2/16/2003

By ALAN GUENTHER

Courier-Post Staff

He can make or break careers with a single phone call. He's so powerful that mayors, governors, senators - even state investigators - all want to hear what George E. Norcross III has to say.

Because more than 50 elected and appointed officials in South Jersey owe their careers to him, he can pull strings to influence who gets hired, who gets contracts and whose legislation sees the light of day.

Through a network of of Democratic Party and labor union loyalists, he works behind the scenes. Even though he holds no position in government, he is able to exert more influence over public spending in South Jersey than any any politician. Parks, bridges, roads, hospitals - practically nothing gets built without his input.