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Student's shooting threat while playing video game gets him suspended, school says

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Police are investigating a shooting threat at South Brunswick High School.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- Police are investigating a shooting threat made by a student from South Brunswick High School Wednesday night.

At around 9:30 p.m., South Brunswick police received an anonymous tip that one of the high school's students threatened to shoot up the school while playing a violent online video game at home, according to an email from the school's principal, Peter Varela, which was sent to students and parents.

However, officials on Thursday said after an investigation, detectives "determined there was no credible threat," according to a statement from the South Brunswick Police Department.

In Varela's email -- which was obtained by NJ Advance Media -- he said the student was nonetheless being removed from school for breaking its code of conduct.

Further action may be taken, he added.

Police have been working with school officials throughout the day on Thursday, officials said.

In the statement, township police Chief Raymond Hayducka said, "The safety of our children and schools is our top priority. We will continue to work with our educators to ensure a safe school environment."

In an email to NJ Advance Media on Thursday, Varela said the school remains "committed to vigilance and will continue to work with the South Brunswick Police Department."

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Rutgers fashion police boot students from job fair for wrong color suit

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Students who violated the new dress code were denied entrance to a career fair on campus, according to the student newspaper.

PISCATAWAY -- Rutgers University has issued a formal apology after banning students from a job fair for wearing blue suits, colored shirts, brown shoes or other attire that violated a strict new dress code for the event. 

The controversy started Feb. 10 when several students who arrived at a career fair for the Rutgers Business School were turned away, according to The Daily Targum, the university's student newspaper. Students were told they could return if they changed clothes, but some owned only one suit or lived too far away to drive home and make it back in time, the Targum's report said. 

Rutgers told NJ Advance Media it could not confirm how many students were turned away. 

Sophomore Kevin Chen told the Targum he was turned away after wearing a navy suit he had worn to previous interviews. Students were required to wear black or dark gray suits, according to the dress code. 

"I am not angry about being turned away ... but to be turned away due to my fashion sense is absurd," Chen told the paper. "I didn't go to show off my style, I went to show my skills."

Some students questioned why dark blue suits were not allowed and one administrator said the issue was really over what shade of blue was appropriate.

"While a very nice theoretical discussion, I used to teach science and specifically designating a particular color with chromaticity coordinates using a spectropolarimeter is not possible at a Business School Career Fair," Martin Markowitz, the Business School's senior associate dean, told the Targum. "To avoid any confusion, we do not permit blue suits."

Students banned from the event launched an online petition asking for an apology from the university and changes to the dress code. 

"We take great pride in our students, both academically and professionally," Business School Dean Lei Lei said in a written apology. "We regret that the actions at last week's career fair adversely affected some of our students and cast a shadow over the success we have achieved in helping our students secure more meaningful internships and jobs," 

Rutgers will help students contact recruiters they were banned from meeting and work one revising the dress code, Lei said. 

"Our career management process is not perfect, and we look forward to working with our recruiters and students to further improve our practices, including the dress code guidelines," she said. 

The university implemented the dress code after feedback from employers, according to the report. In previous years, Rutgers students failed to present themselves well at the event, the university told the student newspaper. 

A flier with the dress code provided specific detail on what student should and should not wear. 

Men

  • Dark gray or black professional business suit; pants and jacket must match
  • White dress shirt
  • Conservative, professional tie with a solid or simple pattern. No bright colors or graphics
  • Dark socks that match shoes or pants; no patterned or white socks
  • Clean, polished dark dress shoes; no sneakers or boots
  • No facial jewelry; minimal accessories (dark belt, watch, ring)
  • Hair well groomed
  • Clean shaven or well-groomed facial hair
  • Clean, trimmed nails
  • Minimal fragrance, if any

Women

  • Dark gray or black professional business suit; long leeved jacket with lapels and matching knee length skirt OR full length dress pants
  • Solid light colored blouse or shirt; avoid plunging necklines
  • Clean, polished close toed dark pumps (low heel), no stilettos or ballet flats
  • Neutral colored plain hosiery if wearing a skirt suit; pattern
  • Minimal jewelry; watch, ring, small earrings
  • Minimal makeup, if any
  • Hair well groomed
  • Nude or light colored nail polish, if any. Clean, trimmed nails
  • Minimal fragrance, if any
  • Small purse, if any

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClarkFind NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Memo to N.J. lawmakers: Stand up to Christie and Trump | Editorial

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The attempt to fill in the funding gaps ripped wider by Trump's order against sanctuary cities might be dubious. Do it anyway. Watch video

The Senate postponed a vote Monday on a bill that would require our government to financially protect New Jersey's sanctuary cities if they face federal penalties from President Trump's executive order against undocumented immigrants.

