Thomas J. Whelan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas J. Whelan (1922-2002) was an Irish-American mayor of Jersey City. He served as mayor from 1963 to 1971.

Born on January 28, 1922 in Jersey City to Joseph J. and Charlotte Whelan. A Democrat, Whelan was appointed mayor in 1963 when his predecessor, Thomas Gangemi, was forced to resign over a question on his citizenship. He ran for mayor in 1965 and again in 1969, winning both times. In 1971, during his second term as mayor, Whelan, as indicted as a member of the "Hudson County Eight," and was convicted in federal court of conspiracy and extortion in a multi-million dollar political kickback scheme on city and county contracts.

Convicted along with him was former mayor and political boss, John V. Kenny and former City Council president Thomas Flaherty. Whelan served seven years of a 15-year sentence in the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Whelan died on July 31, 2002 in Naples, Florida, aged 80.