New Jersey
Murphy was a clemency hero. Sherrill has to step up for NJ | Opinion
3-minute read
What’s next for NJ with Mikie Sherrill taking over the governorship
NorthJersey.com staffers Ed Forbes and Charlie Stile discuss what’s next for New Jersey with Mikie Sherrill taking over the governorship.
As we close the curtain on Gov. Phil Murphy’s tenure, he leaves behind some big shoes for Gov. Mikie Sherill to step into as her term begins. I often speak with government officials as part of my work who are wary of using their powers to give incarcerated people second chances due to their fear of political blowback. While it would have been easy for Murphy to sit on the sidelines, instead he followed through on his promises to expand access to pardons across the state and help alleviate the collateral consequences of past criminal convictions.
Murphy granted 307 people clemency under his administration — more people than all of New Jersey’s governors in the last three decades combined. We now look to Sherill to continue that good work, because there’s still so much more to be done.
New Jersey must keep making progress on clemency
Despite how successful New Jersey has been in cutting its incarcerated population in half over the past 15 years, this state still has the most racially disparate prison population in the nation. Not only that, New Jersey Department of Corrections’ data shows about 22% of the state prison population is aged 50 or older, which is a drastic increase from just 13% a decade ago. Increased medical costs associated with the aging of New Jersey’s prison population costs the state up to $2 million each year per person, without even including the $300,000 in wages that go to corrections officers. New Jersey must take common sense action to return elderly incarcerated people to their communities and unburden the corrections system from the weight of unnecessarily incarcerating this population.
Sherill already has tools at her disposal from day one to do something about this. Clemency is an extremely powerful tool that can be utilized to address past and current injustices, safely reduce the prison population, save taxpayer money, and return much-needed mentors to our communities. In fact, clemency is enshrined in the state constitution as a power that provides the governor with broad discretion to grant pardons and commutations to people with criminal convictions. This power is at its most useful when applied to people whose continued criminal convictions or sentences of incarceration no longer serve the interest of justice and are no longer in the interest of public safety for New Jersey’s communities — which is a perfect description for the people aging in our prisons, as recidivism and reincarceration rates for those over 60 in the state has been found to be as low as 3%.
Murphy leaves behind a strong legacy of mercy and justice that will forever define his years in office. Now Sherrill has an opportunity to continue that legacy by building on Murphy’s clemency initiative and the strong foundation he established. This commitment will help ensure New Jersey continues to set the standard for safely reducing prison populations and that we continue the work to help balance the scales of justice while preserving public safety.
Celeste Trusty is state legislative affairs director for FAMM. She previously served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons.
A notorious mob hitman who once testified against John “Junior” Gotti before cleaning up his life and becoming a councilman in New Jersey has been arrested on extortion and loansharking charges that, if proven, reflect a return to the lifestyle of his youth.
John Alite, 63, was arrested on Friday in New Jersey, where he was sworn in early last year as a councilman in the borough of Englishtown. Released after a court appearance Saturday, Alite is scheduled to return to court for a detention hearing Wednesday.
His attorney, Douglas Anton, responding to an email seeking comment, said he did not want to speak about the case before the next court appearance.
Alite faces multiple counts of extortion, corporate misconduct, loansharking and terroristic threats.
Alite provided loans at exorbitant rates before threatening violence to collect on them, authorities said, citing the discovery in his home of metal knuckles, an expandable baton, six baseball bats and about two dozen knives, including switchblades.
The baseball bats, authorities said, included one stored near his home’s front door and five more in a kitchen storage bench.
An officer of the New Jersey State Police, an investigative arm of the attorney general’s office, said in court papers that it appeared that the weapons found in Alite’s residence were intended for use in collecting debts.
According to court papers, Alite had threatened one person he had lent money to, saying he would strike him across the head with a baseball bat if he didn’t meet his demands.
Alite also had bragged that he had in the past endeavored to “gut” people like “fish,” the court papers said.
In a release, prosecutors said Alite carried out crimes in part through his corporation, Straightened-Out Entertainment Inc.
They said he illegally obtained property and money from his victims by threats of violence in ways that reflected his 2009 testimony at a Gotti trial that ended with a deadlocked jury.
Alite told a Manhattan federal court jury that he killed a childhood friend to earn respect from fellow mobsters.
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The Garden State set a record for monthly iGaming revenue in May. Read how much for the biggest month ever in New Jersey iGaming.
New Jersey online casinos have been going strong all year, but May 2026 was especially notable. The Garden State’s iGaming market earned a record-breaking $276.3 million last month. This amount eclipsed the previous record of $273.2 million set in December 2025.
NJ online casino revenue for May 2026: $276.3 million
The $276.3 million earned in May 2026 represents an 11.9% year-over-year (YoY) increase from May 2025, when NJ online casinos earned $246.8 million.
