[30], 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.[31]. the NYCDOE website, the OPM, Office of School Design and Charter Partnerships I regretfully do not have my fathers personality.. Christie, Cerf and a national superintendent search firm Ray and Associates, selected Rouhanifard for Camden from a pool of more than 100 applicants, indicating the Governors Office and state DOE never intended on Camdens school board to pick their eventual district leader at all. George Norcross Obituary George Addison Norcross was born on 27 October 1839 at Upton, Worcester Co., MA. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 64 years old? He raised $2 million, for instance, for the 2003 state senate race that installed unknown challenger Fred Madden over incumbent George Geist. The slight infuriated Norcross. the NJ Urban Hope Act of 2012. But his power seems to yield various forms of return. In its Oct. 4 filing with the New Jersey State Election Law Enforcement Commission, the super PAC said it would dissolve its operations in New Jersey. By working with Norcross by dealing with him Christie could infuse his term as governor with near limitless potential. Similarly, few could argue that as a result of their shared alliance, Norcross emerged even more powerful than he was prior to Christies election. Neil's family has a long history in the legal profession. 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. Nothing he does, says historian Howard Gillette, is all bad. It is widely suspected that Christie, prior to his run for New Jersey Governor, struck deals with critical Democratic power brokers in the state, Joe DiVincenzo, County Executive of Essex County, and Norcross of South Jersey, to forward his own gubernatorial ambitions. It will be a political firefight. [15] In September 2015, Norcross was announced as one of the local investors in The Camden Waterfront, a $1 billion development on Camden's waterfront initially developed by Liberty Property Trust and designed by Robert A.M. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :-) 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. They werent as well-funded or as sexy, and they were backed by known entities: the teachers union and Johnny Doc. Website design, managed and hosted by DEP Design, depdesign.com, a New York interactive agency. This would mean the world to him, Norcross reportedly told Laskin. That was particularly apparent in the 2015 mayoral race, which was the first time super PACs played a role in a big Philly municipal election. Neil's mom and dad, David Gorsuch and Anne . His eyebrows twist with real curiosity, and his eyes begin casting around, wildly alight, as if the answer to the Riddle of Him might be written on one of the walls in this Cooper University Hospital conference room. [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. + $4.99 shipping. [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. NOBODY IN THIS town wants to talk about George Norcross. The elder Norcross died in May 1998; his son's voice gets softer as he pulls mementos out . I had been warned, by a half-dozen reporters, that Norcross would limit access and insist most of the conversation be kept private. Now George Norcross is invading Philadelphia and the citys power crowd is too scared to talk about it. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. I told him Id do whatever I can to be helpful.. multi-cultural society. The press in Jersey tracks Norcrosss every move as best it can, anyway. Norcross launched the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which New Jersey Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts praised for its "unflagging commitment to the city,"[20] and helped to facilitate the opening of the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center in October 2013. South Jersey Assemblyman Troy Singleton is the assistant to the executive secretary-treasurer of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters. Increase website traffic and elevate your brand with a CMS Bot business website. . Discover George Norcross's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Norcross, in his statement, said the three companies at the tower, known as Triad1828 Centre, and their leaders "have invested more . AmeriHealth Inc.s donation did not pay for the entire event. Its a kick-ass purple robot! childhood, that he and his family were Iranian refugees escaping religious 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. But murky as Norcrosss motives may be, his record is clear: Hes a conqueror. He ran the Camden County Democrats, but the GOP was firmly in control of the board of freeholders. During the early phases of his And why would they cross their Philly brethren in Carpenters Union Local 8, which was backing Williams in the race? You can say an insider said it.. The Camden Norcross seeks to create is both modernized and tech-savvy. computer technology from University of North Carolina, and eighteen months of The neighborhood in which KNCA is situated is one where the most visible signs of redevelopment with massive building construction, home rehabilitation, and rising home prices are apparent. Norcross launched the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which New Jersey Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts praised for its "unflagging commitment to the city," and helped to facilitate the opening of the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center in October 2013. There was plenty of journalistic handwringing over the fact that a powerful political figure now partly controlled a major local media company. 