YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It was May 19th, the day Jim Kenney won the mayoral primary in a landslide. George E. Norcross, III (born March 16, 1956) is an American businessman and a Democratic Party organiser and power broker in New Jersey. By working with Norcross by dealing with him Christie could infuse his term as governor with near limitless potential. Similarly, few could argue that as a result of their shared alliance, Norcross emerged even more powerful than he was prior to Christies election. But a lot of people I care about are, so in deference to them, I wouldnt want to say anything negative. Due to Katz sudden death the sale may not be closed as scheduled and Norcross has reportedly offered a 30-day extension. And there is: Norcross grins about as much as youd expect from a fabulously wealthy, healthy man. But to be certain Cooper will succeed, he must consider the health of the city as a whole. It truly would be near impossible to overstate the political reach and influence Norcross exerts in the state. NOBODY IN THIS town wants to talk about George Norcross. There was no Ill do this, you gotta do that.. Docs biggest labor enemy was rendered impotent, and Norcrosss allies are now in charge of the citys carpenters. A few months after the primary, Kenney was the featured guest at a fund-raiser for Norcrosss brother, U.S. Representative Donald Norcross. In addition to her parents, Bea is preceded in death by her husband, George Norcross; daughter, Pamela Fleeman and 3 grandchildren. Copyright 2023 My City Paper :: New York City News, Food, Sports and Events. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. He came in better prepared, familiar with every layer of coverage necessary for an idiosyncratic industry comprised of horses, riders and grandstands. She cant vote him out. Call 1-212-653-8737, My City Paper , mycitypaper.com Though Norcross was never accused of wrongdoing, the tapes are chilling. "I wish I had that kind of power.". If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) Norcross is just as unaccountable to the media as he is to voters. Our journalism needs your support. One of those people is Steve Sweeney, who is kind of a supersized Johnny Doc. She'd been thinking about her godfather and great family friend, the lawyer Martin F. McKernan Jr., seriously ill with cancer. When he received the support of governor Brendan Byrne in 1975 for the concept of a med school at Cooper, the Republican legislators of North Jersey made sure nothing got built. Norcross and his partners own five properties there. Thank you for reaching out. [24], The office of the Attorney General of New Jersey and the United States Attorney's office under Chris Christie investigated Norcross after he was secretly taped discussing state politics. With Rouhanifards apparent political and public relations acumen, coupled with his pro-charter background and his demonstrated willingness to shutter public schools against the wishes of low-income minority residents in gentrifying Williamsburg (Brooklyn), coupled with the expansive nature of UHA and renaissance schools; his advocacy for a forthcoming universal enrollment system (that has been identified as a mechanism to reduce student enrollment in public school but guiding them in to charters), the education reform advocates began celebrating Rouhanifard and the possibilities it meant for public education Camden. But in a surprising restraint in instigative zealousness of corruption involving public officials, in 2006, Christie refused to pursue corruption charges against Norcross despite him being investigated by the state and the Securities and Exchange Commission in years prior. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. She was remembered as "a tireless advocate for senior citizens.". Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Philadelphians should be very, very wary.. Says Rendell: When I ran for mayor and governor, George helped me. The apparatus Norcross speaks of adapts to win. [21], In the wake of the Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014, Cooper announced a "Veterans VIP Priority Program" that provided day care to veterans in New Jersey's seven southern counties. But if a Camden resident doesnt like what Norcross is doing, what recourse does she have? According to George Norcross, Jr. was active in the community of Camden and a board member of Cooper University Hospital. His mother, Carol, died at the age of 84 in 2016. Hes not. Trump still planting seeds of stolen election. The domain of the website was registered to Norcrosss insurance firm that is, until Technical.ly Philly wrote about that juicy little detail. On the Palmyra Tapes, between venomous howls, he sounds compelleda man overwhelmed by his own pace; Im up at four oclock in the morning to go to North Jersey to attend meetings, he says on the tapes. Kenney also recently reappointed Heather Steinmiller, a senior V.P. It happened in the early 80s when he won his first big insurance contract, at the Garden State Park race track. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Thats, understandably, a concern., The Kings Speech: What Kids Should Know About MLKs Dream, Underlings fear his wrath. Correction: This article earlier stated that Lexie Norcross would be terminated when the sale of the papers was completed. The best answer might be both: In fortifying Cooper University Hospital, Norcross ensures some vibrant legacy for his family. In the mid-1930s, Gregor became the mistress of the married vice chancellor of Austria, the Austro . As the years passed, Norcross sometimes joked that he was different enough from his dadfierce and ambitious, where the Chief was gentle and content; feared, where his dad was belovedthat he wondered if he had been adopted or left on the doorstep. Another is that Norcross is courting Phillys building trades so theyll support his brother, Donald, if he runs for U.S. Senate, as many expect. New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) during the Bloomberg years, Since 2002, the Office of Portfolio Management has opened almost 500 new schools to provide higher quality options for the diverse needs of New York City children. Norcross bought the Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com in partnership with philanthropist H.F. Gerry Lenfest and businessman Lewis Katz. teaching experience and lack of state credentials, his arrival in Camden had And what is that, if not an old-school Tammany Hall-style political machine? No, not since then., But when I ask why Norcross supported him not whether he did well, then Kenney opens up, a little. Or self-interest? His eyebrows twist with real curiosity, and his eyes begin casting around, wildly alight, as if the answer to the Riddle of Him might be written on one of the walls in this Cooper University Hospital conference room. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Neil's mom and dad, David Gorsuch and Anne . This would mean the world to him, Norcross reportedly told Laskin. Norcrosss insurance firm has secured government contracts in Philly in recent years, just as its done in Jersey. The office of the Attorney General of New Jersey and the United States Attorney's office under Chris Christie investigated Norcross after he was secretly taped discussing state politics. We all think we know, he says. arrival, Rouhanifard freely shared biographical information about his Its a deep irony that Norcross, so often singled out for criticism in the media, routinely produces candidates who win newspaper endorsements from the Inquirer and Courier-Post. George Norcross firm and partners got N.J. tax credits for Camden offices, years after task force scrutiny. Survived by his loving wife of 40 years Betty, daughter Lorna of Italy, 2 grandchildren Matteo and Sandra . When he sets his sights on a target, he captures it. at Norcrosss firm, to the board of the Convention Center. He played the role of matchmaker, of deal-broker. Further current residents question whether their children, will, in the future, still be residents to even attend the Lanning Squares newest school, in the most rapidly developing neighborhood. George was predeceased by his father, George R Norcross Sr, his sister Carol Lofmark and his step daughter Nicole Barrett - Lind. Perhaps Norcross, and what he wants, is as much of a mystery to Kenney as he is to the rest of us. son. At the time, recalls Norcross, four hundred grand was like $4 million.. By financially supporting candidates not only in Camden County, but all over South Jersey, George Norcross was able to consolidate his leadership and demand unity among, and allegiance from, those whom he helped get elected. Theres a great quote about Alexander the Great: He cried because there were no worlds to conquer, says one political insider. He is the son of George E. Norcross, Jr., the president of the AFL-CIO Central Labor Union of Camden and Gloucester Counties and his wife, Anne Carol. One is simply that Norcross is moving into Philly because its good for business. The all-out war South Jersey power broker George Norcross III declared against Gov. The daughter of famous/notorious South Jersey Democratic political boss and newly minted owner of both papers George Norcross is listed on the masthead as a "Director" of Interstate General Media LLC. She was remembered as "a tireless advocate for senior citizens. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Newsroom ire has instead focused on what many journalists and the Newspaper Guild charge is an effort to push out older reporters.IGM management has consistently declined to speak to City Paper about internal affairs. One would think there might be great joy in this life, coptering over the common man to make millions; telling the governor what you want and knowing hell pay attention; building a new cancer center and erecting a prestigious new medical schoolthe first in New Jersey in 35 yearsin Camden, the land he feels bound to by blood, the land that needs a champion like him. Things have evolved, says Norcross. The Norcross name is very familiar to virtually any Democrat with designs on rising through the political ranks in South Jersey. And Im getting older now. 42 (Extensions of Remarks - March 16, 2016)", "George Norcross Jr., Labor And Civic Leader", "Carol C. Norcross, 84, advocate for seniors, matriarch of a powerful South Jersey family", "Norcross to be sworn in to House seat on Wednesday", "Philadelphia Restauranteur Plans to Open Two Restaurants Along Camden Waterfront", "MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper Celebrates Five Years", "Cooper honored for its Veterans VIP program", Partnership of Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden, "George Norcross: The good works of the Dark Lord (Moran)", "U.S. Attorney ends speculation about Norcross", "Attorney Kevin Sheehan is Mentioned in Reference to "Unregistered Lobbying" Found by NJEDA Task Force", "Judge Rules Against George Norcross Efforts to Stop NJEDA Task Force", "Governor's Task Force on EDA Tax Incentives", "George E. Norcross III, Executive Chairman", "South Jersey Democrat is Among the State's Wealthiest; George Norcross III made njbiz.com's list at No. And the police forcewhich has at least temporarily waived the civil-service exam process in order to staff upwill become a giant patronage mill, churning out government jobs for good little Camden County Democrats. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Later that year, John Mooney wrote, Not one to do things small, George Norcross has enlisted a power-packed partnership of playersseen and unseenin a bid to essentially create a mini-district of new schools for the city of Camden. And with that, the path for Camdens forthcoming renaissance schools was set. Notice of the issued tax credits was buried in a pair of Excel spreadsheets on a government website. Wherever he can get it, he wants more., But the truth is more nuanced. [2][3] From 2014 through 2021,[4] he was named one of New Jersey's most powerful people by NJBiz.com. In June that year, the state approved the partnership. They all will work with me, not because they like me, but because they have no choice. Despite having access to recorded evidence of Norcross trying to manipulate public hiring decision and contracts, Christie refused to pursue any investigation against Norcross despite the insistence of two NJ assistant attorneys general attesting to the validity of their investigation. If George Norcross comes into Philadelphia big-time and does the same type of things as a corporate citizen as hes done for South Jersey, that would be a plus., Colandus Francis, president of the Camden County NAACP, disagrees, to say the least: Why is Camden one of the poorest cities in the country if hes done so much for Camden? All combined, the realities mentioned above continue to fuel criticism about the process by which the land was acquired to build a Norcross-supported charter school and not a public Lanning Square Elementary. teaching experience at Public School 192 in Harlem through Teach for America. George Norcross slipped in through the back door. In 2011, the firm won a $300,000 contract with the citys Redevelopment Authority. But his other moves in Philly went largely unnoticed: That same year, Norcrosss insurance company opened a new headquarters in Two Liberty Place, right around the corner from City Hall. He led the effort to create the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and to partner with MD Anderson Cancer Center to create the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center, which opened in 2013. Hidden Mickey Hidden Mickeys Disney secrets Disney newsDisney forum Disney blog, MyCityPaper.com mobile responsive website design, hosting and search engine optimization is powered by CMS Bot. A few political insiders suggest to me that Norcross would be a welcome counterweight to Dougherty. Illustration by Tim OBrien. The touring companies for Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz alone were paid $1.825 million. [5] He is regarded as New Jersey's most powerful unelected leader. Isaiah Wesley Norcross. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. son. Norcross is the executive chairman of brokerage firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, where he has worked since 1979. Indeed, DRPAs purported purpose was to promote transportation throughout the region, and Cooper was the only hospital ever to receive money from DRPA, the vice chair of which wasgo figureJeffrey Nash, a longtime Norcross ally. Norcross said he would invest $50 million in the project, and in March 2017, Norcross announced his company would move to the Camden waterfront as part of a $245 million development. During a sting operation, today referred to as the Palmyra Tapes, Norcross was recorded telling Palmyra Councilman John Gural, All the Governors will work with me. Or so it seemed. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Coopers medical school yields prestige and a much-needed influx of youth and smarts. Stay up to date with the latest materialGet posts via email. GEORGE NORCROSS OBITUARY. "Yes, George is a friend of mine, but George is friendly with a lot of people in Atlantic City," Trump said before becoming president. Im not against him. In a city like Camden, theres a sisterhood, brotherhood with Philadelphia. A 2013 article authored by Philadelphia Magazine reporter Steve Volk entitled, George Norcross: The Man who Destroyed Democracy, profiled George Norcross III, who is commonly referred to as the most powerful Democrat in New Jersey politics. George Norcross, the state's most powerful political boss, stepped from behind the curtain and offered rare public testimony on Monday at a Senate hearing that is destined to be remembered only. I believe in him, but he also needs to believe in us. Five months later, in May 2014 in the same school where he pitched the Camden Commitment to educators and residents, Rouhanifard announced 241 layoffs for Camden schools. At Kenneys inauguration in January, Norcross sat in the second row, with Kenneys managing director, Mike DiBerardinis, on his left and Donald on his right. Former Inquirer reporter and current ESPN correspondent Sal Paolantonio, who plays tennis with Norcross, still gratefully remembers how his friend responded when Paolantonios daughter was admitted to Cooper in 2005 with a subdural hematoma. I meet with him in the Mayors Reception Room in City Hall, where hes holding a press conference encouraging Philadelphians to vote. The 18-story, 394,164 square-foot building will also house The Michaels Organization, NFI, and two new restaurants spearheaded by Philadelphia celebrity chef Michael Schulson. daughter. Of Norcross, Rutgers University-Camden history professor Howard Gillette, in his 2005 work Camden After the Fall, wrote: The son of a powerful labor leader, Norcross had worked his way up the system, first by assisting several state legislators including Angelo Errichetti. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. . He served on the board of and was the chairman of United Way. Quick and entertaining New York City local news, events, food, arts, sports and more. It will be a political firefight. But there is a larger portrait hereof the political operator as artist, and the artist as an aging, more reflective man. Additionally, many of the homes surrounding KCNA have either been purchased by Coopers Ferry Partnership or acquired through eminent domain. John, son of John Norcross, Ribchester. But until we do the research, we dont know.. Norcross rejects such talk as wild conspiracy theories. But heres the rub: Camden residents have no power with which to reject him. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Theres no doubt Norcross has done some good works with his immense power: As chairman of Cooper University Hospital in Camden, he built the institution into a giant. Though, Norcross has been described in local print media as, the guy with the cigar and horns, an arrogant and profane bully who threatens to castrate his political enemies, and an individual presiding over an environment where hardball politics ends and a culture of intimidation, dubbed La Costra Norcoss by his enemies, Norcross has been irrepressible in influencing South Jersey, but specifically Camden-based politics, to his will. The issue is that he simply holds too much power for any one man, a state of affairs that South Jersey Dems experience intimately, always aware of whos sipping from the trough. He is, however, resigned to this fate. Funding for the event came through General Majority, a Democratic super PAC that dominated New Jerseys legislative elections in 2013 and 2015. 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He might even have been prosecuted a decade ago if not for a bungled criminal investigation. But stories about Norcrosss bare-knuckle tactics occasionally leak out, most famously in the recordings known as the Palmyra Tapes. In time, Rouhanifard showed himself to adept and aware of the political and media atmosphere in his new landscape. His daughter, Lexie Norcross, helped run the Philly.com website, which often uses celebrity news and other teasers to draw online clicks. George Norcross (George E. Norcross) was born on 16 March, 1956 in Camden, NJ, is a Businessman. The contribution to General Majority was in support of the concert and it was our understanding that is how the donation would be and was used., Roman said Amerihealth committed to the payment well before October., AmeriHealth Inc. did not advertise its sponsorship of the event, Roman said, because we saw this event as good for Camden and the region and not about us, which she said is also how we approached other civic events in the region that we supported.. His promotion of a biomedical research facility and a closer allegiance between Rutgers and Rowan should yield greater academic status and potentially foster future economic spin-offs. Christie, Cerf and a national superintendent search firm Ray and Associates, selected Rouhanifard for Camden from a pool of more than 100 applicants, indicating the Governors Office and state DOE never intended on Camdens school board to pick their eventual district leader at all. Famously, during the trial of state senator Wayne Bryant, we learned that the State of New Jersey had been doling out what government officials dubbed Norcross Grants. These were discretionary funds to be given to worthy causes. They were used only to support the Lady Gaga / Lenny Kravitz Camden Rising concert during the convention to showcase Camden, N.J. that was attended by thousands of convention-goers and delegates.. Johnny Doc, Kenneys most potent ally, was also Coryells fiercest political enemy. You can say an insider said it.. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015. within a city known for generational poverty and where 23 of 26 schools were multi-cultural society. Did Norcross ever reveal to you that he directed cash into Johnny Docs super PAC? But AmeriHealth Inc., the parent company of the health insurer AmeriHealth New Jersey, donated $1 million to a super PAC that has spent millions to help Democratic lawmakers. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 64 years old? The neighborhood in which KNCA is situated is one where the most visible signs of redevelopment with massive building construction, home rehabilitation, and rising home prices are apparent. TRENTON, N.J. It took three decades for Democratic power broker George Norcross to build one of the most effective and influential political machines in the country. Jennifer Beck, a Republican legislator from Monmouth County, has since proposed a bill to plug up this hole in the public trough. Norcross launched the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which New Jersey Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts praised for its "unflagging commitment to the city,"[20] and helped to facilitate the opening of the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center in October 2013. In talking about his career, for instance, he betrays no passion for the industry that provided his wealth. Convention 2016 a division of General Majority PAC put on a fantastic free concert featuring Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz during the Democratic National Convention. Volks article explains that George Norcross, along with brothers Donald, and Phillip grew up in neighboring Pennsauken, and became exposed to politics through their father who was a local political actor and union leader. Norcross studied the city. Norcross was born on March 16, 1956, in Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey. You can learn just by observing., Afterward, on the way home, Young George would pepper his dad with questions. I just cant win., My biggest mistake was allowing myself to be defined and branded in the 90s, he continues. (It was renewed last year, for $310,000.) Thats just how significant, how full of implicit