Discover Sensational Personalities from Throughout Garden State
History
New Jersey has long punched above its size in producing some of
America's leading figures, but for every household name are dozens of
unforgettable yet overlooked colorful characters. Jersey City's
treasurer, Alexander D. Hamilton, fled the state in 1894 with over one
hundred thousand dollars and was apprehended by a Jersey City police
sergeant after a stint with a band of outlaws in Mexico. Mary Teresa
Norton overcame prejudice to be elected the first woman from the state
to serve in Congress, becoming a powerful chair of three Congressional
Committees over five terms. Infamous Newark Gangster Abner Longie
Zwillmann ran gambling circles, labor rackets and prostitution rings
while hobnobbing with Joe DiMaggio and stuffing ballot boxes for local
politicians.
Joseph Bilby and Harry Ziegler present profiles of memorable characters
from the Garden State.