Eat your hearts out ladies.

[Jeannie]

Hi Girls
You know,I tell you stories about what's going on in beautiful, scenic Waterbury Connecticut and you probably say" Besides being nuts,Jeannie is a BSer!"
Well for you information we made Forbes Magazine! Yeah! Forget you losers living in New York City,Montreal or San Francisco. This place is more exciting than Las Vegas.
Waterbury was just voted by Forbes "The worst city in America to do business" Gee. I could of told them that. Read the following Virginia and if you come up to vist you better have Lojack in your car and be packing more than heels. Enjoy.


Oh, the Brass!
David K. Randall 04.07.08, 12:00 AM ET




Best Places For Business And Careers
Best Smaller Metros
By The Numbers::
Lowest Business Costs
Lowest Cost Of Living
Highest Education Levels
Lowest Crime Rates
Highest Job Growth
Highest Income Growth
Best Places::
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Des Moines, Iowa
Worst Places:
Waterbury, Conn.
Vote:
What city is worth the high cost of living?





To promote itself, a corrupt, has-been city reaches out--to a corrupt ex-governor.

Houston finds oil, Green Bay packs meat and Waterbury is famed for producing corruption. At least four mayors of this little (pop. 108,130) Connecticut city have been indicted for crimes committed while in office, the most recent two episodes involving Philip Giordano, in office from 1996 to 2001 and now serving 37 years for sex crimes (among other counts), and Joseph Santopietro, in office from 1986 to 1991, and sentenced last year to five years' probation for a price-fixing conspiracy. In 1986 dead people were found to have voted in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Chicago and New Jersey have plenty of publicly elected convicts in their pasts, but these are big places. Pound for pound, Waterbury is really in a class of its own for government criminality. Combine that with abandoned factories, a rotten school system and a 20% poverty rate and you get a real package of reasons to stay clear. In this year's survey of Best Places in which to do business, Waterbury gets the booby prize.

Not so long ago this mill town on the Naugatuck River was an industrial powerhouse. Between 1850 and 1950 it grew to preeminence in brass manufacturing, accounting for most of the country's output. It made most of the ammunition casings fired by U.S. servicemen in WWII. Waterbury was also a center of clockmaking.

The profits from this rich manufacturing base financed rows of mansions in the Hillside neighborhood. The downtown sported an elegant train station with a 240-foot-tall campanile, designed by McKim, Mead & White.

What's left? A 29-square-mile junk pile. Timex is the biggest manufacturer still around. The city's largest employers--its two hospitals--are in ailing financial shape.

Turning things around presents a challenge. So in February Mayor Michael Jarjura (who hasn't been accused of anything) looked for the right man to be the public face of the Waterbury Development Corp. His choice: native son John G. Rowland, 50, who rose to prominence as Connecticut's governor from 1995 to 2004. Rowland was newly available, having served a prison term for fraud. His ankle bracelet came off in 2006.

In his new position Rowland will get $95,000 a year for trying to persuade existing employers to expand and others to relocate here. Dressed in a collared shirt and Izod sweater, the jaunty 6-footer takes forbes on a tour and explains that businesses will be drawn by the affordable real estate. But of course. Some 150 vacant structures dot the city, and that excludes commercial buildings downtown that have tenants on their street floor but, above, boarded-up windows.

Is the city's bad reputation going to be a problem? No, says the ex-gov: "People's memories only last about six months." Or else people just don't mind a little honest graft. The owner of a restaurant tells Rowland that his meal is on the house. The owner of a clothing store sees him eyeing a suit and says that he can provide a really good deal on it. "What do you think looks better?" Rowland asks. "Green or brown?"



