Anthony Vainieri, former assemblyman, dies at 98

Former Assemblyman Anthony P. Vainieri, Jr., a former Democratic assemblyman from Hudson County and a prominent funeral home owner from North Bergen, died on January 21.  He was 98.

He was the father of Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood), who served sixteen years as an assemblywoman from Bergen County, and Anthony Vainieri, Jr., a North Bergen town commissioner.

As a lawmaker, Vainieri served on the Assembly Aging and County Government committees.  He was a staunch advocate for environmental protection during the massive development along the Hudson River in the 1980s. He pushed for the state Department of Environmental Protection to become involved in local cleanup of polluted properties in Hudson County.  He also fought New Jersey Transit to protect bus commuters from North Bergen.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Vainieri was elected to the North Bergen Board of Commissioners in 1971 on a “Spirit of ‘71” slate headed by Peter Mocco; that race led to the defeat of Mayor Angelo Sarubbi.  Vainieri finished third in the field of twenty candidates for five seats and became public safety commissioner.

He did not seek re-election in 1975 and lost a bid for town commissioner in 1980 when voters recalled four incumbents but not the mayor, Anthony DeVincent.

In 1983, Vainieri and former Jersey City Council President Paul Cuprowski ran for the State Assembly in the 32nd legislative district on a slate backed by Jersey City Mayor Gerald McCann that included State Sen. Thomas Cowan (D-Jersey City).  They defeated incumbent Assemblyman Robert Janiszewski (D-Jersey City) and Theodore DiGiammo, a North Bergen school board member.

Cuprowski (15,540) and Vainieri (15,077) beat Janiszewski (12,129) and DiGiammo (11,010); in that primary, Cowan defeated former Jersey City Councilman (and future mayor) Anthony Cucci, who led the Janiszewski/DiGiammo slate, 15,920 to 11,672.

In 1985, with popular Republican Gov. Thomas Kean on the ticket, Vainieri and Cuprowski lost their bids for re-election to Republicans Frank Gargiulo (R-North Bergen) and Charles Catrillo (R-Jersey City).  Republicans won four Hudson Assembly seats on Kean’s coattails that year; Jose Arango (R-West New York) and Ronald Dario (R-Union City) in the 33rd district were the others.  These were the first Republicans elected to the legislature from Hudson County since 1920 – and the last.

Gargiulo (25,179) and Catrillo (24,798) upset Cuprowski (21,018) and Vainieri (19,977).

Vainieri’s wife of nearly 65 years, Natalie, died in 2018.  Their four children and grandchildren survive them, as does his son-in-law, former Englewood Mayor Frank Huttle.