John Joseph Dickerson (August 2, 1900 – August 20, 1966) was an American

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who served as Mayor of Palisades Park, New Jersey and Chairman of the

New Jersey Republican State Committee The New Jersey Republican State Committee (NJGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Jersey. It was founded in 1880 and is currently led by Bob Hugin. Current leadership * Bob Hugin, Chairman * Lynda A. Pagliughli, Vi ...

Biography

Dickerson was a powerful leader of the

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the b ...

from 1940 to 1955, and its director for four years."John J. Dickerson, 66, Is Dead; Ex-Jersey Republican Chairman"
''

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'', August 22, 1966. Accessed March 29, 2008. In 1946 he managed the successful campaign of

Alfred E. Driscoll Alfred Eastlack Driscoll (October 25, 1902 – March 9, 1975) was an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate (1939–1941) representing Camden County, who served as the 43rd governor of New Jersey, and as ...

for

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official res ...

. After Driscoll's election he was named State Banking Commissioner. He also served briefly as state treasurer in 1949, but resigned when he was selected by Driscoll as chairman of the

. He also ran Driscoll's reelection campaign that year, while continuing to serve as mayor and freeholder."Jersey Political Change"
''

'', April 26, 1949. Accessed March 29, 2008. In an investigation into Bergen County corruption following the

Kefauver hearings The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was a special committee of the United States Senate which existed from 1950 to 1951 and which investigated organized crime which crossed state borders in the Un ...

, Dickerson testified that he had helped Democrat

John V. Kenny John Vincent Kenny (April 6, 1893 – June 2, 1975) was mayor of Jersey City from 1949 to 1953. Biography He was born on April 6, 1893. A former ward leader under longtime mayor Frank Hague, he broke with his mentor after Hague engineered t ...

in his 1949 campaign for mayor of

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

political machine of

Frank Hague Frank Hague (January 17, 1876 – January 1, 1956) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who served as the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947, Democratic National Committeeman from New Jerse ...

. After Kenny's win over Hague's nephew Frank H. Eggers in the Democratic primary, Kenny's Hudson County organization did not work hard for Democratic gubernatorial candidate

Elmer H. Wene Elmer Hartpence Wene (May 1, 1892 – January 25, 1957) was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1941 to 194 ...

, helping to ensure Driscoll's victory in the general election."Grapefruit in the Garden State"
''

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'', May 11, 1953. Accessed March 29, 2008. Dickerson further testified that the Republican State Committee had accepted a $25,000 "loan" from a friend of mob boss

Abner Zwillman Abner "Longie" Zwillman (July 27, 1904 – February 26, 1959) was a Jewish-American mobster who was based primarily in North Jersey. He was a long time friend and associate of mobsters Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Zwillman's criminal organi ...

and had kept no record of the cash repayment. Even more sensational was the claim by

Genovese Genovese is an Italian surname meaning, properly, someone from Genoa. Its Italian plural form '' Genovesi'' has also developed into a surname. People * Alfred Genovese (1931–2011), American oboist * Alfredo Genovese (born 1964), Argentine ar ...

underboss Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The underbo ...

Willie Moretti Guarino "Willie" Moretti (February 24, 1894 – October 4, 1951), also known as Willie Moore, was a notorious underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of the family boss Frank Costello. Criminal career Born Guarino Moretti in Bari, ...

, who ran gambling rings in Bergen County, that he had paid $286,000 to a

New Jersey State House The New Jersey State House is located in Trenton and is the capitol building for the U.S. state of New Jersey. Built in 1792, it is the third-oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States; only the Maryland State Capit ...

aide with the understanding that $190,000 of it would go to Governor Driscoll for protection from the state. Dickerson denied that there was such a bribe but acknowledged that Moretti visited his house in November 1950, along with his brother Salvatore and associate

Joe Adonis Joseph Anthony Doto (born Giuseppe Antonio Doto, ; November 22, 1902 – November 26, 1971), known as Joe Adonis, was an Italian-American mobster who was an important participant in the formation of the modern Cosa Nostra crime families in New Yo ...

. Moretti complained that he had received no protection as the result of the alleged bribe and warned Dickerson, "Tell the governor and the attorney general that I don't intend to take this laying down." Moretti was murdered the following year. Dickerson did not seek reelection as party chairman and was replaced in 1953 by Samuel L. Bodine. After an abortive run for mayor of Palisades Park in 1958, Dickerson retired from politics and pursued a business career as a New York real estate executive. He died at his home in Palisades Park in 1966 at the age of 66.

References

External links

Biographical information for John J. Dickerson
from

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickerson, John J. 1900 births 1966 deaths Chairmen of the New Jersey Republican State Committee Mayors of places in New Jersey County commissioners in New Jersey People from Palisades Park, New Jersey 20th-century American politicians Politicians from New York City