Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM
Ex-Con Charged By FBI With Igniting Explosive Outside Passaic County ATM A career criminal from Passaic County who's been busted dozens of times in North Jersey in just the past few years used an explosive device to damage an ATM, federal authorities charged. Nicolas Torres, 41, of Passaic, has amassed a lengthy rap sheet over much of his adult life, mostly involving business break-ins that local police and county prosecutors have dealt with. This time, though, the FBI's got him. Torres was captured on surveillance video igniting the device in front of the Chase Bank ATM on North 6th Street in Prospect Park in the early morning hours of July 5, 2022, U.S. Attor…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Lifestyle
Ramy Youssef Celebrates NJ Roots In 'SNL' Promo Ramy Youssef Celebrates NJ Roots In 'SNL' Promo
Ramy Youssef Celebrates NJ Roots In 'SNL' Promo It took several tries, but Ramy Youssef said he was thrilled to be the first Egyptian man named Ramy from New Jersey to host "Saturday Night Live." In a promo "SNL" released on Wednesday, March 27, the Rutherford comedian said he was honored to be the first ever Arab to host the show, airing on Saturday, March 30. Not so fast as longtime "SNL" cast member Kenan Thompson pointed out he was not the first Arab to first the show. Youssef immediately pivoted and said he was honored to be the first Egyptian to host the show.  Thompson corrected him again but Youseff had an ace up his sleeve…

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by Sam Barron
Rutherford, NJ
News
Winner! Rutherford Powerball Player Scores $50K Winner! Rutherford Powerball Player Scores $50K
Winner! Rutherford Powerball Player Scores $50K Three North Jersey Powerball players kicked off their week with a bang. The trio, two in Bergen County and one in Passaic County, matched four numbers plus the red Powerball in the drawing held on Monday, March 25, winning $50,000. The tickets were sold at Leprechaun News in Rutherford, ShopRite in Elmwood Park and Stop and Shop in Ringwood.  The winning numbers were 7, 11, 19, 53, 68 and the red Powerball was 23.

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by Sam Barron
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
HEROES: Firefighters Free Trapped Driver After Tractor-Trailer, Pickup Collide On Route 17 HEROES: Firefighters Free Trapped Driver After Tractor-Trailer, Pickup Collide On Route 17
Heroes: Firefighters Free Trapped Driver After Tractor-Trailer, Pickup Collide On Route 17 Firefighters extricated a heavily trapped driver after a tractor-trailer and pickup truck collided on Route 17. Hasbrouck Heights firefighters were assisted by their Wood-Ridge colleagues in freeing the female pickup driver following the crash behind the Bendix Diner shortly before 9:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17. The driver was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. Nick’s Towing removed the vehicles. Northbound Route 17 was temporarily closed at Franklin Avenue during the operation. Mutual aid was provided by, among others, firefighters from Carlstadt, Lodi, Rutherford and Wallingto…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park, NJ
Business
New Bergen County Pizzeria Homage To Popular Owner's Late Grandmother New Bergen County Pizzeria Homage To Popular Owner's Late Grandmother
New Bergen County Pizzeria Homage To Popular Owner's Late Grandmother The owner of a popular Bergen County pizzeria that shuttered in August 2022 is weeks away from reopening a new shop. Dave Ligas, who owned Tavolino in Wallington, will be opening Casano's Pizza Parlor at 8 Highland Cross — formerly home to Top That! Donuts — in Rutherford, this spring, he tells Daily Voice. The pizzeria is named after Ligas' late grandmother: Marie Rene Casano, an "avid cook" who for years worked as a waitress at Mama Lucia’s in Newark, he said. Marie Rene died in the 1970s, and Casano's Pizza Parlor is retro-themed, in her honor, her grandson said. Follow Ligas as "…

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by Cecilia Levine
Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
Woman Deliberately Set Rutherford Garden Apartment Fire, Authorities Charge Woman Deliberately Set Rutherford Garden Apartment Fire, Authorities Charge
Woman Deliberately Set Rutherford Garden Apartment Fire, Authorities Charge A woman remained held Tuesday after authorities charged her with deliberately igniting a fire in the kitchen of a garden apartment in the Rutherford complex where she lives. Mary Anne Hampl, 62, was arrested shortly after 7 p.m. last Thursday, Feb. 8, after borough firefighters doused the Hastings Avenue blaze, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Hampl, who Musella said is unemployed, is accused of intentionally creating a fire and smoke condition with items purposefully placed on a stove. The prosecutor didn't suggest a possible motive. Detectives from his Arson Squad charged Ham…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Middletown, NJ
Business
30 Burgers Opens Second Jersey Shore Location 30 Burgers Opens Second Jersey Shore Location
30 Burgers Opens Second Jersey Shore Location A New Jersey chain that prides itself on using fresh Angus beef for innovative burgers is opening up its second restaurant on the Jersey Shore. 30 Burgers opened up its newest location in late January in Freehold Township. The restaurant on Village Center Drive in the Raintree Towne Center shopping plaza held a grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 1. This is the 11th location for 30 Burgers, according to its website. All restaurants are in the Garden State and Freehold joins the location in Red Bank as the second restaurant in Monmouth County. View this post on Instagram …