Yes, the bill (S-3007) is quixotic. Nobody knows what form the federal policy will take, how much pain it will cause, and Gov. Christie already said it's DOA the moment it reaches his desk because it's "outrageous" and "political pandering."

Actually, it is neither. It's not outrageous to protect urban dwellers because our federal government has an indefinite sense of right and wrong; it's not pandering when you're defending the rights of people who cannot vote.

But as long as we have a Legislature who cares about our cities, it should uphold our legacy of inclusion and respect for civil rights, while withstanding attempts to divide the citizenry.

Top cops to Trump: Sanctuary cities make us safer | Moran

So we hope Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) continues to pitch the bill, because it's never pointless to mark who stood on the warped side of history. Christie would turn his back on Newark if HUD money stopped coming in for lead remediation. Christie would let Camden reap the damage if grants to address crime and health were stripped.

"You have to enforce the law that's there," the governor shrugged.

Many state Attorneys General and the ACLU say he's wrong, that Trump has no such constitutional authority to cut off such funds. And police officials in Newark and Jersey City remind us that sanctuary cities make us safer, period.

They have chosen to stand up to a nativist demagogue. Our Legislature should follow suit.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Take this week's NJ.com Local News Quiz

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Your quest to finally get a perfect score continues this week.

Ain't gonna lie: This is a pretty good weekly local news quiz, my favorite in awhile. There's a dog in it, which is cool. There are happy CYO basketball players, also cool. And no politics, unless you count the photo behind question 1, which you shouldn't because ... well, you get the idea. So let's see what you've got.

Take the seven questions below, and then brag on your score in comments. If you have a lousy week, no worries: There's a fresh local news quiz every Thursday evening on NJ.com.

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow John on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Kitten needs a loving home

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OLD BRIDGE -- Ella is an 8-month-old kitten in the care of SARA-Middlesex. Rescued from a high-kill shelter, she has been described by volunteers as "super-sweet and loving," Ella is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots. To find out more about Ella, call 732-236-9305 or email mjeroland@gmail.com. SARA-South is a branch of the Summit Area Rescue Association, providing foster...

mx0219pet.jpgElla 

OLD BRIDGE -- Ella is an 8-month-old kitten in the care of SARA-Middlesex.

Rescued from a high-kill shelter, she has been described by volunteers as "super-sweet and loving,"

Ella is FIV/FeLV negative, spayed and up-to-date on shots.

To find out more about Ella, call 732-236-9305 or email mjeroland@gmail.com. SARA-South is a branch of the Summit Area Rescue Association, providing foster care for more than 200 cats and kittens in the Middlesex and Union county areas. For more information, go to sararescue.com.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email middlesex@starledger.com.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Gallery preview 

7 cool things to see at this year's N.J. boat show

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The 2017 New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo

Must-see wrestling: 21 district matches worth the price of admission

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They are state-ranked showdowns, rematches or the kind of bouts with plenty of juice.

1 killed in East Brunswick house fire

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The two-alarm blaze started sometime before 5 a.m. on Nelson Circle in East Brunswick.

UPDATE: Police ID woman killed in early morning fire in East Brunswick

EAST BRUNSWICK -- One person was killed in a fire early Friday that ripped through a township house, authorities said. 

IMG_0744.jpegThe scene of a fatal fire in East Brunswick Friday morning.  

The two-alarm blaze started before 5 a.m. on Nelson Circle in East Brunswick. 

A neighbor, Peter Dormi, said a woman in her 60s lived in the single-story house with her son. The son wasn't home when the fire started, Dormi said. 

"It's sad," he said. "She just started to get over her husband passing." 

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is handling the investigation. The Middlesex County Fire Marshall and Arson Investigation Unit were still at the house hours later. 

