Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea released the following statement on the death of Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson):
“I lost a friend today. I met Bill Pascrell in 1986- I was a 27 year old councilman in Jersey City and a mutual friend asked if I wanted to help out on a Mayoral campaign in Paterson- I said “what the hell” and myself and Councilman Tom Fricchione put a group together as a “street team” to help Bill Pascrell.
I remember one night, when putting up pole signs for Bill, we took down hundreds of his opponents. When we brought them back to his HQ’s Bill and John Currie said, “Wow! Guys we don’t take down the other guys signs in Paterson.” We chuckled and said, “Opps, we do in Jersey City”-and brought them back home with us.
After Bill won, he asked me to serve on his transition team for economic development which I enjoyed. We stayed friends and he always bragged about how great the street team from Jersey City.
Many years later, when he was in Congressional primary fight when he and Steve Rothman were put in the same district and he was not given the HCDO line, he called and asked if I would endorse him- I joked, “I can get you only about 30 votes in Kearny, but of course you can.” I got then Freeholder Jeff Dublin to endorse him also. Out of the blue about 6 months ago one evening Bill called me. He was out with our mutual friend and wanted to just catch up and talk a little Jersey City politics.
He was the same person I met 38 years earlier- that’s what I loved about him- success and power never changed him! He will be missed but his legacy will live on through his children and their children. Rest in Peace.”