North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco pulled together hundreds of allies and put them on the front line of his home town last for a rally in advance of his May nonpartisan election.

The Hudson County equivalent of the buffalo drive from Dances with Wolves, the event featured Governor Phil Murphy, Democratic State Party Chairman John Currie, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, state Senator Brian P. Stack, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, and multiple mayors.

The occasion prompted a reflective mood on the expanded experience of Sacco World. Said one observer, “I’d never known a people so eager to laugh, so devoted to family, so dedicated to each other; and the only word that came to mind was phlegmatic.”

Allies of the mayor (and state senator from LD32) said over 1,000 supporters attended the kick-off rally. Along with Commissioners Hugo Cabrera, Frank Gargiulo, Allen Pascual and Julio Marenco, Sacco called on his supporters to redouble their efforts over the next two months to ensure a victory.

“This is an incredibly important election for our community’s future and the support we’re seeing from all parts of North Bergen is inspiring and humbling,” Sacco said. “I want to thank everyone who worked hard to pull this off, but we’re not even close to done yet. It’s up to all of us to work as hard as we possibly can to make sure that North Bergen keeps moving forward and that the progress we’re seeing in town isn’t derailed.”

The event occurred at the Boulevard, a renovated local catering hall and political haunt formerly known as Schuetzen Park. Hudson County Freeholder Chairman and Sacco Team Campaign Chairman Anthony Vainieri emceed, and speakers included Hudson County Democratic Organization Chairwoman Amy DeGise.

“Under Mayor Sacco’s leadership North Bergen is a model for the kind of progressive, effective government that is so badly needed to deliver for the people of our state,” said Murphy.
“I’m proud to call Nick a friend and to support his campaign, and with the passion, diversity and willingness to work hard I see in this room tonight I’m sure he will be successful once again in May.”

Additional attendees at the event included Assembly members Angelica Jimenez, Pedro Mejia, and Nicholas Chiaravalloti, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli, Guttenberg Mayor Wayne Zitt, West New York Commissioners Gabriel Rodriguez, Cosmo Cirillo and Margarita Guzman, Hoboken Councilwoman Tiffany Fisher, Freeholders Anthony Romano, Kenneth Kopacz, Caridad Rodriguez, Sacco Team Campaign Managers Rishi Mehta and Adamarys Alonso Galvin and many, many other local and regional elected and community leaders.