I will read to while the FBI closes a secret bomb factory in New Jersey next door to the Nutley Police Station in sports the Eagles do it with the lady knights of Rutgers fall short and the Atlantic city prosecutor's office cracks a mob murder. New Jersey now pleading with Jack Kennedy was a good sport. He's working on a lead from the FBI cops from the Manhattan district attorney's office have arrested two men in New Jersey who are posing as South American revolutionaries. One was an electronics expert one a former CIA agent. Both were arraigned today in New York.
Raj Wells has a story. This is some of the weaponry seized in yesterday's arrests in New York. A former CIA agent in the New Jersey electronics expert from Nutley signed a contract with the undercover cops yesterday and were promptly arrested. Samples arrested in Georgia with the sale of 10000 and to encase three machine guns which were being held in England with two Americans Frank tripple 40 of 11 0 2 chain Chain Bridge Road McLean Virginia and Georgia Gregory Clark 38 of 19 calico lane Nutley New Jersey. According to the charges the suspects it was revealing with the police thinking they were a Caribbean revolutionary since mid-November and Morgan thought seemed to suggest that the two men were no strangers to gun. Trouble was described as a as a former CIA agent who was terminated unfavorably. Involved in supplying arms and
equipment to Libya training terrorists in Libya he was also an advisor and supplier to UTM in Uganda is the president of a company in New Jersey called AMS DEC International. They so sophisticated electronic equipment and Morgan said his agency such sophisticated equipment is poison pens detonators and various types of explosive booby traps a business address enough. His daughter was at the factory today and denied the charges leveled against her father by the police. It works for security and we don't need Morgan thaw said the undercover police agents arrested the two suspects yesterday morning at the New York
Hilton in Manhattan. According to district attorney Morgan thaw the two suspects are being held without bail at an undisclosed location in New York and are facing possible penalties of up to 30 years in jail at the district attorney's office in Manhattan. I'm read Wells. Police in Atlantic City think they've arrested two men responsible for a gangland style killing there last Sunday. The body of Margate cement contractor Vinson fell cone was found in the trunk of his car just five blocks from his home. He had been shot twice in the head with a handgun fell cone had been linked to organized crime figures in South Jersey. The Atlantic city prosecutor's office is charging 26 year old Philip Lee an ETI and 33 year old Lawrence Merlino with that killing. Both are now in custody with bail set at $150000 each. The investigation continues. Seven American ministers and professors are in Tehran tonight. They arrived there this morning 12 hours after leaving New York's Kennedy Airport. Christina Grimmie was at the airport when the delegation left.
Before New Jersey ministers their leader and two college professors were notified yesterday they would be allowed to enter Iran by that country's minister of affairs in Washington. The men say the purpose of their trip is to discuss with Iranian Moslems peace between Iran and America. The Iranian decision to allow the man into the country for talks came after two weeks of meetings and many on again off again plans. Yesterday they were notified they would be allowed to make the trip. And they prepared hastily before they left. They met with reporters at Kennedy Airport. Well I think the overriding goal of all of the major religions of the world including both Islam and and Christianity and Judaism is peace. This is a time of the year when we are being reminded of it as a Christian tradition to go into that and to try to discern the goals of other persons within religious leadership beyond that statement would be an appropriate I take in good faith the fact that there is imitation or signal that conversations can come
between religious leaders about these issues and very glad to get into those conversations. And then we'll discover the rest of it as we go. Do you think that religion might succeed where politics have failed. I've dedicated my life to that idea. There are no plans for this group of men to visit the hostages. Another delegation of three members of the National Council of Churches will be leaving this evening in order to with the Iranian government's permission hold Christmas services for the hostages. Among the three making tonight's trip is another New Jersey clergyman William Howard Reverend Howard would not agree to a televised interview saying he did not want to do anything that would jeopardize the delegation's opportunity to serve as pastors for the hostages. He did say that he fully supported the seven man mission that left last night and their attempt to aid American Iranian communications in Newark. I'm Christina Grimmie. Deborah law left her second son a home today for an undisclosed location apparently to recover from her ordeal as a hostage in El
Salvador. She arrived back in the States at Newark Airport last night. Ridge Wells was there. There was a huge throng of reporters and curious onlookers when the plane hit it made its way from sin Salvador to Guatemala to Miami and then Newark and finally arrived in Newark. Debbie loft was the only American among the 12 prisoners held hostage by a leftist group in San Salvador. They were demanding better working conditions. Well how do you feel about her. Then what are your plans now. And with so many of their friends around the family took the opportunity to make wedding plans and to eat enjoy. Debbie says she spent 14 months in El Salvador and would eventually like to go back.
