Robert W. Levy, Sr., known as
Bob Levy, (born 16 May 1947 in
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, shopping centers, view of the Atlantic Ocean, and as the inspiration for the board game Monopoly, Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the...
) is a
DemocraticThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
politician and the former
mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
of
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, shopping centers, view of the Atlantic Ocean, and as the inspiration for the board game Monopoly, Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the...
. In September 2007, Levy disappeared from Atlantic City without telling the public or the press why he was leaving. His sudden absence sparked a controversy over who should become the Acting Mayor of Atlantic City. On 10 October 2007, attorneys for Levy announced his resignation, effective immediately.
Early life
Robert Levy is a lifelong resident of Atlantic City. He became a
lifeguardA lifeguard is a person responsible for overseeing the safety of the users of a body of water and its environs, such as a swimming pool, a water park, or a beach. This differentiates them from life savers who partake in similar activities as a sport or practical life skill...
in 1960 and married in 1964 after graduating from
Atlantic City High SchoolAtlantic City High School is a four-year public high school located in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Atlantic City School District. The current school building opened in 1994 and holds approximately 2,500 students...
. Levy married Hazel Washington, an
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
woman, and experienced hostility from his own family for the
interracial marriageInterracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry, often creating multiracial children. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain...
.
Military career
Shortly after his marriage, Levy enlisted in the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
. After basic and advanced infantry training at
Fort Dix, New JerseyFort Dix is a United States Army installation located in parts of New Hanover Township, Pemberton Township, and Springfield Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA...
, basic airborne training at
Fort BenningFort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
, and an eight-week field communications course Levy was assigned to
Fort KnoxFort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties, with Hardin county receiving the largest benefit, economically. It currently holds the U.S. Army Armor Center, the U.S...
,
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
as a field communications crewman. In August 1965 Levy was sent to
WürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located on the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
before being assigned to the 1st Aviation Battalion, 1st Infantry Division in
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
. In April 1967 Levy returned to the United States and was assigned to Fort Hood,
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
. In 1970 Levy began his second
tourIn the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
in Vietnam. In June 1971 he came back to the U.S. and after leave became a tactical communications chief instructor for 10 months at Fort Dix. During his tours during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
he was awarded two
Bronze StarsThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award in the order...
. In June 1972 Levy began working as an army recruiting officer in
Toms River, New JerseyToms River CDP is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
, and later, starting in February 1974, Atlantic City. Levy was named Atlantic City's station commander in 1976 and in 1980 was assigned to 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery in Fort Carson,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
and promoted to
First Sergeant-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist rank in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff Sergeants...
. Levy stayed in Colorado until 1982 when he returned to New Jersey at
Fort MonmouthFort Monmouth is an installation of the Department of the Army in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport, New Jersey, and is located about one mile from the Atlantic Ocean. The post covers nearly of land, from the Shrewsbury...
in September where he stayed until he retired in 1984.
Return to Atlantic City
After he retired Levy went back to being a lifeguard and in 1986 became the chief lifeguard and beach patrol chief. Between 1990 and 2003, appointed by then-Mayor
Jim WhelanJim Whelan is an American Democratic Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey State Senate where he represents the 2nd legislative district, having taken office on January 8, 2008....
, Levy served as Atlantic City's Emergency Management Director. From 1998 to 2006 Levy headed the Department of Emergency Services. After being a lifelong
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
, Levy switched party affiliation to
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
in 2004.
Levy entered the race for mayor of Atlantic City after City Council President Craig Callaway withdrew from the Democratic mayoral primary in 2005. With backing from Callaway and his supporters, Levy beat incumbent mayor
Lorenzo T. LangfordLorenzo Tyrone Langford is the mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey and the resort city's second African American mayor.Langford was educated in the Atlantic City public school system and graduated from Atlantic City High School, Class of 1974...
in the Democratic primary. Levy went on to easily win the mayoral election against
independentIn politics, an independent is a politician who is not affiliated with any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do not feel that any major party addresses...
candidate Joseph Polillo.
False claims of service and the federal investigation
As early as 1980 Levy's began to claim he was a member of
U.S. Army Special ForcesThe United States Army Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, is a Special Operations Force of the United States Army tasked with five primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize...
