{{short description|American politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2009}} {{Use American English|date=October 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2017}} '''Louis Manzo''' (born February 28, 1955, in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2008, where he represented the 31st legislative district, and who ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey.
==Biography== Manzo received a B.A. from Jersey City State College in health education. He began his career as a sanitarian with the Jersey City Health Division in 1977.
==Political career== Manzo unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Jersey City five times in the following elections.
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Year ! Opponent |- | 1992 | Bret Schundler (R) |- | 1993 | Bret Schundler (R) |- | 2001 | Glenn D. Cunningham (D) |- | 2004 | Jerramiah T. Healy (D) |- | 2009 | Jerramiah T. Healy (D) |- |}
In June 2007, he overwhelmingly{{Clarify|reason=vague|date=October 2017}} lost a bid in the Democratic primary for a seat in the State Senate to Sandra Bolden Cunningham.
===2009 race for Mayor of Jersey City=== {{main article|Jersey City mayoral election, 2009}}
In December 2008, Manzo announced that he would wage an uphill campaign for mayor of Jersey City against incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy. Though finishing in second place in a field of five candidates, Manzo was unable to force a runoff against Healy. Manzo won 26% of the vote, compared to 53% for Healy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Election '09: Healy Wins, Two Council Seats Head to Runoff |work=Jersey City Independent |date=May 13, 2009 |access-date=May 19, 2009|url=http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2009/05/13/election-09-healy-wins-two-council-seats-head-to-runoff/ }}</ref>
===Arrest on corruption charges=== {{main article|Operation Bid Rig}}
Manzo was one of 44 people arrested on July 23, 2009, as part of Operation Bid Rig, a joint operation of the FBI, IRS, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey into corruption and money laundering.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/press/files/pdffiles/Manzoscomplaint.pdf Manzo & Manzo criminal complaint]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, United States Department of Justice, July 23, 2009 </ref> Manzo was charged with taking $27,500 in corrupt cash payments for use in his failed Jersey City mayoral campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2009/nk100609a.htm|title=Jersey City Mayoral Candidate Louis Manzo and Brother Indicted for Allegedly Accepting $27,500 in Corrupt Payments|author=|date=|website=FBI.gov|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=N.J. corruption probe: Full list of politicians, religious leaders charged|url=https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/nj_corruption_probe_full_list.html |work=The Star-Ledger |date=July 23, 2009 |access-date=July 24, 2009}}</ref> Manzo was charged with two counts of extortion under the federal Hobbs Act, but in May 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Jose L. Linares dismissed the charges, ruling that the act only applies to elected officials. Manzo then faced two counts of violating the Travel Act, charging him with crossing state lines to commit a crime, and two counts of failing to report to authorities that others were collecting bribes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former Jersey City pol says corruption charges against him part of effort to elect Christie governor |url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/01/former_jersey_city_pol_says_co.html |work=The Jersey Journal |first=Michaelangelo |last=Conte |date=January 26, 2012 |access-date=February 4, 2012}}</ref> On February 17, 2012, all remaining charges against Manzo were dismissed by Linares.<ref>{{cite news |title=Federal judge dismisses all charges against former Jersey City Assemblyman |url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/02/federal_judge_dismisses_all_ch.html |work=The Jersey Journal |date=February 17, 2012 |access-date=March 21, 2012}}</ref>
Manzo filed suit to have his legal costs reimbursed by the government, but a court denied his claim.<ref name=Sherman>{{cite news|last1=Sherman|first1=Ted|title=Lou Manzo, whose N.J. corruption case was thrown out, loses appeal for legal fees|url=https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/manzo_whose_corruption_case_wa.html|access-date=January 19, 2016|publisher=Star-Ledger|date=March 26, 2013}}</ref>
==Author== The book ''Ruthless Ambition: The Rise and Fall of Chris Christie'' authored by Manzo was released in April 2014.<ref>{{cite news | last = McMahon | first = Josh | title = Anger at Chris Christie clouds author's quest for vindication: Book review | newspaper = The Star-Ledger | date = April 12, 2014 | url = https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/04/anger_at_chris_christie_clouds_authors_quest_for_vindication_book_review.html | access-date = April 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Dreyfuss | first = Bob and Barbara | title = A New Book Says Chris Christie Misused His Power as US Attorney | publisher = The Nation | date = April 30, 2014 | url = http://m.thenation.com/blog/179595-new-book-says-chris-christie-misused-his-power-us-attorney | access-date = April 30, 2014 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20140501073249/http://m.thenation.com/blog/179595-new-book-says-chris-christie-misused-his-power-us-attorney | archivedate = May 1, 2014 | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/04/five_years_after_bid_rig_arrest_former_jersey_city_assemblyman_slams_christie_in_new_book.html|title=Former Jersey City assemblyman slams Christie, 2009 'Bid Rig' sting in new book|author=|date=April 2014|website=NJ.com|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/04/letter_i_need_to_set_record_straight_about_christie_spokesmans_criticism_of_book.html|title=Letter: I need to set record straight about Christie spokesman's criticism of book|author=|date=April 2014|website=NJ.com|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20051030123909/http://www.njvoterinfo.org/cb/manzo.html New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003] * [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/ManzoL2004.pdf New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2004 (PDF)] * [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/ManzoL2005.pdf New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2005 (PDF)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manzo, Louis}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:New Jersey Democrats Category:New Jersey City University alumni Category:Politicians from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Rutgers University alumni Category:Operation Bid Rig Category:21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature