Dominic Angelo Cavicchia (January 18, 1901 – August 18, 1983) 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 who served as Speaker of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

Early life

Cavicchia was born January 18, 1901, in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

and New Jersey Law School. His brother,

Peter Angelo Cavicchia Peter Angelo Cavicchia (May 22, 1879 – September 11, 1967) was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in the United States House of Representatives, where he represented Essex County, including The Oranges and ...

(1879-1967), served in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1931 to 1937 and was the first Italian American to represent New Jersey in Congress. During Peter Cavicchia's six years as a Congressman, Dominic Cavicchia took over his job as Essex County Supervisor of Transfer Inheritance Tax. Peter Cavicchia resumed his old job after his defeat in the 1936 election.

Political career

In 1938, Cavicchia was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly, representing Essex County. He was re-elected in 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943. He served as Assembly Majority Leader in 1943 and as Assembly Speaker in 1944. He spent four years as the leader of the Essex County delegation. He was a member of the New Jersey State Commission on Post War Economic Welfare. In 1939, he was a member of the Legislature's Joint Committee to Investigate the Administration of Emergency Relief. He was a member of the Joint Legislative Committee to Study New Jersey's Potable Water Problem in 1940, and in 1941 and 1942, he was a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Railroad Taxation. He served on the Joint Legislative Committee to hold public hearings on the revision of the

New Jersey Constitution The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the sta ...

. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1945. Among the Democrats Cavicchia defeated in the 1940 Assembly race was

Peter W. Rodino Peter Wallace Rodino Jr. (June 7, 1909 – May 7, 2005) was an American United States Democratic Party, Democratic politician. He represented parts of Newark, New Jersey and surrounding Essex County, New Jersey, Essex and Hudson County, New Jer ...

, who would later serve 40 years in Congress. In 1952, Governor

Alfred 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 ...

appointed Cavicchia to serve as Director of the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverages. He held that post until 1954 when the newly elected Democratic Governor,

Robert B. Meyner Robert Baumle Meyner (July 3, 1908 – May 27, 1990) was an American Democratic Party politician and attorney who served as the 44th governor of New Jersey from 1954 to 1962. Before being elected governor, Meyner represented Warren County in t ...

, replaced him with William Howe Davis.

Family and Retirement

Cavicchia was married to Marion D. Holgate (1902-1994) and had three children. Cavicchia was living in

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey Berkeley Heights is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. A commuter town in northern-central New Jersey, the township is nestled within the Raritan Valley region in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States ...

, at the time of his death on August 18, 1983.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavicchia, Dominic A. Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Politicians from Newark, New Jersey 1901 births 1983 deaths 20th-century American politicians