Assemblyman Larry Wainstein (D-33) is irate after being denied entry into a North Bergen Housing Authority events twice last week, in turn setting his sights on two old rivals.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Wainstein, who ran for North Bergen mayor three times before getting elected to the state legislature last year on state Senator Brian Stack’s ticket, says he was denied entry to the NBHA on Tuesday and Wednesday by Executive Director Julio Marenco.
Marenco, Wainstein’s predecessor in the Assembly and also a township commissioner opponent of his in 2015 and 2019, said the parties were private and a NBHA security guard said a ticket was required to enter, Wainstein declared on Thursday.
“MAGA lover Nick Sacco thinks that the federally funded North Bergen Housing Authority is his own personal Mar-a-Lago,” Wainstein said, referencing his endorsement of Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli last year.
“For many years, the North Bergen Housing Authority has been plagued by political favoritism, fraud, and embezzlement – all on Sacco’s watch. Now, his crony Julio Marenco is continuing that longstanding tradition by attempting to prohibit North Bergen’s duly elected Assemblyman from entering the Housing Authority.”
Wainstein added that he has no problem filing a lawsuit to gain access to the taxpayer-funded buildings and also threatened suing Marenco personally, who decided not to run for re-election last year to take the post as the head of the NBHA, as HCV first reported.
NBHA spokesman Nick Bond said that Wainstein arrived unannounced with a large group of people and summed up the turn of events as trespassing.
“The North Bergen Housing Authority takes resident safety incredibly seriously and numerous security procedures are in place to ensure the safety of its many senior and disabled residents,” he began in a statement.
“Assemblyman Wainstein violated several of these procedures recently when he arrived unannounced at a Housing Authority resident event accompanied by a large group of unknown individuals and forced his way past building security. Assemblyman Wainstein’s actions were highly irregular and inconsistent with how other state legislators provide constituent services, raising significant security concerns that the Housing Authority is now working to address.”
He continued that the NBHA is an autonomous agency, separate from municipal government and therefore the mayor and commissioners don’t have oversight over their policies in procedures.
“The NBHA Board and its Executive Director are solely responsible for approving non-resident entry into its buildings to provide services to residents, such as doctors, pharmacists, fitness instructors, tax preparers, entertainers and other necessary personnel,” he continued.
“Due to this trespassing incident, the NBHA is now reviewing its security and building access procedures to ensure residents’ safety and prevent harassment.”
Wainstein gave a succinct response as to who he showed up with and why.
“Those in attendance with me at the housing authority were my chief of staff, a legislative aide, and a private security group to protect my staff and me from thugs like Marenco.”
The North Bergen municipal elections are set for May 2027 and this skirmish could be a sneak peak of what’s to come in the next 11 months.
