Story of the Day-Atlantic City Mayor Robert Levy Resigns

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. Famous for its boardwalk and casino gambling, it is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of the United States 2000 Census, population was 40,517 in the city, and 271,015 in the combined metropolitan area. Other municipalities on the island are Ventnor City, Margate City, and Longport. The main routes into Atlantic City are the Black Horse Pike (US 322/40), White Horse Pike (US 30) and the Atlantic City Expressway.

On May 1, 1854 Atlantic City was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature. The new city contained portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township.[2]

Like all major cities, Atlantic City contains distinct neighborhoods or districts. The communities are known as: The North Inlet, The South Inlet, Bungalow Park, the Marina District (also known as Back Maryland), Venice Park, Downtown (Midtown), Ducktown, Chelsea, and Chelsea Heights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_City,_New_Jersey



City of Atlantic City - History
http://www.cityofatlanticcity.org/con_abo_history.asp

Welcome to Atlantic City




Atlantic City Mayor Robert Levy Resigns After Disappearing From Public Eye
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300676,00.html
The mayor of Atlantic City has handed in his resignation, after he vanished for two weeks amid allegations that he lied about his military service and illegally collected veterans' benefits, his attorney said Wednesday.

Levy's departure is effective immediately, according to lawyer Edwin Jacobs. The missing mayor resurfaced Tuesday after returning home from a stay at a psychiatric and substance abuse center.

In a statement Wednesday, Jacobs cited "multiple health problems" as a factor in Levy's resignation, but did not provide further details on the nature of his client's condition.

Levy has been under federal investigation for embellishing his Army service in Vietnam.

"The circumstances surrounding his resignation include multiple health problems, but were precipitated by a pending Federal Department of Veterans Affairs investigation," Jacobs said.

Last fall, the Press of Atlantic City reported that the Vietnam veteran's claims that he was a member of the Green Berets were untrue. He apologized, but federal authorities have been looking into whether the 64-year-old Levy made that claim to increase his veterans' benefit payments.

Jacobs said in the statement that the mayor was in discussions with the U.S. Attorney's office about resolving the investigation in a "fair and expeditious" way. Levy allegedly took in about $25,000 in extra benefits payments as a result of the falsification.

No part of the investigation includes allegations of Levy's abuse of his position as mayor, his lawyer said.

Levy served in the United States Army for 20 years, from 1964-1984, completing two tours of duty in Vietnam, according to Jacobs. He received multiple medals, awards and citations for his service.

"The pending investigation has called into question two of those awards, neither of which appear to be supported by an appropriate military order," said Jacobs.

Members of the city council had asked a judge to declare the mayor's office vacant and clear the way for the council president William "Speedy" Marsh to take over as interim mayor.

The councilman met with his lawyer Tuesday and prepared to take office "immediately" should Levy's office become vacant, said Marsh's Atlantic City attorney James J. Leonard Jr.

Levy — who was missing for almost two weeks — was at home after leaving a Somerset County clinic known for treatment of substance abuse and mental health issues, according his lawyer.

Tuesday's revelation about Levy's whereabouts came after a brief conference with a state judge, who scheduled a Friday hearing to discuss a request by a city councilman to declare that the mayor had abandoned his office. Such a declaration would clear the way for Marsh to step in.

Levy's lawyer told reporters the mayor checked himself into the Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead on either Sept. 26 or 27. The mayor was last seen in public on Sept. 26 when he signed several ordinances at City Hall.

That was the same day city officials said the mayor told them he did not feel well, and would be absent for an unspecified time on medical leave.

Jacobs said the mayor has been home from the clinic since Thursday, but would not say what he was treated for. A phone message left at Levy's home was not returned.

According to the clinic's Web site, the facility "is a private, not-for-profit behavioral health care system founded in 1910 that specializes in psychiatric and addiction treatment."

"At Carrier, hospital stays tend to be brief, with the goal of crisis intervention, medical stabilization and transition to the next appropriate level of care," the facility says on its site. "Treatment teams consist of a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, licensed clinical social workers, allied clinical therapists and certified addiction counselors."


Atlantic City's missing mayor

Atlantic City corrupted again as mayor disappears
http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKN058640320071005
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Reuters Life!) - To most Americans Atlantic City is host to seedy casinos, poverty, crime, murder and corrupt politics.

Now the one-time home of Miss America is in the news for all the wrong reasons again; its mayor has gone missing after being caught embellishing his Vietnam War record.

Mayor Robert Levy told aides on September 29 he was taking sick leave, and verbally transferred authority to city official Domenic Capella in a move that members of the city council say is illegal. Levy has not been heard from since.

The crisis brought New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine to the city's famed boardwalk on Friday where he told a news conference, "What the situation is today can't go on for any extended period of time."

"I don't think it's slipping into dysfunctionality but it very easily could do," he said.

Corzine said he had asked the state's attorney general to look into whether Levy's actions were an abandonment of office and called on city leaders to resolve the crisis soon.

"I'm not here to advocate for a state takeover," he said.

