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Main Page N.J. officer poses as chief; officials lash out
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

By Tom Troncone
Special to the Herald News, North Jersey Media Group
Copyright 2006 North Jersey Media Group Inc.,
All Rights Reserved

Joseph Caiati strode into Lodi police headquarters Monday night sporting a white police shirt adorned with a gold badge that said "Chief."

He signed in as chief. He began working his shift as chief. He visited a favorite local diner dressed as chief.

There's only one hitch: Caiati is not the chief.

Puzzled police officers didn't know what to make of Caiati, a lieutenant, arriving for work in the chief's uniform. Had police Chief Vincent Caruso been replaced without warning?

It turns out Caiati was expressing frustration over sluggish progress in settling a federal lawsuit he filed against Lodi officials in 2003, said his attorney, Gina Mendola Longarzo. Caiati, who still had the top-cop uniform from a 2001 stint as acting chief, wanted to make a point, Longarzo said.

Mayor Gary Paparozzi lashed out at the veteran police officer Tuesday.

"He showed no common sense," Paparozzi said. "It was done out of vindictiveness and immature stupidity."

The dust-up stems from a settlement Caiati and the borough reached last month over a federal whistleblower lawsuit he filed against Caruso, Paparozzi and several other municipal officials.

Caiati claimed he was passed over for promotions, and eventually demoted, after cooperating with FBI agents in an investigation of the Police Department a decade ago.

The lawsuit, settled on May 25, called for Caiati to receive more than $300,000 plus deferred money, Paparozzi said. He was also to be sworn in as chief but would immediately step down, file his retirement papers and then collect a chief's pension from the state.

"One day after the settlement was approved, he was supposed to be sworn in as chief," Longarzo said. "They haven't sworn him in and haven't made any of the payments. ... Thirty days have come and gone, and Joe is getting frustrated. He wants this to end."

The breaking point apparently came on Monday, when the borough was supposed to give Caiati a check. Paparozzi said borough finance officials were still working out the exact sum, holding up the process.

Hours later, Caiati showed up for his 6 p.m. shift as tour commander in chief's attire.

"He had no right to do it," Paparozzi said.

"He's saying we passed him over because he cooperated with the FBI. That's insane," the mayor said. "I mean, he was driving around town as chief."

Borough officials agreed to the payout, Paparozzi said, because "sometimes it's cheaper to settle than fight."

Caruso, who had ended his workday before Caiati arrived, assured concerned officers that he was still in charge. He said Tuesday that he tried to stay above the fray.

"I was out of it," said Caruso, chief of the department since January 2003. "I wasn't involved in it."

Instead, Borough Manager Anthony Luna went to the Police Department and talked with Caiati, who as night patrol commander would have been in charge of the on-duty officers anyway. Borough officials allowed Caiati to work the rest of his shift in the chief's uniform, and he promised not to wear it again, Paparozzi said.

"I think what he wanted to do was make a point and embarrass the chief," the mayor said.

"I don't know if he is even fit to be an officer," he quickly added.

Caruso and Caiati have a stormy history.

As head of internal affairs in 1998, Caiati signed an arrest warrant against Caruso for allegedly grabbing the neck of a massage parlor owner who was working as an FBI informant and threatening to kill him. The charges were eventually dropped by Bergen County Prosecutor William Schmidt.

Caruso, who had spent three years suspended from his job, was reinstated with back pay.

Reach Tom Troncone at troncone@northjersey.com

Posted by: SOT

That's a messed up town

Posted by: 911guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOT_II

That's a messed up town

Next thing you know cops wil be having fist fights in public while in uniform!!

Posted by: KozmoKramer

Well, if it's good enough for Alexander Haig, it's good enough for Lieutenant - Chief Caiati.

Posted by: DVET1979

Dont forget that Lodi, NJ, is where Satin Dolls is located. You may know it as Bada Bing from the Sopranos. It is absolutely wonderful there.

Posted by: SOT

No I'm saying that Lodi NJ is a messed up place in general.
It's a mini guido heaven. I'd bet a dollar for a donut half the foce there is Italian...
I lived in Jersy most of my life....there were all kinds of clubs there but it was all jersey girl hair and Iroc Z's and such. It's sort of an armpit of NJ which is the ass of the US.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911guy

Next thing you know cops wil be having fist fights in public while in uniform!!

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOT_II

No I'm saying that Lodi NJ is a messed up place in general.
It's a mini guido heaven. I'd bet a dollar for a donut half the foce there is Italian...
I lived in Jersy most of my life....there were all kinds of clubs there but it was all jersey girl hair and Iroc Z's and such. It's sort of an armpit of NJ which is the ass of the US.

Posted by: KozmoKramer

A Quote from the Late Great Rodney Dangerfield:
"My girlfriend once asked me to kiss her where it stinks; so I took her to New Jersey..."

Posted by: dcs2244

Koz, I always heard that as "...my girlfriend asked me to kiss her where it smells...so I took her to Chelsea..."!

Now these are NJ jokes I have heard over the course of my life (thus far):

Censored.

Sorry, I was required to moderate myself!

It may be true, however, that if GOD were to give the world an enema, he'd (she'd) stick the hose into NJ.

Posted by: KozmoKramer

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcs2244

..It may be true, however, that if GOD were to give the world an enema, he'd (she'd) stick the hose into NJ.

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