After thorough investigations and significant media coverage, he was not charged. [31] References [ edit] ^ "George E. Norcross III". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I told him Id do whatever I can to be helpful.. His daughter, Lexie Norcross, helped run the Philly.com website, which often uses celebrity news and other teasers to draw online clicks. Additionally, Lenfest announced today that Brian Tierney, the co-owner of the Daily News and Inquirer from 2006 to 2010, will serve the publications as a consultant as they move forward without Katz. [26], Norcross has been associated with businesses that are alleged to have received special treatment from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Dont say anything, his father told him. A final observation: When Dr. Mehmet Oz of whom I am not a supporter announced he was running for U.S. Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania, our watchdog media hounds almost immediately noted his recent New Jersey residency, and shouts of carpetbagger arose. George Norcross' daughter, Alessandra, a director of the parent company of the Inquirer, is an officer of the foundation and a board member of KCNA." Further, both residents and reporters paid specific attention to the proposed, and eventual, location of the KCNA and the history regarding the demolition and refusal to rebuild the public . When DRPA issued its final disbursements in 2011, Cooper University Hospital received $6 million. Norcross has faced criticism for her leadership of the website and background, varying from being hired right after graduating college and possessing zero journalism experience to criticism over news judgment and for directing the website to highlight trashy gossip stories and clickbait over real, local news. But a lot of people I care about are, so in deference to them, I wouldnt want to say anything negative. He is the son of George E. Norcross, Jr., the president of the AFL-CIO Central Labor Union of Camden and Gloucester Counties and his wife, Anne Carol. Says Brady: We met at the pub and got to know each other. [13], Norcross is the executive chairman of insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, where he has worked since 1979. Norcross is just as unaccountable to the media as he is to voters. Through the 60s and 70s, he made a practice of bringing Young George to meet New Jersey governors, senators, congressional leaders and business people. It was the most expensive senate race in the history of New Jersey, which raises a question: Is this democracyor an auction? Three much smaller donations from regulated industries two casino companies and another health insurance company also helped fund the event. The Chief died, in 1998, with that promise unfulfilled. city educators and public officials, noting Rouhanifards young age, thin Hes long been criticized for doing insurance business with many of the governments with which he has ties as a political leader. AmeriHealth Inc.s donation did not pay for the entire event. [21], In the wake of the Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014, Cooper announced a "Veterans VIP Priority Program" that provided day care to veterans in New Jersey's seven southern counties. It plants lawn signs! And the police forcewhich has at least temporarily waived the civil-service exam process in order to staff upwill become a giant patronage mill, churning out government jobs for good little Camden County Democrats. Last December, Amy Kennedy, daughter-in-law of the late US Senator Ted Kennedy and wife of former Congressman from Rhode Island Patrick Kennedy published a statement that she was considering running for the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives seat from New Jersey's Second Congressional District. The Camden Rising concert, which was meant to showcase Camden to visiting delegates during the Democratic National Convention in nearby Philadelphia, also displayed the power of the Norcross family, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross helping to introduce the acts. Look, he says. Norcross chose Pennsauken High School, his alma mater, and the private Lawrenceville School that his daughter Lexie attended. Norcross has been a prominent political leader in New Jersey for more than 30 years, since before he became chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee in 1989, a position he held until 1993. Ed Rendell says Norcross raised about $50,000 for his gubernatorial campaign: You know, nothing big. Norcross also had deep connections at the Delaware River Port Authority in the 2000s, where he likely brushed up against Johnny Doc and other Philly power brokers. Ascending to the chairmanship of the Camden County Democratic Committee at the tender age of 31, Young George, a high-school soccer and basketball player, brought the jock-ready jargon and just-win mentality of the locker room to state politics. Newsroom ire has instead focused on what many journalists and the Newspaper Guild charge is an effort to push out older reporters.IGM management has consistently declined to speak to City Paper about internal affairs. Jennifer Beck, a Republican legislator from Monmouth County, has since proposed a bill to plug up this hole in the public trough. Now George Norcross is invading Philadelphia and the citys power crowd is too scared to talk about it. Hes already conquered New Jersey. The committee was funded by a trio of multimillionaire hedge fund investors who supported controversial education policies: charter expansion and school vouchers. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 64 years old? This is George Norcross were talking about the widely feared, fantastically wealthy all-powerful boss of the South Jersey Democratic Party and when George Norcross wants a meeting, he gets a meeting. After thorough investigations and significant media coverage, he was not charged. Website design, managed and hosted by DEP Design, depdesign.com, a New York interactive agency. Weve got to make it safer here, he says, and weve got to improve the quality of education, or no one will move here and anyone who achieves any measure of success wont stay.. Big. 42 (Extensions of Remarks - March 16, 2016)", "George Norcross Jr., Labor And Civic Leader", "Carol C. Norcross, 84, advocate for seniors, matriarch of a powerful South Jersey family", "Norcross to be sworn in to House seat on Wednesday", "Philadelphia Restauranteur Plans to Open Two Restaurants Along Camden Waterfront", "MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper Celebrates Five Years", "Cooper honored for its Veterans VIP program", Partnership of Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden, "George Norcross: The good works of the Dark Lord (Moran)", "U.S. Attorney ends speculation about Norcross", "Attorney Kevin Sheehan is Mentioned in Reference to "Unregistered Lobbying" Found by NJEDA Task Force", "Judge Rules Against George Norcross Efforts to Stop NJEDA Task Force", "Governor's Task Force on EDA Tax Incentives", "George E. Norcross III, Executive Chairman", "South Jersey Democrat is Among the State's Wealthiest; George Norcross III made njbiz.com's list at No. Just a few weeks before the election, a New Jersey-based PAC called the Carpenters Fund for Growth and Progress donated $750,000 to a PAC called the Turnout Project. George Norcross (George E. Norcross) was born on 16 March, 1956 in Camden, NJ, is a Businessman. Norcross revered and adored his father, George E. Norcross Jr., known as "Chief" to his four sons. He recruited John Adler, a Harvard graduate, to run against Laskin in 1991. Norcross III became Chairman of the Camden County Democratic Association at the age of 32, and through financially backing South Jersey Democratic candidates using a platform of fiscal conservatism combined with social pragmatism, was able to gain influence in democratic circles in the surrounding suburbs as well as in Camden. [1], Norcross has been a prominent political leader in New Jersey for more than 30 years, since before he became chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee in 1989, a position he held until 1993. White for eleven months and then moved on to the post of Chief of Executive There was plenty of journalistic handwringing over the fact that a powerful political figure now partly controlled a major local media company. City Paper has not, to be clear, received any complaints about the work ethic of any of the three. George was predeceased by his father, George R Norcross Sr, his sister Carol Lofmark and his step daughter Nicole Barrett - Lind. I had been warned, by a half-dozen reporters, that Norcross would limit access and insist most of the conversation be kept private. Paymon Rouhanifard was only thirty-two when he was appointed to He served on the board of and was the chairman of United Way. Norcross was listed as one of the state's wealthiest people, ranked 41st in New Jersey in 2015 with a net worth of almost $250 million. But there is a larger portrait hereof the political operator as artist, and the artist as an aging, more reflective man. As always, another excellent, well researched, article Dr. Benson. Norcrosss critics remain fixated on these sorts of stories. He is chairman of the board of trustees for Cooper University Health Care System and Cooper University Hospital both in Camden, New Jersey, and has served as a trustee since 1990. daughter. Later that year, a journalism start-up called PhillyVoice launched, with Norcrosss 20-something daughter Lexie at the helm. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. The concert coincided with the 2016 Democratic National Convention and was one of a number of events occurring throughout the Philadelphia and South Jersey region during the week. $17.99 + $4.99 shipping. I will make one thing clear, we will not make those decisions without dialogue with the families and communities, Rouhanifard said. John Mooney, of NJ Spotlight, asked one of the meetings attendees, their opinion of the new superintendent and his strategic plan, and Elizabeth Ceprero-Abreu, a bilingual teacher in the district for eight years asserted. Meanwhile, Norcrosss insurance company, Conner Strong & Buckelew, has secured millions of dollars worth of contracts from government agencies in Philadelphia. So right there and then, the likely next mayor of Philadelphia sat down for a brief tte--tte with the lord of South Jersey. Not a chance. Now, we learn that the great champion of South Jersey Democrats, George Norcross III, has declared himself as a Florida. I think George is wrong when he says he cant win, says Paolantonio. Thats, understandably, a concern., The Kings Speech: What Kids Should Know About MLKs Dream, Underlings fear his wrath. [5] He is regarded as New Jersey's most powerful unelected leader. Businesses and labor unions with close ties to Norcross spent vast sums of money to get Kenney elected, and have teamed up with John Johnny Doc Dougherty, the citys building-trades kingpin. The Lanning Square project was created by a formed partnership of KIPP, one of the largest charter school networks in the country; the Cooper Foundation, the charitable arm of Cooper University Hospital; and the Norcross Foundation, established by the family of George Norcross, who is chairman of Cooper University Hospital, a Democratic Party leader, and managing partner of the company that owns the Philadelphia Inquirer. No way. Plus this company, plus whatever else Im doing, and you know Im nuts, Im gonna have a heart attack.. The problem, then, isnt that George Norcross is incompetent. But that was just the beginning: He developed an elaborate plan to wrest Camden County away from the GOP; then he would move on to other counties, win control of their freeholders, and build alliances that could raise enormous sums of cash for his favored candidates for the state legislature. Many believe that in exchange for Christie not investigating Norcross and DiVincenzo, at a time when Christie showed a willingness to prosecute even minor infractions and perpetrators of the public trust including an Asbury Park councilman for getting his driveway paved for free. Christie allowed the two biggest powerbrokers in the state to escape similar investigative scrutiny in exchange for their tacit support for his gubernatorial candidacy, or at least, their less-than-zealous support for Jon Corzines re-election campaign in 2009. I am not in the Norcross bubble, says Jay Lassiter. From 2014 through 2019, he was named one of New Jersey's most powerful people by NJBiz.com. He refuses to explain what hes up to, or why. This is like therapy, he said at one point, before clarifying that hes never been in therapy. That PAC in turn quickly cut a $725,000 check to yet another super PAC Building a Better Pa. That was the Dougherty-tied PAC supporting Kenney for mayor. Francis H Norcross. speeches highlighting his time teaching in a primary school in a low-income, And as far as many carpenters were concerned, Philly carpenters boss Ed Coryell had gone off the reservation. In addition to her parents, Bea is preceded in death by her husband, George Norcross; daughter, Pamela Fleeman and 3 grandchildren. They werent as well-funded or as sexy, and they were backed by known entities: the teachers union and Johnny Doc. (Norcross just recently said that he will relinquish the DNC post.). Kenney used to work for Vince Fumo, the once all-powerful state senator who in 2009 was convicted on 137 counts of corruption and other charges. According to Vail Daily, Neil's grandfather, John, was a partner in a Denver law firm. [18] The 18-story, 394,164 square-foot building also houses The Michaels Organization, NFI, and two new restaurants spearheaded by Philadelphia celebrity chef Michael Schulson. Because they know we put up the gun and we pulled the trigger and we blew their brains out. And he makes clear what he has done to men who have crossed him: I sat him down and said, Herb, dont fuck with me on this one cause Ill tell you if you ever do that and I catch you one more time doing it, youre gonna get your fucking balls cut off.. In 2014, the New Yorkers Ryan Lizza landed a rare recorded interview with Norcross. For our first meeting, at Cooper University Hospital, where he is chairman of the board, he dressed in a deep blue suit and French cuffs, his head topped by an avalanche of thick white hair. "Yes, George is a friend of mine, but George is friendly with a lot of people in Atlantic City," Trump said before becoming president. And if they were hazy on the details, well, all the better. The super PAC still has an outstanding $1 million loan from a company General American Capital, which Fee said is affiliated with WWB. Fee said Conner Strong & Buckelew was not involved in the concert. By evaluating access to high-quality