After A Tough Year, Morris County Santa Brings Christmas Cheer

MADISON, NJ — There used to be a more clean-shaven George Ubertaccio, but he grew too much into the role of Madison's Santa Claus. Ubertaccio felt reluctant about taking the role about 12 years ago, but later it became his full-year persona.

Thousands of kids typically sit on Ubertaccio's lap each year. Outside of the holiday season, he maintains the full beard. The story goes that Ubertaccio is Santa's twin brother, and he's the reason why Santa Claus comes to Madison every year.

People used to find Santa's "twin brother" at the Hava G'Day Cafe inside Madison's train station. But he shuttered the location because of financial challenges associated with the coronavirus.

COVID-19 changed everything for Ubertaccio, and for Santa Claus.

"Unfortunately, business, there is none," Ubertaccio told Patch. "March 20th of this year, I closed down my coffee shop because no one was taking the train."

Becoming Santa

The Borough of Madison's previous Santa Claus got sick and couldn't fulfill the role one year. Madison had an opening for a new Kris Kringle, and Ubertaccio's wife's friend thought he'd suit the role.

"At first, I was reluctant," he said. "But then — my children have grown up, but I remember the twinkle in their eye from the magic of Christmas. So I said I would do it."

He received a Santa suit, but he wasn't a fan. The sleeves were too short, and it didn't even come with boots — just covers to put over his shoes. Ubertaccio wanted to go all out, so he bought his own authentic outfit.

The buzz grew every year about Santa's annual visits to Madison. Thousands of children have visited him.

"Throughout the years, flocks of visitors throughout New Jersey and New York travel to Madison just to see him," said Mayor Robert H. Conley. "His sense of magic is exemplified in the number of visitors he sees yearly."

The Coronavirus Hits

Traveling from the North Pole to Madison is a tough journey. It may require transferring from the Polar Express to New Jersey Transit. But no matter the destination, people coming from and going to the Madison train station would see Ubertaccio at Hava G'Day Cafe.

But once the first wave of the coronavirus hit New Jersey, Ubertaccio temporarily closed his shop. By the end of March, NJ Transit locked down the train station.
After about six weeks, he received an opportunity from Tushar Patel, the owner of Harvest Bistro on Main Street. Ubertaccio set up the cafe outside the restaurant during the summer.

On Main Street, it took Ubertaccio four or five days to earn what he made in a typical pre-COVID day at the train station. But it helped him for the time being.
The train station reopened after Labor Day, but barely anyone used the facility. The parking lot would only have about six or eight cars of commuters.

"There's no business," he said. "But believe me when I tell you that New Jersey Transit sends me a monthly rent bill, which obviously I'm in no position to pay."

Other train-station businesses like Ubertaccio's hadn't reopened. Even the cafe's loyal customers said if they ever returned to taking the train, they'd probably only do it once or twice per week.

February would have marked Hava G'Day Cafe's 14th anniversary. But if the shop has a future, it's not in the train station. Ubertaccio closed it Nov. 6.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Ubertaccio knows plenty of other people who play Santa Claus, and not all of them will fill Saint Nick's shoes this year.

"I belong to a few different associations, and a lot of Santa's are not doing it this year because of their own physical conditions or their own safety," he said. "I didn't know if Madison would continue with it, just because of the way things are in our state."

He wasn't sure if Madison would put on its annual holiday activities either, but the borough found a way.

Ubertaccio will lead Operation Santa Claus on Friday, when the Madison Police and Fire Departments will take him around town. Kids can wave to Santa from a safe distance as he journeys down the Madison streets.

Santa Claus has also been available for pictures. Although kids can't sit on his lap, families can make reservations with Boxcar for $20. Madison residents have exclusive access to Santa through Thanksgiving, before every kid can see him.

But there's another important aspect of Ubertaccio's Santa experience: his home visits. But he provided parents with an alternative.

Santa Claus will send a video call to parents so he can chat with their children. As the call ends, he will tell them he couldn't come inside but he stopped at their house and to look outside for presents.

Once the child looks outside, their parent will have left presents from Santa at their doorstep.

Ubertaccio had a difficult year, and so have many others. So he thought it was important to bring Christmas cheer back to Madison.

"A lot of children didn't do Halloween," Ubertaccio said. "We're being told not to get in large gatherings for Thanksgiving. For the kids, to see Santa coming around every street in town will be very nice. That's just a glimpse of him, but at least they know that he's around."

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to josh.bakan@patch.com.