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. He wasnt permitted to have the conversation. at NYCDOE, as Office of School Design and Charter Partnerships. And it was Norcrosss longtime adman, Neil Oxman, who produced the pro-Kenney TV commercials funded by all that super-PAC cash. His mother, Carol, died at the age of 84 in 2016. the districts highest post. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015. But he also grimaces. In June that year, the state approved the partnership. The most powerful man in New Jersey has never held public office. A 2013 article authored by Philadelphia Magazine reporter Steve Volk entitled, George Norcross: The Man who Destroyed Democracy, profiled George Norcross III, who is commonly referred to as the most powerful Democrat in New Jersey politics. John, son of John Norcross, Ribchester. desire to learn, teachers who cared but were structurally constrained from Thank you for reaching out. Funding for the event came through General Majority, a Democratic super PAC that dominated New Jerseys legislative elections in 2013 and 2015. Resulting from the 100-day listening tour, Rouhanifard laid out his agenda called the Camden Commitment. Unveiled to the public for the first time on January 28, 2014 at Octavius V. Catto Family School in the East Camden neighborhood, the Camden Commitment focused on five components: better academic performance in schools, improved customer service, greater efficiency in district administrative offices, school safety, and tighter District spending. $17.99 + $4.99 shipping. And it sure looks like President Donald Trump and NJ political boss George Norcross really have a lot in common! When Norcross lost control of the newspapers in 2014, after a nasty, deeply personal feud between the owners involving lovers, lawyers and daughters, some wondered if he would retreat from Philly. He knew less about how politics is actually practiced than I did., So Young George dropped out and found his way, ultimately making more money, in the insurance industry, and garnering more power, in politics, than the Chief ever even sought. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Additionally, many of the homes surrounding KCNA have either been purchased by Coopers Ferry Partnership or acquired through eminent domain. Alessandra T. Norcross is, according to a September report, 25 years old. Further current residents question whether their children, will, in the future, still be residents to even attend the Lanning Squares newest school, in the most rapidly developing neighborhood. As someone who remembers a nonpartisan, independent, courageous and honest media, the hypocritical, shamelessly partisan farce that has replaced that media saddens me and causes great concern for the future of our crumbling republic. In fact, the super-PAC money that made the biggest difference in the mayoral race had nothing to do with American Cities, and plenty to do with George Norcross. The 18-story, 394,164 square-foot building will also house The Michaels Organization, NFI, and two new restaurants spearheaded by Philadelphia celebrity chef Michael Schulson. George Norcross, Jr. was active in the community of Camden and a board member of Cooper University Hospital. Or so it seemed. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Its not clear whether it will once again set up shop later this year. The mystery, the lack of accountability, the unanswered questions about whos influencing our leaders and to what end everyones worst nightmares about super PACs have been fully realized, right here in Philadelphia. He came in better prepared, familiar with every layer of coverage necessary for an idiosyncratic industry comprised of horses, riders and grandstands. Nearly two thirds of $1.6 billion in tax incentives in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, went to his own company, business partners, political allies and clients of his . Though Norcross was never accused of wrongdoing, the tapes are chilling. George. And reframing the Camden city police as a county-led force is, he says, designed to save money and free up budgetary room to put more officers on the street. But he knows his apparatus is always geared up to produce the result. 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. And he denies the existence of the much-ballyhooed Democratic machine. In terms of his public history, these disavowals have always seemed the most disingenuous aspect of Norcrosss back pages, since his operation appears to hold great influence over government jobs, contracts and political fund-raising. While a report last year from the New Jersey comptroller was critical of that arrangement, it also noted that there was technically nothing unlawful about it, a point Norcross reiterates when I bring it up. The super PAC paid for TV, radio and mail ads to boost Democratic Assemblymen John . Norcrosss critics remain fixated on these sorts of stories. Lexie Norcross, 26, was a controversial figure partly because of her age and relation to George Norcross. Not as much, he replies, confusingly. Is this altruism? When he received the support of governor Brendan Byrne in 1975 for the concept of a med school at Cooper, the Republican legislators of North Jersey made sure nothing got built. His daughter, Lexie Norcross, helped run the Philly.com website, which often uses celebrity news and other teasers to draw online clicks. Apparently, you can take the friend out of Jersey, but not vice versa. His dad knew success. 