Life long Gloucester City resident, born in 1944. Graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School Class of 1963. Attended Camden County College. Army National Guard 1964 to 1970. Activated in 1967 during the Newark Riots. Worked full-time at the Gloucester City Post Office from 1967 to 1978. Worked part-time at the Gloucester City News from 1965 to 1977. In 1978 I was named editor of the Gloucester City News and Camden County Record. Purchased the City News in 1985. In 2005 the paper was sold. In 2006 I established Cleary's Notebook. At the age of 81 I remain editor of Cleary's Notebook News writing commentary and reporting the news for South Jersey and Philadelphia regions.
CAMDEN CITY, N.J. – Eight current or former Burlington County, New Jersey residents have been sentenced to prison in recent months after pleading guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. The defendants were charged as a result of a federal wiretap investigation.
On May 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn sentenced the final defendant, Mansfield Johnson, a/k/a “Money Mike,” 40, of Florence, New Jersey, to 225 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Johnson previously pleaded guilty on September 22, 2025 before Judge O’Hearn to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, conspiring to traffic a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Johnson also admitted to dealing powder and crack cocaine.
UPDATE: The power outage was not the reason why electricity was lost in the Riverview Heights section of the city, according to a spokesperson for Public Service Electric and Gas.
Kathy Hennessy Riley, PSE&G Corporate Communications, said the cause was weather-related. “I wanted to clarify that the traffic light pole that was struck at Broadway and Market Street was not the cause of the local power outage that affected the Riverview Heights section of the City on Monday night.
The outage, which affected approximately 2500 customers, was weather-related. Crews worked to safely identify and address the issue and restore service to affected customers as quickly as possible.”
A thunderstorm was happening in Gloucester City and the surrounding area when the power outage occurred.
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews)(October 1, 2020)—The City of Gloucester City is selling four properties on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 10AM in the office of the City Administration, Gloucester City Municipal Building, 512 Monmouth Street. Gloucester City taxpayers own over 100 properties, many of which are homes that are being rented. Others sit empty.
According to the legal notice that appeared in the Courier Post the properties include:
337 Bergen Street, minimum bid $10,000
218 North King St $5,000
215 Monmouth Street $5,000
346 Ridgeway Street $5,000.
The Mayor and Council approved a change in the City’s Master Plan at its September 24 council meeting. The change allows advertising signs, subject to certain conditions, along with piers for the mooring of ships and waterborne cargo vessels for the purpose of loading and unloading of cargo, warehouses for the storage of cargo in transit.
According to the Legal Notice the advertising signs they shall be permitted as an additional principal use of a property; no advertising sign shall be located more than two-hundred (200) feet from the Right-of-Way of the Walt Whitman Bridge (Interstate 76), unless it can be demonstrated that locating an advertising sign within 200 feet of the Right-of-Way of the Walt Whitman Bridge is infeasible due to conditions of the soil, the placement of utilities, or other such conditions which present a practical hardship.
The ordinance outlines rules for the placement of billboards in the north end of the City near the Walt Whitman Bridge. The idea was squashed in the past because of outcry from members of the public who were against the proposal as the billboards would block the view of Gloucester City from the bridge.
Furthermore, in such event an advertising sign may be located no more than 250 feet from the Right-of-Way of the Walt Whitman Bridge; no advertising sign shall be located closer than one thousand (1,000) feet from any other advertising sign on the same side of the Right-of-Way; no advertising sign shall be located so as to interfere with the safe sight distances or visibility at any intersection of public or private streets; no more than two (2) advertising sign structures shall be permitted on any parcel; advertising sign faces shall be permitted to have a maximum sign area of 672 square feet; advertising sign faces shall have a maximum sign face height of 14 feet, and a maximum sign face width of 48 feet; each advertising sign structure shall have no more than two (2) advertising sign faces; advertising signs may have digital and static sign faces; and advertising signs shall comply with all applicable State and Federal laws. 5. Included prohibited uses in the PCH district are residential uses, retail uses, salvage yards of any type, junk yards and marine repair yards. 6. Establishes certain area and bulk requirements for minimum parcel size, minimum property frontage, minimum setbacks, maximum building height and maximum impermeable coverage. 7. Establishes certain performance standards for any port of cargo handling use in the City of Gloucester City. 8. Amends the Gloucester City Development Ordinance, Article VI, Note 20, to permit advertising signs within the Port Cargo Handling (PCH) zoning district of the City, subject to various restrictions including advertising signs shall be freestanding signs only. No advertising sign shall be permitted to be a roof-mounted sign, banner sign, awning, canopy, or wall sign; the maximum sign area of any advertising sign face shall be six-hundred seventy-two (672) square feet; no advertising sign structure shall have more than two (2) sign faces; the maximum height of any advertising sign shall be 75 feet above the grade of the roadway on the Walt Whitman Bridge. the height measurement shall be from the roadway’s centerline at grade directly perpendicular to the sign; electronic or digital advertising signs with changeable messages may be permitted, however no animation, flashing, or flickering of lighting shall be permitted; electronic or digital advertising signs with changeable messages shall have a minimum message duration of eight (8) seconds per message; non-electronic or non-digital advertising sign faces may be externally illuminated provided that all lighting is designed to be directed towards the advertising sign and minimize any potential light spillover onto adjoining properties; 9. Creates general regulations to all permitted and pre-existing non¬conforming signs including only those signs identifying the name, business, occupant, service, address or product offered or sold on the premises shall be permitted to be erected.
