IAPSNJ Quarterly Magazine July ~ September 2016 Summer Edition Volume 1, Issue 31 A social, fraternal organization of more than 4,000 Italian American Law Enforcement officers in the State. William Schievella, President Editor: Patrick Minutillo Executive Secretary W e d n e s d a y S e p t . 1 4 B a s k i n g R i d g e Country Club 1 8 5 Madisonville Rd., Basking R i d g e , N J W e d n e s d a y O c t . 6 M a r c o P o l o 527 Morris Ave. S u m m i t , N J W e d n e s d a y N o v . 9 C h a n d e l i e r 340 Franklin A v e . Belleville, NJ Visit us at http://www.iapsnj.org IAPSNJ Quarterly Magazine July ~ September 2016 Summer Edition Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 31 2014 ~ 2015 P RESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE William Schievella B ILL S CHIEVELLA President Vincent Nardone Executive Director officers have professionals Ronald Sepe Executive Vice President trained to act as peer sup- John Lazzara porters. They can be 1st Vice President reached at 1 866-COP- Jerry Onnembo 2nd Vice President 2COP (267-2267) 24 hours Alfonse Imperiale Dear Members and Friends, a day 365 days a year. Please rd 3 Vice President don’t let another brother or Joseph Simonetti Financial Vice President As you read this magazine sister law enforcement of- Patrick Minutillo the summer is upon us. This ficer die needless. I have Executive Secretary is a time of year for family seen first-hand and have Allan Attanasio Recording Secretary cookouts and celebrations. It been to enough tragic John Sisto is also a time for great stress scenes and memorial ser- Financial Secretary for law enforcement officers vices for fellow officers that John Sartori took their own lives. Sgt. at Arms in our region. The times that Sebastian D’Amato we live in are dangerous, as Director of Communications threats of violence continue We are all brothers and to rise. In addition to these sisters and must protect Trustees external threats many of our Rose Minoughan each other on and off duty. Robert Belfiore brothers and sisters in blue These are the cornerstones Nick Incanella are exposed to personal of our noble profession. We Anthony Magnotta stress from a variety of cannot protect the most vul- Nat Faronea sources. Sadly, the incidence nerable members of society Richard Giordano of police suicide continues to Christopher Mincolelli during these difficult times if Michael Puzio rise in New Jersey. So many we don’t protect each other. Peter Serrone of our colleagues suffer in si- Take a moment today to Joseph Rutigliano lence and place themselves reach out to a law enforce- John Stroka and their family members in ment officer in need. Daniel Sollitti peril. Our police unions have Dominick Imperiale Matthew Stambuli made great strides in the pre- vention of police suicides in Have a safe and Healthy summer. Please consider at- Edmond Brady, CPA the past few years but we Dr. Brian Mignola must all be the “protectors of tending one of our fantastic Dr Daniel Schievella events this summer. Anthony Caivano, Esq. the protectors”. Please keep watch over your brothers and Caterina Benanti Esq sisters and always help to Fraternally yours, Fr. Christopher Hynes connect them with services William Schievella, President Fr. David Baratelli such as Cop 2 Cop. This vi- Fr. Geno Sylva tal organization of current and retired law enforcement Visit us at http://www.iapsnj.org IAPSNJ Quarterly Magazine July ~ September 2016 Summer Edition Page 3 From the Editor Patrick Minutillo larly and faithfully toward this who when asked if he was By now promised and legally agreed to pleased with the ruling simply stat- I’m sure compensation over many, many ed “some retirees, including local everyone is years didn't matter. It’s been police officers and firefighters, well aware clearly stated over and over that should be able to get their cost-of- of the des- “the state’s failure to adequately picable, 6-1 This from Justice Albin. fund the pension system is no ex- Apparently the only Justice ruling by the cuse for taking away something N.J. Su- that our members earned and with any common sense on preme Court paid for. Our retirees cannot go our Supreme Court. allowing the State to withhold our back after the fact and decide not Justice Barry Albin, wrote that hard earned and contractually to do the work. The state should agreed to cost-of-living (COLA) not be able to decide after the fact in drafting the law the Legisla- adjustments for our retirees. I not to pay them for that work.” ture could have, but didn't ex- guess the fact that we paid regu- But I guess that simple logic is too plicitly