Thigpen's political ally and cousin, Donald M. Payne, also served as the firm's vice president before his election to Congress in 1988.
Thigpen also served as executive vice president of Leon N. Weiner & Associates, Inc., a Wilmington-based real estate development firm.
He managed a joint venture with Campbell Soup and RCA to develop low income housing projects.
Thigpen was appointed to the Essex County Board of Freeholders to fill a vacancy in 1987, but was not a candidate for a full term that year.
He succeeded Payne, who was forced to step down after new congressional rules established by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold) prohibited members of congress from leading county political organizations.
Thigpen recovered from a political scandal that occurred early in his career, while employed by the Newark Housing Authority at a salary of $14,000 per year.
He admitted to creating phony timesheets for 16 individuals not employed by the authority, cashing the checks and pocketing the money — nearly $14,000.