep rallies for Joe, huh?

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    3. It's a reasonable question.

      Branco's Facebook page is still decked out in the Carmelo's-BFF motif. This dope won't believe in a million years how Garcia stabbed him in the back. Garcia probably told him that part was photo-Shopped or else he made it all up to fool his lunch companions.

      Nope, I don't believe Branco can absorb the magnitude of the betrayal nor the disappointment nor the public humiliation. It is easier to believe his BFF.

      That's my opinion, we'll see.

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    4. I'm told 'neighbor' Joe Garcia lives in Paramus.

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