Who will Prevail in West New York?
Hudson County thrives on the occasional political contest to assert and reassert power and will pack the most into a local collision in any of its towns as a statement of countywide chessboard authority.
North Bergen and Union City have been the twin solidified powers, respectively the realms of warlords Sacco and Stack for three and two decades.
Weehawken, too, has quietly maintained a Turnerized concretized presence.
Otherwise, elections subject the towns around these powers to change.
Sometimes, it’s Jersey City. Sometimes, it’s Bayonne. Sometimes it’s Hoboken.
And sometimes it’s West New York.
Prior to 2007, the town was essentially stabilized, first by Anthony Defino (1971-1995) and then Albio Sires (1995 to 2006). Then came Sal Vega, the torchbearer of the Sires era, who served a full, single term (2007 to 2011) before his dethroning at the hands of Felix Roque.
The anti-establishment Roque served two terms (2011-2019) before getting upended by Gabe Rodriguez, who had the backing of Congressman (and former Mayor) Sires.
Now, after a single local term, Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez is going to the Assembly under the auspices of district-ruling Senator Stack, and Sires wants to return to the throne of local power, a local warlord in his own right, with the backing of Stack.
Roque wants back on that same throne, too, in an effort to elasticize West New York back to his post-Sires era.
But Sires and Roque aren’t the only men who want to run the town.
Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo, an academic who labors with the support of at least a fragment (Joey Muniz) of the Sacco organization, also craves the job.
Keep in mind that the latest redistricting configuration replanted the town from Sacco’s district to Stack’s.
The election more than arouses the interest of the old neighboring warlords.
For his part, Roque continues to present as the unfettered wildcard.
Of course, unfettered in Hudson can literally lead to chains, as it once did for Roque, a political survivor in the daunting face of power.
This May nonpartisan election will grab most of the Hudson oxygen – and the scrutiny of the county’s political Caesars – over the coming months, as West New York tries to figure out which version of itself it wants to emerge from this gladiatorial clash.
Here’s the question…
Need changes in west NY
Cirillo you can make it
Need change
Albio Sires is narcissistic, Machiavellian , psychopathic and sadistic…end of story!
The track record only speaks volumes that Albio Sires is the best choice. His tenors as Mayor, Assembly, speker of the assembly & congressman are a testament to his ability. He has the expiriance and expertise in local state and federal levels. He has gained respect from his colleges and fellow elected officials. I am 100% sure that his team is the best choice.
Cirillo has run our building department so well since we haven’t had to work for four years and he lets us take bribes so he can definitely run the entire town!
We need fresh and young leaders in today’s modern society. Cosmo Cirillo is a very educated, humble, with a great sense of dedication and loved by many in the West New York community. Cosmo will be the best candidate to keep West New York flourishing and atop of surrounding neighborhoods. Thanks
Sires has been dining out on champagne dinners with Washington lobbyists for the last decade and living in Florida. WNY is nothing more than a vanity project for him.
my daddy must win so i can keep serving him!
What is the point to elect Sires he’s been in government for over 30 years and now he’s coming to finish what he couldn’t finish in 30 years when now that I know his god son was the mayor and these objectives weren’t finished plus he is 74 +4 what are doing here we need stability its been a merry go round out of 3 I only see one and that’s COSMO good luck to the rest
Cosmo for a change, out with the corrupt dinosaurs!!
Please properly represent Cosmo Cirillo’s experience when you report on him. Just because he has a Phd, doesn’t mean he’s an academic – he works as the Town Administrator of Guttenberg, and has been an elected Commissioner in WNY for 8 years.
My boss told me to vote for Albio so i am just doing what i am told without applying any judgment or thought process.
West New York really needs someone who is genuinely passionate about the Town and that actually is there for the people and not just for the power. Both Albio and Roque have been in office and did nothing, why would we vote for them again. Cosmo Cirillo has proven that he is there for the well being of the resident andthe residents will make the right choice and vote for Cosmo Cirillo for next Mayor.