schools, the demand for educational services and the supply of space available for those services, Office of Portfolio Management strives to develop the optimal distribution of schools and educational programs. The apparatus Norcross speaks of adapts to win. George Norcross firm and partners got N.J. tax credits for Camden offices, years after task force scrutiny. But it does not define who he is., Norcrosss allies cite his intense loyalty. Or consider the opposite: that he builds his base here, then ultimately takes on Doc. For many years, he has been named one of the most powerful non-elected political figures in New Jersey by the website PolitickerNJ.com. Soon, if the north-south migration of visionary progressives continues, Florida, too, can boast of relentless taxation, over-tolled shoddy highways and all other ills of the once-great state of New Jersey. That error has been corrected above. We have estimated Norcross, scares his enemies, is enormously rich from public contracts with his insurance businesses [Connor, Strong, & Buckelew], and through loyalty of his political operatives, controls of the votes in the legislature and controls more votes in the state legislature than anyone else. It can be argued that with Governor Christies ascension to office, despite being a Republican, Norcross power only increased throughout NJ politics statewide, not just in South Jersey. Correction: This article earlier stated that Lexie Norcross would be terminated when the sale of the papers was completed. There were two other super PACs in the race, both of which supported Kenney, but they got far less attention from the media. Sure, Kenney has opinions on what hes done in Jersey. Behind all this striving, Norcross has also maintained a network of admirers. So far, in Philadelphia, Norcross has received far less scrutiny. Did this one signal that Norcross, after spending 30 years methodically taking over the state of New Jersey, was setting his sights on Philadelphia? The Associated Press article, Christies Camden tax-breaks rewards political insiders (2015), details how over $2 billion in spending by the NJEDA may likely benefitting Christies and Norcross political cronies more than the city it was billed to help. The July 28 show on the Camden waterfront was sponsored by PhillyVoice.com, which is run by Donald Norcross' niece, Lexie, the daughter of South Jersey power broker George Norcross. WWB Holdings owns media site PhillyVoice, where George Norcross' daughter, Lexie Norcross, is founder and CEO. George Norcross, a wealthy insurance executive, has for decades run New Jersey's most vaunted Democratic political machine, a seemingly unstoppable behemoth that carries huge influence over who. the districts highest post. This is the state of Philly politics: The only plausible check on Johnny Doc is George Norcross, another unelected white guy thisclose to the building trades. The image he conjures is of a political Transformer: Its a car! Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nowadays, Trump definitely has that kind of power and . Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Georgina Cross is the author of ONE NIGHT and NANNY NEEDED, Bantam, Penguin Random House, and the bestselling author of THE STEPDAUGHTER, as well as THE MISSING WOMAN and THE NIECE, Bookouture, Hachette Publishing. Neil's mom and dad, David Gorsuch and Anne . Funding for the event came through General Majority, a Democratic super PAC that dominated New Jerseys legislative elections in 2013 and 2015. Norcross was born on March 16, 1956, in Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey,[8] the son of George E. Norcross, Jr., the president of the AFLCIO Central Labor Union of Camden and Gloucester Counties, and his wife, Anne Carol Norcross. Next, Rouhanifard left the classroom and worked as a financial analyst for The article details that much of the money designated for disbursement is targeted to reward companies that donated to Christies campaigns, the Republican Governors Association while Christie was Chairman or companies with ties to George Norcross III., Norcross, in addition to being the Chairman of Connor, Strong & Buckelew, one of the largest insurance firms in the country, is also the long-serving Chairman of Cooper Hospital that recently received $40 million from the state in 2015 NJEDA funds. along with other district officials and local politicians set about hearing When Phil Murphy hired a team of high-powered lawyers to investigate how the state doled out tax breaks, the move was viewed as a declaration of war on the powerful South Jersey political machine. Norcross was born on March 16, 1956, in Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey. He formerly belonged to Mar-a-Lago, the club owned by former United States President Donald Trump.[7]. THERE ARE THEORIES. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In June that year, the state approved the partnership.