73 percent drop in crime in six years . . . The presence of a reporter inspires him to launch into a summary of the improvements that have been made under his administration. Well, he is, after all, a pol. His face brightens with startlingly sincere interest when a reporter mentions her children. It's easy to get the impression Vas believes he's the best thing to happen to Perth Amboy since breezes off the bay, and he makes a convincing case.
Exhibit A is the present view.
Now the risen sun, having upstaged the faded crescent moon, pours a stream of molten gold across the bay's rippling waters. As the path gets close to the water, there's a smell of fresh fish. He has chosen a route that will take him past three sanitation crews, City Hall, the Police Department, and through residential neighborhoods where he's known because of his town meetings. On High Street, Vas waves to a sanitation worker hefting a trash can in front of a brick duplex with a Madonna enshrined between the two stoops. It's Vas' boyhood home, where his dad still lives.