The speeches in their event spoke for themselves (can be watched at hudsontv.com) Cosmo Cirillo spoke about how he wanted to be there for the people and his love for WNY. Albio had his neighboring Mayors speaking so what does that say to the residents, he’s not gonna run the Town, they are. Our current Mayor was even there and what a terrible example since he has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Is this what we want again!! and Roque, he’s just a lost case.
Cosmo Cirillo! Why would anyone want to vote for a 75 year old who’s had 30 years to accomplish what he wanted, lives in florida and will let the mayor of weehawken and Uc actually run the town, instead of someone who can bring longevity, stability and actually lives here? You elect sires that’s a death waiting to happen in office then we’re all screwed.
Imagine wanting to vote for a candidate that hasn’t been part of this town for a decade and only wants to come back due to his in ability to give up his power. Albio is not only looking out only for his own interests, he’s an old man with no energy to run a developing town. Please vote for someone who can stay awake for 12 hours straight.
Cirillo! Albio has been in control or WNY since 1995. That’s why it’s been crap and everyone misses the days of Mayor DeFino. Since Albio took over it went downhill. Everyone knows he’s sending his godson to the assembly because he sucked as mayor and had no choice but to put himself in the ringer to keep the power. We need someone like DeFino and that’s Cirillo for you! Out with the old!!
Cosmo’s building department boss checks in for two hours a day doesn’t sign in like every other employee but initials his time card. Then goes to do his other building jobs in other towns. commissioner Cosmo Cirillo permits this corruption. He then runs around town taking photos
Albino Sires Teams es lo que le conviene a West New York, porque la experiencia no se improvisa. Además son candidatos sin ninguna tasa de rechazo. Así lo invito a todos a unirse a este Teams. Vuelve y Vuelve Albio a West New York!!!!
My daddy Turner tells me who to vote for even though he’s embarrassed he had to demote me from my position because they all know I suck
Darlings, trust me, Albio is going to be just fabulous for our town. Also when i win a commissioner seat, this will leave a spot open for the special projects manager to become BOE president. Yayy us!
so you and half of the people on facebook constantly say that you wish DeFino was back but then you’re going to write “out with the old”?? Make it make sense.
I am fairly new to this town, and don’t know anyone personally, so I am unable to speak on personal character. But I think a small, tight community such as West New York needs to be governed by people who are from the community and not Washington-Style politics. That kind of governing would be terrible for this town. I have seen what Commissioners Guzman and Cirillo have done for this town – especially during the summer, offering residents free entertainment and ways to socialize around the town — each of them ALWAYS taking part personally. West New York should not become just a blip on the political radar, which I am afraid may happen if Siries is elected. Leave Washington in Washington. We all know how that ends up. For elected officials to understand how to help residents and tax payers with ongoing issues, they should be residents and taxpayers and should be experiencing what all of us in this town experience. This is not good versus evil and it’s not a WWF wrestling match. And it shouldn’t be about politics for politico’s sake. There’s no need for slander. It’s just that The Cirillo / Guzman team has their noses in this just like us. They understand what Washington never will. A lot has changed in 11 years. But Cirillo/Guzman and team have been experiencing every bit of it. Neither have been away from this town for too long. No one will care about us like they do.
We need more Traffic cops. Hey, you got a hat for me?
You can smell the fear from the sires team.
This ridiculously full with people who can’t clearly see the right choice. If you can’t see that the sires team is the right choice stay away from politics this town has suffered from the voters voting for people that make them feel like their going to make change. When their actually someone who has climbed all the ladders of politics it’s not due to empty promises its due to results so please let’s open our eyes and vote for the only person who’s actually made any changes and know what it take to be an elected official
Cosmo is born and raised in West New York and is young and not dirty like these others. Just look around West New York needs a young man with new ideas that has family here and actually cares.