This is directly from the Forbes article girls. I'll fill in a few details. After getting out of prison former Mayor Joe Santopietro went to work for my shop trash hauler. Diversified Waste Disposal owned by Paul Galante who makes Tony Soprano look like a choir boy.
Last summer our State Representative Mr. DeLuca was arrested for hiring Mr. Galante to pay his son in law a visit and making him a offer he couldn't refuse because he was abusing Mr. DeLuca's daughter.
As for Joe Santropietro. He only got 5 years probation for racketeering because he said he has to take care of his wife Julie who is a lawyer and a few years ago on the courthouse steps with her client,a divorcee whose State Tropper husband killed her and shot Julie in the face. Could I make up these things girls?
I do printing for Ciarlo's Car Emporium. A big lube center and carwash. Pete Ciarlo's daughter is now running the business. Pete got an all expense paid vacation last june in the federal prison in Danbury for 8 years. He sold cocaine 9 times to an undercover cop in his carwash.
Mayor Giordano was way beyond municipal corruption. You won't believe this.
He is a lawyer and years ago represented a prostitute and they kept up a relationship so to speak. Mr. Giordano is married and has three small boys. He was being investigated for corruption when the feds had information that made them move in before the corruption investigation was complete.
Mr. Giordano was engaging in sex with children. His prostitute friend was bringing her 8 year old daughter and ten year old niece to the mayor for sex. Is that the most disgusting thing you have ever heard? He should be shot.
The worst thing about this city is it's tough to get out. Although the property mill rate is outrageous the property has very low value. I own the six family next door which is in great shape,my home which is a three family with two six room apartments and the shop with addition,loading platform and 5000 square feet. They just did another revaluation and my taxable amout is $300,000 for both but at 56 mills my taxes are $16,800.
We all are paying for municipal corruption for the last 50 years.
It's not only Waterbury. Bridgeport CT gives us a run for our money. Mayor Gannon got 9 years for corruption and he's not even Italian! Hugs.

Love
Jeannie

[Virginia]

Run Jeannie Run!! either from Waterbury or for Mayor! I know some dead people I could get to vote for you!!!

Keep your head down, dear!

Love ya,

Virginia

aka "the Sicilian squirrel"

[Absaroka]

Things I know about Waterbury:

Holy land has fallen into disrepair. Jeanie you know of what I speak, for the rest of you, this is a hill overlooking the interstate where someone erected three very large and visible crosses some years ago. For a long time it was considered quaintly charming in an Italian sort of way.

The Rat Pack MC was considered bad news. But I haven't heard of them in years. Are they still around?

Waterbury (the brass city) has suffered the fate of most Southern New England milltowns. So has Bridgeport. (park city) So have New Haven (elm city, but all the elm trees are dead from the blight) and Hartford which were both among the 10 poorest cities in the country. In spite of all the insurance business in Hartford and Yale in New Haven. Stamford has managed to do okay due to it's proximity to The City and also due to an urban renewal program that forced most of the poor people to go live in Bridgeport.

The corruption was mostly controlled from Providence, R.I. Don't know if that's still true.

The sad thing is there really are a lot of very nice things about all these cities.

Absaroka

[Jeannie]

Hi Virginia
That's a great idea! If I were Mayor you and Silver Lady could be my right hand women. I'd pay you $200,000 a year each. Of course my printing company would win all the city contracts and Carol Ann would run the shop with a $300,000 dollar salary. We'd clean up!
Of course I'd hire CJ as my personal advisor to help me out when I misspoke or missremembered. She could talk the birds out of the trees Virginia.
One more Waterbury moment. The Brass Mill Mall is directly across the river from me. They put a parking lot about 50 yards up the street from me that no one parks in because they have to walk across a foot bridge to shop in the mall. Most Waterbury families are too freakin' fat to fit on the bridge.
Better yet Virginia,the mall leases out the parking lot each year to The Coleman Brothers Circus for three weeks. They just set up on monday.
Wonderful! They say carnival people are weird. I beg to differ.
This carnival attracts every creatin who lives in Waterbury from a five mile radius. They make the carni ride operator and his wife who has one arm and no teeth look like Ward and June Cleaver. I'll be cleaning up fried dough,soiled diapers,beer bottles,crack viles and fixing broken rungs on the front porch of my building next door for a few weeks.
The one good thing is Mini likes to come over Silver Lady. She gets to meet some of her old favorite 5th grade girls. At 14 they have a stroller with their triplets. Hesus,Armondo and Roberto. Gee Virginia. They all have different last names. Go figure.
I have to run. There's a car out front ringing what we call the Waterbury doorbell. They stand on the horn until the person they want comes out.
By the way Virginia,our new mayor has not been indited..... yet! Hugs.

