Joseph A. Maressa Sr. (October 17, 1923 – October 30, 2012) was an American lawyer and
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
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politician who was elected to serve three terms in the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...
, representing Legislative District 3B for his first two years and the 4th Legislative District for the remainder of his service in elected office. First elected to office in 1972, Maressa decided against running for office for a fourth term in 1982 after accepting a bribe to aid an Arab sheikh from an undercover FBI agent acting as part of the Abscam
sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an undercover law enforcement officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a role a ...
, though Maressa claimed that he had accepted the $10,000 as part of his patriotic efforts as an American to bring oil money back to the United States.
Personal life
Born in
Camden, New Jersey
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...
, on October 17, 1923, Maressa was one of eight children born to parents who had emigrated to the United States from Sicily. He graduated from Camden High School in 1942 and enlisted with the United States Navy during World War II, with which he served in the Pacific Theater of Operations on deep sea mine disposal and was commissioned as a lieutenant. He received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Temple University in 1947. Unsuccessful in his aspirations to become an agent with the FBI, Maressa became a trooper with the
New Jersey State Police
The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors.
History
As with other state police organization ...
. In 1952, Maressa received his law degree from Rutgers School of Law–Camden, having attended night school. He began the practice of law in
Berlin, New Jersey
Berlin is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 7,588,"Joseph A. Maressa, 89, former state Senator" '' The Philadelphia Inquirer'', November 1, 2012. Accessed September 26, 2016.
During a 35-year span in which he served on the board of trustees and board and directors of the Kennedy Health System and Kennedy University Hospitals, Maressa played a pivotal role in the hospital's expansion through its acquisition of hospitals in Cherry Hill and the Turnersville section of Washington Township, earning recognition for his efforts by both the American Osteopathic Healthcare Association and the New Jersey Hospital Association.
A resident of the Atco neighborhood of Waterford Township, New Jersey, Maressa died at the age of 89 on October 30, 2012, at Virtua West Jersey Hospital in Berlin.
Public service
In the 1971 general election, Maressa was elected to represent District 3B of the New Jersey Senate, one of four representatives from the 3rd Legislative District, which was further divided into four subdistricts (Districts 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D); District 3B included portions of
Camden
Camden may refer to:
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* Camden (surname), a surname of English origin
* Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer
* Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor
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* Camden, New South Wales
* Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
decision in ''
Reynolds v. Sims
''Reynolds v. Sims'', 377 U.S. 533 (1964), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that the electoral districts of state legislative chambers must be roughly equal in population. Along with ''Baker v. Carr'' (196 ...
Burlington County
Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) was a state-run health sciences institution of New Jersey, United States.
It was founded as the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry in 1954, and by the 1980s was both a major ...
Stratford, New Jersey
Stratford is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2010 census, the borough's population was 7,040,South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...
. In the Senate, Maressa served on the Judiciary Committee and was Majority Whip.
With Burlington County removed from the 4th District and portions of Atlantic County added in redistricting following the
1980 United States census
The United States census of 1980, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 census. It was th ...
, Maressa decided against running for re-election and was succeeded by Daniel Dalton, who defeated
Kenneth A. Gewertz
Kenneth A. Gewertz (December 1, 1934 – December 12, 2006) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as mayor of Deptford Township, New Jersey, and in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1980. His advocacy efforts on behalf ...
New Jersey Department of State
The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...
New Jersey Department of State
The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...
Division of Elections. Accessed September 26, 2016.
Abscam
In 1980, Maressa accepted $10,000 from a group of FBI agents who were part of the Abscam undercover operation. The money was given to Maressa to obtain his support on behalf of a fictitious Arab sheikh in exchange for Maressa's efforts to get legislative support to obtain a gambling license for a casino in
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
. Maressa justified accepting what he described as legal fees, saying that "I felt like it would be patriotic to take some of this OPEC oil money and get it back to the United States".Morehouse III, Ward Abscam' fallout: Atlantic City casinos" '' The Christian Science Monitor'', February 6, 1980. Accessed September 26, 2016. "Mr. Maressa has admitted to several newspapers that he received $10,000 in 'legal fees' from FBI undercover agents acting in behalf of a nonexistent Arab businessman seeking help in obtaining a casino license". The New York Daily News Feb 5 quoted Mr. Maressa as saying, 'the Arabian Nights portrait these two agents painted was such that I felt like it would be patriotic to take some of this OPEC oil money and get it back to the United States. Maressa wasn't prosecuted for his actions.