1966 WirePhoto Actress Kim . He recruited John Adler, a Harvard graduate, to run against Laskin in 1991. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [2][3] From 2014 through 2021,[4] he was named one of New Jersey's most powerful people by NJBiz.com. He is also on the Board for Holtec International that received $260 million; Phillip Norcross, brother of George, is CEO of the Parker McKay law firm that represented the Philadelphia 76ers in negotiating the teams $82 million in tax credits. And there is: Norcross grins about as much as youd expect from a fabulously wealthy, healthy man. George Crabtree meets Nina Bloom in From Buffalo With Love towards the end of Season 9. He availed himself to the political staff on state and local levels, including Mayor Redd and George Norcross making numerous public appearances at city ceremonies, athletic events, and ribbon cuttings. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It was the most expensive senate race in the history of New Jersey, which raises a question: Is this democracyor an auction? Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Patricia Mueller, a friend of Norcrosss, is the treasurer for the Carpenters Fund for Growth and Progress. Both Doc and George need to be the top dog in the room.. He dipped his toes in the water. And I wasnt permitted to. In 2011, the firm won a $300,000 contract with the citys Redevelopment Authority. Norcross was named the second most powerful man in the New Jersey business world by NJBiz.com in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and made the list's top five in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Three much smaller donations from regulated industries two casino companies and another health insurance company also helped fund the event. The problem, then, isnt that George Norcross is incompetent. I just cant win., My biggest mistake was allowing myself to be defined and branded in the 90s, he continues. Of Norcross, Rutgers University-Camden history professor Howard Gillette, in his 2005 work Camden After the Fall, wrote: The son of a powerful labor leader, Norcross had worked his way up the system, first by assisting several state legislators including Angelo Errichetti. As always, another excellent, well researched, article Dr. Benson. "I wish I had that kind of power.". And if they were hazy on the details, well, all the better. But, Trump should look in the mirror and say this slogan to himself. Wherever he can get it, he wants more., But the truth is more nuanced. Through the '60s and '70s, he made a practice of bringing "Young George" to meet New. When the Philadelphia Business Journal asked a spokesman at PhillyVoice whether Norcross owned the site, he declined to confirm that or anything else about PhillyVoice. To this day, the website refuses to say whether Norcross was an investor. Norcross has a daughter, Lexie, and a son, Alex. . [24], The office of the Attorney General of New Jersey and the United States Attorney's office under Chris Christie investigated Norcross after he was secretly taped discussing state politics. Hes not. Thats, understandably, a concern., The Kings Speech: What Kids Should Know About MLKs Dream, Underlings fear his wrath. 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. 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. AmeriHealth New Jersey has close ties to George Norcross. In person, however, Norcross holds his ground. When DRPA issued its final disbursements in 2011, Cooper University Hospital received $6 million. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. And Norcross plays an enviable role as both the highest bidder and the guy who reaps the greatest proceeds. It truly would be near impossible to overstate the political reach and influence Norcross exerts in the state. Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. But there is a larger portrait hereof the political operator as artist, and the artist as an aging, more reflective man. In 2013, Cooper University Health Care in Camden, which Norcross chairs, bought a 20 percent stake in AmeriHealth New Jersey. Not even close. Bob Brady, characteristically blunt, says of Norcross: He invested in Jimmy Kenney for mayor. He then adds, without prompting, Ive known Jimmy all my life. The Turnout Project also got a $25,000 donation from Parker McCay, a law firm run by Norcrosss brother Philip, as well as a $25,000 check from Brown and Connery, where an attorney who has represented Norcross is a partner. Former Inquirer reporter and current ESPN correspondent Sal Paolantonio, who plays tennis with Norcross, still gratefully remembers how his friend responded when Paolantonios daughter was admitted to Cooper in 2005 with a subdural hematoma. And Im getting older now. When he sets his sights on a target, he captures it. I meet with him in the Mayors Reception Room in City Hall, where hes holding a press conference encouraging Philadelphians to vote. She was remembered as "a tireless advocate for senior citizens.". his time on Wall St., or his executive jobs at NYCDOE and in Newark. son. Primarily, the Office of Portfolio Management with NYCDOE was responsible for transitioning more choice schools (charters, and magnet) into NYCs portfolio of school offerings, while simultaneously targeting and transitioning failing or underperforming public schools for closure. The Chief died, in 1998, with that promise unfulfilled. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. By contrast, Katz's longtime partner is Inquirer city. 