Martin L. Greenberg

Martin L. Greenberg (February 24, 1932 – March 22, 2024) was an American Democratic Party politician and jurist who served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1974 to 1979.

Martin L. Greenberg
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 28th district
In office January 9, 1974 – August 1979
Preceded by	Ralph DeRose
Succeeded by	John Caufield
Personal details
Born	(1932-02-24)February 24, 1932 New York City, U.S.
Died	March 22, 2024(2024-03-22) (aged 92)
Alma mater	Rutgers University, Rutgers University Law School

Education and early career

Greenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 24, 1932. His family later moved to Newark, New Jersey, and he attended Weequahic High School, where his classmate in the class of 1950 was author Philip Roth.^[1] He was a 1954 graduate of Rutgers University and received his law degree from Rutgers Law School in 1956. He served as an Assistant Counsel to Governor Robert B. Meyner and as Assistant Essex County Prosecutor.^[2] Greenberg was a law partner of Governor Brendan Byrne at Teltser, Byrne, Greenberg, Margolis & Franconero.^[3]

In 1973, while a candidate for State Senator, Greenberg was named Political Director of Brendan Byrne's campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.^[4]

New Jersey State Senator

Greenberg was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for State Senator in 1971. He was elected to the State Senate in 1973, defeating Republican Joseph Galluzzi, the President of the Irvington Town Council, by 8,689 votes, 22,290 (60.31%) to 13,601 (36.80%).^[5] He was re-elected to a second term in 1977, defeating Rev. James A. Pindar, a Catholic priest and a professor at Seton Hall University, 16,986 (57.80%) to 11,399 (38.79%), with former Democratic State Senator Nicholas Fernicola, running as an Independent, receiving 770 votes (2.62%).^[6]

During his six years as a Senator, Greenberg served as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.^[7]

Greenberg resigned from the Senate in 1979 to become President and General Counsel to the Golden Nugget casino to assist in its efforts to obtain a gambling license in Atlantic City.^[8]

Later career

After leaving the casino industry, he was appointed by Governor Jim Florio to serve as the General Counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Florio appointed him to serve as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in 1992. He was the Presiding Judge in Hudson County, and served in the Chancery, General Equity, and Probate divisions. After retiring from the bench in 2003, Greenberg became of counsel at Walder Hayden.^[9]

Death

Greenberg died on March 22, 2024, at the age of 92. His daughter Jen serves as a South Orange village trustee.^[10]

References

1. "Interview with Martin Greenberg", Rutgers University Center on the American Governor, July 5, 2006. Accessed October 26, 2015. "And I learned more about it as I did get into Weequahic High School and we had a teacher who not too long ago passed on, Dan Epstein, who was the president of the teachers union.... The war came before I was in Weequahic, I graduated Weequahic in 1950."
2. Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual of New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Joseph J. Gribbons. 1978.
3. Narvaez, Alfonso (7 March 1981). "Two Kill A Jersey Man Who Gave Testimony On Mobster Activities". New York Times.
4. Kramer, Orin. "Greenberg Appointed Political Director For The Byrne Campaign" (PDF). governors.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
5. "Our Campaigns". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
6. "Our Campaigns". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
7. Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual of New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Joseph J. Gribbons. 1978.
8. Waldron, Martin. "Capital Report", The New York Times, September 23, 1979. Accessed December 19, 2022. "Last week, Martin L. Greenberg, the Governor's former law partner, got a plush state job. Mr. Greenberg, who resigned from the State Senate last month, was hired to be general counsel of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The part-time post will pay him $35,000 a year. When he resigned from the Senate, Mr. Greenberg announced that he would represent Golden Nugget Inc., which is seeking a state license to operate a gambling casino in Atlantic City."
9. "Casino and Gaming Law, Corporate Law Attorney Martin Greenberg". Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
10. Wildstein, David (March 22, 2024). "Martin Greenberg, former Senate Judiciary Chairman, dies at 92". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved March 23, 2024.