BRIDGE CHIEF TAKES WING; TOP COP AT AIR HUBS IN NATION’S CAPITAL

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Wednesday, February 27, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | Section: SOUTHEAST/YOUR TOWN RECORD | Page 3

The retired commander of the George Washington Bridge took down the awards and plaques adorning his office with a pang of sadness, but a few weeks later, he was hanging them up at his new job as police chief for Washington’s airports.
Capt. Joseph Hurtuk went from overseeing one of the world’s busiest bridges to monitoring the airports that ferry some of the nation’s top lawmakers. In January, Hurtuk became police chief and chief of operations for Washington’s National and Dulles International airports.
“Being a Jersey kid all my life, it’s a big move. I’m not frightened of it though,” said Hurtuk, 45.
During his 23 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police, Hurtuk held several positions, including head of the Port Authority Police Academy and commander of the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station for the last 3 1/2 years.
Hurtuk’s most important task as bridge commander was keeping the traffic moving on the Hudson River crossing. With 300,000 motorists using the bridge each day, even a minor accident can snarl traffic for hours.
Over the years, Hurtuk’s job became increasingly difficult due to the growing volume of motorists, as well as the drug traffic that used the bridge.
Hurtuk, who retired as bridge commander in December, drew words of praise from Port Authority Police Chief Charles Newman and Ken Philmus, manager of the bridge.
“Joe had a tremendous impact on deciding which roadways to close and which ones to keep open,” said Philmus.
Added Newman, “We never gave him an assignment that he didn’t do to the best of his ability and in a superior manner. “
Hurtuk, who lives in Hillsborough, displayed the same devotion to volunteer work for retarded children and adults, becoming the director of New Jersey’s Law Enforcement Torch Run in 1984. New Jersey police officers have raised thousands of dollars for the Special Olympics, and the tally exceeded $300,000 in 1989.
“It’s just a way of giving back to people who are less fortunate than I am,” Hurtuk said. “Special Olympians try to do their best, and we in law enforcement have a certain synergism with them because we are trying to do our best, too.”

Keywords: FORT LEE; BRIDGE; POLICE; OFFICIAL; RETIREMENT; WASHINGTON, DC; AVIATION; JOSEPH HURTUK

FIRE GUTS PARKWAY RESTAURANTS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, February 24, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A03

A predawn fire destroyed the two restaurants at the Garden State Parkway’s Montvale service area Saturday and forced the closure of the southbound lanes for five hours as firefighters ran a hose across the road.
Only the walls of the building that housed the Roy Rogers and Bob’s Big Boy restaurants remained standing.
Trooper Peter Kempe said water pressure in the fire hydrants at the service area was so low that state police had to close the southbound lanes so a fire hose could be run across the roadway to a hydrant at an office building.
But Montvale Fire Chief Jerry Dellabella said the hose was run because “with the number of equipment operating, we needed more water. “
About 80 firefighters from Montvale, Park Ridge, and Woodcliff Lake, with support services from the Teaneck Fire Department, combined to combat the fire, Dellabella said. The first call came into the station at 1:29 a.m., about 25 minutes after the restaurants manager first saw smoke, he said.
“We had no difficulty getting to the fire,” Dellabella said. “The biggest thing that hampered us was the high winds. It just fans the fire. It just blew the fire right through the building. . . . When the call came through, the fire [had] already broken through the roof. The building was totally involved. “
Investigators ruled that the fire was accidental and that the cause was probably electrical, Dellabella said.
State Trooper John Soto, in his report on the fire, said Fritzner Demoin, the restaurants night manager, noticed smoke inside Roy Rogers about 1 a.m. A customer informed Demoin about the same time that smoke was coming from the roof. Demoin checked, then ordered all customers out of both the restaurants, Soto said.
It was unknown how many patrons were evacuated.

Keywords: FIRE; RESTAURANT; MONTVALE

Caption: 3 PHOTOS – JOHN DECKER / THE RECORD 1, 2 & 3 – Above and at left, firefighters attacking a blaze that was fanned by high winds early Saturday at the Garden State Parkway’s Montvale service area. Two restaurants were destroyed by the fire.