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.. Im not that expensive!. What we have here, and I say we because its not just me, is a sophisticated apparatus that achieves a result.. David L. Cohen, a Norcross friend for 25 years. Progressive Democratic groups often highlight the fact George Norcross who with his childhood friend, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, holds sway over the Democrat-controlled state . , money, salary, income, and assets. The domain of the website was registered to Norcross's insurance. 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[19], Norcross is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Cooper University Health Care System , Cooper University Hospital and the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, in Camden, New Jersey. Its all about power, says John Williamson, president of the Camden Fraternal Order of Police. He led the effort to create the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and to partner with MD Anderson Cancer Center to create the MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center, which opened in 2013. Following the passage of UHA in the winter of 2012, and the announcement of the state takeover of Camden public schools in March 2013, (that would not officially take place in June later that same year), the citys all-appointed school district set about finding a new superintendent to replace interim Superintendent Rueben Mills, who himself, was filling in during the last year of former superintendent Dr. Bessie LeFra Youngs contract. The Camden School District had previously started its own search last winter, and this search expanded upon that, bringing previous semi-finalists and then additional candidates, the governors office said. But before that would ever take place, Governor Christies office informed the Board president, Kathryn Blackshear that the state was assuming responsibility of appointing the next superintendent in Camden. In November 2014, Cooper and Norcross were awarded the "Seven Seals" award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in recognition of the program. Norcross was little more than a regional player 30 years ago. 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. Theres no doubt Norcross has done some good works with his immense power: As chairman of Cooper University Hospital in Camden, he built the institution into a giant. But if a Camden resident doesnt like what Norcross is doing, what recourse does she have? Notice of the issued tax credits was buried in a pair of Excel spreadsheets on a government website. 162, No. Another is that Norcross is courting Phillys building trades so theyll support his brother, Donald, if he runs for U.S. Senate, as many expect. In September 2015, Norcross was announced as one of the local investors in The Camden Waterfront, a $1 billion development on Camden's waterfront initially developed by Liberty Property Trust and designed by Robert A.M. Stern. He has continued to contest the validity of the 2020 result despite numerous decisions against his court challenges to Bidens win, and a months-long vote recount in Arizona that still favored Biden. You can learn just by observing., Afterward, on the way home, Young George would pepper his dad with questions. The daughter of famous/notorious South Jersey Democratic political boss and newly minted owner of both papers George Norcross is listed on the masthead as a "Director" of Interstate General Media LLC. But does all that make the new, This search result is here to prevent scraping, Hop Sing Laundromat Charging $75 for Bar Reservations, Exciting I-95 Capping Project Finally Begins In Philadelphia, Those Gummies May Not Have Contained Fentanyl After All, Why I'm Boycotting the Roots Picnic This Year. There were two other super PACs in the race, both of which supported Kenney, but they got far less attention from the media. Resident Moneke Ragsdale remarked: The public needs to know how this happened. In February 2012, Norcross penned an op-ed in the Courier-Post that called for the merger of Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden, positing it could be a "catalyst for the kind of renaissance that could make South Jersey an epicenter of intellectual and economic success for decades." Katz son, Drew Katz, will inherit his fathers stake in the companies. During a sting operation, today referred to as the Palmyra Tapes, Norcross was recorded telling Palmyra Councilman John Gural, All the Governors will work with me. Perhaps Norcross, and what he wants, is as much of a mystery to Kenney as he is to the rest of us. In addition to her parents, Bea is preceded in death by her husband, George Norcross; daughter, Pamela Fleeman and 3 grandchildren. Imagine if his relationship with Dougherty becomes as robust as the one he has with Steve Sweeney in New Jersey: Together, the two would utterly dominate Philadelphias political scene. Genealogy for George Howard Norcross, Sr. (1818 - 1896) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. teaching experience at Public School 192 in Harlem through Teach for America. His body hangs forward, and he answers questions tersely, cryptically. The super PAC still has an outstanding $1 million loan from a company General American Capital, which Fee said is affiliated with WWB. He dabbled in Philly politics a bit. 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. FILE - In this March 5, 2014 file photo, George Norcross, addresses a gathering at a groundbreaking ceremony in Camden, N.J., for a new kind of school that Norcross' family foundation will help fund.