Governor of New Jersey Brendan Byrne signed into law a bill sponsored by Villane that specified a jail sentence of up to six months for those who "recklessly organizes" a hazing ritual that seriously injures a pledge as part of initiation practices.
[5] In an effort to prevent the dumping of garbage and medical waste that had washed ashore in New Jersey, leading to a drop in tourism, Villane and Assembly Speaker Chuck Hardwick co-sponsored a bill that passed the Assembly in February 1988 by a 72–1 margin allocating $1.5 million to be used to fund a blimp that would search for illegal ocean dumping along the Jersey Shore during the summer months.
[6] Despite what he described as a "giggle factor" in using a blimp, Villane advocated for the use of an airship as a more visible surveillance tool that could loiter for extended periods of time and use far less fuel than fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters.
[7] Following the death of Representative James J. Howard, Villane lost the June 1988 primary to Joseph Azzolina to fill the seat in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.
[10] In January 1990, Villane was named to serve as the New York / New Jersey regional administrator of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to succeed Joseph Monticciolo.