Dormi said his daughter woke him and his family up, yelling about the flames shooting out of the side of their neighbor's house, just feet from their home. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook


Glimpse of History: Stuck in the snow in New Brunswick

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NEW BRUNSWICK -- This photo of a horse and wagon stuck in the snow was taken in New Brunswick the late 19th century. The sign in the background reads "Johnson's Belladonna Plasters, Johnson and Johnson, New Brunswick. If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an...

NEW BRUNSWICK -- This photo of a horse and wagon stuck in the snow was taken in New Brunswick the late 19th century.

The sign in the background reads "Johnson's Belladonna Plasters, Johnson and Johnson, New Brunswick.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to middlesex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Gallery preview 

Bouncers attacked strip club patron, fractured his skull, cops say

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A man suffered a fractured skull after two bouncers at the Players Club Go-Go bar attacked him, cops said.

SOUTH HACKENSACK -- Two strip club bouncers were arrested Thursday after they attacked a patron and sent him to the hospital with a fractured skull, police said.

Screen Shot 2017-02-17 at 11.31.41 AM.pngAndrew Allegro (L.) and Paul Mogilevsky (R.) 

Andrew Allegro, 39, of Old Bridge, and Paul Mogilevsky, 42, of Woodbridge, were charged with third-degree aggravated assault after they attacked the man last week at the Players Club Go-Go Bar, South Hackensack Police Captain Robert Kaiser said in a press release. 

The patron suffered a fractured skull which required surgery and 14 stitches to his forehead, Kaiser said. Police said surveillance footage showed the man was non-confrontational before he was attacked at the Huyler Street strip club on Feb. 9.

"This bar has been a problem location for us," Kaiser said. 

In July, three people were arrested in connection with the shooting and attempted murder of a bouncer at the strip club, police said.

Allegro was released pending a future court date. Mogilevsky, who was found with Xanax, oxycodone, and amphetamines was remanded to the Bergen County Jail, police said. 

Kaiser said the club patron has since been released from the hospital.

Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Judge postpones release of video in fatal police shooting

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The 'stay' is pending the outcome of a similar OPRA request involving a police shooting that is before the New Jersey Supreme Court.

NEW BRUNSWICK  - A Middlesex County judge has ordered a stay in the release of use-of-force reports, police dash camera or body camera footage and names of the police officers involved in the 2016 shooting death of Diahlo Grant.

Judge Travis L. Francis ruled earlier this month that the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office must honor an Open Public Records Act request for the information but issued a stay on Feb. 14, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday.

The stay is pending a decision on the issue before the New Jersey Supreme Court - North Jersey Jersey Media Group vs. the Township of Lyndhurst - a case that also involves a police shooting. Oral arguments were heard in the case in November.

On July 6, 2016, Richard Rivera, a police practices expert and civil rights advocate who is chair of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, submitted anOpen Public Records Act request to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

The request was denied on July 15 and instead Rivera received the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office's press release issued after the shooting.

Oral arguments were made on Rivera's appeal of his OPRA request on Jan. 9.

Prosecutor clears officer in fatal shooting

NJ Advance Media recently made an Open Public Records Act request for the information and its request was denied. In a letter to NJ Advance Media, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office stated that one of the reasons for not releasing the names of the officers involved is concern for their safety. The stay was also listed as a reason for the denial.

Rivera, a former police officer in West New York, Hudson County, is seeking records related to the Franklin Township police shooting death of Diahlo Grant on April 9, 2016 in New Brunswick.

In denying his request on July 15, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, citing OPRA exemptions for "criminal investigatory records" and "ongoing investigation."

Rivera instead received an April 9, 2016 Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office news release about the police shooting that did not reveal the officers' names, saying they were exempt for similar reasons.

Rivera has said that in the Grant shooting there is no need for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office to withhold the names of the police officers involved.

"They're public servants and serve us well," he said. "But we should be able to know which ones are using force, especially deadly force."

In his previous ruling, Francis said that the use-of-force reports and dash cam reports are not the type of records that legislators intended to hide from the public.

"Thus, the court finds that the requested records were improperly withheld."

Grant, 27, was killed on April 9, 2016, when he encountered two uniformed Franklin Township police officers at Somerset and Home streets in Franklin Township in Somerset County and, after a brief chase into nearby New Brunswick in Middlesex County, exchanged gunfire at 1:30 a.m., according to the Middlesex County prosecutor's report.

Grant fired one shot at the officers and died after one of the officers fired six shots at him, striking him multiple times, it was stated in the report.

A black revolver with a brown grip was recovered next to Grant's body and the weapon was subsequently identified as the same one involved in the shooting of a man on Feb. 15, 2016, the report said.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Boys basketball: 11 bold predictions for the weekend of Feb. 17-19

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Bold picks for the weekend in New Jersey hoops.

Killer gets 25 years for stabbing man he met on dating website

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Robert McGranahan stabbed Edward Demko Jr. 22 times after a sexual encounter in a Sayreville townhouse.

NEW BRUNSWICK --  An Old Bridge man who stabbed a 65-year-old almost two dozens times, killing the Sayreville man he met on a dating website was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison. 

Robert McGranahan, who was indicted on a murder charge, was found guilty by a jury of the lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter last year in the death of Edward Demko Jr. 

McGranahan was 26-years-old when he connected with Demko on a dating website in March of 2013. The two met up at Demko's Sayreville townhouse, where a sexual encounter turned deadly.  Demko was found with 22 stab wounds, including two fatal wounds in his back and chest. McGranahan's lawyer, Michael Policastro, had argued his client acted in self-defense -- had a wound above his eye and scratches on his back. 

Facing 30 years in prison, McGranahan appeared in Middlesex County Superior Court in a green jumpsuit in front of Judge Dennis Nieves and pleaded for the minimum sentence of 10 years. 

"I understand how it looks, but please you have to look at the facts in the case," McGranahan said as he spoke to the judge for more than 20 minutes before his sentencing. "I am sincerely sorry."

"You killed somebody, somebody that you had just made love to less than an hour ago," Nieves responded, referring to McGranahan's claim of self-defense. "All you had to do was punch him in the face and run."

Demko's family read letters to Nieves, each trying to hold back tears, describing their brother, sister and uncle as a "lovely person" who was "always respectful."

"We will never understand why he did this," Joseph Demko, the victim's brother, said. "He's left a hole in our family. Eddie's chair will always be empty at holidays."

McGranahan's mom, Linda, pleaded with the judge after Demko's family asked for the maximum sentence. McGranahan sat in the jury box, with his head in his hands, crying, while his mother told stories about him growing up. 

Nieves sentenced McGranahan to 25 years for the aggravated manslaughter charge and four years for the weapons charge, which will run concurrently. 

Before Nieves could finish reading McGranahan's rights following sentencing, the cuffed man interrupted from the jury box to say, "I appeal." McGranahan continued to ask the judge about the process of appeal until his attorney interjected that he would talk to his client. 

"I wanted 30 (years), but I'll take 25," Joseph Demko said after the sentencing. "You've got to accept the judge's decision."

"We'll just never know what happened that night," he said walking out of the courthouse. "The only two people who knew were him and my brother, and my brother can't tell us."

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Only 1 condo owner to continue pursuing fraud case against Kushner Cos.

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Two owners settled late in the day Thursday with the New York-based redevelopment company

NEW BRUNSWICK --  Only one condo owner in the unfinished Landings at Harborside community in Perth Amboy will continue on in the fraud lawsuit against the Kushner Companies over the proposed $600 million waterfront development. 

Two owners settled late in the day Thursday with the New York-based redevelopment company run by father-son duo Charles and Jared Kushner. When the suit was filed in Middlesex County Superior Court in 2012, there were 33 plaintiffs involved in the suit and a number of developers. 

Since lawyers from both sides arrived in New Brunswick last month before Superior Court Judge Vincent LeBlon, dozens of settlements have been reached between the owners and defendants. Three of the owners in the Bayview building are in mediation. 

Neil Hunter, whose testimony sparked a chain of events last week that resulted in a mistrial, and his wife are the only remaining plaintiffs in the case that is slated to start back up Tuesday after the holiday weekend. 

The trial was originally expected to take at least six weeks. 

The Kushner Companies own several developments in the state including the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown and a high-rise residential building in Journal Square in Jersey City.

On Tuesday, lawyers decided that Charles Kushner would testify on Feb. 27 after LeBlon ruled that developer's prior criminal convictions were irrelevant and could not be brought up during the trial. 

Kushner handed over control of his company to his son, Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, while serving two years in prison in 2005 for 18 criminal convictions, including tax evasion, witness tampering and illegal campaign donations.

The elder Kushner spearheaded the 2004 project in Perth Amboy that included a plan for 2,000 condos and townhomes across 17 buildings, as well as 200,000-square feet of retail space, acres of parks, a marina, a hotel, a community center and a gym. 

Only two buildings and a gym have been completed 13 years later. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Police ID woman killed in early morning fire in East Brunswick

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The fire caused extensive damage to the one-story, single-family house on Nelson Circle in East Brunswick.

EAST BRUNSWICK -- Authorities have identified the 60-year-old woman killed in a fire that ripped through a township home Friday morning.

Tracy Baran died from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning during the blaze that started just after 4:30 a.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a release, citing the county's medical examiner's autopsy.

The fire caused extensive damage to the one-story, single-family house on Nelson Circle in East Brunswick.

A neighbor, Peter Dormi, said Baran lived in the house with her son, who wasn't home when the fire started. 

"It's sad," he said. "She just started to get over her husband's passing." 

The cause of fire is still unknown, Carey said. The prosecutor's office and East Brunswick police will continue to investigate. Anyone with information can call (732) 390-6990. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook


Funny business: How stand-ups use N.J. clubs as a springboard to stardom

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On any given night at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick, you might encounter a future household name.

Stop us if you've heard this one before: A waiter, a trucker and an actress walk into a bar...

It's dark and stuffy in the basement of the Stress Factory, where this trio is among nearly 25 comics who will try their hand at coercing a few laughs out of a small crowd gathered for open-mic night. Among the mix tonight are folks young and old, male and female, of various races and backgrounds. Whether any of them will become household names in the months and years to come remains an unanswered question. 

Open-mic night at the Stress FactoryA comic performs at open-mic night at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick in July 2016. (Marisa Iati | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

For many New Jerseyans who pay to see a show at the popular New Brunswick venue, comedy is a diversion, a chance to escape the grind of another work week. 

For hundreds of comedians who work the open-mic circuit in hopes of earning coveted paid performance slots, though, it's an important part of a very unusual work week.

Comedic hopefuls from the region hone their acts at open-mic nights, mostly in New York City, before advertising themselves for jobs at established clubs. Performing as a billed act at New Jersey's comedy hot spots, like the Stress Factory or Bananas Comedy Club in Hasbrouck Heights, stands as a prize to be won through persistence and raw talent. 

It's a demanding system that turns the luckiest and most skilled up-and-comers into national acts, like famous Jersey natives Bill Maher, Jay Mohr and Richard Lewis

Pittsburgh-raised comic Von Decarlo is one such hopeful. She dabbled in stand-up for years, before recently re-committing herself to the craft. She now spends many nights on stages across North Jersey and New York City as she works her way up the comedic ladder.

As a multiracial female comic, Decarlo brings all aspects of her identity to this very personal and raw art form. At the Stress Factory's open-mic night last summer, she was testing material about race, dating younger men and raising a rebellious teenage daughter.

Weeks later, she's on a different stage. A packed room claps enthusiastically as Decarlo takes the microphone at Bananas Comedy Club to warm up the crowd for well-known New York comic Goumba Johnny.

"I can tell by the applause that y'all don't watch BET," she riffs to the New Jersey crowd. "To be honest, people don't identify me as a Black woman when they see me. Because I'm half Black, half white -- which is just a fancy way of saying that I'm Black. Except, of course, here in New Jersey, New York area, where somehow being half Black and half white makes me Puerto Rican?"

And she's off.

Three minutes to glory

"Making it" in stand-up requires going on stage night after night to practice the same material until the delivery is smooth and every joke lands. It also involves climbing, rung by rung, a well-established ladder.

Comics usually start out at open-mic nights, where audiences are mostly other green performers and more experienced comedians looking to test new material.

The Stress Factory's open mics are "bringer" shows, which require comedians to bring paying guests with them in order to even get on the stage. Performers are called from a list of names at the bar, and each person gets three minutes. 

