Michael Manzo was a longtime captain in the Jersey City Fire Department and served as president of the Jersey City Fire Officers Association, a position that gave him significant influence in local labor and public safety matters. Active in Jersey City politics, he positioned himself as a reform-minded mayoral candidate prior to his legal troubles. His career unraveled amid New Jersey's widespread public corruption scandals, specifically the FBI's Operation Bid Rig II. In December 2009, Manzo was among dozens arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit extortion. He admitted to accepting approximately $5,000 in bribes from an undercover FBI informant posing as a nightclub owner, in exchange for using his union influence to secure favorable fire safety inspection approvals for illegal renovations. In October 2010, he pleaded guilty in federal court. On March 25, 2011, U.S. District Judge William H. Walls sentenced him to 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of the bribe proceeds (U.S. v. Manzo, 09-cr-01099). Manzo served his sentence at FCI Fort Dix and was released around late 2013. The conviction barred him from further public office and union leadership roles.