meaning, a meeting with Norcross is. Look, says Ali Sloan El, a longtime city activist, George is for George.. It was during Rouhanifards time at NYDOE where he would meet the eventual NJDOE Commissioner Cerf, who would later recruit him to lead Camdens school district. Last December, Amy Kennedy, daughter-in-law of the late US Senator Ted Kennedy and wife of former Congressman from Rhode Island Patrick Kennedy published a statement that she was considering running for the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives seat from New Jersey's Second Congressional District. Fee said Conner Strong & Buckelew was not involved in the concert. By contrast, Katz's longtime partner is Inquirer city. Later that year, a journalism start-up called PhillyVoice launched, with Norcrosss 20-something daughter Lexie at the helm. Later that year, a journalism start-up called PhillyVoice launched, with Norcross's 20-something daughter Lexie at the helm. high-poverty New York City borough where he noticed children with a strong George. Francis H Norcross. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. He, But whats extraordinary about him is that he has all this wealth, and this power, and this prestige, and there is no effective counterweight to him. Hiring a communication director, further solidified District messaging and improved the likelihood of receiving positive press in print media, local news, and even on local urban radio airwaves. When he sits down to talk about Norcross, Kenney suddenly looks like hed rather be someplace else. The words indicate his meaning. Rather, hes the perfect man to turn out the lights., Read more here: Education Reform and Gentrification in the Age of #CamdenRising Public Education and Urban Redvelopment in Camden, NJ (2018, Peter Lang USA). Due to an editing error, the print version of this article incorrectly reported that George Norcross had not granted any on-the-record interviews. Norcross has faced criticism for her leadership of the website and background, varying from being hired right after graduating college and possessing zero journalism experience to criticism over news judgment and for directing the website to highlight trashy gossip stories and clickbait over real, local news. The concert coincided with the 2016 Democratic National Convention and was one of a number of events occurring throughout the Philadelphia and South Jersey region during the week. Phil Murphy this week won't just be a battle of words between the two Democrats. The Corzines. The McGreeveys. Stop the Steal is a clever Trump supporters slogan, intended to convey Trumps false belief that 2020 reelection was stolen from him. The Camden School District had previously started its own search last winter, and this search expanded upon that, bringing previous semi-finalists and then additional candidates, the governors office said. But before that would ever take place, Governor Christies office informed the Board president, Kathryn Blackshear that the state was assuming responsibility of appointing the next superintendent in Camden. And Norcross plays an enviable role as both the highest bidder and the guy who reaps the greatest proceeds. Keep em coming; Camdens kids need you! This is George Norcross were talking about the widely feared, fantastically wealthy all-powerful boss of the South Jersey Democratic Party and when George Norcross wants a meeting, he gets a meeting. Meet George Norcross. And yet there he isinfluencing even the direction of their police force. The pieces only came together after Kenney won the primary election: Norcrosss fingerprints were all over the money. We have estimated I told him Id do whatever I can to be helpful.. Norcrosss critics remain fixated on these sorts of stories. Norcross Jr. was active in the community of Camden and a board member of Cooper University Hospital. The carpenters likely had their own motives for donating so much cash to the elect-Kenney effort: There are plenty of suburban New Jersey carpenters who work on city construction sites. But it appears that without Norcross, the most pivotal donation of the 2015 mayoral race never would have happened. We all want the same thing, whats best for the children. My friend still votes for Democrats, and lately has been lamenting the GOP administration of Gov. Behind all this striving, Norcross has also maintained a network of admirers. daughter. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. when they hid Pence and his family in a bunker. daughter. So the softer Chief also knew defeat: When the governor nominated him for appointment to the New Jersey Racing Commission, a Republican senator named Lee Laskin blocked him. [13], Norcross is the executive chairman of insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, where he has worked since 1979. But as his career neared its end, in the late 80s, the entire South Jersey region still operated as a kind of beggar in relation to the north. The super PAC still has an outstanding $1 million loan from a company General American Capital, which Fee said is affiliated with WWB. Norcross said that he received a phone call in 2004 from then-governor Richard Codey telling him that heGeorge Norcross III, a private insurance executivecould steer $500,000 in public money any way he saw fit. Norcross, scares his enemies, is enormously rich from public contracts with his insurance businesses [Connor, Strong, & Buckelew], and through loyalty of his political operatives, controls of the votes in the legislature and controls more votes in the state legislature than anyone else. It can be argued that with Governor Christies ascension to office, despite being a Republican, Norcross power only increased throughout NJ politics statewide, not just in South Jersey.