Members of the nine-seat city council asked the state attorney general if Levy was entitled to hand power to Capella, and at least one councilor is seeking a declaration from a judge that Levy acted illegally

Capella did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Corzine refused to say who he thought should become mayor if Levy turns out to have abandoned his office and said he did not know where Levy is.

He refused to comment on reports the mayor is under investigation by federal authorities for falsifying his military record and taking a pension linked to his military service in Vietnam.

Nick Morici, a spokesman for Levy, said on Friday he had "no concrete information" on the reports of the investigation.

"I don't expect him to resign," Morici said, adding he knew nothing of Levy's condition or whereabouts.

Past mayors of Atlantic City have included Michael Matthews, ejected by voters in March 1983 after being charged with extortion and taking bribes for himself and the Mafia.

In 1989, James Usry, the city's first black mayor, was arrested along with 13 other political leaders to face charges including bribery, conspiracy, and accepting unlawful gifts.

City councilor Bruce Ward said in an interview that the council has asked the New Jersey Superior Court in Atlantic City to declare that the mayor's position has been vacated in light of Levy's actions.

"City Hall is being run illegally," Ward said.


ATLANTIC CITY MAYOR STILL MISSING


Under scrutiny, Atlantic City mayor disappears
Official allegedly embellished his Army record for higher veteran’s benefits
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21153397/
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Under federal investigation for embellishing his Army service in Vietnam, a groggy-sounding Mayor Robert Levy called in sick at City Hall, climbed into his city-issued Dodge Durango and seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth.

A spokesman issued a 36-word statement saying the mayor was going on indefinite medical leave. That was a week and a half ago. Aides say he is in a hospital, but they won’t say where, why or for how long.

The mystery and the gathering scandal over Levy’s military record have worried civic leaders in this seaside casino resort, which has a long history of corruption, with four of the last eight mayors busted on graft charges and one-third of last year’s nine-member City Council in prison or under house arrest.

“It’s a national embarrassment,” said City Councilman Bruce Ward, who planned to ask a judge on Friday to declare the mayor’s seat officially vacant, clearing the way for the council to name a replacement.

“We have entertainment companies that are considering investing billions of dollars in Atlantic City. They need to know there is stability in Atlantic City. And we have 40,000 residents here who need to be protected.”

Levy admits misrepresenting record
Last fall, The Press of Atlantic City investigated Levy’s accounts of his wartime service and used military records to verify that Levy was a 20-year Army veteran with two Bronze Stars and two tours of duty in Vietnam. But the newspaper found he was not a member of the storied Green Berets, as he had claimed.

Shortly afterward, Levy, former head of Atlantic City’s lifeguards, admitted misrepresenting his record.

“I’m sorry for having this happen at all,” Levy told The Associated Press in November. “It’s something I should have corrected 40 years ago. It is what it is, and I apologize for the embarrassment I’ve created for myself and my family.”

But now, federal authorities are looking into whether the 64-year-old Levy made the false claims with the intention of bumping up his veteran’s benefit payments, an official with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Specifically, investigators want to know whether Levy was properly awarded a Combat Infantryman’s Badge that was used to obtain about $25,000 more in military benefits than he otherwise would have been entitled to, the official said.

Official: Mayor to be on leave for weeks
Levy spokesman Nicholas Morici and the mayor’s attorney, Edwin Jacobs, did not return messages over the past few days. Aides will not say anything about the mayor’s condition, citing medical privacy laws. But close aide Domenic Cappella said Levy will remain on sick leave for the next few weeks.

About two dozen demonstrators gathered outside City Hall on Friday afternoon to protest the stalemate.

Even before word of his embellishments became known, Levy was frequently absent from City Hall. Levy, who took office more than a year and a half ago and makes about $100,000 a year, took a leave several months ago because of what he said were back problems.

Before his disappearance, political opponents had begun gathering signatures to force a recall election, in part because of his sporadic attendance, along with his political affiliation with disgraced former City Council president Craig Callaway, who is serving a nearly 3½-year federal prison term for bribery.

As for other Atlantic City politicians, one councilman is under indictment on charges of helping to set up another councilman who was lured to a motel room and filmed having sex with a prostitute.

Still another councilman is facing charges he drunkenly drove his city-owned car across the Boardwalk and onto the beach in the wee hours. He was on his way home from a party celebrating the arrests in the sex-and-video case.

“Atlantic City has become, ‘Do what you want, when you want,”’ said Jim McDonell, a retired truck driver. “There’s no professionalism or competence here.”

Cappella, who is the city’s business administrator and has filled in before when Levy was unable to serve, told The Press that Levy called him from home on Sept. 26, sounding groggy, and turned over power to Cappella.

Official: Atlantic City 'fine' without mayor
At a news conference earlier this week, Cappella said Atlantic City government is doing just fine in the mayor’s absence.

“Police are still working, fire is still working, trash is still being collected, and public works is out there sweeping the streets,” he said.

The casino industry, whose taxes account for about 82 percent of Atlantic City’s municipal budget, is clearly concerned.

“Our industry generally looks for stability,” said Joseph Corbo, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey. “While the current state of affairs is obviously is not ideal, we are hopeful that it will be a short-term situation.”



