Nick Acocella

Nick Acocella (February 7, 1943 – June 20, 2020) was an American political journalist and author. He was the editor and publisher of Politifax, a weekly newsletter about New Jersey politics.[1][2] In 2020 he was the host of the NJTV show Pasta & Politics.[3][4]

Early life and education

Acocella was born in 1943 at Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey, and grew up in West New York, New Jersey.[5] He graduated from St. Peter's Preparatory School. He went to La Salle University in Philadelphia and spent a year studying in Vienna, Austria. He then studied English literature at the University of California, Berkeley.[5]

Acocella took a teaching job at Indian Hills High School in Oakland, New Jersey.[5] He then attended graduate school at Stony Brook University and the University of Delaware.[5]

Politifax

In 1997, Acocella started Politifax, a weekly newsletter about New Jersey politics. It was initially a fax service and then transitioned to email. An annual subscription was $400 for 46 issues. The newsletter had a design which never changed, a white background with letters in a simple black font.[5] He initially covered statewide politics but later covered local politics as well.[6]

Pasta & Politics

In 2015, Acocella started hosting a television show, Pasta & Politics, on NJTV, where he would interview various New Jersey politicians while making pasta dishes.[7] Guests included Thomas Kean, Cory Booker, Chris Christie, and Stephen Sweeney.[5]

Baseball

Acocella was a lifelong fan of baseball. He wrote 20 books on the subject.[5] His book The Ball Clubs was a history of every major league team.[6]

Personal life

He was married to Laura Eliasoph Acocella. They had two children, Bart and Francesca Rebecca Acocella.[5] A resident of Hoboken, New Jersey, he died at his home there on June 20, 2020.[8]

Books
  • with Donald Dewey The Black Prince of Baseball: Hal Chase and the Mythology of the Game (University of Nebraska Press)[9]
  • with Donald Dewey Total ballclubs: the ultimate book of baseball teams (Sport Classic, 2005)

References
  1. Peterson, Iver (March 23, 2003). "ON POLITICS; Politics in His Blood? Must Be From Jersey City". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  2. Stile, Charles (June 28, 2020). "The political wisdom of Nick Acocella". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. 12A. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Haddon, Heather (April 7, 2015). "Pasta and Politics: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Debuts on New TV Show". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  4. "Breaking Bread and Talking Shop on Pasta and Politics". New Jersey Monthly. February 21, 2018. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  5. Johnson, Brent (June 21, 2020). "Longtime Politifax editor and N.J. politics expert Nick Acocella dies at 77". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  6. Arnold, Laurence (March 7, 2000). "Hardball politics: Hoboken baseball writer publishes political newsletter". The Jersey Journal. Associated Press. pp. B1, B4. Retrieved March 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "NJ PBS to air special memorializing Nick Acocella Wednesday". New Jersey Globe. June 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  8. "Political And Baseball Writer Nick Acocella Of Hoboken Passes". Hoboken, NJ Patch. June 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  9. Edwards, R. A. R. (March 17, 2017). "Saying It Was So: Exploring the Black Sox Scandal". Reviews in American History. 45 (1): 117–119. doi:10.1353/rah.2017.0016 – via Project MUSE.
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