Monmouth County Man Connected To Jersey City Shooting Faces Federal Weapons Charges

Ahmed A-Hady, 35, of Keyport, New Jersey, was arrested by the FBI early on Saturday morning and charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He expected to appear on before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court on Monday, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

A note found in the pants of the male suspect in the Jersey City mass shooting last week prompted federal authorities to investigate A-Hady who goes by the name Ed Him on social media.

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‘N.J.’s best diner’ featured on CBS Sunday Morning

The Broad Street Diner in Keyport, winner of our N.J.’s best diner showdown, was featured on CBS Sunday Morning today. Show chef-in-residence Bobby Flay pays a visit to the classic stainless steel diner and interviews owners Maria and Nick Kallas, who reminisce about how they grew up together as kids – in a family-owned diner. “My… Read the rest of this entry »

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Keyport Fire Remains Under Investigation

Toms River man arrested for working on structures without being properly licensed

Keyport– The Front Street fire that lead to injuries to 8 firefighters and a Salvation Army worker on Friday afternoon remains under investigation with the cause yet to be determined, according to Charles Webster, spokesperson for the Monmouth County Prosectuor’s Office.

Andrew Mayer, 28 of Toms River, was charged with Working without a Permit, Working without a License, and Driving without a License, all disorderly persons offenses, after witnesses saw him working on the roof of 43 and 45 Front Street prior to the fire. He was released on his own recognizance.

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Officials probe cause of blaze that injured 8 firefighters in Keyport

KEYPORT — Demolition crews worked Saturday to clear charred debris left from a massive fire that destroyed at least three buildings in the borough’s business district. The blaze began around 4 p.m. Friday on West Front Street and spread into nearby structures. Cell phone video footage showed a wall collapse as thick smoke and flames shot… Read the rest of this entry »

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6 firefighters hurt in Keyport fire, at least 3 buildings lost

KEYPORT — Firefighters and utility workers were still grappling with a fire in the community’s business district more than four hours after it started Friday afternoon, Mayor Harry Aumack said. Grey smoke began filling the air around West Front Street around 4 p.m. as fire tore through a number of buildings, eventually causing a wall to… Read the rest of this entry »

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Hazlet Man Charged With Prostituting Underage Girls

Robert “FistPump” Ianuale photo via facebook

Robert Ianuale, 32, of Ned Drive in Hazlet was arrested at his home on Monday and charged with two counts of first degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by causing or permitting a child to engage in child pornography; one count of first degree Promoting Prostitution of a Minor; one count of first degree Use of a Juvenile to Commit a Crime; two counts of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Distribution of Child Pornography); one count of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Pornography); one count of third degree Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity; and one count of third degree Luring or Enticing an Adult.

Also known as “FistPump,” Ianuale is the owner/operator of SwerveCast, an online live broadcasting service.  SwerveCast is offline as of this posting.

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10K BAGS OF HEROIN SEIZED IN KEYPORT PARKING LOT

FREEHOLD – Investigators seized 10,000 bags of heroin with an estimated street value of as much as $100,000, as part of an undercover operation that culminated in the arrests of two New York City women, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Vikky V. Morel, 26, and Niudis Vazquez-Moncion, 34, both of the Bronx in New York City, were arrested Tuesday afternoon when they delivered the large quantity of heroin to undercover detectives in the parking lot of a supermarket on Route 36 in Keyport. Both women are charged with third degree Possession of Heroin and first degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute and are being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, in lieu of bail. Morel is being held on $325,000 bail, with no option to post 10 percent, and a required bail source hearing.  Vazquez-Moncion is being held on $250,000 bail, with no option to post 10 percent, and a required bail source hearing.  A bail source hearing is conducted at the request of the prosecutor or judge as a means to ensure that the funds used by a defendant to post bail were not acquired as a result of criminal or unlawful conduct.

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Keyport Garden Club Decorates Governor’s Study

via Keyport Garden Club’s facebook page

The Keyport Garden Club is decorating the Governor’s study at Drumthwacket,  for the holiday open houses at the official residence of New Jersey’s chief executive, according to a statement by First Lady Mary Pat Christie.

Keyport’s garders cut and dried hydrangeas and luminaria from members’ gardens, which club designers artfully turned into elegant holiday pieces.  Preserved cream colored roses and orchids are interspersed throughout our arrangements to add elegance and brightness to the Governor’s Study.  Dogwood red twigs, also from a Keyport Garden Club member, creates a gentle flow to the arrangements.  Also, the white vestibule is decorated by the club to entice visitors into the Governor’s Study.

Also participating in the holiday decorating of the mansion are garden clubs from Bayhead, Mountain Lakes ,Warren, Morristown, Somerset Hills and for the first time, the Garden Club of America.

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Tax Man Shuts Down Merla’s Sub Shop

John Merla

The New Jersey Division of Taxation has closed Jersey Shore Subs, the Keyport eatery owned and operated by the borough’s former mayor John Merla, according to a report on KeyportAnchorNews.

On Monday, November 2, Merla announced his troubles via facebook:

The Past 14 Days Have Without a Doubt, Been The Toughest Time For Me Personally, When The SAY The Devil Works 24-7 Thats No Bull !!! Yes It Is True My Store Has Been Temporarly Closed Down For The Past Week, The Little Orange Sticker Doesn’t Tell All Only What The Haters Want To Read…I Personally Can’t Believe The Amount Of Friends, Great Customers And Family That Have Reached Out To Me Or A Family Member To Try To Help, This Setback, Just Made Me Much Much Stronger Then Ever, We Have OptionsAnd We Are Weighing Our Options Very Carefully… Many Of You Want The Store Back OPEN, And That Is One Of Are Options…I Just Can’t Tell You How HARD I’ve Worked This Past 5 Years To Make A Little Business Work For Our Community, I Really Wasn’t Going To Write This But Because Of The Support For The Business And My Family I Had Too…. I’m Sure Those That Have Been Supportive Will Appreciate It, And Those Who Like The Drama, And Want To Continue To Hate,Love It Too…. All I Can Say Is We’re Looking At Every Option Possible….The Devil Might Work 24-7, But I Work Harder…… Anyone That Knows What I’ve Done And My Business Has Contributed, Knows Where My Heart Lies…….Thank You For Your SUPPORT!!!!!!!

Merla told MMM publisher Art Gallagher that a former employee complained to the State that his wages were paid in cash.

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The Arnone Report: History made in Monmouth and $45 million in infrastructure grants

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

NHL Star Trevor VanRiemsdyk, a CBA graduate, brought the Stanley Club to Middletown on July 30th

What an exciting few weeks for Monmouth County! We are making history and people around the region are taking notice. The weather has been incredible – which means our beaches, restaurants and attractions are packed and in turn, economic rewards for the community.

We even got a visit from the Stanley Cup. Trevor VanRiemsdyk, a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks and Middletown native, attended a ceremony in his honor at Middletown Arts Center on July 30. Hundreds of fans from the area turned out for this exciting event, where Mayor Stephanie Murray awarded Trevor a key to the city, and myself, along with my fellow Freeholders, dedicated the day in his honor, marking Thursday, July 30, 2015, as Trevor VanRiemsdyk Day.

And let’s not forget history making at the William Haskell Invitational.  With a record setting crowd at Monmouth Racetrack, nearly 61,000 people came out to see triple crown winner, American Pharaoh.  Officials said that is was the largest crowd in the 145-year-old racetrack’s history, with the previous single day attendance record, 53,638, set at the Haskell in 2013. We can now say that Monmouth Park, rich in its own traditions, is part of national horse racing history as well.

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