Missing for 2 weeks, Atlantic City mayor resigns
Had sought help at a clinic known for treatment of substance abuse
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21220432/
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - The mayor of this gambling resort resigned Wednesday after a two-week absence from office during which he sought help at a clinic known for treatment of substance abuse and mental health issues, his lawyer said.

Mayor Robert Levy’s resignation is effective immediately, attorney Edwin Jacobs said.

“Mr. Levy has concluded that public confidence is so eroded by these circumstances that the only responsible action is to step down,” Jacobs said. “He does so with great regret and with apologies to his supporters, to the people of Atlantic City, and to his family and friends.”

City officials last heard from Levy on Sept. 26, when he called in sick, climbed into his city-issued Dodge Durango and seemingly vanished. His aides would only say that he was hospitalized somewhere, and would not disclose his condition.

Levy has been under federal investigation for embellishing his Army service in Vietnam.

Details about the mayor’s whereabouts began emerging Tuesday, when Jacobs met with a judge considering a City Council request to vacate the Levy’s office.

At home
Afterward, Jacobs announced that Levy was at home after spending a week at the clinic, but he wouldn’t elaborate on why Levy went there.

In a statement Wednesday, Jacobs cited “multiple health problems” as a factor in Levy’s resignation, but did not provide further details.

Last fall, The Press of Atlantic City reported that the Vietnam veteran’s claims that he was a member of the Green Berets were untrue. He apologized, but federal authorities have been looking into whether the 64-year-old Levy made that claim to increase his veteran’s benefit payments.

On Wednesday, Jacobs said the mayor was in discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office about resolving the investigation.

Levy served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and was awarded numerous medals and citations. But it was two of those awards that have him in trouble with federal prosecutors.

Jacobs said two of Levy’s military decorations appear to have been issued improperly, without “an appropriate military order.”

“This, in turn, creates a question as to a portion of Mr. Levy’s disability benefits,” Jacobs said.

Levy’s resignation clears the way for City Council President William “Speedy” Marsh to take over as interim mayor, according to Marsh’s lawyer, James Leonard.

“He is going to assume the office of mayor today,” Leonard said Wednesday.

Before Levy’s resignation, fed-up members of the city council had asked a judge to declare the mayor’s office vacant.

Levy’s disappearance roiled this casino resort, where four of the eight mayors that preceded him were arrested on corruption charges.



Atlantic City's next mayor has own woes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071011/ap_on_re_us/mayor_resigns;_ylt=AgdfdbXpHRjDMglmRPPecris0NUE

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - This scandal-plagued gambling resort has a new mayor, but Robert Levy's successor has his own set of problems.

William "Speedy" Marsh become acting mayor just after Levy resigned Wednesday. The former mayor had slipped out of sight for two weeks before returning to public view just to leave his position, citing ill health and a federal investigation into his Vietnam war record.

Marsh, the City Council president, must repay the city more than $363,000. The money is his portion of a settlement that he and another man received to resolve a lawsuit claiming they were wrongfully fired from their jobs as city workers due to political retaliation.

However, the settlement was approved by the City Council after the other plaintiff, Lorenzo Langford, had become mayor — something the court cited when it determined in May that the deal was "infected by intolerable conflicts of interest." The court ordered the two to repay the money.

Marsh is involved in court proceedings about exactly how the money is to be paid back. His private lawyer, Frederic Bor, did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday evening.

After being sworn in as mayor at City Hall Wednesday, Marsh responded to only one question from a reporter, asking how he would go about restoring public trust in Atlantic City's dysfunctional government.

"Truthful, thoughtful leadership and being amenable to the residents," Marsh said. "Be honest about how we're going to move forward toward making Atlantic City a serious place they want to invest in. I'm going to do that."

Despite his debt to the city, Marsh is looked upon favorably by many residents. This is largely because he staunchly opposed former Council President Craig Callaway, who is serving a 40-month prison term for bribery.

Levy had faced a recall drive from residents upset over his close ties to Callaway. Three of the nine members of last year's council are either in prison or under house arrest after pleading guilty to corruption charges.

Of the remaining council members, one is under indictment on charges of helping to set up another councilman who was lured to a motel room and filmed having sex with a prostitute.

Still another councilman is facing charges he drunkenly drove his city-owned car across the Boardwalk and onto the beach in the wee hours. He was on his way home from a party celebrating the arrests in the sex-and-video case.

Levy's lawyer, Edwin Jacobs, said the former mayor resigned due to numerous health problems, and a pending federal investigation into whether he improperly received $24,000 in military disability payments after faking parts of his Vietnam war record.

Levy checked into the Carrier Clinic, a northern New Jersey substance abuse and mental health treatment facility, on Sept. 26, but did not make public the reason why.

Jacobs said Levy had been overmedicating himself with pills for severe back pain, as well as a different type of drug to treat post-traumatic stress syndrome stemming from his Vietnam war service.

The lawyer said he is in negotiations with federal prosecutors to resolve the criminal investigation into Levy's military record and payments.

Jacobs did note a positive aspect of Levy's problems: At least Levy hadn't been arrested on charges of taking bribes, like four of his eight predecessors.