Helen Bucco, the mother of Senate Minority Leader Anthony M. Bucco and the wife of the late State Sen. Anthony R. Bucco (R-Boonton), died last night. She was 86.
She married Anthony R. Bucco on April 12, 1959. Prior to her marriage, she worked at Boonton Handbag Company.
Bucco grew up in Boonton, where her father, Russell Jayne, an immigrant from Wales, was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 730.
Her late husband had been a fixture in politics for more than 40 years, since winning a seat on the Boonton Board of Alderman in 1977. He served as mayor, Morris County freeholder, and assemblyman before ousting State Sen. Gordon MacInnes (D-Morris Township) in 1997. She had been part of all his campaigns. Anthony R. Bucco died on September 16, 2019, after suffering a massive heart attack.
In addition to her son, Bucco is survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are pending.