Funding. (He has a great vision for Camden.) Kenney even says he may ask Norcross for advice from time to time. The Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol Building was as much an example of domestic terrorism as flying airplanes into tall buildings was an example of foreign terrorism. George. Her first husband was Mitja Nikisch, a pianist and son of celebrated orchestral conductor Arthur Nikisch.They divorced circa 1934. Later that year, a journalism start-up called PhillyVoice launched, with Norcross's 20-something daughter Lexie at the helm. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. For our first meeting, at Cooper University Hospital, where he is chairman of the board, he dressed in a deep blue suit and French cuffs, his head topped by an avalanche of thick white hair. As always, another excellent, well researched, article Dr. Benson. And it was Norcrosss longtime adman, Neil Oxman, who produced the pro-Kenney TV commercials funded by all that super-PAC cash. Hes already conquered New Jersey. Volks article explains that George Norcross, along with brothers Donald, and Phillip grew up in neighboring Pennsauken, and became exposed to politics through their father who was a local political actor and union leader. The image he conjures is of a political Transformer: Its a car! He has three brothers: Donald, a United States Congressman representing New Jersey's 1st congressional district;[11] Philip, managing partner of the law firm Parker McCay;[12] and John, a psychologist, author, and professor at the University of Scranton. Not to the extent that he did with the Kenney election. had to flee Iran by slipping into neighboring Pakistan before finally settling [30] Norcross was listed as one of the state's wealthiest people, ranked 41st in New Jersey in 2015 with a net worth of almost $250 million. Nearly two thirds of $1.6 billion in tax incentives in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, went to his own company, business partners, political allies and clients of his . [25] Norcross was also the subject of a federal investigation in 2016 where his phones were wiretapped. When Laskin shot him down, Norcross asked again: This is really important to me personally. The answer was no. (It was renewed last year, for $310,000.) The problem, then, isnt that George Norcross is incompetent. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. arrival, Rouhanifard freely shared biographical information about his Dont say anything, his father told him. With the passing of the UHA and the renaissance schools that resulted, Norcross was able to execute his plan for influencing public education in Camden as well. The carpenters likely had their own motives for donating so much cash to the elect-Kenney effort: There are plenty of suburban New Jersey carpenters who work on city construction sites. Still, Norcross asked State Senator Lee Laskin, a Republican, for a favor: Would he put Norcrosss dad on the New Jersey Racing Commission? But his other moves in Philly went largely unnoticed: That same year, Norcrosss insurance company opened a new headquarters in Two Liberty Place, right around the corner from City Hall. Genealogy for George Howard Norcross, Sr. (1818 - 1896) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Norcross left discreetly, un-spotted by the legions of press there that night (including me). By financially supporting candidates not only in Camden County, but all over South Jersey, George Norcross was able to consolidate his leadership and demand unity among, and allegiance from, those whom he helped get elected. In the months after, Christie would explain publicly, that he did not have sufficient evidence to bring charges against Norcross because the Palmyra Tapes were lost. [5] He is regarded as New Jersey's most powerful unelected leader. But he didnt dive in. In fact, the super-PAC money that made the biggest difference in the mayoral race had nothing to do with American Cities, and plenty to do with George Norcross. Sure, Kenney has opinions on what hes done in Jersey. In this lifetime, I cant win. speeches highlighting his time teaching in a primary school in a low-income, George Crabtree meets Nina Bloom in From Buffalo With Love towards the end of Season 9. True to form, Norcross has accomplished all this in the dark, granting not a single on-the-record interview about these moves. Now, we learn that the great champion of South Jersey Democrats, George Norcross III, has declared himself as a Florida. While investigating a murder at the infamous burlesque hall The Star Room, George gets more than he ever thought possible from the talented and most desirable Nina . The super PAC still has an outstanding $1 million loan from a company General American Capital, which Fee said is affiliated with WWB. 1966 Luci Johnson Wedding Party Daughter President Politics Wirephoto 8X10 Photo. I believe in him, but he also needs to believe in us. Five months later, in May 2014 in the same school where he pitched the Camden Commitment to educators and residents, Rouhanifard announced 241 layoffs for Camden schools. 