When comics have nailed down at least 20 solid minutes of material, they might get to be a "host," or the first act for a show. The next step up is being a "feature" act, which means a little more time on stage preparing the crowd for the "headliner," the evening's main event.

How much money comics net per show depends on how big of a draw they are. Hosts can make as little as $25 per set, while headliners can net several thousand dollars for a performance. 

Comics find their way to paid performance slots in different ways, said Arlene Jamison, co-owner of Bananas Comedy Club. Some send videos of prior performances, while others are recommended by a fellow comedian or pitched by an agent. 

Their paths are different, but Jamison said one thing binds them: They have to be funny. It's a competitive industry, and mediocrity doesn't lead to much success. 

How stand-ups use N.J. clubs as a springboard to stardomPittsburgh-raised comic Von Decarlo is among hundreds of people using New Jersey's comedy clubs to try to climb the stand-up ladder. (Courtesy photo)

Climbing the stand-up ladder is serious business for Decarlo, who said she approaches the craft with an athlete's mentality.

"Stand-up comedy consumes my mind," Decarlo said before her Bananas performance. "Every situation is a story. Every situation can be comedy. You have to write constantly."

At the show, Decarlo weaves her way through a series of jokes that often draw raucous laughter -- "If he didn't want to get married, he could've just told me," she says of her fiancee dying a month before their wedding. Other moments, however, fall flat.

It's a mixed bag for her, but it's just one performance. Tomorrow morning she'll wake up, watch her set, look for ways to tighten it up, and catch up on current events she can work into her comedy. Most days, she'll be back on stage that night.

Even still, it's a long road to financial viability. Most comics you see at places like Bananas have day jobs, and Jamison estimates only 1 or 2 percent are ever able to make comedy a full-time profession.  

"You are constantly fixing and writing, and fixing and writing," said Decarlo, who is also an author and the manager of a company for the name and likeness of late comedian Patrice O'Neal. "I'm always looking at different angles. Is this the best way I can say this? Is this the shortest, quickest way I could say this?"

The comic glass ceiling

On stage, Decarlo confronts her lived experiences as a multiracial woman and employs them for humor. She does a bit about her "Black side" and her "white side" competing to determine how she disciplines her daughter, and she points out double standards that label women, but not men, "loose" for sleeping around.

Despite the success of many minority and female comics, like Gabriel Iglesias and Leslie Jones, stand-up is still largely populated by white male performers. 

As a result, Decarlo stands out. Audiences sometime take in her appearance and decide they know what her perspective will be. She once said the word "cops" at a show and was greeted by immediate booing.

"Because I'm a Black woman, (they were) assuming a perspective, but ... what was about to come out of my mouth was, 'I don't hate all cops,'" Decarlo said of the incident. 

Khadijah Costley White, a Rutgers University media studies professor who teaches about humor, said it's impossible for comics to escape the visible aspects of their identities. The most successful ones, she said, use those traits to point out power dynamics and inequalities.

"Even just the way you look affects the way that the audience accepts your humor, accepts your jokes, responds to them," White said. "I think the strongest performers use it to play to their strengths."  

How stand-ups use N.J. clubs as a springboard to stardomVinnie Brand, a comic and the owner of the Stress Factory, and comic Dom Irrera pose for a photo at the New Brunswick-based club in 2014. (Courtesy of the Stress Factory)

The core of good comedy, in Decarlo's eyes, is having a unique perspective -- sharing stories from the comic's lived experience. On stage, she talks about being a mom, her political views ("usually very shallow," she says) and lying about her age.

Decarlo said mining her real life for comedy makes it hard for anyone to steal her material or accuse her of making easy, cheap jokes. Some of her set may be considered edgy or make a few audience members uncomfortable, she said, but it's meant to be relatable and real.

"For stand-up, I think the beauty about it is you're expected to be yourself," Decarlo said. "Stand-up is you. There are some character stand-up comics where ... they are completely putting on an act, and they do well with it. But the majority of stand-up comedians are being themselves or a version of themselves."

Even with all that work, Decarlo warned, every comic will inevitably bomb sometimes. She said she's constantly reminding herself that not every performance will be perfect and to push through the failures.