Love
Jeannie

[Jeannie]

Hi Hon
It's funny you should bring the cross up. Pine Hill as they call it is right across the mad river from my deck. There is a big lighted sign Holyland USA! The state just took down the cross two weeks ago and is spending $250,000 bucks to put up a new one. I'll get some pictures when its up if I survive the trip. You have to drive through the most dangerous section of Waterbury to get there.
As for the motorcycle club The Rack Pack it's still in existence but is mostly made up of Waterbury cops. They own a bar called Riders Cafe and it's not tranny friendly to say the least. My wife Mini has a girlfriend,Clorinda who has been dating a cop and part owner of the bar for ten years. He's on the swat team and she said to me"Don't tell him about you Jeannie. He would kill you!" By the way,he's married and has three kids. The cops here make the politicians pale in comparison.
This is great.The man who started The Rat Pack,Johnny Craffa was my neighbor next door when I was growing up! He would take a pellet gun and shoot the birds in our apple tree. He could be out on parole again but I'm not sure.
I'm telling you ladies. This city is a trip. You don't need acid if you live here. Hugs

Love
Jeannie

PS Providence Rhode Island is Mafia central Hon. You can't find a person in government whose last name doesn't end in a vowel. If you think the Sopranos is fiction. Think again.

[Carol Ann]

Jeannie my sweetheart,

It's time to give up the rat race of printing and working. Go sell everything and move to the quite life here in SE Mo.

Heck I even will help you find a place that you could start another business as where we live there are no printing company to do the small business stuff.

But now that would defeat your retirement, come on down and live the lay back hillbilly life and I got some good drinking stuff. Oh we could have a good time and you don't need an IED on your mailbox

[Jeannie]

Hi Carol Ann
It will have to wait for another 5 years. I just signed a 5 year trash hauling contract with DWD and Mr. Galante. There's only one way to get out of that contract. You find out where Jimmy Hoffa is buried the hard way.
I must take a moment to thank Forbes Magazine for putting in a good word for our city. It will do wonders for our booming economy.
Ex Governor Roland went ballistic when the article came out. He thought he was being cool and it would of been a flattering article. I guess he didn't put enough in the envelope he slipped the reporter before the interview but at least he got a free lunch and new suit for 25 bucks.
Enjoy your week ladies. Hugs.

Love
Jeannie

[DonnaT]

Those three crosses were erected by Rev. Bernard Coffindaffer and/or his followers. The original three were set up in WV near the Flatwoods exit of I-79.

Coffindaffer spent more than $3 million erecting the cross clusters, with each group of crosses averaging $843 per cluster. A cross cluster consists of a gold (yellow) cross flanked by two blue ones.

He had erected 1,860 Cross clusters in 29 states, Zambia and the Philippines.

Unable to be seen from the interstate are three nails in each cross. One at each of the cross arms, and one halfway down the cross represent where the hands and feet were nailed.

He lived to the ripe old age of 68, and died in 1993 at his home in Craigsville, WV.

[CJ]

Of course I'd hire CJ as my personal advisor to help me out when I misspoke or missremembered. She could talk the birds out of the trees Virginia.

Hey, Boss!

You may not have misspoken but you miswrote. So my job starts illico. The prefix "mis," signifying "erroneously," is three letters long so the two words you used it in must be parsed as follows:

- mis/spoke (thus, "misspoke" is the correct spelling)

- mis/remembered (thus, "missremembered" is incorrect)

And don't you dare go anywhere near the classic Bushism that is "misunderestimate." In the future Ms. Jeannie, please do not submit anything for public consumption without my prior approval. If you wish not to pass as a nietkultur, that is. Municipal election campaigns are ruthless and often sordid affairs, dear. You never know what the opposition has up its sleeve; wear a fresh pair of panties daily.

