Joseph Azzolina

Joseph Azzolina (January 26, 1926 – April 15, 2010) was an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey Legislature for a total of 24 years. 22 of these years he served in the New Jersey General Assembly while he served two years in the New Jersey Senate, each time representing parts of Monmouth County.

Early life and education Azzolina was raised in Highlands, New Jersey, and attended Atlantic Highlands High School. His parents were John and Angelina Giaimi Azzolina; they were Sicilian Americans who immigrated to the U.S. from Sicily during the 1920s. As well as being a politician and businessman, Azzolina also owned The Courier newspaper, in Middletown, which he purchased in 1982 and operated until it closed, in April, 2009. Azzolina served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1947 to 1986, Captain (ret).

He also served in the Assembly from 1966 to 1972 and again from 1986 to 1988. Azzolina also served in the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature, the New Jersey Senate, from 1972 to 1973. Azzolina served in the Assembly on the State Government Committee. He ran for the New Jersey State Senate in 1987, but lost by a very narrow margin. He also ran for the Congress in 1988, but lost a close race to state Senator Frank Pallone.

Azzolina was defeated in the June 2005 GOP primary, and was replaced in the Assembly by fellow Republican Amy Handlin, who took office on January 10, 2006 when Azzolina's term ended.

As an Assemblyman, Azzolina sponsored legislation to provide a $250 property tax deduction for veterans, and a measure creating a model program in Monmouth County that uses specially-trained nurses to provide care for and collect forensic evidence from victims of sexual assault. Another measure sponsored by the assemblyman would create a central registry containing records of all persons who have been charged with a crime or offense involved domestic violence. Under the measure, the records would only be released to law enforcement agencies and the courts.

Azzolina was born in Newark, New Jersey and was a resident of Middletown Township, New Jersey. He was President of Food Circus Supermarkets, Inc. The bridge connecting Sea Bright to Highlands is called the "Captain Joseph Azzolina Memorial Bridge" in his honor.

District 13 Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 13th District for the 2004–05 Legislative Session were:

Assemblyman Samuel D. Thompson, and Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos