Stick Raises Campaign Cash with Shindig at Teak

Hudson County Freeholder Anthony "Stick” Romano lit his reelection campaign Thursday night with a cocktail fundraiser on the second floor of Teak on the Hudson. The upstairs balcony held firm while several political heavies hobnobbed.

Romano is running unopposed for a second three-year term in a district that includes Hoboken and portions of Jersey City Heights. Still, politicians always need full war chests, and assuming each of the approximately 75 guests paid for their $175 ticket, the Freeholder certainly stocked his.

The guest of honor was billed as Senator Robert Menendez, though as Romano explained to About Town, the Senator had to return to Washington for an emergency meeting. Which was a shame because About Town was hoping to grill him about guy. If it's any consolation we did talk to an unnamed man who at least looked like the Senator.

The other guest of honor was legendary St. Anthony High School coach Bob Hurley, a 26 time New Jersey state champion and 2010 inductee into the National Basketball Hall of Fame.

Congressman Albio Sires attended and gregariously towered over the other guests.

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise was there too, as was Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, Mayor Richard Turner of Weehawken, Jersey City Councilman Bill Gaughan, current Freeholders Doreen DiDomenico and Eliu Rivera, and former Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons.

Hobokenites who showed included State Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (and his 33rd District running mate, Sean Connors of Jersey City) Councilman Tim Occhipinti, council candidate Perry Belfiore, Hoboken Chamber of Commerce president Michael Novak, Hoboken Brownstone Company CEO Daniel Gans, Hoboken Housing Authority commissioner Eduardo Gonzalez, former State Senator Bernard Kenny, former Public Safety Director Angel Alicea and politicos Nick Calicchio, Jamie Cryan (Romano's campaign manager) Ines Garcia-Keim and Frank Raia. After talking with Raia, About Town thinks he finally knows now who exactly we are and that we write for Patch.

Nice to see also, Romano's son Angel Romano came to support his father.

The party was long on men in suits and short on ladies—perhaps uncharacteristic for one thrown by the lotharioesque Stick—though three young causally dressed women did wander in towards the end of the night, looked around, realized they were out of place and left moments later. Perhaps they found some frat guys downstairs.

There were a few blue collar types present, we think they were either off-duty cops or labor leaders. There was also a guy who looked like Thom Filicia, the interior designer from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

Romano spoke to the crowd at the end of the party, as did Congressman Sires, Assemblyman Ramos, Executive DeGise and Coach Hurley. Sires advised Romano, “don't play too much golf until you get elected.”

Ramos spoke next, after Romano introduced the younger man as his mentor. The Assemblyman said he was pleased to be running on the same election day slate with Romano, and with DeGise, even though he and DeGise were on opposite factions of the Democratic party last time.

DeGise mentioned playing league softball with Romano years ago and remembered the Freeholder famously for being “good glove, no hit.”

When Coach Hurley spoke he asked Romano, "You're running unopposed, right?” Romano answered yes.

“Then why are we here?” the Coach joked.

Good point. Since apparently just one vote would win the race, Romano should ask one random person to vote for him and call it a day, the way Conan O'Brien only follows one single total stranger on Twitter.

Later About Town spoke to the Coach. He told us he lives in Newport and often takes walks in Hoboken. We talked basketball and asked who he thought would win the ongoing NBA playoffs. Coach said he wasn't sure, and noted that with powerhouse San Antonio already eliminated, and recent title winners Los Angeles and Boston on the brink of defeat, some new team that plays hard enough could emerge as the champion.

That's fitting. No matter what, you always play hard. Even if no one else is suiting up against you.

Alan Skontra was a big dork who never went anywhere. Then he started writing the About Town column for Patch, and now he's everywhere. Have a hot tip on an event in Hoboken? Send an invitation, questions and comments too, to alanskontra@hotmail.com. And if he gets enough followers he might actually post his first tweet @ twitter.com/alanskontra.