Thomas Vezzetti

Thomas R. Vezzetti (1928 – March 2, 1988) was the 33rd mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, and served as mayor from 1985 until his death in 1988. He fought against the gentrification of the city.[1][2]

Thomas R. Vezzetti
33rd Mayor of Hoboken
In office
1985–1988
Preceded bySteve Cappiello
Succeeded byPatrick Pasculli
Personal details
Born1928
Leadville, Colorado, U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 1988
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
ResidenceHoboken, New Jersey

Biography

Vezzetti was born in 1928 in Bradley Beach, New Jersey along with his twin sister, Louise. He said his father was a bootlegger who owned five saloons in New Jersey.[1]

In the 1985 Hoboken mayoral election, Thomas Vezzetti narrowly defeated Steve Cappiello, who had been the mayor of Hoboken since 1973. Vezzetti received 6,990 votes and Cappiello received 6,647 votes in the 1985 election, which put Vezzetti in the mayor's office. Capiello's support for gentrification and his attribution of several arsons to a purported tradition of Puerto Rican revenge burnings resulted in many Puerto Rican residents voting for Vezetti.[3]

The New York Daily News called Vezzetti "The Wackiest Mayor in America"[4] because of the odd things he did, like reporting a car stolen that ended up exactly where he had last parked it two months earlier. Vezzetti was known for eccentric behavior such as wearing mismatched shoes, and carrying all his belongings in two paper bags.[5]

On March 2, 1988, Vezzetti had a heart attack and died at Hoboken's St. Mary Hospital. He had never married.[1][6]

Legacy

Patrick Pasculli succeeded him as the Mayor of Hoboken.[6] A street is named after Vezzetti, which runs parallel to Observer Highway.

References
  1. "Thomas Vezzetti, 59, Hoboken Mayor, Dies". The New York Times. 1988-03-03. Retrieved 2009-09-01. Mayor Thomas Vezzetti, who fought against the gentrification of this Hudson River city, died early today of a heart attack. He was 59 years old. ...
  2. "Hoboken Offers A Plan To Curb Development". New York Times. Associated Press. September 29, 1985. Retrieved 2015-02-13. The plan introduced this week had been promised by Mayor Thomas R. Vezzetti, who pledged in the campaign that led to his June election to curb the development of luxury condominiums that he said had displaced low- and middle-income Hoboken residents. ...
  3. Christina A. Ziegler-McPherson (2011). Immigrants in Hoboken: One-Way Ticket, 1845-1985. The History Press. ISBN 9781625842152.
  4. Welch, Matt (2009-06-01). "Hiking in Hoboken: revolting property taxes". Reason.
  5. "Thomas Vezzetti, Colorful Mayor of Hoboken, N.J., Dies". Los Angeles Times. New York Times. 1988-03-03. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  6. "Some 'ego' or another will make it a race". The Jersey Journal. March 29, 1992. Retrieved 2009-09-01.


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