McGreevey story not over, some residents say

BY COLLEEN LUTOLF
Staff Writer

BY COLLEEN LUTOLF
Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE — In the days following Gov. James E. McGreevey’s bombshell resignation speech, people said they are waiting for the truth to come out about why their former mayor really quit his long-sought-after post.

"There’s got to be something deeper," Anthony Lisco of Iselin said at the Reo Diner in Woodbridge Monday morning.

"What he does with his personal life, I don’t think is anybody’s business," he said.

Lisco said he does not believe McGreevey resigned simply because he was gay.

"There is something irking me," he said. "There is something really deep involved in this and I’m sure it will come to the surface."

Bill Haines, a landscaper from Piscataway sitting one table away, said he, too, does not care if the governor is gay.

"We’ve heard this in Woodbridge for the past 25 years," he said. "We don’t think gay is the issue. I don’t care about what you are as long as you do your job as governor."

Haines said he believes the roots of the governor’s decision to resign are buried within recent scandals involving two of McGreevey’s major fund-raisers, one of whom, Carteret business owner David D’Amiano, was indicted for bribing Piscataway Cornell farm owner Mark Halper.

"We’re all from where the problem is," the Piscataway landscaper said.

Haines’ friend, developer Eric Baldrich, a Piscataway native who now lives in Edison, agreed.

"We lived right by the farm," he said of the farm. "I think this gay thing is just a smoke screen to buy him more time. There is more to the story yet to be heard. They’ve got the dirt on him already."

Haines said he thinks McGreevey should resign now and let New Jersey voters decide who their next governor will be.

"I’m a Democrat, but I just feel each individual needs to make the decision just like we made the decision before to pick him as governor," he said.

Lasco started to say he also believed McGreevey should resign now so the voters could have their say, but then his ex-wife called him on his cell phone.

He changed his mind.

"That’s my ex-wife," he said. "Maybe she’s right. I’m a Democrat; I’d rather not have an election so we could stay Democrat."

Across the diner, Irene Luke of Woodbridge was sitting with her sister, Liz Ruskai of Edison.

"He should not resign," Ruskai said. "I like him, and I think he’s a good governor and a good friend."

Luke disagreed with her sister.

"I totally disagree with her. Totally," she said.

Luke said she thinks McGreevey should resign, and the sooner, the better.

"Move on out. Get rid of the whole bunch and have an election," she said

"She’s a negative person," Ruskai said. "But everyone knew he was gay. Be it woman or man, sex is a very powerful drive."