Meanwhile her family says having your back is the only Christmas present they ask for in Newark. I'm ready. Will there be a loft maybe in for one disappointment though. Peace Corps officials say they aren't sure they'll grant her wish to allow her to return to El Salvador after the Christmas holiday. There is some concern about her safety after her ordeal there as a hostage. The verdict is not guilty on charges the drill sergeants at Fort Dix the dicks pushed a recruit so hard he died of a heart attack. Eighteen year old Lawson Hilman died July 16th while trying to finish a 10 mile hike. Tillman weighed over 230 pounds. And some witnesses had said that he was kicked and ridiculed when he fell behind on that march. But a four month long Army investigation published today has exonerated all Army personnel on his death. But as of August the Army changed its policy on weight limits. No one is seriously overweight as Lawson Hilman will ever again be permitted to enter basic training. While temperatures were very un Christmas like and warm with the holiday only two days away bits of
sunshine broke through the partly cloudy skies today and temperatures climbed into the 50s. It will be mostly cloudy tonight with a chance of showers and some fog rolling in towards morning. Lows will be in the 40s. Tomorrow will be cloudy and mild with occasional rain. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 50s. And the outlook for Christmas Day. Well it looks like Old St. Nick will need a boat instead of a sleigh. It will be raining most of the day there. It was a big day for the Eagles today. Bill Malone is here
now with that story the rest of sports. Bill. OK Jack let's hear it for the Philadelphia Eagles they advance in the NFC playoffs of the 27 21 win over the Chicago Bears Ron Jaworski tossed three touchdown passes for the Eagles. The Bears had a 17 10 halftime edge courtesy of 2 1 yard runs by Walter Payton. But the Eagles struck back in the third quarter for the second time in the game Jaworski found Harold Carmichael open for the score that tied the game at 17. Then in the final period Jaworski hit Billy Campfield on the sideline and the second year running back Ray 63 yards to give Philadelphia the lead for good. Now watch this spike. Send it home Billy. Tony Franklin at a 35 yard field goal to close out the scoring. The Eagles will now face NFC Central champ Tampa Bay and the conference divisional playoffs. That final once again Philadelphia twenty seven. You cango 21. Well maybe it was tough for the Nets psychologically last night coming off a heartbreaking loss to Portland Friday night one hundred ninety seven. Whatever it was the nets just couldn't put it together against Golden
State. And that's dropped another close 1 1 0 7 to 1 1 it was plays like this one where the nets fail to capitalize on the well-executed defects. Portland put the ball in play early in the first quarter with George Johnson couldn't make it work. And that's also couldn't take advantage of the Warriors slow set up on the transition game. There were several opportunities when the nets were three on one of four on two but no baskets. Jersey was slow in the early going to not hurt in the final result and that's were outscored in the first three periods reported on in the final quarter for 28 points to Golden State 17. Had they been able to move the ball early and that's could have taken home a win. Final Score 1 0 7 1 0 1. Golden State and college basketball last night Rutgers lost an Eastern Conference game to Villanova 81 to 70. Dan Noonan has this report. The Scarlet Knights came out running and gunning with Kelvin Troy scoring eight of their first 10 points but Villanova was hot.