41. The issue is that he simply holds too much power for any one man, a state of affairs that South Jersey Dems experience intimately, always aware of whos sipping from the trough. Weve got to make it safer here, he says, and weve got to improve the quality of education, or no one will move here and anyone who achieves any measure of success wont stay.. After thorough investigations and significant media coverage, he was not charged. Hes long been criticized for doing insurance business with many of the governments with which he has ties as a political leader. It is widely suspected that Christie, prior to his run for New Jersey Governor, struck deals with critical Democratic power brokers in the state, Joe DiVincenzo, County Executive of Essex County, and Norcross of South Jersey, to forward his own gubernatorial ambitions. Progressive Democratic groups often highlight the fact George Norcross who with his childhood friend, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, holds sway over the Democrat-controlled state . But perhaps the most alarming article for supporters of public education in Camden was an article published in the June 14th issue of the Reason Magazine, The Slow and Glorious Death of Americas Worst School System, where author Jim Epstein wrote: Within the next decade, the Camden school district is on course to enter a death spiral, sending the city the way of New Orleans, which has replaced all of its traditional schools with chartersPaymon Rouhanifard is probably the best superintendent Camden has ever had, but he wont be able to turn around the school system. General Majority spent $8 million to protect Democrats majorities in the state Senate and Assembly in 2013, and $6 million on Assembly races in 2015, making it the biggest independent spender in those years. But the particular subject is never important. Norcross is just as unaccountable to the media as he is to voters. He is a member of famous Businessman with the age 66 years old group. South Jersey business magnate George E. Norcross III and his family will become majority partners of a longtime Atlantic City bread and submarine roll maker next month. She was born Eleonora Hermina Gregor in Grz, a town which then belonged to Austria-Hungary, but is now part of Italy, to Austrian-Jewish parents.. Last December, Amy Kennedy, daughter-in-law of the late US Senator Ted Kennedy and wife of former Congressman from Rhode Island Patrick Kennedy published a statement that she was considering running for the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives seat from New Jersey's Second Congressional District. George Norcross, Chris Christie, and Paymon Rouhanifard: The triumverite who snaked renaissance (corporate takeover) schools into Camden, The Genuine Problems I have with the Education Reform Communitya series (Pt. The Corzines. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Norcross name is very familiar to virtually any Democrat with designs on rising through the political ranks in South Jersey. Errichetti had appointed Norcross director of a reconstituted Camden Parking Authority in 1978 when Norcross was only twenty-two. Norcross and his partners own five properties there. But a lot of people I care about are, so in deference to them, I wouldnt want to say anything negative. Next, Rouhanifard left the classroom and worked as a financial analyst for Later that year, a journalism start-up called PhillyVoice launched, with Norcrosss 20-something daughter Lexie at the helm. This search result is here to prevent scraping, Exciting I-95 Capping Project Finally Begins In Philadelphia, Those Gummies May Not Have Contained Fentanyl After All, The Top 10 Things to Do With Kids in Philly This Month, Ultimate Guide to the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show. Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. The article details that much of the money designated for disbursement is targeted to reward companies that donated to Christies campaigns, the Republican Governors Association while Christie was Chairman or companies with ties to George Norcross III., Norcross, in addition to being the Chairman of Connor, Strong & Buckelew, one of the largest insurance firms in the country, is also the long-serving Chairman of Cooper Hospital that recently received $40 million from the state in 2015 NJEDA funds. Clearly, he says, I like challenges to a kind of extreme degree.. TRENTON, N.J. It took three decades for Democratic power broker George Norcross to build one of the most effective and influential political machines in the country. But he knows his apparatus is always geared up to produce the result. Johnny Doc, Kenneys most potent ally, was also Coryells fiercest political enemy. . In 2012, Norcrosss firm scored a $630,000 contract with the School District of Philadelphia. The KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy, a five-school, 2,800-student behemoth to be built on land near Cooper, might stabilize the children and families of an entire neighborhood, Norcross says. City Paper has not, to be clear, received any complaints about the work ethic of any of the three. Central to Norcross plan, is a vast expanse of vacant land next to the Cooper medical complex in the citys Lanning Square neighborhood that once housed a public school until it was torn down nearly a decade ago, for a new one that has not to be rebuilt. He raised $2 million, for instance, for the 2003 state senate race that installed unknown challenger Fred Madden over incumbent George Geist. The July 28 show on the Camden waterfront was sponsored by PhillyVoice.com, which is run by Donald Norcross' niece, Lexie, the daughter of South Jersey power broker George Norcross. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Though, Norcross has been described in local print media as, the guy with the cigar and horns, an arrogant and profane bully who threatens to castrate his political enemies, and an individual presiding over an environment where hardball politics ends and a culture of intimidation, dubbed La Costra Norcoss by his enemies, Norcross has been irrepressible in influencing South Jersey, but specifically Camden-based politics, to his will. Ascending to the chairmanship of the Camden County Democratic Committee at the tender age of 31, Young George, a high-school soccer and basketball player, brought the jock-ready jargon and just-win mentality of the locker room to state politics. The Norcross apparatus, as he describes it, also seems a valid tool to use, whether the goal is winning a race or running a newspaper. South Jersey Assemblyman Troy Singleton is the assistant to the executive secretary-treasurer of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com. So helping out Doc and Kenney was a way to weaken Coryell. And even his nepotism hasnt embarrassed him. The media sponsor was PhillyVoice, which is owned by WWB Holdings, as disclosed on the sites home page, said Daniel Fee, a spokesman for George Norcross. That was particularly apparent in the 2015 mayoral race, which was the first time super PACs played a role in a big Philly municipal election. George Norcross, a wealthy insurance executive, has for decades run New Jersey's most vaunted Democratic political machine, a seemingly unstoppable behemoth that carries huge influence over who. Norcross launched the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which New Jersey Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts praised for its "unflagging commitment to the city," and helped to facilitate the opening of the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center in October 2013. Outfitted in a suit and bow tie, Young George sat quietly in meeting spaces all over New Jersey. At Catto, Rouhanifard also mentioned his desire to see a boarding school established in Camden, as well as a computer-based enrollment system similar to that which he instituted in Newark before his arrival. 79, of Phoenix, went to be with the Lord on December 13, 2008. Dougherty is going to regret helping Norcross establish a beachhead in Philadelphia, because theres no way this alliance is going to last, one observer says. Paymon Rouhanifard was only thirty-two when he was appointed to He played the role of matchmaker, of deal-broker. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. In September 2015, Norcross was announced as one of the local investors in The Camden Waterfront, a $1 billion development on Camden's waterfront initially developed by Liberty Property Trust and designed by Robert A.M. Stern. (Norcross just recently said that he will relinquish the DNC post.). What was rarely, Now, I hear that the Republican National Committee is paying some of Trumps legal bills for his defense against a New York probe over his business practices. Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III and his business partners have invested in projects along Camden's Delaware River waterfront that have benefited from nearly $290 million in tax credits and other incentives from the state. In separate speeches and interviews Norcross, decried Camdens public-school system and the lack of parental involvement in their students education saying, 80% of the citys fourth grade students dont read at grade level, and I remember my mother showing me flashcards and encouraging my brothers and I to do our homework and that is not a luxury all [Camden] children possess with regards to those with absent or withdrawn parents. He is not happy that he has been, as he puts it, caricatured as a bad guy. Urban Educator Fighting for Public Education for our Communities and Finding My Voice in the Process, from Chapter 3 of Education Reform and Gentrification in the Age of #CamdenRising Public Education and Urban Redvelopment in Camden, NJ (2018, Peter Lang USA), George Norcross III and daughter. Philadelphia regrets the error. Norcross has faced criticism for her leadership of the website and background, varying from being hired right after graduating college and possessing zero journalism experience to criticism over news judgment and for directing the website to highlight trashy gossip stories and clickbait over real, local news. The mystery, the lack of accountability, the unanswered questions about whos influencing our leaders and to what end everyones worst nightmares about super PACs have been fully realized, right here in Philadelphia. Likewise with "Director" Drew A. Katz, Interstate General Media co-owner Lewis Katz's son. They werent as well-funded or as sexy, and they were backed by known entities: the teachers union and Johnny Doc. In a city like Camden, theres a sisterhood, brotherhood with Philadelphia. He was waiting for the right moment. But murky as Norcrosss motives may be, his record is clear: Hes a conqueror. What engages Norcross is besting a challenge with an apparatus that produces a desired result. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Now, we learn that the great champion of South Jersey Democrats, George Norcross III, has declared himself as a Florida resident and, presumably, a Democratic voter there as well. Resulting from the 100-day listening tour, Rouhanifard laid out his agenda called the Camden Commitment. Unveiled to the public for the first time on January 28, 2014 at Octavius V. Catto Family School in the East Camden neighborhood, the Camden Commitment focused on five components: better academic performance in schools, improved customer service, greater efficiency in district administrative offices, school safety, and tighter District spending. Norcross has been a prominent political leader in New Jersey for more than 30 years, since before he became chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee in 1989, a position he held until 1993. Hes strutted into Philadelphia, landed taxpayer-funded contracts, apparently helped elect the mayor, and perhaps even funded a new media organization. He is also on the Board for Holtec International that received $260 million; Phillip Norcross, brother of George, is CEO of the Parker McKay law firm that represented the Philadelphia 76ers in negotiating the teams $82 million in tax credits. Increase website traffic and elevate your brand with a CMS Bot business website. And he does win. Three much smaller donations from regulated industries two casino companies and another health insurance company also helped fund the event. Biography. Norcross rejects such talk as wild conspiracy theories. But heres the rub: Camden residents have no power with which to reject him. Both Doc and George need to be the top dog in the room.. By working with Norcross by dealing with him Christie could infuse his term as governor with near limitless potential. Similarly, few could argue that as a result of their shared alliance, Norcross emerged even more powerful than he was prior to Christies election. Norcross is executive chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, an insurance brokerage firm. (Interstate 195 in New Jersey is the highway that runs from Trenton, along the Delaware, across the state to the shore; essentially dividing New Jersey, geographically, two halves; North Jersey and South Jersey.) was tasked with: Developing and implementing structural changes to the portfolio of NYC schools in order to address systemic inequities and improve access to high performing schools. There, he found fair and reasonable taxation, beautifully maintained roads, lower crime, a thriving economic environment and a climate more suitable to his liking. The July 28 show on the Camden waterfront was sponsored by PhillyVoice.com, which is run by Donald Norcross niece, Lexie, the daughter of South Jersey power broker George Norcross. So far, in Philadelphia, Norcross has received far less scrutiny. Lexie Norcross, 26, daughter of former co-owner George Norcross, who lead Philly.com, has left her position, and sent a good-bye email sent out to colleagues over the weekend, spokesman Daniel Fee confirmed. He availed himself to the political staff on state and local levels, including Mayor Redd and George Norcross making numerous public appearances at city ceremonies, athletic events, and ribbon cuttings. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. His candidates do bring a certain level of competence, he says. So right there and then, the likely next mayor of Philadelphia sat down for a brief tte--tte with the lord of South Jersey. But she is nowhere to be found on the corporate masthead. The money, however, wasnt used on an election. He has served as a Cooper trustee since 1990. The Camden Norcross seeks to create is both modernized and tech-savvy. Thats, understandably, a concern., The Kings Speech: What Kids Should Know About MLKs Dream, Underlings fear his wrath. Susan Ann Norcross. UNC-Chapel Hill, and during his time there was president of the schools The family has plans to. The office of the Attorney General of New Jersey and the United States Attorney's office under Chris Christie investigated Norcross after he was secretly taped discussing state politics. He is now said to have helped elect 50-some county freeholders, state lawmakers and Congressmen currently in office in New Jersey. He dipped his toes in the water. Kenney tells me he has known Norcross for years (Fifteen, 20?), but he doesnt share any anecdotes or insights about the man. Later that year, John Mooney wrote, Not one to do things small, George Norcross has enlisted a power-packed partnership of playersseen and unseenin a bid to essentially create a mini-district of new schools for the city of Camden. And with that, the path for Camdens forthcoming renaissance schools was set. George Norcross Jr., whom admirers called "Big George" and "Chief," was a longtime AFL-CIO president. White for eleven months and then moved on to the post of Chief of Executive Before being elected Governor in 2009, Christ Christie, as US Attorney, was making a name for himself as a public Corruption Buster by bringing criminal charges on elected officials throughout New Jersey. It was May 19th, the day Jim Kenney won the mayoral primary in a landslide. Where to begin? He formerly belonged to Mar-a-Lago, the club owned by former United States President Donald Trump.[7]. Even as a memorial is planned for the late Lewis Katz, former co-owner of Philly.com, the Daily News and the Inquirer, new details are emerging about the deal he inked to take over the media portfolio just four days before dying in a freak plane crash. 