Edwin Helfant

Edwin Howard Helfant (April 12, 1926 – February 15, 1978) was an American lawyer and part-time municipal judge in Atlantic County, New Jersey, who was accused of or investigated for corruption on several occasions. His 1978 gangland-style murder in Atlantic City was later tied to members of the Philadelphia crime family.

Early life and legal career Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Helfant graduated from Central High School in the early 1940s, and was drafted into the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1944, during World War II. He received a BA from Temple University in 1948, followed by a law degree from Rutgers Law School. Roberts later alleged that the lawsuit was an attempt by Helfant to regain his municipal judgeship, a charge Helfant denied.

Helfant's name had also surfaced in the investigation of the July 1977 murder of Giuseppe "Pepe" Leva of Pomona, New Jersey, who was killed after a fight with Scarfo's nephew Philip Leonetti outside an Atlantic City bar. Helfant had intervened in that fight about a week before Leva was found shot to death in Egg Harbor Township.

Personal life Helfant's engagement to Bella Rosen was announced in September 1948, and the couple were married on August 7, 1949. The couple had several sons, including Perry Helfant, who became an Ocean City defense attorney, and Richard Helfant, who later became entertainment coordinator for the Sands Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

At the time of his death, Helfant was married to Marcie Helfant.