WRONG GUY PICKS UP CAR FROM REPAIR SHOP

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, February 23, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A05

When Richard Petrocelli called a car dealership Thursday evening to see if the transmission on his 1987 Corvette had been repaired, he was told that he had already picked it up.
A service manager at the dealership, Malcolm Konner Chevrolet Geo in Paramus, had released the car earlier that day to a man impersonating Petrocelli, said Lt. Donald McNair of the Paramus Police Department.
Petrocelli said the manager told him the impersonator displayed a police badge or wallet card and said he needed the car immediately for an investigation, even though the repairs had not been completed.
“I still can’t believe this is happening to me,” Petrocelli said. “All you have to do is say the car is yours, and they turn the keys over to you? “
R. J. Konner, vice president of the dealership, called the situation “odd. “
Konner said Petrocelli knew the car was not going to be ready Thursday because the service department had received the needed parts only that day.
Petrocelli said he was told the work would be completed and the car ready on Thursday.
Petrocelli said his car is worth $30,000 equipped with a $3,000 compact disc player, a $1,000 cellular telephone, and special aluminium wheel rims that cost $750 each.
McNair, who said he has been investigating automobile thefts since 1972, agreed that the incident was “very unusual. “

Keywords: MOTOR VEHICLE; THEFT; PARAMUS; REPAIR

MAN FIGHTS OFF GUNMEN WHO TIED UP, ROBBED WIFE

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, February 23, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS| Page A02

A 32-year-old building superintendent Friday fought off three armed robbers after they forced their way into his apartment, tied up his wife, stole money and jewelry, and then shot an elderly woman as they fled, said Police Chief John Orso.
A woman walking her dog outside the robbery scene, at 293 Elsmere Place, was slightly injured by a bullet fired by one of the fleeing robbers. The woman, who was not identified, was in good condition at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, where she was being treated for a wound in her right arm.
The robbers, pursued by Fort Lee, Port Authority, and New York City police, escaped in a red Mercedes-Benz over the George Washington Bridge into New York City, Orso said.
The incident began about 1:30 p.m. when the trio, pretending they were to check a gas leak, pushed past Faviola Rodrigues, 30, tied her up, and stole $800 and jewelry, Orso said.
Her husband, Gabriel Rodrigues, was working outside the building when he saw one of the men in his apartment. He ran to the front door and confronted the three as they ran out. One man saw Rodrigues carrying a portable radio and told a partner to shoot, Orso said.
“They thought he was a police officer,” he said. “Gabriel grabbed the guy with the gun and he was wrestling the guy. The guy shot off two or three rounds. “
With Rodrigues in pursuit, the robbers ran two blocks and joined a fourth man waiting in the car. Rodrigues jumped on the trunk of the car as it pulled away and put his right fist through the rear windshield. He fell off the car and was treated at the scene for cuts and abrasions, Orso said.

Keywords: ROBBERY; FORT LEE; SHOOTING

3 MEN ARE ARRESTED IN EQUIPMENT THEFTS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, February 22, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS| Page B04

The FBI, with help from borough police, on Wednesday arrested three Long Island men who authorities believe are connected to a ring that stole heavy equipment in New York and then resold it.
John T. Sieber, 29, of Mastic Beach; Julio Santo, 24, of Selden; and Carlos Chavere, 22, of Huntington Station were confronted by three FBI agents and four Mahwah officers at the International Motor Plaza on Route 17 in Mahwah.
Special Agent Gary L. Penrith said the men arrived at the plaza about 2:30 a.m. with a stolen John Deere backhoe. They tried to flee on foot, but Santo and Chavere were apprehended. Meanwhile, Sieber ran north on Route 17, jumped a fence, and ran along a railroad line into New York before he was arrested by Ramapo, N.Y., and Suffern, N.Y., police.
Elliot Peters, an assistant U.S. attorney, said the arrests were the result of an investigation into the theft of farm-type tractors and trucks. Seven other suspects have been arrested, and some of them have pleaded guilty, he said.
Ring members scratched out vehicle identification numbers, stamped the vehicles with new numbers to make it difficult to identify them as stolen, and then sold them in New Jersey and New York State, Peters said.
The three are charged with transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, and may face other charges. Santo was released on $25,000 bail Wednesday. Sieber was held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on $10,000 bail. Chavere was also transferred to the center and held on $25,000 bail.

Keywords: MAHWAH; THEFT; EQUIPMENT; CONSTRUCTION

FIRE EMPTIES SCHOOL

MICHAEL O. ALLEN | Friday, February 22, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page A03

Twice-a-month fire drills at Harry L. Bain Elementary School paid off Thursday when an early morning fire in a storage room forced the evacuation of more than 800 students from the K-8 school at Broadway and 62nd Street.
No one was injured in the fire, and it was brought under control in about 15 minutes, said Principal Donald Rocker.
Much to the delight of the students, classes were disrupted for about two hours. During that time, the children played in the West New York Community Center on Hudson Street, two blocks from the school.
The cause of the fire, which destroyed desks as well as the walls of the storage room, is under investigation, said Deputy Fire Chief John Gannon.

Keywords: WEST NEW YORK; SCHOOL; FIRE

Caption: 2 PHOTOS – STEVE HOCKSTEIN / THE RECORD 1 – The West New York Community Center, above, where students were bused after a fire broke out at the Harry L. Bain School early Thursday. 2 – A sign on the school door, below, explained where the children were.