"If you get afraid of the silence, you won't recover," she said. "If something doesn't work, don't get afraid. Paint your picture, do your thing, the whole way through."

There's no blueprint for succeeding in stand-up. It's a messy career path, one that twists and turns more than the average profession. Decarlo said when the stage lights are off and no cameras are rolling, pursuing comedy can be more arduous than glamorous.

"I think a lot of people still believe in the fantasy of, 'I'll just be discovered because I'm sitting here and I look pretty or something,'" she said. "I don't know where that came from or who that worked for."

She added, "You have to love the process of comedy more than your end goal." 

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

N.J. man charged with DWI in fatal crash, police say

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Mandeep Singh, 21, of Edison, has been charged with driving while intoxicated and death by auto in an accident that happened on Feb. 18, 2017, township police said.

EDISON -- Police say a 21-year-old was driving drunk when he crashed his car early Saturday morning, killing one of his passengers, authorities said. 

Mandeep Singh, of the township, was driving on Old Post Road just after 5 a.m. when he veered off the road and smashed into a tree near Preston Street,  Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a release. 

Singh has been charged with driving while intoxicated and death by auto, Carey said. 

Joel Patrone, 22, also of the township, was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later, according to authorities.

Singh and another passenger, a 22-year-old woman from the township, were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hosptial as well, authorities said. Both are listed in stable condition. 

The crash is still under investigation. 

CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook

 

Made in Jersey: S&H Green Stamps -- in the sixties, Americans were stuck on them

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It is estimated that 80 percent of American households collected Green Stamps during their heyday.

How cool was this: After you paid for groceries or gasoline you didn't just get change, you received stamps that could be redeemed for things you wanted!

This is not a tall tale told by parents or grandparents -- like walking two miles to school in waist-deep snow (up hill, both ways) -- it's exactly how S&H Green Stamps worked.

Thomas Sperry of Cranford and Shelley Byron Hutchinson of Ypsilanti, Mich., founded the Sperry and Hutchison Co. in 1896. They made their money by selling the stamps and redemption books to retailers, then accepting the stamps in exchange for products from S&H catalogs at their redemption centers, which numbered 600 nationwide by the mid-1960s.

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Kelly Kazek, writing on al.com, points out that "by the 1960s, collecting stamps was so popular that S&H claimed it issued three times more stamps than the U.S. Postal Service and its reward catalog was the largest publication in the country." Want to talk market penetration? It is estimated that 80 percent of American households collected Green Stamps during their heyday.

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The range of products that Green Stamps could be redeemed for was broad. By the 1960s, the S&H "Ideabook" catalog contained 178 pages of items from dishtowels and ash trays to fishing poles, bicycles, furniture, appliances and a complete set of the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Economists say the recession of the 1970s impacted heavily on S&H Green Stamps; consumers weren't buying as much, and retailers had to cut back on incentive programs. The stamps lasted into the late 1990s, but didn't have the "sticking" power they once held.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

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Spring 2017 arts preview: 10 hot tickets for jazz, theater and comedy fans

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Whatever you desire -- some music, drama, laughter or contemplation -- it's probably on offer in the Garden State this season.

Jazz it up

Jazz lovers will enjoy the 48th annual Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp March 26 at the Birchwood Manor. The event, presented by the New Jersey Jazz Society, is named for clarinetist Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell, had a distinct style and approach that some considered ahead of its time. He died in 1969. Scheduled performers include the Midiri Brothers Quintet, the Peter and Will Anderson Quintet, Professor Cunningham and his Old School and Dan Levinson's Russell of Spring Band

$10-45, March 26, 12 p.m. Birchwood Manor, 111 N.Jefferson Rd., Whippany. 800-838-3006.

Feeling tense? You're not alone. Let Dr. Chopra help

Author/doctor/spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, stops at Bergen Performing Arts Center March 24 to talk about his new book "You Are The Universe" and offer tips on reaching higher consciousness and healing.  Practitioners of chair massage, acupuncture, yoga, Reiki and aromatherapy will offer free services 90 minutes prior to the show. Chopra will sign books after the show. The evening is sponsored by The Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Hospital & Medical Center.  

$49-99, March 24, 8 p.m. Bergen PAC, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood. 201-227-1030. 

