Fortress Passaic: Remember the Adamo
CLIFTON – Thomas Adamo has no trouble explaining why he should be Passaic County sheriff.
“I am the best person for the job,” Adamo says.
Not only has he climbed the ranks of the sheriff’s office to become Chief of Law Enforcement, Adamo says it’s a family thing.
He talks about his father and his brothers who have been police officers in the county.
“The Adamos have served with professionalism and distinction for the last 50 years,” he said.
The venue for this presentation was a “Meet and Greet” for Adamo on Monday night at Agave Cantina Mexicana on Piaget Avenue.
Adamo said he initially expected about 25 people, but more than a hundred showed up, making for quite the lively evening.
There were the usual upbeat speeches, a buffet table filled with shrimp and clams and pulsating music.
Adamo’s point is that in almost three decades with the sheriff’s office, he has handled a variety of tasks – corrections officer, internal affairs, internet crime and narcotics enforcement.
So, to him and his supporters, the top job of sheriff is the next logical step.
Adamo is the endorsed candidate of the county Democratic organization, so in normal times, his victory in the June 4 primary would be assured.
But as some of the pols at Monday’s event pointed out, this is not a normal year.
With no “county line” this year, the significance of the Passaic County Democrats’ endorsement probably is diluted.
And then, there’s Adamo’s opponent, Jerry Speziale, a former sheriff.
Speziale, who kicked off his campaign about six weeks ago, is also confident of his ability.
One of his social media pages describes him as:
“A Hero Cop. A Legendary Crimefighter.”
Backers of Adamo, most notably John Currie, the county Democratic chair, have strongly condemned Speziale’s candidacy.
The impetus for that is Speziale’s decision in 2010 to leave his job as sheriff and take a position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under the administration of Gov. Chris Christie,
Speziale has said he gave up the all encompassing job of sheriff because his late wife was dying of cancer.
On this night, Adamo didn’t mention Speziale at all. He stayed on non-controversial ground, saying that as sheriff, he wants to focus on, among other things, internet crime and community policing.
This was a very nice event and a big night for Adamo.
And the crowd was intense, with some supporters chanting “Tommy, Tommy” as the candidate rose to speak.
But just in case one overlooked how competitive this race is, a business just down the block from the Cantina Mexicana restaurant displayed a large sign, reading, “Speziale for Sheriff.”
Why isn’t it mentioned? His father was a Republican! And Tommy was a lifelong Republican himself! This is a big game for John Currie to remain in power of the police department! Shameful and criminal if you ask me!
Adamo is the right man for the job and a true law enforcement officer. Speziale is too old and too much into dirty politics.
Tommy Adamo is gonna do what is best for the people of Passaic County and his PCSD. !! Our father was a Republican, (old news) but he also was a hell of a Democrat! The same as Jerry Speziale who was a hell of a Republican while working for our father’s campaigns. Jerry was a friend and worked very hard for the republicans! Let’s just play nice and not mudsling! Jerry had his time everywhere…its now time for #Adamoforsheriff 2024!
I’m not responsible for the position of Sheriff being an elected office. I instinctively think it should not be. If it is going to be an elective office, then like a school board election perhaps it ought best be a non partisan office because the corrosive influences of past present and future politics is already at play here and it is divisive.
I don’t care if Adamo says he’s the best person for the job because he had family members in law enforcement and he’s done all of the jobs of the sheriff’s dept. So did the last Sheriff–Berdnik. But, Berdnik blew his brains out when it was found out he was involved in corruption, bribery and probable racketeering in dealing with a terrorist-linked “businessman” selling law enforcement materiale to the Passaic County Sheriff. Also, Berdnik was facing down civil rights lawsuits for his department’s brutality issues, as well as cutting his budget.
Like the position of the President of the United States, the Sheriff’s department needs a competent businessman to run the department because of the budgetary issues that continually arise. We don’t need more law enforcement running law enforcement, like the old fashioned way. Too much nepotism, corruption, stealing, bribery, etc.
Speziale is a washed up old man. He needs to retire, he’s already collecting 2 pensions and a salary from the city of paterson what more does he need? More camera time? His family should be sitting him down and telling him to just stand down he has 0 chance of winning and most likely will get destroyed in the June 4th primary, time to cut your losses and try to save face Jerry. Vote anyone but speziale on june 4th.
John Currie Sez Harold Sez that Thomas Jefferson Sez Jerry Speziale Sez?
Typical Democrat propaganda piece by Fred Snowflake. Why don’t the Democrats just anoint or appoint Adamo. It’s the Democrat-thing in New Jersey anyway. Corruption is the word of the day for Democrats. That’s why Passaic County and New Jersey are going down the sh*thole. All one has to do is go into Wayne and see Hamburg Turnpike with a traffic light at every 100 feet. Passaic County has turned from a beautiful, idyllic countryside back in the 60s and 70s, and is now becoming a slum.
Adamo shouldn’t get anointed to the position of Passaic County Sheriff on the grounds he makes self-serving statements that he’s the best for the job, or his family has been in law enforcement for years. Nepotism is a problem in Democrat politics in Passaic County and New Jersey, in general. Let’s hear what both candidates, Speziale and Adamo have to say before installing a new Sheriff. The past Sheriff, also a Democrat, obviously had problems. We don’t need another Sheriff with the same history.
We literally heard everything we need to know from Jerry Speziale when he was Sheriff prior to his crooked deal with Chris Christie in 2010. When considering the history of past Sheriffs, none is worse than Jerry Speziale. He gave campaign contributors pseudo-Police IDs that he said allowed them to carry a firearm. It was in the deposition from a lawsuit where the county had to pay out $75,000 to settle his mismanagement. It wasn’t the only lawsuit. He overspent and underperformed as Sheriff, and he failed at every job he has had since. Speziale was a terrible Sheriff, is so terrible as Paterson Police Director that the AG’s office has been runniong Paterson PD for the past year, and has no credibility as a Democrat or even an honest human being. He either lied to all of the people at his fundraiser last week when he said Jon Corzine hired him and not Chris Christie, or he perjured himself in his deposition in yet another court case. Adamo isa good cop with a clean record who has been in the Sheriff’s office for almost 3 decades. He’s not an egomaniacal failed politician looking for his next position to use, abuse, and then lose.