WOMAN’S ASHES WASHED ASHORE; REMAINS FOUND IN CAN AT RESERVOIR

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, February 21, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B02

Woodcliff Lake police are waiting for relatives to reclaim a canister containing the ashen remains of a Westwood resident.
A Hackensack Water Co. maintenance crew found the canister on the bank of the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir.
It was the wish of the deceased, whom police declined to identify, that her remains be scattered over the reservoir, said Woodcliff Lake Police Capt. Richard Poliey.
“They just didn’t use the proper procedure or contact the water company for permission,” Poliey said.
Martha Green, a Hackensack Water Co. spokeswoman, said that, much as the water company respects a person’s last wish, this was one she thought the company could not grant.
“This comes somewhat as a surprise to me that that is how it got there. I haven’t seen a formal request, and I don’t think that is something that we could or would grant a request for. “
Poliey said he didn’t know how long the canister had been in the water or when it washed ashore.
The canister was sealed and the ashes did not get into the water, Green said. Workers found the canister while cleaning the bank of the reservoir Friday.
Woodcliff Lake is a storage reservoir that feeds the larger Oradell Reservoir, where the Hackensack Water Co. draws water for treatment and purification, before piping it to customers in 60 towns in Bergen and Hudson counties.

Keywords: WESTWOOD; WOMAN; DEATH; WOODCLIFF LAKE; LAKE; WATER; SUPPLY; UTILITY

MAN KILLS ESTRANGED WIFE, SELF; SLITS HER THROAT AND CUTS HIS OWN

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, February 17, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A01

About 7:30 a.m. Friday, the day Mladen Fatovic was going to die, he called his supervisor at work, said he was not feeling well, and asked for the day off.
Sometime before 3 p.m. that day, the 48-year-old man went to the home of his estranged wife in Cliffside Park and slit her throat.
He then went back to the Little Ferry apartment he moved into at the outset of the couple’s separation about six months ago and killed himself, Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said.
Fatovic had cuts to his throat, his wrist, his chest, “all over his body,” Fahy said.
A kitchen knife with a 8-inch blade, believed to have been used in both killings, was found in Fatovic’s bedroom, Fahy added. A note at the scene indicated the death was suicide, he said.
Autopsies will be performed today on the bodies of Fatovic and his wife, Marija, 43, Fahy said. The post-mortems are expected to confirm the cause and exact time of the deaths; otherwise, the investigation is considered closed, he said.
Henry Fatovic, the couple’s 20-year-old son, had left their Cliffside Park home for work about 7 a.m., and their other son, Robert, 21, left about an hour later. Henry Fatovic discovered his mother’s body in the bedroom when he returned home from work about 3 p.m. Friday, and called police.
“Her throat was slashed and it appears that she bled to death,” Fahy said.
There were signs of struggle in the house, Fahy said, but the door was locked when Henry Fatovic returned home and there was no sign of forced entry and no indication that anything was taken from the house.
Investigators went to Fatovic’s apartment because he had a key to the family house, Fahy said.
Homicide investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office, Cliffside Park police detectives, and Little Ferry police arrived at 36 Marshall Ave. in Little Ferry about 4 p.m. to find Fatovic’s fully clothed body on the bedroom floor, he said.
On Saturday afternoon, at the modest single-family West End Avenue home in Cliffside Park, the mail was uncollected and the porch light was on. An old Chevrolet truck with a “For Sale” sign in the window was in the driveway, in front of a blue Ford Thunderbird.
No one was home, and neighbors were not talking. A 20-year-old man who said that he had worked for four years at Shop Rite with Henry Fatovic and that he knew the family well said he never noticed any discord. He said he was shaken by the deaths, and declined to give his name.
Nino Fatovic of Little Ferry would say no more than that Mladen Fatovic was his brother. Neither son could be reached.
Marija Fatovic was an aide at North Bergen Senior Citizens Nutrition Center. The center could not be reached for comment.
David Ivanac, 49, supervisor at Rochelle Park’s FIMS Manufacturing Corp., where Fatovic was an assembly-line machinist, said he was a good, hard-working man who was sometimes impatient and hot-tempered.
“He loves his wife so much; he was so jealous,” Ivanac said. “I said to him, `Stay away. You know, two people, they can’t live together. These are nice people, no question about it.
“I can expect him to do something, like walk away, or something like that, but never something like this. “
Ivanac said he and Fatovic knew each other as children in Sestrunj, a small island of about 500 people, near Zadar in the Croatian republic of Yugoslavia, but weren’t friends then. They worked together in France for about 11 years and came to the United States about seven years ago, he said.
The Fatovics lived with his wife’s brother for a few months before moving to the West End Avenue home, Ivanac said. He said he did not know the cause of the couple’s separation.
Fahy said the couple was in the process of getting a divorce.
Ivanac said Fatovic often worked about 50 hours per week, but that he left an hour early Thursday to have dinner with his son Henry. Then he called in sick Friday morning.