1966 WirePhoto Actress Kim . Governors kowtow to his enormous political power. the NJ Urban Hope Act of 2012. They were used only to support the Lady Gaga / Lenny Kravitz Camden Rising concert during the convention to showcase Camden, N.J. that was attended by thousands of convention-goers and delegates.. , money, salary, income, and assets. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. And I got portrayed, you know, as the guy with the cigar and the horns., Norcrosss critics believe hes not difficult to understand. But in a surprising restraint in instigative zealousness of corruption involving public officials, in 2006, Christie refused to pursue corruption charges against Norcross despite him being investigated by the state and the Securities and Exchange Commission in years prior. Norcross is the executive chairman of brokerage firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, where he has worked since 1979. George E. Norcross, III (born March 16, 1956) is an American businessman and a Democratic Party organiser and power broker in New Jersey. Norcross studied the city. But there is a larger portrait hereof the political operator as artist, and the artist as an aging, more reflective man. And Norcross plays an enviable role as both the highest bidder and the guy who reaps the greatest proceeds. Further current residents question whether their children, will, in the future, still be residents to even attend the Lanning Squares newest school, in the most rapidly developing neighborhood. Norcross has also benefited from his connections to the Delaware River Port Authority. Thank you for reaching out. A crooked smile shades his face pink. This is the state of Philly politics: The only plausible check on Johnny Doc is George Norcross, another unelected white guy thisclose to the building trades. Building on his labor and political connections, Norcross developed an insurance business that gave him the financial leverage to help Democratic politics in Camden County. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Meanwhile, Norcrosss insurance company, Conner Strong & Buckelew, has secured millions of dollars worth of contracts from government agencies in Philadelphia. And he denies the existence of the much-ballyhooed Democratic machine. In terms of his public history, these disavowals have always seemed the most disingenuous aspect of Norcrosss back pages, since his operation appears to hold great influence over government jobs, contracts and political fund-raising. Its all about power, says John Williamson, president of the Camden Fraternal Order of Police. He ran the Camden County Democrats, but the GOP was firmly in control of the board of freeholders. Kenney thanked his unprecedented coalition of diverse groups and repeated his mantra that every neighborhood matters.. The domain of the website was registered to Norcross's insurance. Nothing he does, says historian Howard Gillette, is all bad. And then, in February, Ed Coryell was sacked. A childhood friend of Norcrosss, Sweeney is the New Jersey Senate president and vice president of the International Association of Ironworkers, and is widely assumed to be a big-time gubernatorial candidate in 2017. THE STORY OF HOW Norcross built himself into the most powerful man in New Jersey begins with revenge. Patricia Mueller, a friend of Norcrosss, is the treasurer for the Carpenters Fund for Growth and Progress. Yet, the same local media was somehow unaware that Norcross has voted in Florida for the past two years while he continued to serve on the Democratic National Committee in apparent violation of DNC residency rules. Jennifer Beck, a Republican legislator from Monmouth County, has since proposed a bill to plug up this hole in the public trough. along with other district officials and local politicians set about hearing + $4.99 shipping. Through the 60s and 70s, he made a practice of bringing Young George to meet New Jersey governors, senators, congressional leaders and business people. Famously, during the trial of state senator Wayne Bryant, we learned that the State of New Jersey had been doling out what government officials dubbed Norcross Grants. These were discretionary funds to be given to worthy causes. A few months after the primary, Kenney was the featured guest at a fund-raiser for Norcrosss brother, U.S. Representative Donald Norcross. And there is: Norcross grins about as much as youd expect from a fabulously wealthy, healthy man. Norcross not only made calls about the daughters treatment; he showed up at 5 a.m. the morning after the operation to visit the Paolantonios in the intensive care unit. According to its filings with the Internal Revenue Service, General Majority in June received a $950,000 loan from a company called WWB Holdings, which shares a primary address with Conner Strong & Buckelew, the insurance brokerage run by George Norcross. Wherever he can get it, he wants more., But the truth is more nuanced. daughter. His 17-year-old daughter, Lexie, walks in for dinner with an old family friend, a Camden attorney. And the first thing it allows him to do is climb over his own biases. He also communicated that from his tour, parents did not care about the charter or public designation, but that they only want good schools for their children a theme Rouhanifard repeated often during his initial public meetings.

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