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by Chris Spiker
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
Dumpster Fire Doused At Avalon Apartments In Wood-Ridge Dumpster Fire Doused At Avalon Apartments In Wood-Ridge
Dumpster Fire Doused At Avalon Apartments In Wood-Ridge A building manager kept a trash bin fire in the basement of a Wood-Ridge apartment complex from spreading and borough responders took it from there, authorities said. Wood-Ridge Lt. Jeffrey Geisler and Officers Joseph Barbiera and Michael Donato evacuated the building at the Avalon at Westmount Station apartments shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, Capt. Joseph Biamonte said. Although the building manager contained the blaze, smoke extended up the trash chute to other floors, said firefighters who ventilated the building. They were assisted at the scene by fellow firefighters from Car…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
FIREBALL (UPDATE): Gas Tanker Flips From One Side Of Route 17 To Other, Dealership Destroyed FIREBALL (UPDATE): Gas Tanker Flips From One Side Of Route 17 To Other, Dealership Destroyed
Fireball (Update): Gas Tanker Flips From One Side Of Route 17 To Other, Dealership Destroyed In nothing short of a miracle, no serious injuries were reported after a gas tanker truck exploded into a huge fireball on Route 17 Monday morning. A used car dealership and many of its two dozen or so vehicles were destroyed in the five-alarm blaze after the truck and a passenger vehicle collided near the U-turn at the White Castle on the highway's southbound side in Hasbrouck Heights at 5:43 a.m. Jan. 8. The force flipped the tanker over the divider into the northbound lanes, Fire Chief Mike Greco said at the scene. (Justin Derevyanik took the photo at the top of this story. See his vide…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
Somewhere In The Swamps Of East Rutherford: Garfield Vehicle Thief Crashes, Bails Somewhere In The Swamps Of East Rutherford: Garfield Vehicle Thief Crashes, Bails
Somewhere In The Swamps Of East Rutherford: Garfield Vehicle Thief Crashes, Bails The driver of a vehicle stolen out of Garfield crashed the car on an East Rutherford service road, bailed out and vanished into the swamps after being chased by the owner, authorities said. No injuries were reported. East Rutherford police had help establishing a perimeter after the thief was last seen near the Hilton off the eastbound Route 3 service road around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, Capt. Jeff Yannacone said. Among those responding were fellow officers from Lyndhurst, Rutherford, Secaucus and the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, as well as New Jersey State Police. A sheriff's K-9 …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home
Smoky Post-Christmas House Fire Ravages Passaic Home A smoky house fire in Passaic went to four alarms the day after Christmas. No injuries were immediately reported in the blaze, which ignited in a Van Buren Street home near Central Avenue around 11 a.m., Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. "All tenants are reported to be out and safe," the mayor said around noon. "Nobody appears to be in the building." Firefighters were quickly removed after a partial ceiling collapse, Lora said. They had two ladder trucks and multiple hand lines in operation. Damien Danis for DAILY VOICE Although smoke met them at the scene, the fire may have b…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Rutherford, NJ
Police & Fire
Convicted Serial Package Thief Nabbed By East Rutherford Detectives Trying To Hop Bus Convicted Serial Package Thief Nabbed By East Rutherford Detectives Trying To Hop Bus
Convicted Serial Package Thief Nabbed By East Rutherford Detectives Trying To Hop Bus A serial package thief from East Rutherford was at it yet again, making it no fewer than four times this year alone that he’s been busted, authorities said. Anthony Mendoza, 42, has a drug-related history of porch pirating, usually from fellow borough residents, stretching back nearly five years, records show. This time, a victim directed police to a bus stop near the corner of Paterson and Johnson avenues, East Rutherford Detective Capt. Jeff Yannacone said. It was no surprise to any of them that Mendoza was their suspect. Detective Kevin Felten nabbed him with packages addressed to two …

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by Jerry DeMarco