Ralph A. Villani (September 11, 1901 – February 28, 1974) served as

Mayor of Newark, New Jersey The mayor of Newark is the head of the executive branch of government of Newark, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint deputy mayors, department hea ...

from 1949 to 1953. To date he is the last elected mayor of Newark from the Republican party.

Biography

Villani was born in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey."Villani is Chosen as Newark Mayor; Five New Commissioners Take Oaths in City Hall -- Pledge Harmony in Government"
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The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', May 18, 1949. Accessed September 29, 2009. In 1953, a grand jury charged that Mayor Villani and other officials in the Department of Parks and Public Property, of which he served as director, had received money from employees "as salary kickbacks or payment for promotions.""Mayor of Newark Denies 'Kickbacks'; Villani Links Jury's Charges in Parks Department Case to His Bid for Re-Election"
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'', April 12, 1953. Accessed September 29, 2009. That May, Mayor Villani and fellow City Commissioner Stephen Moran lost their respective bids for re-election. Villani was replaced as mayor by independent candidate Leo P. Carlin."2 Insurgents Win in Newark Voting; Mayor Villani Is Defeated, as Is Stephen Moran -- Charter Proposal Endorsed 7 to 1"
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'', May 13, 1953. Accessed September 29, 2009. Villani died on February 28, 1974, after suffering a heart attack at his home. He was 72 years old.

References

1901 births 1974 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey American people of Italian descent Mayors of Newark, New Jersey Politicians from Elizabeth, New Jersey Members of the Municipal Council of Newark {{NewJersey-mayor-stub