Missing financial records in NJ borough: Cherished parade under investigation

✅ The John Basilone Parade Committee had no accounting of how money was spent

✅ Police investigated and found no criminality

✅ The borough council has tabled a proposal to fund the parade

RARITAN BOROUGH — The John Basilone Parade, which has long been part of this quiet blue-collar borough's proud identity, is under investigation after a councilman suggested that hundreds of thousands of dollars could be unaccounted for after years of poor or nonexistent record keeping.

John Basilone: A borough's heritage

The annual parade honors Basilone, who served in the U.S. Army until 1937 and then joined the Marines in 1940 during World War II. He grew up in Raritan Borough and was the only enlisted member of the military to earn both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. He returned to action after receiving the Medal of Honor and was killed in action.

Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallant action during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 and the Navy Cross for heroism in the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, where he was eventually killed.

Basilone was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.

Police found no criminality

There are no spending records available since the first parade in 1981, according to Councilman Adam S. Armahizer, a Marine veteran.

TAP into The Breeze said the matter was investigated by borough police, which found no criminality but referred the matter to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, which does not comment on ongoing investigations, according to Mayor Nicolas Carra.

The parade committee's treasurer has resigned.

Armahizer said another point of confusion was the status of the parade committee, which is not a municipal entity. Municipalities are not allowed to make donations to nonprofits, as the borough had been doing. Officials said the borough will instead contract with the organization to provide parade services.

According to TAP into The Breeze, the council has tabled the vote until the Aug. 19 meeting.

This year's Basilone parade is scheduled for Sept. 21.

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