Also they matched only buckets and then slowly pulled away. The knights were expecting trouble for Alex Bradley but he was in foul trouble and he played only 11 minutes scoring one point. The Wildcats freshman senator John unknown took charge and brutalized with his inside game he scored 29 points mostly inside as he muscled his way to the basket. Villanova led 40 32 at the half. Calvin true I was 24 points ahead of their team. His jumper with 15 minutes left in the game. The Scarlet Knights to within six forty seven 41 the one over pulled away after that leading by as many as 15 10 men they all scored. Their death was just too much for the cats who also played tough defense. The nine ball to use big men while him scored only one field goal before fouling out with four and a half minutes to go Villanova went into the four corner stall to ensure that when the final again 81 70 some memories at the Athletic Center. I'm Dan Newman.
Elsewhere in college basketball Seton Hall dropped an opener in the Big East Conference of the University of Connecticut the final 89 to 73 and Ryder college bunker Biscayne and over time 1 0 1 to 92 in the women's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden. Very disappointing for Rutgers. The Lady Knights lost their second game in a consolation bout against Maryland 78 to 77 and Jack that's it in sports back to you. Thank you Bill. A New Jersey trucker is safe today after being hijacked yesterday near Cleveland Ohio. Police there say 30 year old John Bell vizor was beaten and left tied to a utility pole after two hijackers with sawed off shotguns jumped in his cab as he was driving away from a truck stop. Police recovered the trailer and the $100000 worth of beef in Saudi but the cab which alone is still missing. While Congress spent last week in a burst of activity similar to the last minute rush of Christmas shoppers among their legislator presents the financial aid package for Chrysler. Michael
Cassio wraps it up with this week's Congress watch. Congress offered Chrysler a Christmas bonus that amounted to a new lease on life. The terms of the lease are one and a half billion dollar loan. If Chrysler matches the money with loans from private sources and provided that the union employees of Chrysler give up some of their wage increases. Supporters steered the bailout through after a full throttle exhausting push to get it passed before the holiday. About the only major controversy was between the House and the Senate the Senate wanted to force the United Auto Workers to forego a hundred million dollars more than the House wanted them to give up. And by the end of the week they reached a compromise in the Senate both New Jerseyans Williams and Bradley voted with the majority for the bailout in the house. It was the final breakdown. Most of New Jersey's 15 members of the House voted for it. The argument for the aid to the automaker was simple. It's meant to keep the company afloat keep people working and in the supporters eyes keep the economy from further hardship. The total financial package in compromise form was
three point five billion dollars including the loan guarantees and wage concessions. On the other side opponents had an equally simple argument. They don't want the federal government bailing out private companies. Two New Jersey congressman voted against it and lost. The week's other energy consuming topic the windfall profits tax finally came to a vote in the Senate. A filibuster turned the debate into one of the Senate's most important and angriest issues of the session. The Senate finally passed the bill taxing oil company profits 74 to 24 with Democrats Williams and Bradley in favor of it all the way. The House and the Senate now must hammer out a final version. President Carter first introduced the windfall tax bill in April and it's a cornerstone of his energy program a structure that now has a cornerstone but little else. Well with Christmas dead ahead it's now recess time. Congress may get to some business in the next few weeks but we're told not to expect any major action until the middle or end of January. And when Congress returns will officially be into an election year. When the
accent on politics will be even more pronounced than it is now. As Congress watch will be back in a few weeks. I'm Michael Cassio. Last night we presented part 1 of our special investigative report. Newark the feds take a closer look. We outline the scope of the current Justice Department investigation
into New York's multimillion dollar Sita program as well as a separate investigation into the personal finances of New York's mayor Ken Gibson. Part two looks at the investigations going on inside the Newark redevelopment and housing authority. And though the report aired earlier this week we feel it bears repeating tonight. Phelps Hawkins reports. The trial of Robert Noddy the former executive director of the Newark redevelopment and Housing Authority was only one aspect of a much larger investigation into Newark some multimillion dollar urban renewal and redevelopment programs Noddy's acquittal on extortion charges earlier this month was a major setback for the federal government. The acquittal raises serious questions about how vigorously the Justice Department will now pursue the other probes currently underway in the housing authority. That's because it was during the Robert Nadi investigation that the Justice Department first began to uncover unexpected information that information pointed
to other possible irregularities within the Newark Housing Authority irregularities that may have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. When you mention the Newark redevelopment and Housing Authority this is what people usually think of low income housing projects like the scouter homes in Newark central ward. But in recent years the housing authority has branched out into other areas. Over the last decade the authority has bought more than fourteen hundred acres of swamp land in the works east ward paid for by a 50 million dollar federal grant. The polluted garbage strewn Marsh was first cleared and filled then sold to developers at bargain basem*nt rates. Called the R1 21 project. The idea was to attract new industry to Newark and it has manufacturing and distribution firms moving into New York's Meadowlands have brought with them scores of new jobs.
