Former North Bergen Housing Authority Executive Director Gerald Sanzari used over $20,000 in government funds to pay vendors to do work on his home.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Sanzari, 63, of River Edge, is charged with two counts of theft by unlawful taking, a third-degree crime, according to Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello announced.
He was arrested at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and released pending his first court appearance, which is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, August 26th.
In November 2024, the Township of North Bergen referred this matter to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
This was roughly two months after Sanzari, a former deputy police chief, resigned “due to personal health reasons,” as HCV first reported. He was replaced by Assemblyman Julio Marenco (D-33).
Just three days before he resigned, a former NBHA worker alleged that Sanzari misused agency funds and the agency “strongly denied the allegations” through a spokesman, as HCV also first reported.
The investigation found that on various dates between January 2022 and June 2024, the defendant utilized city vendors to perform contract work at his private residence.
Sanzari allegedly paid the vendors over $20,000 utilizing an account belonging to North Bergen Renaissance Urban Renewal, a component of the North Bergen Housing Authority.
“When I accepted the role of Executive Director, I did so with a clear understanding of the serious challenges facing the Housing Authority in the wake of my predecessor’s resignation. From day one, I made it a priority to review all operations, strengthen internal controls, and restore transparency and accountability to the NBHA,” Marenco said in a statement.
“As the extent of Mr. Sanzari’s misconduct has come to light, we have worked closely with law enforcement and the appropriate state agencies to ensure a full and thorough investigation. I want to assure our residents and the public that under my leadership, the NBHA has implemented stricter oversight policies, new financial safeguards, and a commitment to ethical management.”
Mayor Nick Sacco also condemned Sanzari’s actions before praising Marenco’s ability to turn things around at the NBHA.
“The actions of Gerald Sanzari represent an egregious violation of the public’s trust. The moment Township officials learned of any misconduct, the matter was immediately referred to the appropriate state authorities,” he said.
“At the time, we had no idea of the scope or scale of what had occurred, but we trusted the investigative process to uncover the full truth. Executive Director Julio Marenco moved quickly and aggressively to overhaul operations, implementing sweeping reforms to close gaps, strengthen oversight, and ensure full accountability.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from North Bergen Housing Authority Executive Director Julio Marenco and Mayor Nick Sacco.
The poor guy was only making $240k plus another $150k or so from hi pension. Perhaps a Gofund me to help him?
Thank you Wolfman!