exclude COLAs from the "Based on this decision, all complicated for those 6 Justices contractual right. Public work- on the Supreme Court, 4 of whom public employees should be ers made life decisions based on by the way were Christie appoin- what seemed a plainly-written gravely concerned that their tees. remaining pension benefits have promise that they would receive any legal protections left," said regular adjustments, he added. Sadly, with this ruling, it could "Many public employees may Charles Ouslander, a retired be decades before many public prosecutor and plaintiff in the workers' COLAs can be restored. not have retired or may have case. "In addition, given the Under the law, they won't receive deferred their retirement had court's past decision ... that increases until the individual pen- COLAs not been guaranteed as upheld underfunding of the sion plans that make up the pen- part of their pension benefits pension system, despite another sion fund are much healthier, program," Albin said. contractual obligation, which the statute defines as at "Although the Legislature had pensioners are now only left least 80 percent funded, and with the right to suspend COLAs for the way the state and their actuar- those public employees whose with the obligation to pay ies can manipulate our funds don’t increased contributions with count on that happening too soon. pension benefits had not vested nothing in return." Obviously, a large number of our and who had yet to retire, it did older retirees in not have the right to do so for “Our members were promised a COLA as part of their particular will be those public employees who compensation, and they did the work required to earn severely im- retired expecting that the state it,” Steinhauer said. pacted by this would keep its word." “They also paid every penny they owed toward their disgusting deci- sion. pensions,” he said. “The state’s failure to adequately living adjustments restored sooner fund the pension system over nearly two decades is no than they think once all the re- excuse for taking away something that our members One guy forms start to take hold. “We did- earned and paid for.” who’s not wor- n’t end (the adjustment), we sus- Hetty Rosenstein, state director of the Communica- ried about the pended it. And we suspended it tions Workers of America, another plaintiff in the case, loss of our CO- until we could afford to pay,” I said many workers planned their retirements counting LA is the spon- guess he thinks we’re all idiots! on the regular adjustments to keep pace with sor of the pen- sion reform inflation. O’well, hang in there and re- act, Senate member it’s just my opinion. “It’s terrible for the people who counted on that mon- President Ste- ey,” Rosenstein said. “They were made a promise.” phen Sweeney Visit us at http://www.iapsnj.org IAPSNJ Quarterly Magazine July ~ September 2016 Summer Edition The 2016 Pasta Night for Special Olympics which was held on April 23rd was another huge success. Dozens of police officers, students and volunteers helped top prepare and cook food all day. More than 1,000 homemade meatballs were made from scratch along with specialty ravioli, stuffed shells, penne, spaghetti, sausage, antipasto, salad and desert were served to more than 400 attendees. Thank you to the committee chairmen Jerry Onnembo and Joseph Rutigliano for making this event possible and to the many people that generously donated food and money. Special thanks to the US Customs& Border Protection Explorers for their hard work and a huge thanks to Nadine Meola who runs our Tricky Tray which made more than $7,500. The Italian American Police Society of NJ is proud to continue to be a Platinum Sponsor of Special Olympics and look forward to donating more than $15,000 from this event at the upcoming Summer Games in June. Visit us at http://www.iapsnj.org IAPSNJ Quarterly Magazine July ~ September 2016 Summer Edition Visit us at http://www.iapsnj.org IAPSNJ Quarterly Magazine July ~ September 2016 Summer Edition IAPSNJ Executive Director Vincent Nardone and his wife Helen personally delivered all our left over food products from our very successful Pasta Night on April 23rd to the SHIPS shelter in Somerville, NJ. The “Samaritan Homeless Interim Program Street Outreach Services” shelter provides services to people in need in Somerset County, as well as the general Plainfield area. SHIPS Director Tom O'Leary (photo on right with Director Nardone) is grateful for the large donations the Italian American Police Society makes every year following our Pasta night, as well as from our Member’s Annual Picnic/Pool Party.