Tucci seeking W. Long Branch mayor’s office

Will face off against Paolantonio; named to Zambrano

BY SUE M. MORGAN Staff Writer

BY SUE M. MORGAN
Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH — The first woman to be elected to the Borough Council is looking to make history again as the town’s first female mayor … for at least 12 months.

After 20 years on the governing body, Republican Councilwoman Janet W. Tucci announced that she is seeking to complete the last year of the unexpired term of former Mayor Paul Zambrano, who resigned from office early last month following his arrest by the FBI on one charge of corruption.

Tucci and Zambrano’s immediate successor, current Democratic Mayor John Paolantonio, will run this coming November in a special mayoral election intended to fill the balance of Zambrano’s unexpired term, which would have ended Dec. 31, 2006.

Paolantonio, a former councilman who now chairs the West Long Branch Democratic Organization, was selected by the Republican-led Borough Council to succeed Zambrano as mayor on April 1.

The owner of a service station in the borough, Paolantonio is due to remain in the mayor’s office until Dec. 31, after the results of November’s special election are known.

Tucci acknowledged that running for the mayor’s office instead of seeking re-election to her council seat, which also expires on Dec. 31, effectively leaves her council post up for grabs.

However, the veteran councilwoman believes giving up her seat up, and possibly not being elected as mayor, is worth the risk.

Constituents on both sides of the aisle have asked her to seek the executive spot.

“I’ve received a lot of bipartisan encouragement to run for mayor,” Tucci said, following a special meeting of the six-member council on April 13.

“I had to file for one or the other [office],” she continued. “If I win, I promise to continue to work as hard as I can.”

A learning consultant in the Long Branch public schools, Tucci presently serves on the council’s finance and administration, recreation and environmental, and public property committees.

Though he has not even been in office a month yet, Paolantonio indicated that he believes he can help the borough to recover from the surprise Feb. 22 arrests of Zambrano and former Councilman Joseph DeLisa on bribery charges.

DeLisa, a Democrat, also resigned from office last month. Tanis Deitch, an Eatontown attorney and Planning Board member, was named to take his seat April 13.

Paolantonio expressed hope that voters will allow him to stay in the mayor’s office and aid in the healing process.

“I’m not on an ego trip,” Paolantonio said. “But I’d like to fill out the other year of the term. By that time everything should be back to normal.”

With the April 11 deadline for filing candidate petitions coming right on the heels of his mayoral appointment, the West Long Branch Democratic Organization had little time to select contenders, Paolantonio noted.

But the party believes that it is only logical that he continue in the mayor’s office for another year beyond this December, he added.

“The people in my party asked me to [run]. I agreed to do it,” Paolantonio said.

Paolantonio served three terms as a Democratic councilman from 1980 to 1989.

He praised Tucci and her long record of service to the town, as well as two other veteran Republican officials, council President Richard Cooper and Councilman Joseph Woolley.

“[Tucci] is a nice person. She’s been around a long time,” he said. “I have confidence in everyone on the council. “

The Republicans hold a 4-2 majority on the six-member council.

A resident of Monmouth Road, Paolantonio and his wife Joyce have resided in the borough since 1973.

Tucci, of South Arlene Drive, is married to Long Branch attorney Alexis Tucci, who also represents the Shore Regional Board of Education in West Long Branch.