Christina Joseph,
Personal Advisor

[Anita]

As for the motorcycle club The Rack Pack it's still in existence but is mostly made up of Waterbury cops. They own a bar called Riders Cafe and it's not tranny friendly to say the least.

That makes the whole thread come alive, right there! All this corruption and carryin' on, and they can't handle a few trannies coming in and having a cosmo or two. Tsk, tsk...what's the world coming to? But I'll take your word for it, Jeannie. Some things are better left unexplored.

I certainly have learned a lot more about Connecticut in general, and Waterbury in particular.

[Absaroka]

The popular perception of Connecticut is founded on what is really mostly Southern Fairfield country, and not even all of that. People think Connecticut is all Greenwich, Darien, Westport, and the like. Or else they think of parts of Litchfield and the scenic Berkshires. All places where wealthy people from the city are discretely in evidence. I guess it's like watching Thy O.C. and thinking that all of California is like the tv show. But much of it is actually divided between aging New England milltowns, sea ports that no longer get many ships, and defunct farming areas where the only thing that really grew well is rocks. Waterbury is just an extreme case of much of the Naugatuck valley area.

Still my favorite place to live however.

Absaroka

[Absaroka]

Well Jeannie I actually passed through Waterbury on my way to somewhere else yesterday. There was a brief storm where it rained tiny plastic baggies from the skies to the sound of distant gunfire. However on examination the little plastic crack baggies proved to be substandard of the kind only used by poor people. Then the sound of gunfire was drowned out by the wavelike roar of the RPMC. Fortunately I was able to bribe a police dept and they made the RPMC drive down the street in stead of on the I84 cloverleaf which is always so confusing. This was good because they managed to run over some young kids who were robbing a print shop.

Actually I was just driving along I84. I was struck, as I always am, by how beautiful a lot of old New England mill towns are even if it's just faded glory and memories of pre WW2 prosperity.

Absaroka

[Jeannie]

Hi Hon
I hope my spelling errors won't go into my permanent record CJ. It's overflowing as it is.
I have another fun fact for you Absoroka about our fair city. Waterbury City Hall was designed by famous Architect Case Gilbert . In the Waterbury tradition they did no upkeep or repairs in the last 60 years. It's literally falling apart. It was condemed by the Fire Marshall and building inspector two years ago. Estimated cost to bring it up to code is $45 million dollars and was voted down in a referendum. The Board of Alderman loved it. They leased offices all over the city for millions a year to all their friends who own most of the downtown real estate.
The following is a story from CT Senator Joe Lieberman about Waterbury politics:

"The City is known for its hard nosed political culture compared locally to Cook County, Illinois, close elections, and a number of scandals. This reputation is so solidified that U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman once joked that upon his death, he hoped to be buried in Waterbury so he could remain politically active."

My Mom Jennie has voted in the last three Mayoral races and shes been dead for 13 years. You gotta love this city Absoroka.
One sad note. The recession has finally affected the Gold Coast. They had a story on NPR that in Greenwich a two bedroom fixer upper dropped in value to just 1.2 million dollars. The Mayor is thinking of opening up the resident only beaches and remove other restrictions to raise revenue. Tonight the Board of Alderman has scheduled an emergency meeting to vote on the Mayors proposal. It seems Senator Obama and his family plan to attend a fund raiser on the beach next week. The residents are supporting the Mayor. They said it's a once in a lifetime chance to see a black family in person.
Taking a tour of Greenwich CJ is much like wandering around the back hills of Kentucky except everyone has teeth. Hugs ladies. I have to go back to work tonight.

Love
Auntie Jeannie

[CJ]

[Connie]

with CJ,