This was yet another strong month and double-digit increase for New Jersey iGaming. The state had an identical 11.9% YoY uptick last month, when iCasinos made $263.1 million.
Year-to-date earnings for New Jersey gaming sites are $1.32 billion through May 2026. That’s up 14.4% compared to the same time period last year, when New Jersey had $1.16 billion through May 2025.
Golden Nugget enjoyed the strongest month
According to the May 2026 New Jersey iGaming revenue report, the Golden Nugget brand led all NJ iCasinos with $86.45 million. Of the three online casinos operating under Golden Nugget’s license, FanDuel made the most with $63.24 million from casino games online. BetRivers and Golden Nugget Online earned $12.43 million and $10.79 million, respectively.
Resorts Casino Hotel had the second-best month with $53.89 million. It doesn’t break down revenue by each online casino. But DraftKings is the biggest operator on this license on account of its progressive jackpot slots.
Retail casinos stay flat
Last month, brick-and-mortar casinos joined in the party with an 11.7% YoY increase. This month was a different story. New Jersey land-based casinos made $265.6 million in May 2026, just a 0.1% increase over the $256.3 million made the previous May.
The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa had the best month among NJ retail casinos, earning $72.9 million. Hard Rock Atlantic City also had a solid month with $49.9 million, while Ocean Resorts rounded out the top three with $46.8 million.
Sports betting sees a big revenue decrease
In April 2026, sports betting had the largest growth out of New Jersey gambling verticals with a 12.8% YoY increase. However, May 2026 was a different story since NJ bookmakers earned $85.2 million—a 16.9% decrease from the $102.5 million made in the previous May.
The Garden State isn’t an outlier here since other states, like New York and Pennsylvania, also struggled with sports gambling revenue last month. US sportsbooks largely saw a smaller hold in May 2026 and are also dealing with increased competition from prediction markets.
iGaming continues to lead the way
Total gaming revenue for the state was $627.1 million in May 2026, representing a 2.0% YoY increase from the $614.7 million made in the previous May.
iGaming definitely looks to carry the torch moving forward. Many gambling operators are banking on real-money online slots to boost their revenue, while retail casinos and sports betting are currently struggling.
Responsible gambling
Legal US online casinos promote responsible play by allowing players to limit losses, sessions, wagers, and logins. They also offer timeout options for account breaks lasting days to weeks. Self-exclusion is a long-term option that shuts off access to an account for months or years.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Commuters are being warned to plan ahead Monday as the FIFA World Cup match between Norway and Senegal at MetLife Stadium is expected to create significant travel disruptions during the evening rush hour.
City officials have issued a Gridlock Alert Day for Monday, citing the 8 p.m. kickoff, expected heavy traffic and the potential for severe weather, including strong thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The biggest impact will be felt at Penn Station, where NJ Transit service to New Jersey will be restricted beginning at 3:20 p.m.
From 3:20 p.m. until 7:01 p.m., New Jersey-bound trains departing Penn Station and Secaucus Junction will be reserved exclusively for World Cup ticket holders traveling to MetLife Stadium. Fans must have both a match ticket and an NJ Transit ticket to board.
That means regular commuters heading home to New Jersey during that time will need to find alternate transportation, including PATH trains, ferries or buses.
Officials are encouraging commuters who normally rely on NJ Transit to leave earlier in the day if possible.
Round-trip NJ Transit tickets to MetLife Stadium are still available for $98. However, all 12,000 seats on shuttle buses departing from Grand Central Terminal, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Columbus Circle have sold out for Monday’s match.
Street closures around Penn Station will also begin no later than 2 p.m. to accommodate security screening and fan queues. Officials say 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues and 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues will remain closed until after 8 p.m., while 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues is expected to reopen after 1 a.m.
The restrictions mirror what travelers experienced during last week’s World Cup match, when thousands of fans packed transit hubs across the region.
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri thanked city officials for helping manage crowds around Penn Station.
“I’m so grateful to the City of New York and Mayor Mamdani for setting up a great system outside Penn Station to process the fans from a security standpoint,” Kolluri said.
He also urged commuters to remain patient as the region hosts the international tournament.
“My one ask is that this is a very amazing opportunity for the region and for the state of New Jersey. I know commuters have busy lives and they are trying to earn a living. We’re asking for a little patience,” Kolluri said.
Officials say NJ Transit transported more than 26,000 fans during the June 16 World Cup match, with additional crowds expected for Monday night’s game.
Drivers are also being warned to expect significant delays near MetLife Stadium, particularly along Route 3.
City officials continue to encourage residents and visitors to walk, bike or use public transportation whenever possible.
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