Jack G. Sinagra (March 18, 1950 – August 26, 2013) was an American
Republican Party politician who was the mayor of
East Brunswick, New Jersey
East Brunswick is a Township (New Jersey), township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The suburban bedroom community is part of the New York metropolitan area and is located on the southern sho ...
, and served in the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...
from 1992 to 2001, where he represented the
18th Legislative District.
Biography
Born in
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, Sinagra graduated from
Bayside High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the
College of Emporia
The College of Emporia was a private college in Emporia, Kansas, from 1882 to 1974, and was associated with the Presbyterian church.
When founded, it was one of two higher education institutions in the city of Emporia; the other at that time was ...
in 1972, where he majored in Accounting. A Senior Vice President (and later President) with the firm of Turtle and Hughes, Sinagra was elected to the East Brunswick Township Council in 1987 and was the township's mayor from 1989 to 1991.
[, ]New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...
; accessed May 30, 2010.
During his mayoral tenure, East Brunswick Township's Council passed an ordinance forbidding
cigarette vending machines
A cigarette machine is a vending machine that dispenses packs of cigarettes in exchange for payment. Many modern cigarette machines require customers to swipe an identification card to prevent persons under the legal smoking age from purchasing ...
effective January 1, 1991, making it the first municipality in the state to impose such a ban in the face of opposition from companies that supplied the machines to local establishments which planned to pose legal challenges to the township's ordinance.
Sinagra first won election to the New Jersey Senate in 1991, when he defeated Democrat Harry S. Pozycki by a 53.5%-46.5% margin. Sinagra won re-election in 1993 by a 58.2%-39.8% margin over Democrat Samuel V. Convery, Jr. and again in 1997 by a 58.5%-41.5% margin over former Senator
Thomas H. Paterniti.
He served in the Senate as Chair of the Health Committee and on the Commerce Committee.
[
Fulfilling a campaign pledge that he had made when first running for the New Jersey Legislature, Sinagra sponsored a bill passed by the State Senate in 1992 that would ban the practice of ]double dipping
A dual mandate occurs when an official serves in or holds multiple public positions simultaneously. This practice is sometimes known as double jobbing in Britain, double-dipping in the United States, and ''cumul des mandats'' in France. Thus, if ...
, in which elected officials served in more than one elected position simultaneously. The Senate passed legislation in May 1998 that had been sponsored by Sinagra, which required the installation of shock absorbing material around all equipment at all public and private playgrounds within five years and would require all wood or metal swing seats to be replaced with plastic within 15 years.
After Lewis M. Eisenberg left his post as Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
in September 2001, Sinagra was nominated by Acting Governor of New Jersey Donald DiFrancesco
Donald Thomas DiFrancesco (born November 20, 1944) is a retired American politician who served as the 51st governor of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002. He succeeded Christine Todd Whitman after her resignation to become Administrator of the Enviro ...
as his replacement. He was confirmed as a commissioner and resigned his Senate seat on October 23, 2001.[Epstein, Sue; Haydon, Tom]
"Longtime Middlesex County state senator Jack Sinagra dead at 63"
''The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition.
In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...
'', August 26, 2013. Accessed August 26, 2013.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinagra, Jack G.
1950 births
2013 deaths
Bayside High School (Queens) alumni
Businesspeople from Middlesex County, New Jersey
College of Emporia alumni
Mayors of places in New Jersey
New Jersey city council members
Republican Party New Jersey state senators
People from East Brunswick, New Jersey
Politicians from Queens, New York
Politicians from Middlesex County, New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey people
Chairmen of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Place of death missing
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature
20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature