Ron Porambo

Ronald Porambo was a journalist most well known for thoroughly covering the 1967 Newark riots. He authored the book No Cause For Indictment: An Autopsy of Newark, which exposed the role of police in the violence that occurred during the riots, which left 26 people dead. Porambo became passionate about revealing the depths of institutional racism and corruption of state and local governments of New Jersey.

After the publication of his book, Porambo begin in engaging in criminal activity such as robberies, and spent the last 20 years of his life in prison for murder.

Early life Ronald Porambo was born in East Orange, NJ, on Thanksgiving Day in 1938, to Millie and Frank Porambo. The Porambos owned Franchett's, a wholesale bakery, and Frank had invented and patented a cruller twister. The couple lived in many places as Porambo moved from job to job, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Porambo held jobs at the Newark Star-Ledger and the Elizabeth Daily Journal, they lived in Newark.

The book was divided up into 6 sections, each dedicated to major events precipitating the start of the riots. Porambo told the stories of the 26 people killed, using first-hand accounts that often contradicted official news reports released by law enforcement or the local media. A few days later, police tracked him down and arrested him, and Porambo was later found guilty of armed robbery. He remained in prison for 9 months before he was released and deported back to the United States.

Porambo disappeared for a few weeks, staying in southern New Jersey. He lived in fear that Davis' associates would come looking for him. However, Porambo soon returned to robbery. One month after the murder, Porambo robbed a major drug dealer named David Williams in a bold home invasion. Porambo turned over some of Williams' stolen jewelry to a dealer, who, realizing Williams would make a powerful enemy, contacted Williams to tell him how the robbery occurred. Journalist Bill Taylor, who worked with Porambo at the Toronto Star, wrote Porambo's obituary, which appeared in the Star on November 8.

A few months before his death, Porambo received a letter from an editor at Melville House, a small publisher, who had come across copy of Porambo's book. The editor was so impressed with the work that he wanted to return the book to print. With the assistance of another prisoner, Porambo returned a letter accepting the offer. The book was reissued in 2007 in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Newark riots. The publisher marketed the book to journalism schools as a foremost example of old-fashioned street reporting.