Healy spokeswoman moonlights for builders

The spokeswoman for Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has been moonlighting as an event planner during the past year for a developer with a number of dealings with the city, drawing both criticism and support from the community and City Council members.

Spokeswoman Maria Pignataro has organized "several" community-style events for the developer duo of Paul and Eric Silverman, who run Exter Property Co. The company has been involved in a number of projects in Jersey City and is currently developing the former site of St. Francis Hospital in the Hamilton Park neighborhood.

The Silvermans paid Pignataro an undisclosed amount to organize a July wine reception aimed at promoting the history and redevelopment of the Hamilton Park neighborhood.

"My professional experience prior to working at City Hall has been in the private sector public relations and special events business," Pignataro said in a written statement. "The Silvermans became aware of my expertise and approached me about assisting them with the planning of special events, primarily for neighborhood events on Grove Street.

"Before making a decision about accepting the consultancy work, I cleared it with Mayor Healy, who was fine with it because the nature of the work did not conflict with my position as press secretary," Pignataro added.

Daniel Levin, president of the community watch dog group Civic JC, said Pignataro's arrangement with the Silvermans appears too "cozy" for comfort.

"It stinks," said Levin. "If Mayor Healy does not have a problem with it, it calls into question his good sense to effectively govern our city."

Healy said, "I do not see a conflict of interest, as there is no use of city offices, time, resources, or other personnel involved in this work."

Eric Silverman said he read a profile of Pignataro in The New York Times - which discussed her transition from celebrity publicist to political handler - and inquired about her.

"Her resume speaks for itself, and we had a need. We made sure it was cleared by the mayor first," said Eric Silverman.

Pignataro joined the Healy for Mayor Team in July 2004 while he was vying for the city's top job and then joined the administration in November 2004 after success in the special election.

"Even if there's nothing wrong with it, it doesn't look good," City Councilwoman Viola Richardson remarked about Pignataro's work for the Silvermans.

Councilman Bill Gaughan said Pignataro's duties at City Hall shouldn't preclude her from doing side jobs because she's not involved in setting policy.

"She doesn't vote on anything pertaining to abatements, or anything else," Gaughan said. "She's a press secretary who writes nice things about things about the mayor."

'Ever since he's been here, he's had loud parties'

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy is a loud partier who plays his ukulele and sings Irish ditties at all hours of the night, according to his next door neighbor in Bradley Beach.

The neighbor, Dave Dellett, said he made these and other less-than-flattering allegations in a sworn affidavit given to investigators with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office looking into the circumstances of Healy's arrest last month, when he was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct outside a bar his sister owns in Bradley Beach.

Dellet spoke yesterday about the interview with investigators, which took place on July 7.

"They (the investigators) wanted to find out what kind of neighbor Jerry Healy was," said Dellett, who with his wife Donna has lived next to the Healy home on Monmouth Avenue for 27 years. "I told them ever since he's been here, he's had loud parties."

Healy declined to comment, but his spokeswoman, Maria Pignataro, chalked up Dellett's statements to an "uncongenial relationship" the mayor has had "with one neighbor since he and his family moved in."

Dellett admitted the relationship has been a rocky one, but says that is Healy's fault.

"I have to say he plays very good and he sings Irish songs, but when it happens at 2 o'clock at night it's a little out of hand," Dellett said.

In addition, he said, there's the loud screaming matches that keep him and his wife up at night.

One such incident led to four police officers having to wrestle a naked Healy into handcuffs on his porch in 1999, Dellett said.

Officials from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office didn't return phone calls to confirm they interviewed Dellett or to explain how his information is relevant to their investigation, which stems from Healy's assertions that he was trying to help police sort out a couple's spat when Bradley Beach Police Officer Terry Browning threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and then blasted him in the eyes with pepper-spray.

Healy's account has been corroborated by at least two eyewitnesses, including his wife, who said she was flung to the ground by Browning as well.

Healy has threatened to sue Browning but agreed to wait for the outcome of the prosecutor's investigation, Ralph Lamparello, Healy's attorney, has said.

A Monmouth County court official said Healy's trial has been given a tentative court date of Aug. 22 but is not likely to proceed until the prosecutor's investigation is complete.