Dominic A. Cavicchia

Dominic Angelo Cavicchia (January 18, 1901 - August 18, 1983) was an American Republican Party politician who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.

Early life

Cavicchia was born January 18, 1901 in Newark, New Jersey. He was a 1919 graduate of East Side High School in Newark. He was a graduate of New York University and New Jersey Law School. His brother, Peter Angelo Cavicchia (1879-1967), served in the U.S. House of Representatives 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.^[1]

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. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1945.^[2] Among the Democrats Cavicchia defeated in the 1940 Assembly race was Peter W. Rodino, who would later serve 40 years in Congress.^[3]

In 1952, Governor Alfred Driscoll 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, replaced him with William Howe Davis. ^[4]

Family and Retirement

Cavicchia was married to Marion D. Holgate (1902-1994) and had three children. Cavicchia was living in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey at the time of his death on August 18, 1983.

References

Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly
Gardiner Fretwell Jennings T. Gordon Kay D. Coxe Kinsey Johnstone Trent Johnstone Kinsey, Jr. Bonnel A. Johnston Nevill Lawrence Nevill Charles Read Lawrence Nevill Ogden Skinner Crane Skinner Hart Camp Hornblower Meheim Harris Hendrickson Van Cleve Harris Van Cleve Beatty Dayton E. Elmer S. Condict E. Elmer Imlay S. Condict W. Coxe Dickerson W. Coxe P. Gordon Cox L. Condict Kennedy Pearson Bateman Pennington Clark E. Elmer D. Thompson L. Elmer D. Johnston Drake Ewing Wurts J. Jackson Ryall T. Haight L. Condict Stites Emley Halsey J. Taylor Van Wagenen Howell J. Evans Whelpley Nixon Phillips Huyler Fennimore Parry Demarest Dutcher Holsman Salter Patterson Teese C. Haight Crowell J.N. Taylor Crowell Hill Curtis A. Evans Abbett Condit Niles Fisher G. Hobart Vanderbilt Caracallen Rabe Egan S. Jackson Oviatt Van Duyne Dunn O'Connor Stoney Armstrong Baird Dickinson Hudspeth Heppenheimer Bergen Flynn Holt Cross DeRousse MacPherson Watkins B. Jones Bradley Horner Avis Robbins Lethbridge Jess Prince Ward Kenny McCran L.R. Taylor Beekman Godfrey Pilgrim Schoen Wolverton Pierson Glover G.S. Hobart Rowland W. Evans Eaton Powell Chandless Siracusa Hanson Gabrielson Knight Wise Greenberg Otto Pascoe Altman Clee Newcomb Walker De Voe Pascoe McClave Boswell Amlicke Cavicchia Hess W. Jones Leonard Brescher Mehorter Miller Fraser M. Thompson Cavinato Simmill Thomas Salsburg Mosch Mills Hyland Kurtz Brady D'Aloia Davis Matthews Beadleston Higgins Brady Hauser Halpin Smith Moraites Dickey Parker Kean Woodson LeFante Hamilton Jackman Karcher Hardwick Doria Haytaian Collins Sires Roberts Oliver Prieto