Matos gets three years for bribery

CAMDEN - Carlos Matos, a high-profile North Philadelphia Democratic Party ward leader, was sentenced to three years in prison today for his role in an Atlantic City corruption case.

Matos had pleaded guilty to a bribery charge, admitting he paid at least $12,100 to two corrupt city councilmen in Atlantic City in exchange for their help in setting up business deals there.

In federal court today, Matos apologized for his behavior, but said he got involved in Atlantic City politics with the best intentions.

"All I can say your honor is these brothers played me like a 13-year-old girl," Matos said. "They needed a scapegoat to lessen their sentences. ... That's what I'm angry about."

Matos, 58, is the son-in-law of City Commissioner Marge Tartaglione. His wife, Renee, is a chief deputy city commissioner. Matos has worked in the office of his sister-in-law, Pennsylvania State Sen. Tina Tartaglione.

A star-studded list of Philadelphia political heavyweights had written to U.S. District Court Judge Robert B. Kugler, urging leniency at sentencing.

Topping that list were Mayor Street, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, Sheriff John Green and five Philadelphia City Council members.

Matos, according to federal plea documents, made a series of payments to City Council President Craig Callaway, 47, and Councilman Ramon Rosario, 48, in 2005 and 2006 while seeking their support for projects he hoped to be involved with in Atlantic City.

These included, authorities said, development projects at the former Garwood Mills department store site and Bader Field, the now closed city airport. Neither site has been developed.

In addition, Matos hoped to develop a Boardwalk restaurant on what was once the site of a city-owned comfort station.

In his plea, Matos admitted making three payments totaling $11,000 to Callaway and paying $1,100 to Rosario. He also admitted to giving an undisclosed amount of cash to former Councilman Gibb Jones.

All three council members were captured in a multi-pronged FBI corruption investigation. They have admitted that they accepted bribes from a corrupt contractor or a local business consultant.

Callaway and Rosario subsequently agreed to cooperate with the FBI and recorded conversations for investigators.

Matos got involved in street-level politics in Atlantic City's 2001 mayoral campaign, helping to get out the Hispanic vote for Lorenzo Langford, who won that election.