Eight woman stronger together than apart

"The Women of Padilla" focuses on eight women keeping the home fires burning while their husbands are away fighting an unnamed war. It runs at Red Bank's Two River Theater April 8-30. Inspired by poet Federico Garcia Lorca, the play looks at how the women's strength and connections grow through every day life. Bi-lingual playwright Tony Meneses saw his "Guadalupe in the Guest Room" premiere at Two River last season.

$20-55, April 8 -30, times vary. Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Ave., Red Bank. 732-345-1400.

NJSO's principal tuba player takes center stage

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra takes the stage at State Theatre New Jersey in April 8 with a ilght-hearted program that include Ravel's Bolero and Saint-Saens' Carnival of Animals and features NJSO principal tuba player Derek Fenstermacher.  The event is also a food drive and ticket buyers are asked to bring a non-perishable item to contribute.

$20-90, April 8 at 8 p.m. State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick. 732-246-7469.

Louis and Ella: Together again

Musicians Byron Stripling and Marva Hicks recreate the magic of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald on the stage of Count Basie Theatre April 21, tackling songs like "Love is Here to Stay," "Just One of those Things," as well as highlights from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra accompanies the pair. This event is also a food drive and ticket buyers are asked to bring a non-perishable item to contribute. 

$23-73, April 21, 8 p.m., Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank. 732-842-9000. 

Yadda yadda yadda at Borgata, Borgata, Borgata

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld brings his stand-up routine to Atlantic City's  Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa April 22. More than 20 years after his eponymous television show ended its run, the the Staten Island-born star continues to take the stand-up stage, most recently completing a residency at New York's Beacon Theater

$99-169, April 22, 8 p.m. Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City. 609-317-1000.

Dating after 50 featured in musical comedy "Curvy Widow" 

Based on a book by businesswoman Barbara "Bobby" Goldman, "Curvy Widow" follows Goldman's adventures in the on-line dating scene after the death of her husband. (She was married to playwright James Goldman, ho wrote "The Lion in Winter" and "Follies." He died in 1998.) The funny, high-energy show, May 2 -21 at George Street Playhouse, will be the last one before the theater is torn down and rebuilt. Broadway veteran/Tony nominee Nancy Opel, who stole the show in GSP's "The Toxic Avenger," stars as the feisty widow.

$43-69, May 2-21, various times. George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. 732-246-7717.

Find love and herself, one stitch at a time

Lynn Nottage's 2003 drama "Intimate Apparel" tells the story of a young African-American seamstress in 1905 New York who embarks on a journey that leads her to love and much more. The moving story plays at the McCarter Theatre stage May 5 - June 4. Nottage won a Pulitzer Prize for 2009's "Ruined," which was set in Congo

$25-74, May 5 - June 4, times vary. McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, Princeton. 609-258-2787.

Making and breaking the news: Anderson Cooper at MPAC

CNN News anchor Anderson Cooper has interviewed presidents, super stars and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The host of "Anderson Cooper 360" takes the stage at Mayo Performing Arts Center May 19 to talk about his life and career and the future of the republic.  A moderated Q & A will follow.

$59-150, May 19, 8 p.m., Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown. 973-539-8008.

Dance, the great unifier 

The electrifying Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , one of the nation's premier modern dance companies, comes to New Jersey Performing Arts Center for three shows May 12-14. The show will include some of the company's most popular dances as well as new pieces inspired by the writing of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

$25 - 89, May 12 and 13, 8 p.m. and May 14, 3 p.m. NJPAC,  1 Center St., Newark. 800-GO-NJPAC.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook. 

Boat show motors into Edison (PHOTOS)

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More than 250 boats were on sale ranging from 33 foot cruisers to kayaks at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center.

EDISON -- Warm weather helped bring large crowds to check out the 2017 Boat Sale & Expo.

More than 250 boats were on sale ranging from 33 foot cruisers to kayaks at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center.

Pontoon boats like the Bennington Saltwater Series 28RSBX1 that seat 25 and the Super Air Nautique, a 23ft water sport boat for wake surfing offered a variety of boating styles.

A 1957 Chris Craft Custom Runabout 17 foot was on sale for $55,000.

Summer boating season is not far away.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

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