[2] Norcross has been a prominent political leader in New Jersey for more than 30 years, since before he became chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee in 1989,[3] a position he held until 1993.
[7] In June 2024, Norcross was indicted on 13 charges of racketeering and criminal enterprise by State Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
He has three brothers: Donald, a United States Congressman representing New Jersey's 1st congressional district;[12] Philip, managing partner of the law firm Parker McCay;[13] and John, a psychologist, author, and professor at the University of Scranton.
[14] Norcross is the executive chairman of insurance, risk management, and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, where he has worked since 1979.
[23] In February 2012, Norcross penned an op-ed in the Courier-Post praising the idea of merging Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden.
[24] In January 2022, Norcross and his family became majority partners in the Formica Bakery, a maker of "Atlantic City Original" bread[25] which had fallen into bankruptcy in 2019.
He held significant sway over local party organizations, fundraising, and candidates' access to the county line.
[30] By 2003, Norcross held influence over more than a dozen powerful state legislators and controlled government contracts through a pay-to-play system that directed businesses' donations to campaigns;[28] In 2009, Norcross was instrumental in the ousting of Richard Codey as senate president in favor of his childhood friend Stephen Sweeney.
In 2023, he announced that he was decreasing his involvement in politics, saying it was "time for others to lead" and conceding that Sweeney's loss had left him "sitting in the backseat".
The United States Attorney's Office for New Jersey sent Norcross a letter confirming that no action was warranted and the investigation was closed.
[37][38] On June 17, 2024, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin unsealed a thirteen-count racketeering indictment against Norcross and five other individuals, including his brother, Philip.