Hillsborough resident John Grover killed
By:Donna Lukiw
Two men charged with fatally gunning down a Hillsborough man in a Manville sports bar Sunday are being held in the Somerset County Jail on $1 million bail each.
Police said the shooters were members of the Pagans motorcycle gang who may have thought, perhaps mistakenly, that the victim was a member of the rival Hell’s Angels gang.
Peter James Ciarletta, 28, of Warren Township and William Eugene "Rodent" Martin of North Plainfield were charged with murdering Hillsborough resident John Grover at Gatto’s Sports Café.
The men shot Mr. Grover, 40, of Hillsboroughin the stomach and upper thigh at about 5 p.m. Sunday at the Camplain Road bar, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest.
Mr. Martin and Mr. Ciarletta received a phone call "to investigate the presence of a Hell’s Angel member," although Mr. Grover was apparently not connected to any gangs, Mr. Forrest said.
At 4:30 p.m., Mr. Martin and Mr. Ciarletta entered the bar and had a verbal confrontation with the victim who was wearing a Hell’s Angel logo on his T-shirt.
As Mr. Martin and Mr. Ciarletta were leaving the bar, Mr. Grover followed them to the side doorway, words were exchanged and soon afterward Mr. Martin fired several rounds from a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, killing Mr. Grover, police said.
"We do not have any evidence that Mr. Grover is a member of Hell’s Angels. He showed no tie to them," Mr. Forrest said.
About 20 witnesses inside the bar and several witnesses outside of the bar watched the events unfold and notified police. They told police Mr. Martin and Mr. Ciarletta drove away in a red Jeep Wrangler toward Hillsborough.
While the Manville police and detectives from the Somerset County prosecutor’s office Major Crimes Squad and Crime Scene Investigation Unit searched the crime scene, 9 mm shell casings and projectiles were found and brought to the crime lab.
"We are trying to find out why these two defendants came to this bar in Manville," Mr. Forrest said.
Hillsborough Police Chief Robert Gazaway said Hillsborough police spotted the Jeep Wrangler near Triangle Road and Route 206. Police stopped the vehicle on Beekman Lane and Conover Drive where Mr. Martin ran off into the wooded area.
After a few minutes, the Hillsborough officers caught him and recovered a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun on the ground in the area where Mr. Martin fled.
The driver of the Jeep Wrangler, Mr. Ciarletta, was taken into custody. Police also found a .22-caliber revolver near the front seats.
Mr. Ciarletta and Mr. Martin are affiliated with the Pagans motorcycle gang, although detectives are still investigating Mr. Grover’s relationship to the gang members, according to the prosecutor.
Although Mr. Forrest said his office does not have information on illegal motorcycle gang activity in Somerset County, the sState Commission on Investigation notes "within New Jersey, estimates range from 40 to 60 active Pagan members in chapters in Atlantic County, Elizabeth and Plainfield. As a group, the Pagan’s illegal activities usually involve narcotics (methamphetamines) and chop shops. Individually, members and associates often engage in a variety of other illegal conduct such as assault, weapon possession, sex crimes and fraud."
Both men also face charges of possession of weapons for unlawful purposes.
Meanwhile, patrons of the normally peaceful establishment are reeling from the incident.
"There were kids and families in the bar at the time of the shooting," Bobby Gatto, owner of Gatto’s Sports Café, said. "This was an unfortunate and isolated situation. Something like this could happen anywhere."
Mr. Gatto said Mr. Grover had been a regular patron.
"John has been coming in for about a year, sometimes with his wife and sometimes with his friends. He was a nice guy," Mr. Gatto said.

