North Shore Bar & Kitchen

07/24/2026

Good morning,

Attached is a nine page summary prepared on my behalf outlining the facts of the case to this point.

To be clear, my reason for these updates is not to gain sympathy or attention.
My intent is to make the public aware of the systemic fraud, corruption and abuse of power in North Wildwood and Cape May County.

As a result, my counsel has been contacted and has since retained additional clients who share very similar experiences with the City of North Wildwood and its Officials.

Since my previous update additional Formal Action has now been filed on my behalf:

•A Notice of Tort Claim was filed against Cape May County pursuant to
N.J.S.A. 59:8-1, et seq.
•A Judicial Complaint has been officially filed against the Honorable James H. Pickering by webform and mail.
•A Civil Action Complaint for defamation against both Andrea Di Silvestro Speigel and Cape May County Superior Court Judge, the Honorable James H. Pickering.

Cape May County Commissioner Patrick Rosenello

City of North Wildwood

Cape May County Prosecuter's office

Flipbook

07/04/2026

Good afternoon,

In the coming days and weeks, additional information will be shared with the public.

This follows the statement I released a couple of days ago, in which I welcomed the City of North Wildwood and/or the Court to challenge its authenticity. As of today, neither has done so.

I believe it is important to share the contents of a letter I sent to Judge Pickering on June 24, 2026.

While I did not receive a direct response from Your Honor, it is important to note that just two days later, on June 26, 2026, my counsel was contacted by Cape May County Officials to continue efforts to resolve both North Shore matters involving the City of North Wildwood and Cape May County

I will allow the public to review my letter and draw its own conclusions.

Cape May County Commissioner Patrick Rosenello

07/02/2026

Good afternoon,

First, I want to make a few things clear.

I have never posted anything regarding the legal matters I have been facing over the past three years that were not a matter of public record.

I have never responded to comments with animosity toward those who have taken joy in my legal battle or the demise of my brand and business.

Myself or my wife have never scoured social media posts in an effort to state my case or to seek sympathy or adulation.

Most importantly, my wife or I have always taken the high road and will continue to do so. Neither of us have ever slandered or defamed any individual or entity that is a party to my claims. We operate with a certain level of class to which that thought or those actions would never be considered.

I have simply shared the public record on my business page to keep the public informed as to the status of the litigation.

With all of that said, I want to provide you with a real-time statement of fact:

Yesterday, the City of North Wildwood Mayor's Office posted to their page that my claim against the City of North Wildwood had been dismissed in its entirety and with prejudice-
That statement by the Mayor's Office is a complete misrepresentation and distortion of the facts.

My claims against the City of North Wildwood are very much active in this and other tribunals, and the multiple ongoing state agency investigations remain very much in progress.

So you are aware, this fight does not stop with the City. We have gathered extensive credible information to now file a lawsuit against the County of Cape May which arises from similar misconduct.

The actions of the politicians and officials in the City of North Wildwood and Cape May County must be and will be exposed. I am hopeful that Chief Legal Counsel, and County Solicitor, Mr. Jeffrey R. Lindsay, who by all accounts to this point has conducted himself as a man and public official of character and integrity, will focus on ensuring that justice is served.

I have credible information from Cape May County that the City of North Wildwood’s post announcing the dismissal of my case with prejudice by the Mayor's Office of North Wildwood was not sanctioned by the City.
We have been unable to confirm who authorized its release and although we have been told it will be removed it has yet to be taken down.

More will follow on this subject in an update to follow, as well as additional claims involving the City of North Wildwood, Cape May County, and individuals responsible for what I contend was the defamation and disparagement of my business and my family's name, as I continue working to restore both the public record and my reputation.

I welcome the City of North Wildwood and/or The Court to challenge the authenticity of the statement that I have provided, including the multiple state investigations that have been ongoing since April of 2025.

For now, From our family to yours, we wish each of you a happy and safe Fourth of July with your family and friends as we celebrate the 250th Birthday of the greatest country in the world.

Sincerely,
Ryan M. Fitzpatrick

Cape May County Commissioner Patrick Rosenello

Cape May County Prosecuter's office

04/23/2026

🚨 UPDATE TO PREVIOUS POST 🚨

Due to the evidence we possess detailing the actions of the Defendants conspiring to fraudulently convert monies specifically for the North Shore project and laundering those funds across state lines and internationally through a check cashing institution in Brazil my counsel has amended the complaint against the City of North Wildwood and Daniel Speigel along with Joseph Affet III and Ruben Plaza to include charges in violation of the New Jersey Civil and Federal RICO Statute. (Link attached)

https://online.fliphtml5.com/zhsjq/Filed-AM-COMPL/

•We are filing a motion to disqualify City Solicitor and attorney Michael Donohue from any legal representative capacity in any matter pertaining to North Shore.

•Counsel for The City of North Wildwood and Daniel Speigel have yet to enter a response to my formal complaint and remain in default of their obligation to do so.

•We have yet to receive a ruling on the recusal motion we filed.

•We are still in the process of seeking a change of venue to have the case removed from Cape May County.

Cape May County Commissioner Patrick Rosenello

City of North Wildwood

Cape May County Prosecuter's office

04/14/2026

🚨 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 🚨

To the Residents of the City of North Wildwood and Surrounding Towns:
As you are aware, I, Ryan Fitzpatrick,
am the owner 301 New York Avenue, formerly the North Shore Bar & Kitchen.

I am currently engaged in litigation with the City of North Wildwood and
City Official Daniel Speigel as well as
on-going litigation with
Plaza “Construction”, Ruben Plaza,
and Joseph Affet III

My complaint against the City of North Wildwood, as well as Construction Official Daniel Speigel, was filed on December 9, 2025 (attached).

https://pdflink.to/north_shore_bar_kitchen_v_city_of_north_wildwood_and_daniel_speigel/

Four months have now passed, and counsel for the City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel have yet to file a response to my formal complaint, which was returnable on February 6, 2026. Mr. Speigel and the City are in default of their obligation to respond.

As a result, I have since been awarded a default judgment against both the
City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel personally, and am seeking post judgment discovery documents from the City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel, respectively -including asset information for both the City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel’s financial holdings. The returnable date for discovery regarding the City of North Wildwood’s and Mr. Speigel’s financial holdings was April 13, 2026, as a result the City of North Wildwood is now in default of that obligation. We have engaged opposing counsel this morning in a good faith effort to obtain the documents we are entitled to. If those documents are not produced in a reasonable and timely manner we will be filing a motion for contempt.

After a long-awaited review of the complaint filed on my behalf, along with all of its supporting exhibits, the City of North Wildwood and Daniel Speigel, through their counsel, engaged my counsel in an effort to settle the matter, forgoing trial proceedings and further public scrutiny.

In January 2026 ,the City requested my demand for settlement, which was provided shortly thereafter. Since then, we have been engaged in purported settlement discussions at the city’s request-My demand for settlement was backed by third party expert financial reports as well as business tax returns demonstrating millions of dollars in losses in relation to the matters being litigated. All tax returns and financial reports were provided to the City’s counsel to support the monetary demand.

A short time after reviewing my demand for settlement and supporting documentation, the City once again engaged my counsel—not with a counteroffer to the monetary settlement demand, but rather with a counterproposal regarding the structure of the monetary settlement. We reiterated to opposing counsel that my position on the monetary demand is non-negotiable and not open for discussion but we agreed to review any proposed alternative structure, provided that we were afforded the opportunity to review specifically requested documentation.

The documentation we requested, for reasons unknown to us, was never provided. Instead, what was provided were numerous alternatives regarding the structure of the settlement.

Over the course of the last two months, we have had near daily communication with the City’s attorney, and our position remains the same. I am extremely confident in both the evidence and my position in this matter. The City cannot dispute the exhibits that support the complaint, and I am fully prepared to
continue bringing additional evidence forward and taking this matter as far as the City forces it to go. I have nothing more to lose by continuing to press forward—the City does.

On the other hand, as this matter progresses toward trial, the City of North Wildwood will only become more exposed. As facts emerge and truths come to light, the City will be placed in an increasingly vulnerable position with respect to additional lawsuits.
Mr. Speigel is personally named in this complaint and faces the same reality—only downside—as evidenced by me now holding lien positions on his personal real estate assets.

The alternative is straightforward:
The City of North Wildwood concedes that I was wronged, accepts responsibility, and acknowledges that its actions have cost me millions of dollars in documented revenue, millions of dollars in documented net profits, my family’s business, and the brand I built.

As a direct result, I am now faced with the reality of potentially having to sell the North Shore property for pennies on the dollar while undertaking the daunting task of rebuilding the financial future my wife and I worked so tirelessly to create. This was not simply a business—it was intended to be part of our family legacy, which cannot possibly be quantified in dollars.

As a result of the City of North Wildwood’s request for a settlement demand, followed by months of proposed alternative structures and indecision, it is now my intention to move aggressively forward in enforcing my legal rights.

While navigating the litigation process against Plaza “Construction”,
Ruben Plaza, Joseph Affet III, the City of North Wildwood, and City Official-
Daniel Speigel, my counsel and I have determined—based on the facts of this case, as well as the personal, business and political relationships intertwined with City Officials, Attorney’s, Judge’s and City Solicitors within the City of North Wildwood and the County of
Cape May tasked with adjudicating these matters—that it is both necessary and appropriate to seek the recusal of the Honorable Judge Pickering (attached) from both of the formal complaints filed on my behalf.

https://online.fliphtml5.com/zhsjq/Recusal-Notice/

https://online.fliphtml5.com/zhsjq/Recusal-Motion/

This decision is not made lightly, nor is it intended to suggest any wrongdoing. Rather, it reflects the serious and unavoidable concerns created by the circumstances surrounding these cases where such interconnected relationships exist, even the appearance of potential influence must be addressed proactively to ensure that these proceedings remain beyond reproach.

This step is being taken to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process and to reinforce public confidence that justice will be administered fairly, transparently, and without influence.

We are also in the process of seeking a transfer of the venue for the case against the City of North Wildwood. Again, given the close personal, business, political and financial ties that exist in Cape May County and specifically in North Wildwood, we believe that the only way to obtain justice and for the public to be convinced that justice has been served is to transfer the case outside of the Cape May County jurisdiction. Once again, this is not meant to imply wrong-doing -but only to make sure that any verdict is free from even the appearance of impropriety.

Cape May County Commissioner Patrick Rosenello

Cape May County Prosecuter's office

We will continue to keep the public updated on the status of this matter and its enforcement.

Sincerely,
Ryan M. Fitzpatrick