. The claim was also on campaign literature during his 2005 campaign for mayor. After doubts of Levy's Green Beret service was expressed to
The Press of Atlantic CityThe Press of Atlantic City is a daily newspaper based in Pleasantville, New Jersey. It is the primary newspaper for most of southeastern New Jersey and the jersey shore, publishing regional editions for Atlantic County, Cumberland County, Cape May County, and southern Ocean County...
by a Vietnam War veteran in September 2006, the newspaper began investigating Levy's war records and discovered there was no record he was in the U.S. Special Forces. In November 2006
The Press of Atlantic City planned on publishing its findings; Levy then admitted he was never in the U.S. Special Forces. Upon this information, federal investigators began to examine whether or not Levy properly obtained a
Combat Infantryman BadgeThe Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers — enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
(CIB) that he used to obtain additional veterans' benefits. Levy admitted that he lied about receiving the CIB as well as
Parachutist BadgeThe Parachutist Badge or Parachutist Brevet is a military badge awarded by the Armed Forces of most countries in the world to soldiers who receive the proper parachute training and accomplish the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the first to introduce such award...
or "jump wings." Levy also admitted that there were false entries on his official service record which he did not correct and that he used these false entries to obtain benefits.
Disappearance
In late September 2007, rumors began to emerge about the federal investigation and questions were raised about whether or not Levy would resign as mayor. On 26 September 2007, after signing seven
ordinanceA local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
s into law, Levy left Atlantic City in a city-issued
Dodge DurangoThe Dodge Durango is a full-size SUV from Chrysler's Dodge brand. It was introduced in 1998 as a mid-size SUV, and as a replacement for the Ramcharger discontinued in the North American market in 1993, and was redesigned for 2004. The Durango was produced at the Newark Assembly plant in Newark,...
for an unknown destination. Administration officials said Levy was on temporary medical leave, but refused to say where he went. His lawyer later revealed that Levy had checked into the
Carrier ClinicCarrier Clinic is an American private, not-for-profit behavioral healthcare system, that specializes in psychiatric and addiction treatment. Carrier’s system includes: 281 licensed bed inpatient psychiatric hospital, 32 bed detoxification and rehabilitation center, a 78 bed adolescent residential...
in
Belle Mead, New JerseyBelle Mead is an unincorporated community which straddles Montgomery Township and Hillsborough Township in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Up until about 1875, Belle Mead, then named Plainville, was part of Harlingen. It was a quiet farming region when about that time a New York City contractor named...
, about two hours north of Atlantic City. At the time of Mayor Levy's unexplained disappearance, Atlantic City Business Administrator Domenic Cappella told officials and the press that Levy had verbally designated him as Acting Mayor of Atlantic City.
During the Atlantic City Council meeting on 3 October 2007 both members of the public and the Council demanded the Business Administrator yield the office of Acting Mayor of Atlantic City to the President of the City Council, William Marsh. On October 5, 2007, claiming that the "mysterious disappearance of Mayor Levy is now a national news story causing significant embarrassment and exposing the city to unwarranted risk," Councilman Bruce Ward filed suit in
Superior CourtThe Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with state-wide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The Superior Court has three divisions: the Appellate Division is essentially an intermediate appellate court while the Law and Chancery Divisions function as trial courts...
asking for a declaratory judgment that the Office of Mayor of Atlantic City was vacant. That same day
GovernorThe Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The current holder of that office is Jon Corzine, who re-assumed executive powers on May 7, 2007 from acting Gov. Richard Codey, after recuperating from an automobile accident on April 12, 2007...
Jon CorzineJon Stevens Corzine is the Governor of New Jersey and a former United States Senator. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year Senate term before being elected Governor in 2005. He is a candidate for re-election in 2009....
offered state assistance and staff to help the city, stated that Levy's disappearance was "dysfunctional and chaotic behavior," and that "the situation today can't go on for an extended period of time.".
Resignation and aftermath
On 9 October, a Superior Court Judge indicated she would rule on whether the mayor's seat was vacant or not by 12 October and administration officials released a letter from Levy's lawyer to the Business Administrator dated September 28 explaining that Levy had checked into the
Carrier ClinicCarrier Clinic is an American private, not-for-profit behavioral healthcare system, that specializes in psychiatric and addiction treatment. Carrier’s system includes: 281 licensed bed inpatient psychiatric hospital, 32 bed detoxification and rehabilitation center, a 78 bed adolescent residential...
and was about to leave and spend time recovering at home. One day after this letter was released, Levy's lawyer announced that Levy had resigned, effective immediately. Levy's attorney cited health issues and the pending Federal
Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans’ benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors....
investigation for the resignation.
After pleading guilty of defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in November 2007 was sentenced to three years probation, US$5,000 fine, and ordered to pay over US$25,198 in restitution to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The July 25, 2008 ruling also required Levy to continue his court-ordered psychiatric treatment. The judge noted that Levy seems to be continuing to embellish his military record, by claiming he helped out the Pathfinders, which does not appear on his record.