Arthur Wichert, a popular social studies teacher who served as mayor of Union City for four years between William Vincent Musto and Bob Menendez, died on Sunday. He was 87.
Brian P. Stack, the mayor of Union City since 2000, said Wichert was “a really good person with a kind heart.”
“He was a great guy,” said Stack, who worked at city hall as an aide to Wichert. “He really let me spread my wings when I worked for him.”
Wichert started out as a Union City Democratic ward leader in the 1970s as part of a political organization led by Musto, the longtime mayor and state senator. He served as an aide to Musto while teaching at Union Hill High School and was treasurer of Musto’s 1978 re-election campaign.
He later headed the city’s federally funded Comprehensive Employment and Training Act program, known in the 1970s as Manpower.
After Thomas Highton resigned as a Union City Commissioner to become the acting Superintendent of Schools in late 1978, Musto tapped Wichert to replace him as the public safety commissioner. Wichert took office in January 1979.
In a November 1979 special election for Highton’s unexpired term, Wichert defeated Joseph Bonacci, a Union City police union president and Musto critic, with 68% of the vote.
Musto continued his campaign for re-election in 1982 despite his indictment and conviction on federal racketeering, extortion, and fraud charges. One day after a federal judge sentenced him to seven years in prison, Union City voters re-elected Musto by more than 700 votes in the May non-partisan municipal election.
Wichert ran for re-election on the Musto ticket and won by about 800 votes against a rival slate that included Menendez, Highton, future mayor Bruce Walter, and Ronald Dario, who would later serve as an assemblyman. A third slate that included former Mayor William Meehan ran even further behind.
After a Superior Court judge removed Musto from office, Commissioner Robert Botti became mayor, and the council appointed Musto’s wife, Rhyta, to his city commissioner seat.
But Botti’s time in office was short-lived: he was convicted on federal charges of tax evasion, conspiracy, and mail fraud in December 1982. Musto picked Wichert to serve as the new mayor.
“He was the complete definition of loyalty,” Stack said. “Very loyal to the city of Union City, and also to Mayor Musto.”
Wichert did not seek re-election in 1986, an election that would ultimately see Menendez and his slate oust the Musto-allied slate, including Rhyta Musto.
He retired as a teacher in 2006 after 45 years in the classroom.
Wichert is survived by his wife of 62 years, Connie, his three children, and six grandchildren.
Visitation is scheduled for Friday from 3-8 PM at the Leber Funeral Home in Secaucus, and a funeral mass is set for 11:15 on Saturday morning at the S.S. Joseph and Michael Church in Union City.