Ashes, Ashes We All Fall Down

Part 3 of a multi-part series documenting the FBI corruption probe in Atlantic City by the Atlantic Daily Sentinel. The stories includes four years of coverage that was gathered and held for publication while the FBI completed their work in Atlantic City, Camden, Philadelphia and Texas.

By VIRGINIA McCABE
Published March 1, 2007

Tension in Atlantic City has risen exponentially since Monday. News of a new FBI informant broke in the ranks of city hall. The investigation into who taped Councilman Eugene Robinson is coming to a conclusion and some of the FBI operators are talking to friends and family about going to prison. Closely guarded secrets in the investigation have been let out of the bag.

On Wednesday, a handful of FBI agents from the Atlantic City field office, who were suspected of leaking to the media, were hauled up to Newark and grilled about stories published on this website. This reporter was contacted by the office of the U.S. Attorney and higher ups in the FBI about alleged leaks. Neither office could tie any agents to leaks to the media regarding ‘Operation Steal Pier.’
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A vigorous hunt for leakers in on throughout the state and federal agencies associated with. ‘Operation Steal Pier’ The revelation of informants and FBI operators has electrified officials from Atlantic City to Camden, Newark and Trenton.

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie was described by a federal official as “bouncing off the walls” on Tuesday because sources reported that they suspected him of leaking the federal probe in Atlantic City to former Senator William Gormley. There was no proof of any such leak and on Thursday, Christie’s public information officer gave an on the record statement that the supposition was not true.

“Patently false,” said Public Information Officer Michael Drewniak.

Drewniak was ferociously defending Christie the day before (Wednesday) to the Atlantic Daily Sentinel and was incensed that Christie’s reputation as an incorruptible crime fighter had been, in his opinion, smudged.

Reliable sources with knowledge of the sting operation confirmed that Gormley had been caught on tape by FBI operators Craig Callaway and Edward DeNick several times. Callaway, a former Atlantic City Council President is awaiting sentencing on March 13 for accepting $36,000 in bribes and DeNick has been cooperating with the FBI since being caught up in the sting operation.

After many failed attempts to catch Gormley in a compromising position, the U.S. Attorney’s office called off the taping, as in standard practice in many investigations when evidence is not obtained, according to senior FBI officials and sources with the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Gormley had no comment about the investigation. Christie was at a press conference an unavailable for an interview on Thursday.

One yet to be named FBI operator (businessman 3) has close ties to senior Republic officials. The Real Estate Broker served as an officer in the Atlantic County Republican Party and still holds many high profile positions in communities around Atlantic County. He declined to comment for this story and said he would have to speak to his attorney before granting the interview. A request for an interview date has been given to his attorney Carl Poplar.

The news of his involvement in alleged crimes in the city shocked the people closest to him. He has been described as a good friend, a close confident, a decent man. Nevertheless, his alleged involvement in ‘Operation Steal Pier,’ could taint the many people he has associated with over the years. Sources familiar with the legal case stressed that no inferences should be drawn to (businessman 3) and elected officials and friends.

Another FBI informant, who was not involved with any crime and has a working knowledge of the entire Atlantic City government operation surfaced Thursday and spoke to the Atlantic Daily Sentinel. This informant was extremely helpful to the FBI in bagging suspects and had worked to bring the criminals down, including investigations into a neighborhood services program in the city.

Philadelphia political boss, Carlos Matos, who is related to Pennsylvania State Senator Christine Tartaglione, has been named in ‘Operation Steel Pier,’ by officials and operators. Matos tried to gain a foothold in Atlantic City through his association with Councilman Ramon Rosario and Callaway, both awaiting sentencing on bribery charges. Tartaglione had no comment for the story.

Matos came to the attention of the Philadelphia media regarding election activities. He was captured on video
(See the video here) (Second video here) in an allegedly attempt to prevent Republican poll watchers from entering a “100 percent Democratic ward” in Philadelphia on Election Day. The irony was not lost on the Philadelphia media that Tartaglione served as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Election Issues and the Governor’s Task Force on Voting Modernization in Pennsylvania.  Matos did not return calls placed to his home and business.