The President’s Message
NEW JERSEY STATE
POLICEMEN’S BENEVOLENT
ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE BOARD
PATRICK COLLIGAN
State President
MARC KOVAR
Executive Vice-President
Peter Andreyev 1st Vice-President
Andy Haase 2nd Vice-President
Henry Werner 3rd Vice-President
Michael Pellegrino 4th Vice-President
Domenic Cappella 5th Vice-President
Mark Aurigemma 6th Vice-President
Manuel Corte 7th Vice-President
Mark Messinger 8th Vice-President
Eugene Dello 9th Vice-President
James Crilly 10th Vice-President
Keith Bennett 11th Vice-President
Richard Kott 12th Vice-President
Michael Kaniuk Financial Secretary
George Miller Recording Secretary
John Monsees Treasurer
Bruce Chester Trustee
Meg Hammond Trustee
Frederick Ludd, Sr. Trustee
Luke Sciallo Trustee
Frank P. Cipully Trustee
John Cernek Trustee
Ed Carattini, Jr. Trustee
Michael Freeman Sergeant-at-Arms
Bryan Flammia Sergeant-at-Arms
Robert Ormezzano Sergeant-at-Arms
Joseph Biamonte Sergeant-at-Arms
Terrance Benson, Sr. Sergeant-at-Arms
Rodney Furby Sergeant-at-Arms
Charles Schwartz Sergeant-at-Arms
Patrick Moran Sergeant-at-Arms
Joseph A. Macones Sergeant-at-Arms
Sean Plasket Sergeant-at-Arms
4
NEW JERSEY COPS
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NOVEMBER 2015
A home run for the PBA
Pat Colligan talks with Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto at the Bergen County Political Action Committee Election
Day rally.
It’s the morning after Election Day. At the risk of alienating my friends who
are Mets fans (and the many brand new Mets fans I’ve suddenly noticed), I will
gloat a bit. If the Amazin’ Mets World Series efforts matched the PBA Election
Day record, you folks would have swept the series!
Wow, what a night!
Let’s go to the highlights: 100 percent of the PBA-endorsed candidates won;
100 percent of the candidates our members called on behalf of (from more
Patrick
than 40 Locals) at the phone bank won by margins that weren’t even predicted.
Colligan
By 1 p.m. Tuesday, more than 50,000 phone calls were placed in the 1st, 2nd
and 38th Legislative Districts, and the NJSPBA phone bank made almost a
THIRD of them. The Bergen County “Get Out to Vote” rally walked with candidates Assemblyman Tim Eustace and Assemblyman Joe Lagano two days before the election with more than
100 PBA members. Their Election Day rally produced more than 100 members again and was
attended by a Who’s Who of New Jersey politics: Senator Paul Sarlo; Assembly Speaker Vincent
Prieto, likely gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy, Assemblyman Tim Eustace, Assemblyman
Joe Lagano and Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco. Almost 40 of our members hit the
streets for the candidates in the 1st and 2nd districts for another perfect game down south.
All of you who helped deserve recognition, but special thanks go out to Bergen County Conference Chair Joe Biamonte and State PBA Executive Board member Charlie Schwartz for the
Amazin’ Bergen County victory and incredible showing of their members. Executive Board
member Bruce Chester was shooting to get 100 of his members out to the phone bank in
Woodbridge, and I’d say he was pretty damn close. I’ll make the ruling on the field and say he
cracked 100. The staff here at the office running up to Election Day was spectacular. Locker
room champagne is flowing for our MVP, Executive Vice-President Marc Kovar. The cell phone
has been attached to his ear for well over a month coordinating the game-day lineup. When I
say it couldn’t have been done without him, I really mean it. Thank you, Marc, for the
incredibly well done job and incredible effort.
Finally, for those who voted, thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it and the 2015 numbers prove what I’ve been saying long before I sat in this desk: EVERY SINGLE VOTE COUNTS!
For those who helped us with your presence at the phone bank, thank you even more. To
those who walked the streets of the 1st, 2nd & 38th, your unreal effort was the reason for such
a huge success. For those who are still sitting home wondering what the PBA is doing for you,
I say join your brothers and sisters in this historic engagement of our membership and let’s go
for a bigger sweep in 2017!
And, of course, we wouldn’t even be voting if it wasn’t for the huge sacrifices made by our
veterans and their families. I am deeply indebted for your service, no matter where or when
you served. Veteran’s Day is only one day in the year, but I appreciate your service and enjoy
my freedom every single day because of your sacrifices. THANK YOU.
Please stay safe. d