HUDSON COUNTY, N.J. — The former Executive Director of the North Bergen Housing Authority, Gerald Sanzari, has been charged following a public corruption investigation, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello.
Sanzari, 63, of River Edge, was arrested by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit and charged with two counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking, both third-degree crimes.
He was taken into custody at the Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and released pending his first court appearance, scheduled for Tuesday, August 26.
The case began in November 2024, when the Township of North Bergen referred allegations of misconduct to the Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation revealed that between January 2022 and June 2024, Sanzari allegedly hired city vendors—originally contracted for municipal work—to perform services at his private residence.
Authorities say Sanzari paid the vendors over $20,000, but used an account belonging to North Bergen Renaissance Urban Renewal, a subsidiary of the North Bergen Housing Authority.
Officials allege this constitutes unlawful use of public resources for personal gain.
