Friends and foes came to McGreevey book signing
BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

EDISON - Former Gov. and Woodbridge Mayor James E. McGreevey's second book-signing event was the same as his first last week, minus the media crush and his partner, Mark O'Donnell.

"Woodbridge has been so loving," said McGreevey at the Barnes & Noble store in the Menlo Park Mall, after the book signing of his 353-page memoir, "The Confession," which debuted Sept. 19. "So warm. I wish I was ambidextrous. It has been a reaffirming time of pain and drama."

The store staff laughed when one customer told McGreevey, "We ate veal together."

"I probably ate dinner at every home in Woodbridge," joked McGreevey. "Whether it was Hungarian or Italian, we ate and drank."

McGreevey arrived in a black Lincoln Town Car after 7:15 p.m. with Robert Bresenhan Jr., a volunteer outreach coordinator, who works in Assemblyman Joseph Cryan's office. He greeted Barnes & Noble employees and went up the elevator to the second floor.

He waved and said, "Hey gang" to the roughly 400 people, some who had waited since 5:30 p.m., as they applauded and snapped photographs.

"It's been a long time," said McGreevey. "I'm glad to be home in Middlesex County. I feel the love in this room and support. What counts is love and knowing one's God and truth. Thank you for supporting a very imperfect man and my family."

The former governor received a warm welcome from most. But some who didn't know he was coming to the store muttered "Oh, God, it's McGreevey" as they passed by.

Tony Eggert, Edison, waited on line with two books he purchased. He planned to have the books signed, then sell them on eBay.

"I'm not going to read the book," he said. "I'm going get the money back that he stole from me. People are funny. It's incredible on how forgiving they are. My Scouts at the Our Lady of Peace Church in Woodbridge are confused. They loved him because he would always invite them and take pictures with them when he was mayor. His door was always open, which was nice. What he should have said in the first place was that he was gay. The response would be so what? I don't think the book promotes anything for the gay community."

Dr. Rich Andrews, who grew up in the Menlo Park Terrace section of Woodbridge, held up a white T-shirt that read "Pro-McGreevey 4 more years!" on the back of it.

"I made this T-shirt when he first came out," he said. "I wore it in New York, New Jersey and Delaware. I'm a big supporter of Jim coming out. He did a lot for Woodbridge and he supported and helped my family in Woodbridge."

Irene Gritz and her family are also close friends with McGreevey.

"We talked about the past," said Gritz, who was close to tears after she talked to him. "There's so much more to him and we accept him. We have made dinner plans and I hope everything plans out."

McGreevey wrote "To John, Irene, and Giana, the wonderful Gritz family, with love and friendship" in the front cover of their book.

As people tried to get a closer look at the former governor, Jean Thomas got angry because she thought people were cutting the line.

"Jim, shame on you," she said pointing at McGreevey. "I've been here since 5:30 p.m. to see you."

McGreevey looked stunned.

"I'm sorry Jean, I know, I know," he said. "You're like my mother."

Thomas has followed McGreevey's political career since he ran for mayor of Woodbridge in 1991.

"Woodbridge is not the same without him," she said. "Regardless of what happened, he's a good man. I hope he'll get back into politics."

Mary Lou Falstrault, who has known McGreevey for nine years, said she loves him.

"He's fantastic," she said. "He's a kind and caring man, very genuine."

Sandy Deitel, Perth Amboy, said she was saddened when McGreevey resigned.

"I worked on his two campaigns when he ran for governor," she said. "I vowed to work for him because when I was a teacher at a Woodbridge school and he was a student at St Joe's [St. Joseph's High School in Metuchen], he would come and teach religion on the weekends. When he was mayor, [former] Gov. Christine Whitman wanted to close the school down. He battled with her to keep the school open and it's still open."

Lily Li, of North Brunswick, reported on McGreevey for a Chinese newspaper when he was governor.

"I was at his resignation and it was very emotional," she said. "He's very intelligent, energetic, ambitious and good for change. I feel sorry for him, but I think his future will be OK. He came from Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, which are all very good schools."

Kenneth Knops and his daughter, Victoria of Glen Ridge, came to greet McGreevey for the third time.

"My daughter was invited by the governor to his office," he said. "We met him in Atlantic City and we all took a picture, but she had her eyes closed in it. So she wrote to him and said I'm sorry to bother you, but I ruined the picture because my eyes were closed. Can I take another one with you? And we were invited to his office."

Kathryn Kinney, who has known McGreevey for years, showed him an old picture of them together.

"Why do you keep getting better looking and I'm getting old?" he joked.

Luann Bunting of Edison begged her friend, Renee Fanelli also of Edison, to come to the book-signing event.

"I came out to show my support because it is hard to come out of the closet," said Fanelli. "And my son went to St. Joe's, so I thought it was nice to come."

Mary DeLoretto came to see McGreevey for a particular reason.

McGreevey wrote, "A few years later, I had the hubris to tell Mary DeLoretto, a gorgeous girl who palled around with me at the [Rahway] YMCA when we were teenagers, that "One day I'm gonna marry you and be president of the United States.

"I used to work with him and I said I might as well come because he mentions my name," she said.

As McGreevey signed books, Barnes & Noble employees served mini Starbuck frappacinnos, lemonade, and cookies to the people waiting in line as McGreevey signed books.

McGreevey signed his last book at 10:10 p.m. Barnes & Noble sold all but six books that were sitting in the display window of the store.