Donald Payne, a Democratic...

...congressman, died at age 77. Payne achieved his goal of becoming the first black congressman from New Jersey, despite the handicap of being born in a neighborhood called "Doodletown." 

Doodletown? A quick search of "List of neighborhoods in Newark, New Jersey" in Wikipedia makes no mention of such a place. Could the Times have meant "Weequahic," which only locals can pronounce? How about "Four Corners," or "Five Corners?" (That's all the corners they have.) Perhaps they meant "Ironbound," which sounds frighteningly like a jail? (Or do you prefer its more cuddly nickname, "Down Neck?") 

Down Neck, fans of The Sopranos will recall, was the boyhood home of the main character, Tony.