A pleasant change for a city more accustomed to losing industry. But now federal authorities are exploring whether the original purchase price paid by the housing authority for this land was too high or if lucrative side deals were made which allowed some Housing Authority officials to make a profit when the land was eventually sold to developers. Investigators have been at work at the Essex County Hall of Records studying the deeds and mortgage records of property located in the R1 21 redevelopment area. At the same time the Justice Department is probing the award of demolition contracts by the Housing Authority. Best a gator's believe that at times multiple contracts have been awarded with contractors paid two or three times for the same or housing authority demolition records dating back to 1971 have been subpoenaed. So have the records of the city Department of Health and Welfare contracts like these
which listed buildings the city ordered demolished the contractor paid to do the work and the amount of money the city paid. The Justice Department has been studying contracts like these. What the city terms emergency demolition contracts they were awarded without public bidding because of the urgent nature of the work involved. But the city privately solicited bids for some of these contracts at least a month before they were actually awarded leading to questions about the city's definition of what constitutes an emergency. Newark City demolition unit has also come under scrutiny. Investigators want to find out if city workers actually demolished buildings that private contractors were paid to destroy and who takes possession of the used brick copper pipe and other potentially valuable scraps found on demolition sites. Besides the current Justice Department probe. The Newark Housing Authority has also attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the past.
HUD has had some questions about some of the housing authority's bookkeeping practices. Reports filed by the authority in the mid 1970s show that federal money was paid out for a number of improvements at the scouter homes housing project roof repairs cost $74000 to Rosseau tile for the lobbies cost ninety two thousand dollars $5000 was spent on water fountains in public areas. But despite these expenditures the roofs of the project never stop leaking. No new tile was ever installed in the lobbies and there is not a drinking fountain to be seen. It would appear that the housing authority paid thousands of dollars for goods and services they never received authority officials claim that this was simply an old in-house bookkeeping procedure which allowed contractors to be paid before a specific improvement projects were completed. Milton buck the current executive director of the Housing Authority contends that this system isn't being used anymore.
