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John A. Villapiano
Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders
In office
1987 – September 28, 1988
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 11th Legislative District
In office
September 29, 1988 – January 7, 1992
Preceded byAnthony M. Villane
Succeeded bySteve Corodemus and Thomas S. Smith
Personal details
Born (1951-11-17) November 17, 1951 (age 72)
Long Branch, New Jersey
Political partyDemocratic
SpousePatricia McMahon
Childrentwo daughters and two sons
ResidenceOcean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Alma materBowling Green State University
OccupationOwner of preschool / camp

John A. Villapiano (born November 17, 1951) is an American former professional football player who played in the World Football League and a Democratic Party politician who served on the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey General Assembly from 1988 to 1992.

Early life and education

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Born in Long Branch, New Jersey on November 17, 1951, Villapiano is the younger brother of Phil Villapiano, who played for 13 seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills. Raised in Ocean Township, he attended Ocean Township High School. Like his older brother, he played for the Bowling Green Falcons football team as its captain, graduating in 1974.[1]

Villapiano played as a linebacker in the World Football League in 1974 and 1975 for the Houston Texans / Shreveport Steamer.[2] For the 1974 season, Pro Football Weekly named Villapiano to its WFL All-League Team.[3] In 1975, Villapiano told the Asbury Park Press that he was still owed more than $11,000 by the World Football League and hadn't been paid for his last six weeks of play, but that he stayed on the field so that he "wouldn't breach my contract."[4]

Married to Patricia McMahon, with four children, Villapiano has been the director and co-owner of a family-owned preschool and day camp in Long Branch.[1] Seashore Day Camp & School, was founded in 1926 and describes itself as the state's first day camp.[5]

Government service

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After serving on the Ocean Township Planning Board in 1978 and 1979, Villapiano was elected to the Ocean Township Council, serving from 1979 to 1987. Villapiano was elected to the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1987, where he advocated for establishment of the county's first shelter for homeless families.[1]

Anthony M. Villane resigned from his seat representing the 11th Legislative District of the New Jersey General Assembly on July 11, 1988, after being confirmed to serve as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.[6] Villapiano defeated Villane's son Thomas in a September 15, 1988, special election to fill the vacant seat, and was sworn into office on September 28, 1988, cutting the Republican majority in the Assembly to 41–39.[7][8] The special election was the last one before the passage of an amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution that allows the political party of a departing elected official to select a replacement.[1] Villapiano and running mate Daniel P. Jacobson, a 27-year-old Township Council member in Ocean Township, were elected to full two-year terms in the Assembly in the November 1989 general election, while Republican Joseph A. Palaia defeated Democratic incumbent John D'Amico, Jr. for the seat in the New Jersey Senate.[1][9] As a member of the Assembly, Villapiano served as a member of the Appropriations Committee and advocated for beach replenishment on the Jersey Shore and expansion of the state's Urban Enterprise Zone program.

As part of the Republican Party landslide in the 1991 general election as a backlash against Governor James Florio's tax increases, Villapiano and Jacobson lost their re-election bid and were replaced in the Assembly by Steve Corodemus and Thomas S. Smith.[10] In his book How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative, Allen Raymond described his involvement in the 1991 race on behalf of the campaign committee of Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian, creating advertisements falsely implying that Villapiano had awarded himself bonuses after laying off dozens of employees at his day camp, and another piece that charged that Jacobson and Villapiano had been involved with crooked real estate deals.[11] In the 1993 general election, Jacobson and Villapiano ran again for Assembly, losing again to Corodemus and Smith.[12]

In March 2007, Villapiano announced that he would run as a Democrat to fill the New Jersey Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Republican Joseph A. Palaia.[13] In the November 2007 general election, Republican Sean T. Kean won the seat by a 28,249 to 16,314 margin.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Staff. Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual, 1988, p. 245. Accessed September 3, 2016.
  2. ^ John Villapiano, World Football League Players. Accessed September 3, 2016.
  3. ^ 1974 All-Stars and Stat Leaders, World Football League. Accessed September 4, 2016.
  4. ^ Staff. "Businessman Role Suits John Villapiano", Asbury Park Press, October 6, 1975. Accessed September 4, 2016. "Villapiano claims the World Football League still owes him $11,435, of which he has yet to be paid a penny and is thus contemplating legal action."
  5. ^ About Seashore, Seashore Day Camp & School. Accessed September 3, 2016.
  6. ^ Ben-Joseph, Robin. "Kean nominates Villane to Cabinet", Red Bank Register, July 8, 1988. Accessed September 1, 2016.
  7. ^ via Associated Press. "G.O.P. Assembly Edge Shrinks", The New York Times, September 30, 1988. Accessed September 1, 2016. "The Republican advantage in the Assembly narrowed to two today, when John Villapiano was sworn in to succeed Anthony Villane, who joined the Kean administration. Mr. Villapiano, 36 years old, won a special election Sept. 15 to represent the 11th District in Monmouth County."
  8. ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. "Two House Races Drawing Notice", The New York Times, October 9, 1988. Accessed September 1, 2016. "Mr. Pallone sees a good omen in last month's victory by John Villapiano, a Democrat, in a special State Assembly election to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of the Republican legislator, Anthony M. Villane of Long Branch, who became the new State Commissioner of Community Affairs. Mr. Villapiano defeated Thomas Villane, the former lawmaker's son."
  9. ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. "Rising Taxes Are Issue In Jersey Shore District", The New York Times, October 9, 1989. Accessed September 3, 2016. "The Democratic ticket is headed by John D'Amico, a former Oceanport Councilman and Monmouth County Freeholder who was appointed to fill the Senate vacancy left by Mr. Pallone. The Assembly candidates are an incumbent, John A. Villapiano, 38, a former County Freeholder who won a special election to fill an Assembly vacancy in September 1988, and Daniel P. Jacobson, 27, an Ocean Township Councilman."
  10. ^ Edge, Wally "The Villapiano/D'Amico reunion", New York Observer, August 28, 2007. Accessed September 3, 2016. "But by 1991, even the Villapiano name couldn't protect him from the wrath of voters angry with Governor Jim Florio's $2.8 billion tax increase. Villapiano and Jacobson were tossed out of office, replaced by Republicans Steven Corodemus and Thomas Smith."
  11. ^ Raymond, Allen; with Spieglman, Ian. How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative, p. 37. Simon and Schuster, 2008. ISBN 9781416552222. Accessed September 3, 2016.
  12. ^ 1993 NJ General Assembly 11, Our Campaigns. Accessed September 3, 2016.
  13. ^ Staff. "Villapiano will run for Senate in 11th District", HUB News, March 1, 2007. Accessed September 2, 2016. "Villapiano, a Democrat and former state Assemblyman, county freeholder and Ocean Township councilman, will seek the seat being vacated by state Sen. Joseph Palaia (R-11), who is retiring.... In November, he will be up against Assemblyman Sean Kean (R-11) who has announced his intention to run for the Senate."
  14. ^ Staff. "Sean Kean wins Senate seat in 11th District race", Atlanticville, November 21, 2007. Accessed September 2, 2016. "Sean T. Kean Kean, a Republican, won the 11th District state Senate seat in the Nov. 6 election, receiving 28,249 votes over Democratic candidate John Villapiano, who garnered 16,314 votes."
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