Jack Sinagra

Jack G. Sinagra (March 18, 1950 – August 26, 2013) was an American Republican Party politician who was the mayor of East Brunswick, New Jersey, and served in the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2001, where he represented the 18th Legislative District.

Jack Sinagra
Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
In office
December 13, 2001 – April 11, 2003
Preceded byLewis Eisenberg
Succeeded byAnthony R. Coscia
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 18th district
In office
January 12, 1992 – October 23, 2001
Preceded byThomas H. Paterniti
Succeeded byDavid Himelman
Mayor of East Brunswick
In office
1989–1991
Preceded byWilliam Fox
Succeeded byIra Oskowsky
Personal details
Born(1950-03-18)March 18, 1950
Queens, New York City
DiedAugust 26, 2013(2013-08-26) (aged 63)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEileen
ResidenceEast Brunswick, New Jersey
Alma materCollege of Emporia
OccupationAttorney

Biography

Born in Queens, New York City, Sinagra graduated from Bayside High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Emporia in 1972, where he majored in Accounting.[1] A Senior Vice President (and later President) with the firm of Turtle and Hughes, Sinagra was elected to the East Brunswick Township Council in 1987 and was the township's mayor from 1989 to 1991.[2]

During his mayoral tenure, East Brunswick Township's Council passed an ordinance forbidding cigarette vending machines effective January 1, 1991, making it the first municipality in the state to impose such a ban in the face of opposition from companies that supplied the machines to local establishments which planned to pose legal challenges to the township's ordinance.[3]

Sinagra first won election to the New Jersey Senate in 1991, when he defeated Democrat Harry S. Pozycki by a 53.5%-46.5% margin. Sinagra won re-election in 1993 by a 58.2%-39.8% margin over Democrat Samuel V. Convery, Jr. and again in 1997 by a 58.5%-41.5% margin over former Senator Thomas H. Paterniti.[4] He served in the Senate as Chair of the Health Committee and on the Commerce Committee.[2]

Fulfilling a campaign pledge that he had made when first running for the New Jersey Legislature, Sinagra sponsored a bill passed by the State Senate in 1992 that would ban the practice of double dipping, in which elected officials served in more than one elected position simultaneously.[5] The Senate passed legislation in May 1998 that had been sponsored by Sinagra, which required the installation of shock absorbing material around all equipment at all public and private playgrounds within five years and would require all wood or metal swing seats to be replaced with plastic within 15 years.[6]

After Lewis M. Eisenberg left his post as Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in September 2001, Sinagra was nominated by Acting Governor of New Jersey Donald DiFrancesco as his replacement.[7] He was confirmed as a commissioner and resigned his Senate seat on October 23, 2001.[8] The Port Authority's Board of Commissioners elected Sinagra as the agency's Chairman in December 2001.[9]

A resident of New York City, Sinagra died on August 26, 2013, from undisclosed causes at the age of 63.[10]

References
  1. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, p. 227. E. J. Mullin, 2001. Accessed December 21, 2022. "Senator Sinagra was born in Queens, N.Y., March 18, 1950. He attended Bayside High School there, and received a bachelor's degree from the College of Emporia in 1972."
  2. "Jack Sinagra". Archived from the original on February 25, 1998. Retrieved 2017-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), New Jersey Legislature; accessed May 30, 2010.
  3. Parisi, Albert J. "East Brunswick Journal; Ban on Cigarette Vending Machines Encounters Opposition", The New York Times, August 5, 1990; accessed May 30, 2010.
  4. "NJ Election Information and Results Archive". Secretary of State of New Jersey. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  5. Strum, Charles. "New Jersey Politicians Serve Public, Twice", The New York Times, December 27, 1992; accessed May 30, 2010.
  6. Staff. "Metro News Briefs: New Jersey; Playground Bill Requires Safety Changes in 5 Years", The New York Times, May 19, 1998; accessed May 30, 2010.
  7. Smothers, Ronald. "Port Chairman Likely to Lead Sports Agency", The New York Times, September 6, 2001.
  8. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey - Two Hundred and Eleventh Legislature (First Session) (PDF). Skinder-Strauss Associates. 2004. p. 311. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  9. "Former New Jersey State Senator Jack G. Sinagra elected Chairman of Port Authority Board" Archived 2017-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey press release dated December 13, 2001. Accessed May 30, 2010.
  10. Epstein, Sue; Haydon, Tom. "Longtime Middlesex County state senator Jack Sinagra dead at 63", The Star-Ledger, August 26, 2013. Accessed August 26, 2013.
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