Assuming that that procedure was used in the past we do not do that now. No contract will be paid any amount in one form does not finished while Housing Authority officials insist they have ended any questionable bookkeeping practices. Some observers aren't so sure. The latest controversy here this gutter homes involves hardware bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances. The federal government has set aside millions of dollars to help finance improvements here as each particular project is completed. The Housing Authority simply charges the federal government for the costs involved. But now the tenants association claims that the housing authority is artificially inflating those costs and the tenants are afraid that the federal money will run out before all the needed repairs at the scouter homes are completed. Since 1975 the federal government has given the Housing Authority five and a half million dollars in grant money monies specifically earmarked for
improvements at the scouter homes. But the Housing Authority had other priorities. So instead of using the money right away the authority put it in the bank. But while the money collected interest its value was seriously eroded by inflation as with all federal grants the authority was allowed to subtract its own administrative fees from the grant money. Fees that ranged as high as 27 percent depending on the project involved. By the time actual work began there was only enough money left to rehabilitate six of Scudder's eight buildings of the six buildings being repaired. Only five will get new roofs. Oskar Miles is president of the scouter home's tenants association. We won't be able to do as much deferred maintenance and as many apartments as we would have been able to do. The money for the modernization of the kids is in the bathroom. The labor portion will not go as far as it would have went had they started on time because of
inflation. Wages are high and materials a high at the Housing Authority warehouse in North Newark the authority has been storing new bathroom fixtures for apartments at the Scudder project. But while the authority paid four hundred forty seven thousand dollars for these fixtures they now are considering charging the federal government five hundred sixty four thousand dollars. The rationale due to inflation the fixtures are worth more and it cost money to store them at the authority's warehouse. The problem arises in how the costs of storing those materials since 1975 and 76 is going to be paid. Should that come out of the modernization program that purchased the equipment and also pays for the installation or should it come out of the regular Management Budget as we refer to it here that operates the housing projects. Neither one of those budgets have a surplus of dollars. In fact point of fact we are struggling with the management budget right now to balance it for
the present year. So what we're looking at is the least painful way to pay unnecessary cost that has built up over the years. The Newark Housing Authority would like to mark up the prices for all the goods it stores in its warehouse not just the bathroom fixtures tenant leaders at the scattered homes claim these price increases are an example of how federal money earmarked for modernization projects instead of resulting in actual construction is in fact being used to help finance the housing authority. Administration officials of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. When we told them about some of the housing authority's accounting practices at the scouter homes were both surprised and confused and they told us they plan to look into the matter. Not surprisingly the multiple federal investigation is now underway in Newark have had an effect on operations at city hall. We've been told by one senior city official that employee morale is low and that's understandable as he
told us. How would you like it if every time you needed a file or some other record you'd discover the Justice Department had carted it away. It becomes very difficult just doing business. That's the kind of exasperating that many city officials feel the sort of thing they say off the record. They complain that the media and the general public seem to assume that everyone in city government is guilty of some crime when in fact only a relative handful of people have been indicted. And so far no one has been convicted of a crime. Still the federal government has initiated several major probes into the Gibson administration at the very least. Investigators must have serious doubts about the way some city departments are run in Newark. It's ironic that this should all be happening within the administration of a man first elected as a reformer. In 1970 with the election of Kenneth Gibson the citizens of Newark hope to remove the taint of corruption associated with hew Ebony's
yos years in office. But now once again there are federal investigations underway at city hall and people in Newark are concerned with many of them wondering out loud. Has Newark been unfairly singled out for harassment. Or is there a valid reason for the federal government's apparent concern. In Newark. I'm Phelps Hawkins. Again our top stories authorities say they've cracked the case of a bomb factory that was selling explosives to revolutionaries in foreign countries. The factory was located next to the Nutley Police Station. There's a law office say that an undisclosed location after spending 10 days as a hostage in San Salvador the Peace Corps says it may not allow her to go back. And in sports Philadelphia was a winner today in the playoffs final score 27 17 over Chicago tomorrow of course is Christmas Eve and thanks to President Carter that means a day off for all federal workers except the post office train service in the state tomorrow will be on a regular weekday schedule. Most
banks will be open so will local and state government offices. The New York American stock exchanges will be open for business too as of course will virtually all retail stores but most schools in the state are closed and will be all week. And on Tuesday Christmas Day nearly all businesses and offices will be closed. Train service here will operate on special holiday schedules. And that's the Sunday edition of Jersey nightly news for Bill Mullen and everyone on the weekend shift. I'm Jack Kennedy Wishing you and yours the best of this holiday season. Thanks for joining us. Good night. New Jersey Nightly News is a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television and w money team 13.
