Joseph P. Merlino (July 12, 1922 – October 7, 1998) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as President of the New Jersey Senate from 1978 to 1981.
[1][2] On October 7, 1998, Merlino died from complications of heart disease and diabetes at the Forrestal Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Princeton; he was 76.
[1] In 1967, Merlino was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and was re-elected in 1969, both times from District 6B alongside S. Howard Woodson.
[2] As Majority Leader and Senate President, Merlino pushed through many legislative programs favored by Governor Brendan Byrne, a longtime political ally.
Merlino was expected to coast to victory over the 29-year-old freshman Republican incumbent, Chris Smith, whose 1980 win over Frank Thompson (indicted in the Abscam operation) was seen as a fluke.