Two may be local governments are responsive more to the law and to the electorate that put them in office.

In fact, there are three members of the New Jersey Legislature who are entirely too comfortable with organized crime.

In December of 1968, the Assistant Attorney General of New Jersey, William J. Brennan III,

directed a grand jury to investigate allegations that the mafia had infiltrated governments, unions, and industries all over the state.

Without releasing the names to the public, Brennan alluded to three elected officials who had suspect associations with the mob.

These revelations sent shockwaves throughout the New Jersey Legislature, resulting in finger pointing and fear-mongering among the ranks of the Assembly.

The paranoia and panic persisted for weeks before the names of the three officials were finally lead to the media.

The evening news of Newark revealed that Sidovr Duffy, a state senator and lawyer, was under investigation for assisting relatives of Philadelphia's top mafia boss

with real estate purchases.

Assemblyman John Selecki was also under investigation because he had testified as a character witness in defense of Salvatore Profachi,

a member of the mob who had been caught earlier that year, digging an unmarked grave on the side of the road.

The third legislator, Assemblyman David Friedland, was involved in a loan-sharking deal in which the mafia extorted a local car wash owner.

All three officials were accused of not only profiteering from their dubious relationships, but also using their positions in government to prevent the prosecutions of certain people said to be involved in organized crime.

Substantial evidence never surfaced and no charges were ever filed on any of the three men.

On his way out the door, before he was relieved of his duties of investigating corruption, assistant attorney General Brennan warned that where there's smoke, there's fire.

And for the most part, the citizens of New Jersey heated that warning.

Senator Duffy was voted out of office during the next election cycle and returned to his private law practice where he continued to represent members of the mafia.

Assemblyman John Selecki lost his seat as well and never worked in government again.

David Friedland, on the other hand, remained in the New Jersey Assembly for another five years before deciding to follow in his father Jacob's footsteps and campaign for state senator.

As is American tradition, the citizens of New Jersey proved to have either a short memory or a great capacity for forgiveness.

The public ignored all of the red flags that came with David Friedland and elected him to the state senate in 1977.

Friedland would resign from his senate seat less than three years later after it was discovered that he had accepted a $360,000 bride in exchange for arranging a $4 million loan to a local businessman which was taken from the pension fund of a New Brunswick Labor Union.

...