Keywords: MURDER; FAMILY; SUICIDE; CLIFFSIDE PARK; LITTLE FERRY; MLADEN FATOVIC

COPS HUNT GUNMEN IN STRING OF HOLDUPS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, February 17, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A04

Police departments are on the lookout for two or more armed men following a series of gas station holdups that authorities believe may be related.
Over the last week, police reported six similar armed robberies in Clifton, Passaic, Wallington, and Rutherford. Most were at service stations on highways, and all but one were committed by a single gunman confronting a lone attendant.
“We’re coordinating with those departments and alerting other departments in the area with gas stations on highways,” said Detective Sgt. William De Vos of Clifton, where three holdups occurred on consecutive days last week.
The latest robbery was at a Getty station in Rutherford on Thursday evening. It was the only one in which a shot was fired, police said.
A 37-year-old attendant was sitting behind a desk at the Getty station about 8:30 p.m. when a man came into the office, asked for change of a dollar, and then produced a gun and announced a robbery, said Rutherford police Detective Lt. Steven Nienstedt.
The gunman took about $300 from the attendant and pushed him into a boiler room next to the office, Nienstedt said. A second man joined the gunman, rifled through the desk, and took more money. They fled on foot, police said.
Before leaving, the gunman shot at the attendant but struck the door, Nienstedt said.
Police said the method in that robbery resembled the other five under investigation.

Keywords: ROBBERY; GARAGE; CLIFTON; PASSAIC; WALLINGTON; RUTHERFORD

5 ARRESTED IN COCAINE, GUN STING

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, February 15, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B01

Francisco Torres double-parked his white 1989 Porsche in front of a Hackensack house Wednesday, put a “Doctor On Call” sign on the dash, and, briefcase in hand, walked into a police narcotics sting.
The arrest of the 30-year-old Jersey City man and an accomplice culminated an investigation that yielded 2 1/2 pounds of cocaine and the arrests of three other men Tuesday night, city Police Chief William Iurato said Thursday.
Tuesday’s arrests came in “a volatile situation that was defused with no gunplay” when an officer disarmed a suspect who appeared ready to fire a machine gun, Iurato said.
Detective Sgt. Arthur Mento, who backed up narcotics officers posing as weapons and drug dealers, credited Detective Sgt. Michael Mordaga with saving his and other officers lives when he disarmed the suspect, who had trained the gun on Mento.
Police had decided to act as “middlemen” after they got wind of an operation in which people were trading guns for cash or cocaine, said Iurato, who gave the following account:
The first leg of the investigation was the purchase of the machine gun in the parking lot of a diner on Essex Street at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Mordaga and Officer Al Guitierrez were at the open door of a truck negotiating the $2,300 asking price for the gun with Eduardo Gomez, 26, of Union City, and Jairo Gondolo, 32, of Weehawken.
The third suspect, Abel Maldonaldo, 29, of Paterson, who was standing watch, saw other undercover officers approaching and yelled, “It’s a rip. “
“They thought they were being ripped off,” Iurato said. “They didn’t realize we were police officers until after the arrest. “
Gondolo picked up the machine gun, which was at his feet in the back seat, and raised it.
Mordaga jumped into the truck, and jammed his thumb in the trigger housing of the machine gun, slightly injuring his thumb as he disarmed Gondolo.
“We were in a situation where we couldn’t shoot,” Mento said. “If Sgt. Mordaga had not done what he did, we would have been seriously hurt. “
The gun was loaded with 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition. A .45-caliber handgun was also seized.
Tuesday’s arrests led police to Torres and Domingo Acosta, 29, of Union City, who were to provide 2 1/2 pounds of cocaine at a price of $30,000, a figure less than the street value, Iurato said. Torres and Acosta agreed to reduce the price if the undercover officers would buy 5 pounds of cocaine a week.
Iurato declined to say how police connected the suspects in Tuesday’s arrests with Torres and Acosta.
Torres and Acosta, who were arrested without incident, were charged with possession of and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and possession of a semi-automatic handgun. Torres was freed on $25,000 bail and Acosta was released on $50,000 bail.
Gondolo, charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, weapons charges, and resisting arrest, was released on $50,000 bail.
Gomez was being held in the Bergen County Jail on $50,000 bail on weapons charges and a charge of resisting arrest. Maldonaldo was held on $26,000 bail on the same charges.
Police confiscated the Porsche and the 1988 Toyota truck.

Keywords: DRUG; JERSEY CITY; WEAPON; HACKENSACK; POLICE