Local students head to
summer RYLA program
p. 21
Make your fantasy
football team a winner
p. 23-34
New fountain light
show in Philadelphia
p. 43
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
FORMER
MAYOR
GAZZARA
DIES
Democratic mayor served in the 1990s; was 82
Volume 23 • Issue 34
www.hammontongazette.com
2019 with his family by his side at Our
Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Cam-
den. Gazzara was 82.
[For the complete Gazzara obituary,
please turn to page 2.]
Born in Philadelphia, he was a lifelong
by Gabe Donio
area resident. In addition to his service to
the town on town council and as mayor
from 1992 to 1995, he formerly worked at
the Hammonton Post Office as a mail car-
rier, as a salesman at Gibase Shoe Store and
he also sold insurance for Colonial Life.
He was also a member of the Hammon-
ton Planning Board and longtime member
of the Hammonton Democratic Club. He
served as President for the Hammonton ro-
tary Club, the Jaycee Club; and the as-
Man attempts Latin-themed night downtown
to elude officer
G azette S taff W rIter
CaMDeN—Charles Gazzara, former
mayor of Hammonton, died on august 13,
Charged with DWI
by Gabe Donio
G azette S taff W rIter
See GAZZARA, Page 4
HaMMONtON—a local man,
Stephen Crecco, 41, of Hammon-
ton, was charged with driving
while under the influence and
other charges after he attempted to
elude a police officer at 11:13 p.m.
on august 17, Hammonton Police
Lt. Kevin friel said. Crecco was
arrested near the intersection of S.
NJ Supreme
Court upholds
Liepe conviction
See POLICE, Page 4
by Gina Rullo
G azette S taff W rIter
treNtON—the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld the conviction
of William t. Liepe in an opinion released on august 6.
“the convictions arose from a motor-vehicle accident in which de-
fendant, driving while intoxicated, collided with another vehicle from
See COURT, Page 12
THG/Franki Rudnesky. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
Could musical set
in town go to NYC?
South Second Street was closed for fiesta-themed Third Thursday festivities on August 15, where Kim Allen and Jaime
Santiago gave free bachata and salsa dance lessons.
by Gina Rullo
G azette S taff W rIter
eLMSfOrD, NY—a musical
opened at the Westchester Broad-
way theatre earlier this month that
takes place in Hammonton.
Mambo Italiano is playing now
through the end of September and
the idea for the show began a
decade ago. The Gazette recently
interviewed the authors of the
book for the musical, Jean
Cheever and tom Polum and lyri-
cist Omri Schein.
“When we first saw the property
we thought it would be a great mu-
sical,” Polum said.
Polum and Cheever noted that
the movie was based in Montreal.
they felt it would be better being
Plan OK’d for WHP
assist. living facility
G azette S taff W rIter
Photo by Sam Fine Photography
Alexandra Amadeo Frost, Alexander Drost, Bill Nolte and Joy Hermalyn in Mambo Italiano now playing at the Westch-
ester Broadway Theatre in New York.
SUBSCRIBE TO The
HaMMONtON—the plan to
redevelop the econo Lodge on
route 30 into an affordable as-
sisted-living facility continued to
move forward at the meeting of the
Hammonton environmental Com-
Gazette • SUBSCRIBE NOW! • CALL 609-704-1939
mission (HeC) on august 14.
Nicholas f. talvacchia, of
Cooper Levenson, accompanied
engineer Jason Sciullo to present
the proposed redevelopment plan
by White Horse HMt Urban re-
newal, LLC DBa New Standard
Senior Living, along with eric
Wolf, a principal in the LLC.
See ECONO, Page 3
by Joseph F. Berenato
See MUSICAL, Page 16