Arezzo probe expands to Weehawken

August 30, 2007 JJ

The Jersey Journal's Jarrett Renshaw reports that the state's criminal investigation of Hoboken's top construction code official has now expanded to at least one neighboring municipality.

The Attorney General's Office issued a subpoena for records from Weehawken's Building Department earlier this week, Renshaw reports. The Attorney General's Office ordered Weehawken's Building Department to turn over documents by Sept. 17 related to its oversight of construction projects in neighboring Hoboken, according to Weehawken township attorney Rick Venino. Read more about the investigation into Arezzo here.

Hoboken Construction Code Official Al Arezzo -- who owns or has interest at least four properties in Hoboken -- has in the past asked Weehawken's Building Department to oversee projects where he has a financial interest in in order to avoid conflicts of interests.

On Monday, State Police seized documents from the Hoboken Construction Code office.

Arezzo declined to comment on the investigation.

No other information was available about the specific nature of the subpoenas or about what type of documents were sought.

Arezzo has most recently been feuding with the city to close Maxwell Place park, but many Hoboken residents say this construction code official has been terrorizing them for years.