Cause of death Heart attack Spouse(s) Mary Titles Chairman Predecessor None Successor Walter Newton Read | Term 1977–1981 Political party Democratic Party Nationality American Name Joseph Lordi | |
Born June 28, 1919 ( 1919-06-28 ) Organization New Jersey Casino Control Commission Died October 21, 1983, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, United States | ||
Joseph P. Lordi (June 28, 1919 – October 21, 1983) was an American law enforcement official who served as the Essex County, New Jersey prosecutor and as the first Chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
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Lordi was a counterespionage agent for the Office of Strategic Services in Europe during World War II. He later graduated from Rutgers School of Law–Newark.
Legal career
Lordi served as Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey under Gov. Robert Meyner and was an Assistant Essex County Prosecutor from 1959 to 1964. Gov. Richard J. Hughes named him as Director of the New Jersey Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and in 1968 as the Essex County Prosecutor, replacing Brendan Byrne. He spent nine years in that post, where he grew in prominence for his prosecution of organized crime figures and corrupt public officials. Byrne named him as the Casino Control Commission Chairman in 1977. He served until 1981.
Family
Lordi's brother, James Lordi, served in the New Jersey General Assembly. His daughter, Linda Lordi Cavanaugh, served as an Essex County Freeholder.