George Smathers Archives - New Jersey Globe

The ultimate name-calling speech

October 18, 2018 12:23 pm

The gold standard of name calling in American political campaigns came in a 1950 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Florida, where New Jersey-born Rep. George Smathers was running against incumbent Claude Pepper. The legendary “redneck speech” may never have...

New Jersey’s first Italian-American Speaker

October 8, 2018 9:44 amAugust 22, 2021 3:41 pm

One of the first Italian-born politicians to hold a major public office in New Jersey was Anthony Siracusa. Siracusa was born in Mesa, Italy in 1894, the son of naturalized Americans who were visiting Italy. His uncle was Anthony Ruffu,...