Peter Genova, former assemblyman, dies at 81

Peter J. Genova, a Republican who served in the New Jersey State Assembly for nearly five years, died on February 27 after an illness.  He was 81.

During his first months as a lawmaker, Genova sponsored a bill to change the name of Newark International Airport to New Jersey International Airport.  The move drew the ire of Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson and Councilman Sharpe James.  Gov. Thomas Kean, seeking re-election, opposed the idea, but State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth), backed the Genova bill because a third of the airport was actually in Elizabeth.

“Apparently, I hit a nerve somewhere,” Genova said.

He also fought for stronger restrictions on salad bars after watching customers put their fingers into containers, and in one case, sneeze on the food.  But lobbyists for the restaurant industry argued that there was no health risk and helped kill Genova’s plan.  As a compromise, Genova became the architect of a glass or plastic sneeze guard.

He was among those who made it out of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Genova became involved in local politics in Union Township in the 1970s.

He made his first bid for public office in 1980 as a candidate for the Union Township Committee.  He unseated the Democratic incumbent, Rev. E. James Roberts, by 106 votes, to give Republicans their first majority on the governing body since they lost in 1973 following the death of longtime Mayor F. Edward Biertuempfel.

Genova was re-elected three years later as the top vote-getter in a split contest.  Genova received 8,614 votes, and Democrat Michael Bono won his third term with 8,206.   Another Democrat, Robert Vreeland, finished third with 7,943, followed by Republican Arthur Kramer with 7,786.

After Assemblyman Edward Gill (R-Cranford) died on February 9, 1985, Republicans picked Genova to run in a March 26 special election to fill the vacant seat in the hugely competitive 21st legislative district.

The district went from Hillside to Cranford and Westfield, then GOP strongholds, and included Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Roselle, Roselle Park, Springfield and Union Township.  State Sen. C. Louis Bassano (R-Union Township) and Assembly Minority Leader Chuck Hardwick (R-Westfield) backed Genova in the special because of his strong base in Union Township.

At a special convention, Genova defeated Freeholder Edward Slomkowski (R-Union Township) and Judy Anderson, an aide to Hardwick.  Democrats nominated Springfield Democratic Municipal Chairman Michael Alper over Freeholder Brian Fahey and Kenilworth Mayor Livio Mancino.

Genova beat Alper by a 62%-38% margin in a race that drew a turnout of roughly 11% of the registered voters.  Low turnout in a string of free-standing special elections for the legislature in the 1980s led to a constitutional amendment that replaced those contests with appointments by the county committee of the party that held the seat.

Genova ran for a full two-year term in the 1985 general election, and with Kean winning re-election with a landslide 70%, Hardwick (36,474) and Genova (34,625) easily defeated Drew Ruotolo (20,526) and Mancino (18,408).  Ruotolo later became the Union County prosecutor.

Hardwick, then the Assembly Speaker, and Genova were re-elected in 1987; Hardwick (30,607) and Genova (28,317) defeated Fahey (22,871) and Robert Blitz (19,297), who worked on Gary Hart’s 1984 presidential campaign in New Jersey.

After Hardwick lost his bid for the Republican nomination for governor in 1989, Genova changed his mind about seeking re-election, and Hardwick decided to return to the Assembly.

A standout athlete at Clifford J. Scott High School in East Orange, Genova served in Italy and Crete before leaving the Air Force with the rank of staff sergeant.  He attended Seton Hall University and worked for Ford Motor Company in its export division.

Genova is survived by his former wife, Agnes, his three children, and six grandchildren.

Editor’s note: The New Jersey Globe was unaware of Genova’s passing in February and regrets the delay.