Angelo Errichetti
| Angelo Joseph Errichetti | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Camden, New Jersey | |
| In office 1973–1981 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph M. Nardi, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Melvin R. Primas |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
Angelo Joseph Errichetti (born 1928) is an American Democratic Party politician who served as Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, and in the New Jersey State Senate before being indicted during Abscam.[1]
[edit] Biography
Errichetti grew up in poverty in Camden, the sixth of seven children of an immigrant from Naples whose job was stoking coal. The 5-foot, 9-inch Errichetti was a football standout at Camden High School and briefly attended Rutgers University. After jobs in dry cleaning and insurance, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. He went into politics in 1961 as administrative assistant to Mayor Alfred Pierce and was named as Camden's purchasing agent and later as head of its Department of Public Works. He was first elected as Mayor in 1973 and was chosen in 1976 to fill a vacancy in the New Jersey Senate. In 1977 he was re-elected as mayor with 88% of the vote and won election to a full term in the Senate.[2]
As Mayor of Camden, Errichetti put in 12-hour days, working to improve the economy of the struggling city. He exercised substantial control over the city's operation, and he had submitted seven budgets without tax increases that were passed with little oversight, before the City Council first scheduled hearings for his budget submitted in 1980. Despite changes made by the Council, Errichetti was able to get his budget passed as is by a vote of 5–2. After his indictment, he emphatically denied the allegations filed against him and refused to consider demands that he resign from his two elected positions. His grip on local politics started to fade, with his three-member slate for the Camden Board of Education all losing in elections, though he was able to get all of his Democratic City Committee candidates elected in June 1980.[2]
In the Abscam case, Errichetti was charged with arranging for undercover agents to meet with several politicians who would end up accepting bribes to help use their influence on behalf of individuals posing as Arab investors, with Errichetti taking his share of the bribes. In 1981, despite his representation by attorney Raymond A. Brown,[3] Errichetti was convicted on the federal bribery charges, for which he served time in prison.[4] U.S. Senator Harrison A. Williams had claimed that he was improperly lured to accept bribes, to which Federal District Judge George C. Pratt responded that Williams had selected himself when he accepted Errichetti's offer to meet with the undercover agents and that it was Errichetti who was "standing in the center of a cesspool of corruption".[5]
In May 1981, Errichetti was indicted on charges of bribery related to federally subsidized sewer projects, in which Errichetti was said to have received $10,000 in cash to steer engineering projects.[6]
[edit] Position held
- Seaman, United States Coast Guard.
- City Purchasing Agent (1961–1965), Camden, New Jersey.
- Democratic Municipal Chairman (1965–1981), Camden, New Jersey.
- Mayor (1973–1981), Camden, New Jersey.
- State Senator (1976–1981), New Jersey (resigned after sentenced on bribery charges).
[edit] References
- ^ "Congressman, Mayor of Camden And 2 Indicted in Abscam Inquiry". New York Times. May 28, 1980. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60D12FF3B5C12728DDDA10A94DD405B8084F1D3. Retrieved 2011-10-10. "The indictment also charged Mayor Angelo J. Errichetti of Camden and two lawyers in Philadelphia, Howard L. Criden and Louis C. Johanson, with aiding and ..."
- ^ a b Janson, Donald. "It's Business as Usual; at Camden's City Hall", The New York Times, June 8, 1980. Accessed October 13, 2009.
- ^ Berger, Joseph. "Raymond A. Brown, Civil Rights Lawyer, Dies at 94", The New York Times, October 11, 2009. Accessed October 12, 2009.
- ^ Jury convicts Camden mayor of corruption, by Brendan Schurr, AP, December 22, 2001.
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. "ETHICS CHIEF SAYS ROLE OF WILLIAMS, NOT F.B.I., IS ISSUE", The New York Times, March 9, 1982. Accessed October 13, 2009.
- ^ Staff. "Errichetti Indicted In 2d Bribery Case", The New York Times, May 22, 1981. Accessed October 13, 2009.