Coming events, community bulletin boards and time and temperature signs shall also be permitted; signs within the interior of a structure, designed to be seen and read from the exterior, shall be considered as part of any maximum signs area; signs attached to a principal structure shall not extend above the roof line of the parapet; electronic or digital advertising signs with changeable messages may be permitted, however no animation, flashing, or flickering of lighting shall be permitted; electronic or digital advertising signs with changeable messages shall have a minimum message duration of eight (8) seconds per message; unless otherwise stipulated in this ordinance, the top of free-standing signs shall not exceed the height limit of principal structures in the zone where located or 25 feet; whichever is less; with the exception of awning or canopy signs in the CRO and RC&S districts, no sign, whether permanent or temporary, other than municipal, county or state signs, shall be erected within the right-of-way of any street or approved sight easements nor shall any sign be located to constitute a traffic hazard; no sign, be it of a political, educational, charitable, civic, professional, religious or like nature, or of personal nature, shall be erected upon any utility pole, tree, light standard, or monument located within the right-of-way of any street or on any public property; all temporary signs, excluding banner signs for business or commercial establishments, announcing or advertising any political, educational, charitable, civic, professional, religious or like campaign or event, shall be removed by the advertiser within five days after the event shall have taken place; 10. Prohibits advertising signs in any zoning district in the City, except for the Port Cargo Holding (PCH) District.
A minimum of three (3) copies of the entire Ordinance is on file for public examination and/or purchase at the office of the City of Gloucester City Clerk. The proposed Ordinance is scheduled for further consideration at a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on September 24, 2020 at the City Court Room, 313 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, New Jersey 08030. The Ordinance shall take effect upon passage, filing and publication according to law. You may attend the public hearing and be heard in person or by lawful representative. Vanessa Parent, R.M.C., City Clerk ($134.20)
UPDATE: The power outage was not the reason why electricity was loss in the Riverview Heights section of the city, according to a spokesperson for Public Service Electric and Gas.
Kathy Hennessy Riley, PSE&G Corporate Communications, said the cause was weather-related. “I wanted to clarify that the traffic light pole that was struck at Broadway and Market Street was not the cause of the local power outage that affected the Riverview Heights section of the City on Monday night.
The outage, which affected approximately 2500 customers, was weather-related. Crews worked to safely identify and address the issue and restore service to affected customers as quickly as possible.”
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews) (June 22, 2026)--The traffic light at Broadway and Market Street is apparently the cause of the local power outage that affected the Riverview Heights section of the City. The local police did not report how the light was knocked over. Neither did they release any information on whether there were any injuries. Businesses and residents lost electricity around 2 PM. It was restored at 6 PM.
Traffic lights along Broadway from Kohler Street to Market Street were offline. Many of the businesses along that stretch of highway closed their doors due to not having air conditioning. Residents living in the Carpenter Square Apartments were also affected.
Public Service Electric and Gas first notified customers that the electricity would be restored by 7 PM. Service was restored at 6:10 PM.
Photo by CNBNews reporter Kathy Cleary Underwood
The traffic light at Broadway and Market Street was struck by either a car or a tractor-trailer. Work crews from Public Service Electric and Gas were at this location for several hours. Residents and businesses lost electricity around 2 PM today. Electric was restored around 6 PM. Local police released no information to the media about the incident.
CHEER — To Gloucester Catholic Baseball for Winning Its Fourth Straight Title
The Gloucester Catholic High School baseball team, captured its fourth straight championship, adding yet another trophy to one of the most storied programs in New Jersey. Year after year, the Rams reload, refocus, and rise to the top — a testament to their coaching staff, their work ethic, and the school’s deep baseball tradition.
In a time when many programs struggle to stay competitive, Gloucester Catholic continues to set the standard. Congratulations to the players, coaches, families, and fans who make this run possible.
CHICAGO, Ll. (September 1, 2021)(CNBNews)—Chicago City crime in an area called River North has gotten so bad that people and workers refuse to go into the area after dark, according to the local media.
Two days ago a city pod video camera caught an attack on two white men by a group of blacks in the middle of State Street at 1:30 AM. The entire time the assault is occurring traffic keeps driving pass it like it is an everyday event. There is no police to be seen.
When the fight breaks out two black men start fighting with a white man. Out of nowhere, other black men appear and start circling the one white man like a pack of lions on a hunt. When another white man comes to that man’s aid, he is sucker punched and knocked out cold, left to lie in the street. As both men are unconscious others in the pack start kicking them and stealing their belongings. A few feet away, you can see pedestrians walking by, while others stand and stare, laughing as though it were just a normal night in the City of Chicago.
It is disturbing to think that this gruesome scene is playing out in Chicago, a major city of our country, and none of those watching it seems to give a damm. How and when did our so-called civil society become so uncaring, barbaric, and bloodthirsty? And, who in their right mind would want to visit Chicago today or any other major city like New York, or Philadelphia, knowing that an attack like the one in this video could happen to you in the blink of an eye.
Chicago Police statistics show 445 homicides have been recorded so far in 2021, compared to 446 during the first seven months of 2020. Those numbers are significantly higher than those recorded in 2019, when 290 people were killed in the first seven months of the year, representing a 53.4% increase.
What about nearby Philadelphia how many shootings in the so-called city of brotherly love since January 1, 2021. According to the August 23 Philadelphia Inquirer if you’re looking for ways to quantify the depths of the gun violence crisis in Philadelphia, there may not be many bleaker statistics than this: There’s only been one day so far this year — Jan. 2 — when not a single person was shot in the city.
As I look back on this life I’ve lived, I have no regrets, no what-ifs
By William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews Editor
PREFACE
I’m eighty-one years old, and I’ve been a journalist for fifty-eight years.
I never went to college. Everything I know about this profession, I learned from my father, George F. Cleary Sr., who bought the Gloucester City News in 1950 and ran it until I took over as editor in 1978. What he didn’t teach me, I learned through trial and error—and believe me, there was plenty of both.
People ask me why I’m writing this book now. The truth is, I’ve been writing it my whole life. For decades, I documented my community’s stories in weekly newspapers, and more recently, on my blog, CNBNews. This book weaves together my autobiography with articles I’ve published over the years—stories about corruption, courage, tragedy, and everyday lives in a small South Jersey city most folks have never heard of.
When you’re a small-town journalist, you make enemies. People threaten you. They call you names. They try to shut you down. But if you spend your life worrying about what might happen, or second-guessing the stories you published, you’ll never write anything worth reading.
I’ve been sued, threatened, even arrested once for “trespassing” while investigating a story. I’ve worked undercover with the New Jersey State Police. I’ve interviewed members of the Ku Klux Klan and the Pagans motorcycle club. I’ve exposed corruption and covered tragedies that broke my heart. I stood in the middle of a battle between the Teamster union and the Longshoremen’s union, with sheriff officers on horseback and K-9 units keeping them apart.
My perspective differs from big-city reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer or the New York Times. I wasn’t covering presidents and wars—well, except for that one time I met Jimmy Carter, and another time I rode an elevator with Donald Trump.
Mostly, I covered city council meetings, house fires, local corruption, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
In a small town, the newspaper isn’t just a business—it’s the community’s memory, its conscience, and sometimes its only voice.
If you’re looking for polish, you won’t find it here. But if you want the truth, told by someone who learned journalism in the streets rather than a classroom, then keep reading.
This book is that voice, looking back across more than half a century. It’s messy and honest, just like the life I’ve lived.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
INTRODUCTION
On a sweltering July afternoon in 1989, a well-dressed stranger walked into my newspaper office and said he’d been told that if anyone wanted to do business in Gloucester City, they had to go through me first.
That conversation launched a three-month undercover investigation with the New Jersey State Police involving alleged mob connections, a corrupt development scheme, and a shocking revelation: I wasn’t helping them catch a crooked politician. I was the target.
Welcome to small-town journalism in America.
I’m Bill Cleary. I was born in 1944 and raised in Gloucester City, New Jersey—a working-class town of row houses and corner taverns across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. The kind of place where everyone knows your business, where the fire whistle brings people running to their windows, and where telling the truth can make you powerful enemies.
My father was the editor and publisher of the Gloucester City News. From the time I was eight years old, I rode with him to fires, watched him chase stories, and learned what it meant to be a reporter. He taught me that journalism wasn’t about being popular—it was about telling the truth, even when people didn’t want to hear it. Especially then.
