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“Real Housewives” star Melissa Gorga hosts fashion show in shopping center
Melissa Gorga, star of the “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” will host a spring fashion show at the Garden State Plaza on Saturday.
Anne-Marie Caruso, NorthJersey.com
PATERSON — The owners of the brownstone are 15 months behind — or an estimated $136,969 — on their payments to the city as part of a tax complaint involving a small parking lot next to the banquet hall, city officials say.
This information was brought to light by City Councilman Luis Velez, who did some research into the brownstone’s property taxes after recently paying the banquet hall a past-due bill for his August 2023 wedding reception.
Albert Manzo, a member of The Brownstone’s family of owners, dismissed the revelations about the late payments in the tax complaint as “envy” on Velez’s part.
The story continues below the photo gallery.
“That’s because he got a black eye when he didn’t pay his bill,” Manzo said of the theft of services charges he filed against Velez in district court.
The councilman denied any suggestion that he contacted a reporter about the brownstone’s tax returns in revenge for a complaint about theft of wedding funds.
“Facts are facts,” Velez said. “No one is above the law. I’m just disappointed that he was given a chance and still didn’t get through.”
Brownstone parking fees reduced by $1 million
At issue is a settlement in a tax appeals court case concerning The Brownstone’s parking lot that Velez and other City Council members agreed to in March 2023. The tax appeals court settlement covered the six years from 2018 to 2023.
As part of the agreement, AM Manzo LLC managed to reduce the brownstone parking fees by more than $1 million per year. For 2023, this meant that the Manzo Corporation would have to pay taxes based on the parking area, which the city council says is $1.5 million instead of $2.5 million.
In New Jersey, property owners who appeal the tax typically do not have to pay property taxes while the litigation is ongoing. As a result, even though The Brownstone’s parking fees were reduced, the company still owed $658,368 in back taxes accrued during the appeal process, the council resolution said.
As part of the agreement, the Manzo Group agreed to pay the city $13,605 a month to settle the tax arrears, the resolution states.
Paterson Tax Department officials said the owners of the brownstone made two larger-than-required down payments on the settlement totaling $80,616 in May 2023. Tax officials said Manzo LLC has not made any further payments under the installment plan since then.
City officials said they have not calculated exactly how much the Manzo Corporation is behind on. It has been 16 months since the payment plan went into effect. At $13,605 per month, Manzo would have apparently owed the city $217,685 in back taxes by now. The two lump sum payments in May 2023 leave The Brownstone about $137,000 short of arrears.
Albert Manzo said he does not deal with things like tax complaints. He said he was not familiar with the details of the settlement and did not know whether the company was behind on its payments. Paterson Press asked to be referred to the person at The Brownstone who knows the details of the installment plan, but Manzo declined to make that person available to a reporter.
“The fact that the Brownstone is still standing after COVID is nothing short of a miracle,” Manzo said, referring to the catering hall’s closure during the pandemic. “The Brownstone was shut down by the government. Have our tax bills not come through? No, they haven’t.”
Current tax payments for the actual ballroom
Manzo emphasized that his company paid all property taxes on the land on which the actual banquet hall is located. He claimed that The Brownstone – made nationally famous by the television series “Real Housewives of New Jersey” – is “the shining star of the city’s dining establishments.”
“What other stores do people from far away visit in Paterson, New Jersey?” he asked.
Manzo said he grew up half a block from the banquet hall site and never considered moving his business there, although he said working in Paterson sometimes makes things more difficult.
“It’s not easy to be successful in this city,” Manzo said. “Unfortunately, people from outside have their prejudices.”
Paterson Press sent Mayor Andre Sayegh two messages last week asking if his administration was taking steps to address the Manzo firm’s lack of compliance with the payment plan. Sayegh, who attended Velez’s wedding and numerous other events at the brownstone, did not respond.
Velez ran for mayor in 2022, finishing fifth in a five-man election. The 5th District councilman said he plans to run again for the top job at Paterson City Hall in 2026. He shouldn’t count on getting Manzo’s vote.
“There are many people qualified to be mayor of this city,” Manzo said of Velez. “He is not one of them.”
