NEWARK, N.J. — It’s one of the biggest corruption cases in the history of a state that’s famous for them: Three mayors, two state legislators and several rabbis were among those charged Thursday in what authorities described as a “dual-track” investigation united by a single undercover operative.

The sting that resulted in 44 arrests began with an investigation of an international money-laundering ring that trafficked in everything from fake Gucci and Prada handbags to human kidneys, which might be bought from a financially strapped donor for $10,000 and resold for $160,000.

Among those arrested were the mayors of Hoboken, Secaucus and Ridgefield; two state legislators; the City Council president and the deputy mayor of Jersey City; and several rabbis from Brooklyn and New Jersey.

Ralph Marra, the acting U.S. attorney in Newark, said Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano told the government’s undercover operative that “I could be indicted and still get 85 to 90% of the vote” in his election race.

Cammarano, who won a runoff election last month and had been a potential rising political star in the state, is charged with accepting $25,000 in cash bribes. He’s a Democrat; some of the others charged are Republicans.

Ed Kahrer, head of the FBI’s public corruption division in New Jersey, said the case shows that “corruption is a cancer that is destroying the core values of this state.” The state has seen more than 130 public officials plead guilty or be convicted of corruption since 2001, according to the Associated Press.

Waysun Dun, head of the bureau’s Newark office, said the case was “truly unprecedented” because of the number of those accused and the variety and geographic spread of their alleged crimes.

Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat whose re-election bid could be affected by the indictments, issued a statement saying, “Any corruption is unacceptable — anywhere, anytime, by anybody. The scale of corruption we’re seeing as this unfolds is simply outrageous and cannot be tolerated.”

Corzine’s challenger is Republican Chris Christie, Marra’s predecessor, who was the chief federal prosecutor in New Jersey for most the decade while the case unveiled Thursday was developed.

Christie did not initiate it; Marra said the case began 10 years ago and used the undercover operative, who posed as a favors-seeking businessman, for three years.

Marra said the probe initially focused on a money laundering network that operated between Brooklyn; Deal, an affluent enclave on the Jersey Shore popular with Syrian Jews; and Israel. The network allegedly laundered tens of millions of dollars through charities controlled by rabbis in New York and New Jersey.

The investigation widened to include political corruption two years ago when the undercover witness approached officials while posing as a developer seeking to build in Hudson County, which includes Jersey City.

Besides Cammarano, those arrested included Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, state Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith and state Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt.


Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez, who is an attorney, is charged with agreeing to accept an illegal $10,000 cash payment for his legal defense fund.

Beldini, 74, is charged with conspiracy to commit extortion by taking $20,000 in illegal campaign contributions. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said Thursday the charges were “a little shocking.”

“I have full faith in Leona,” Healy said. “She’s a good friend of mine - was and will be.”

Joseph Hayden, an attorney representing Cammarano, said his client “is innocent of these charges. He intends to fight them with all his strength until he proves his innocence.”

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