Nelson Stamler
| Nelson F. Stamler | |
|---|---|
 |
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| New Jersey State Senator | |
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In office November 1962 – December 1967 |
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| Preceded by | Robert C. Crane |
| Succeeded by | Matthew J. Rinaldo |
| New Jersey Assemblyman | |
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In office January 1960 – November 1962 |
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| Preceded by | George M. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Frank X. McDermott |
| Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey | |
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In office 1947–1963 |
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| Succeeded by | Albert M. Ash, Edward Gaulkin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 4, 1909 Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Died | April 11, 1972 (aged 62) Montego Bay, Jamaica |
| Spouse(s) | Gertrude Aronowitz, Barbara Weinberg Cohen (1968-1972) |
| Relations | Judge Joseph Stamler (Brother) Millicent Metzger (Sister) |
| Children | John H. Stamler, Nancy Stamler, Judy Stamler |
Nelson Frank Stamler (May 4, 1909 – April 11, 1972) was an American Republican Party politician, prosecutor and judge. He won considerable fame in the 1950s as a racket-busting Deputy state Attorney General who waged a war on illegal gambling operations. His work was also controversial, and eventually terminated by the state Attorney General. He later won elections to the State Assembly and State Senate, and served as a Superior Court Judge.
Stamler was born on May 4, 1909 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the son of Samuel Stamler and Jeanette Frank Stamler, both Austrian immigrants. He had a sister, Millicent, and a brother, Joseph Stamler, who served as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He attended Battin High School in Elizabeth. He was a 1932 graduate of the University of West Virginia, where he was a member of a Jewish fraternity, Phi Sigma Delta. He received his law degree from Rutgers University Law School in 1933. He married Gertrude Aronwitz on June 3, 1933 in New York City; they remained married until her death in 1966. They had three children: John H. Stamler, who later served as the Union County Prosecutor; Jane and Nancy. His second wife, Barbara, survived him.
From 1933 to 1947, and again from 1953 to 1967, Stamler practiced law in Elizabeth.
In 1947, Governor Alfred E. Driscoll appointed him to serve as Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey, working under Attorney General Walter D. Van Riper. He became well known as a "racket buster" in the 1950s when he led a war on illegal gambling operations. He won over 40 convictions and led hundreds of raids throughout the state. He was a strong advocate of wiretapping by law enforcement, especially as a means to fight illegal gambling operations.
Harold John Adonis, a former aide to Gov. Driscoll, was accused of taking a $228,000 bribe to provide "state protection" for several gamblers, including Willie Moretti, who was murdered in Cliffside Park. Driscoll fired him in 1949, and Adonis fled to The Netherlands forcing New Jersey law enforcement officials to initiate extradition proceedings. Stamler said that Adonis, in a letter to him, identified others connected to the alleged bribe. Stamler was fired the following day.
On January 27, 1953, Attorney General Theodore D. Parsons fired Stamler for "irresponsible and insubordinate actions."
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Wikipedia