In 1978, I became editor of the paper. In 1985, my wife Connie and I bought it outright. We raised three children—Kelly Ann, Connie Lynn, and Billy Jr.—who gave us seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. We married at St. Mary’s Church on April 18, 1964, when I was barely twenty and she was the most beautiful woman in the city. Sixty years later, she still is.
Before journalism became my full-time calling, I worked eleven years at the Gloucester City Post Office with the impressive title of “Temporary, Part-time Clerk-Carrier.” Try getting a bank loan with that on your application. We lived in several apartments before buying our first home at 710 Powell Street, then moved to Riverview Heights in 1972, where we’ve been ever since.
But this book isn’t just my story. It’s the story of a town, a time, and what happens when ordinary people stand up to power. It’s about corruption and courage, about family and loyalty, about what we’ve lost and what we’re still fighting to keep.
This is my story, told in my own words, with articles from my six-decade career woven throughout. It’s not always pretty, and it doesn’t always have a happy ending.
But it’s the truth. And that’s the only thing I’ve ever known how to write.
My father taught me to run toward the fire, not away from it.
No regrets, No what ifs.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE:
THE ENIGMATIC VISITOR
The Mysterious Visitor (July 1989)
State Police Investigation Begins
Meetings with Smith and Jones
The FBI Warning: “You’re the Target!”
CHAPTER TWO:
THE MAN WHO INSPIRED ME
My Father’s Legacy
The Fire Whistle: Running Toward Fires
A Life Forged in Tragedy
The Crusader and Urban Renewal Battle
The Long Goodbye (1990-1993)
CHAPTER THREE:
MY SUMMER LOVE BECOMES MY WIFE
Meeting Connie and Falling in Love
Asking Permission to Marry
Joining the National Guard (1963)
Meeting Connie: Attracted to an Older Woman
The Front Porch Conversation
Early Married Life and Starting a Family
Working at the Post Office
CHAPTER FOUR:
THE BATTLE OF NEWARK
Joining the National Guard
Deployment to Newark During the Riots
Into the Inferno: Civil Unrest and Violence
The Convoy Ambush and Aftermath
Early Military Experience
The Newark Riots
Return Home
CHAPTER FIVE:
11 YEARS OF JUGGLING TWO WORLDS
Working Two Jobs: Post Office and Newspaper
Learning from Dad (1967-1978)
1978: Becoming Full-Time Editor
1984: Buying the Paper and Taking a Stand
CHAPTER SIX:
OUR POWELL STREET HOME
Our First Real Home
Neighborhood Memories
Community Connections
Life on Powell Street
CHAPTER SEVEN:
CHRISTMAS IN GLOUCESTER CITY
Family Traditions
The Coffee Pot Christmas
Childhood Christmas Magic: Trains and Cookies
Ice Skating and Flexible Flyers
Teenage Years: Dances and Parties
CHAPTER EIGHT:
ENTERTAINMENT BACK IN THE DAY
Local Hangouts: Luncheonettes and Gathering Spots
The Pool, Ballroom, and Wildwoods
Live Music Scene and Nightclubs
Jerry Blavat: The Geator with the Heater
CHAPTER NINE:
TAVERNS, POLITICS, 3 PM MANHATTAN GANG
TAVERNS
The 3 PM Manhattan Gang
Gloucester City’s 50 Taverns
The Pub Crawl Tradition
CHAPTER TEN:
OUR BEST FRIENDS
Trooper, Sheba, Lacey, Erica, Peyton, Sweetie
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
MY ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Hunting Experiences
Wildlife Encounters
Travel Stories
Nature and Reflection
CHAPTER 12:
CRIMINALS AND FUNNY CHARACTERS
Local Legends
Mob Stories
Unexpected Encounters
True Crime Narratives
CHAPTER 13:
SPORTS LEGENDS OF GCHS AND GHS
CHAPTER 14:
1960’s Gloucester High Gridiron Coach Bill Manlove Enshrined in College Football Hall of Fame
Gloucester City Memorial Athletic Association “Mustangs” Celebrate 60th Anniversary
Former Rams Basketball Coach John McCarthy Inducted into Camden County Sports Hall of Fame
1971 Gloucester Catholic HS Football Team Honored
Saint Mary’s Junior Guild
Turkey Day Football: Lions vs Rams Thanksgiving Classic
The Renewal of Friendship (1993)
1957: Rams Over Lions City Title Game
Joe Murphy: Alumnus, Athlete, Coach, Teacher and Friend
Memorial Garden Dedicated in Honor of Pearl Kowalski
A HODGEPODGE of ARTICLES
CNBNews Ranked No. 11 Out of 80 Honorees
Fond Memories of Gloucester City by Hank Miller
Shaffer’s Creamy Waffles
The Homing Pigeon Shuffle
Gloucester City Redevelopment
Believe It or Not…Another Miracle by St. Anthony
The Last GCPD Crime Report Published 2020
A Man to Be Remembered
What We Had
Look Who’s Photo Appeared on a Cheerios Box
New York Post Publishes Article About Cleary’s Notebook
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews)(June 4, 2026)–The Gloucester High School softball team continued its tradition of competitiveness in 2026, delivering a season marked by strong pitching, timely hitting, and the kind of team chemistry that has long defined the Lady Lions program.
Senior pitcher Mackenzie “Mac” Turner was the heart and soul of the team. A four‑year varsity starter, Turner finished her career with one of her strongest seasons yet, posting a sub‑3.00 ERA and striking out more than 120 batters. Her leadership in the circle kept Gloucester in nearly every game, and her presence will be missed next spring.
Offensively, the Lions were powered by junior catcher Riley Thompson, who led the team in batting average, RBIs, and extra‑base hits. Thompson’s ability to control the running game behind the plate made her one of the most valuable two‑way players in the conference.
Sophomore infielder Emma Russo emerged as one of the team’s breakout stars, hitting over .350 and playing stellar defense at second base. Freshman outfielder Kayla Jennings also made an immediate impact with her speed and fearless approach at the plate.
The highlight of the season came in a dramatic walk‑off win against a top‑ranked opponent, when Thompson ripped a double into the left‑center gap to score Russo from first. It was the kind of moment that showed the Lions’ resilience and competitive spirit.
With Thompson, Russo, Jennings, and several key underclassmen returning, Gloucester High softball enters 2027 with momentum — and the expectation that they’ll be right back in the hunt for a conference title.
According to Max Sports, Gloucester High couldn’t carry there season success into the playoff game against the Barnegat Bengals. They fell just short of the Bengals , 2-1. The Lions’ defeat on June 4 signaled the end of their 13-game winning streak.
Their overall record for the season was 21-3; 10-0 in Colonial-Liberty
Gloucester City, NJ(August 30, 2021)(CNBNews)— The November 2 election in Gloucester City will have three different groups offering candidates for the positions on the council that are open. When Mayor Dan Spencer resigned suddenly in April, he still had a year and a half left on his four-year term. His resignation set up the following chain of events. Democrat Councilman at large Pat Keating stepped down from his position and was appointed to the mayor’s seat until this November’s election. The fact that there were two unexpected openings on the council seems to have got two former mayors with different philosophies thinking about getting back in the arena.
Those two mayors are Bob Bevan, who was elected in the 80s to two terms as an independent, and Charles (Chuck) Billingham, who was elected in the mid-90s as a democrat.
Former Gloucester City Mayor Robert Bevan’s candidate for Pat Keating’s council-at-large seat is Sarah O’Brien; she is very involved in a youth program called Community Rocks, which teaches art and music to kids, according to Bevan. Continue reading “CNBNews Archives: Gloucester City’s Nov. 2 Council Race”→
THE ORGANIZERS OF THE BREAKFAST CLUB: In 2006, Charlie Pitzo had an idea about getting together once a month with his friends for breakfast at a local restaurant in Gloucester City. The 16 gentlemen above were invited to the first meeting held at the former Jim’s Pizzeria Restaurant, Broadway and Mercer Streets, Gloucester City, to discuss the idea. Charlie’s idea took off, and over the next couple of years, the group grew. At one meeting, they had over 40 people in attendance.
First row: from left to right, Skip Grandizio, Charlie Tourtual, Jack Perscheitti, Howard “Butch” Shaffer, Charlie Pitzo, George Cleary Jr.
Second row: Lonnie Letgus, Ron Raube, Harry Walker, Sam Chew, Harry Blymer.
Back row: Bill Cleary Sr., Ron Raube, Joe Miller, Joe “JukeBox” DiGiacomo, Al DiGiacomo, Stu Rechard.
All of the men were born and raised in either Gloucester City or Brooklawn. The majority graduated from Gloucester High and the others from Gloucester Catholic.
Out of those 16 men, we know for sure that the following have moved on to Gabriel’s Cafe in the sky. They include: Grandizio, Tourtual, Pitzo, George Cleary, Raube, Miller, Walker, Chew, Blymer, Joe and Al DiGiacomo.
Even though Vincie Boy had passed some time ago we could still feel his spirit walking among us that day.
