Frank Senatore
Frank Senatore — World War II
Franciesco F. “Frank” Senatore was born in 1925. He served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.
On January 17, 1949 Frank Senatore was appointed to the Camden Police Department. He rose to the rank of Captain before retiring from the Police Department, and then took a position with the Camden County Prosecutor’s office, where he rose to Chief of Detectives. He served as Camden County’s Undersheriff from 1981 to 1991 and later as the County’s Director of Public Safety.
Living in Gloucester Township by the end of the 1970s, Frank Senatore involved himself in local politics as a Democrat, helping Ann Mullin get elected township mayor in 1979. He later broke with Mullin, and joined the Republican party. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for state Assembly in 1985 and for Gloucester Township mayor in 1986.
Frank Senatore passed away on January 24, 2005.
New Patrolmen Appointed to Camden Police Force
Camden Courier-Post —
Signing on as a new patrolman is William Bennett, 27, of 313 North Eleventh street. Watching are Director of Public Safety Rhone, Police Judge DiMona, and Police Chief Johnson. New officers, grouped from left to right, are James J. Large, William J. Miller, William C. Lewis, Edward W. Campbell, Carmin J. Fuscellaro, Charles W. Richards, Robert J. Kelly, and Franciesco Senatore.
Poolroom Raid Nets 6 Arrests
Camden Courier-Post —
Police raided a poolroom on the southeast corner of Broadway and Chestnut street at 4 a. m. today and arrested the operator and five patrons.
Charged with operating a poolroom after 1 a. m. was Joseph Mazzuca, 36, of 3716 Terrace street. The raid was made by Patrolmen Anthony Di Vello, Frank Sanatore [sic] and Frank Cavalla.
Arrested as material witnesses are Frank Buttaglia Jr., 22, of 310 Sycamore street, Joseph Guidotti, 24, of 251 Mt. Vernon street, Jack Menei, 21, of 1404 Mt. Ephraim avenue; Camillo Caporusso, 23, of 1162 Marion street, and Rocco La Battaglia, 24, of 1142 South Third street.
Police Judge Di Mona granted a postponement to next Tuesday after Mazzuca asked for counsel. He was released in $100 cash bail while the material witnesses were freed in $25 bail.
GI Ends Life With Gun in Parked Car
Camden Courier-Post —
Minutes after two patrolmen questioned him about parking, a 22-year-old South Camden man, who entered the army two months ago, ended his life early today by firing a bullet through his head.
Walter H. Lehman, 1822 South Seventh street, was discovered about 6 a. m. seated behind the wheel of his coupe parked along the west side of the Black Horse pike, about south, between Burma and Olympia roads.
A .32 calibre bullet had entered his head from the right temple and came out through the left temple. The death weapon was found in his lap partly covered by his right hand. County Physician ruled death simultaneous and self-inflicted.
About 5:30 a. m. Patrolmen Edward Watson and Joel White passed the Lehman car. According to Watson, he said he advised Lehman that the best thing to do was to return to the car rather than drive. The patrolmen drove away. They said they stopped at the newsstand on the pike and returned north on the pike, noticing the car with Lehman apparently lying in the seat.
A short time later Acting Sergeant Frank Cavallo drove past the car and saw Lehman seated. Later Patrolman Frank Senatore drove past…
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Youth Shot in Jaw By Police as He Flees Stolen Car
Camden Courier-Post —
A 17-year-old youth, fleeing from a stolen car with two companions early today, was shot through the lower right jaw by a squad car patrolman at Ferry avenue and Eighth street within seconds after the car was reported stolen.
The youth was identified at West Jersey hospital as Harold Jackson, of 720 Central avenue, by Patrolmen Frank Senatore and James Styles. His condition was reported as fair.
A 15-year-old youth, allegedly with Jackson, was picked up later and another is sought by juvenile authorities for questioning.
According to Senatore, he and Styles were cruising west on Ferry avenue shortly before midnight when headquarters broadcast that a car belonging to Thomas Shoenborn, of 1304 Green street, had been stolen from Broadway and Everett street, where Shoenborn was attending a labor meeting.
As the officers stopped for a red light at Ferry and Eighth, another car headed east of Ferry also stopped across the intersection.
“That’s the car,” Senatore said. Styles called for the boys to stop. Instead, Senatore said, they jumped from the stolen machine and ran west on Ferry.
Senatore said he fired two warning shots in the air and then fired a third time at Jackson’s legs. The boy reportedly stumbled as Senatore pulled the trigger. The bullet entered his jaw.
It was learned that a third youth picked up early today had been riding with Jackson before the shooting, but got out at his home an hour earlier. The youth said Jackson told him he had borrowed the car from a friend. Jackson will be charged with larceny of an automobile, police said.
Cop Exonerated In Wounding of Camden Youth
Camden Courier-Post —
Municipal Court Judge Dzick today exonerated a patrolman of a charge of assault with attempt to kill, brought by the mother of a 17-year-old youth and then denounced her for filing the complaint.
Patrolman Frank Senatore, against whom the complaint was lodged by Mrs. Gladys Brown, of 720 Central avenue, was “altogether justified” in firing several shots at the boy, Harold Jackson, according to Judge Dzick.
Jackson, who was put on probation and given a suspended sentence to Annandale reformatory Nov. 29 as a juvenile delinquent, was shot in the jaw by Senatore on Dec. 11 while fleeing with two companions from a stolen car.
Mrs. Brown told Judge Dzick she filed the complaint against Senatore at the direction of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People and had been promised legal assistance by the NAACP in prosecuting the charge against Senatore. None appeared, however, for the hearing.
“This is the most contemptuous charge I ever heard,” Dzick told Mrs. Brown. “It is a good thing that the NAACP representative who advised you to bring the charge is not in court. I would jail him for contempt if he were here.”
9 Camden Police Earn Promotions
Camden Courier-Post —
Lt. Howard Clayton, 55, 30 year veteran on Camden’s police was named acting captain of the service division yesterday, while five city patrolmen were sworn in as detectives by John T. Odorisio, city clerk.
A sixth patrolman, Isaiah Pitts, 37, of 2920 Berkley Street, unable to attend promotion ceremonies because of illness, will be sworn in on return to duty. He’s a 10-year veteran.
As acting captain of the service division, Clayton will head the identification, traffic and communications bureaus.
Patrolmen promoted yesterday were Augustus Balzano, 31, 3165 Merriel Avenue, and David Del Rossi, 27, 1466 Mount Ephraim Avenue, both three year veterans; John Phoenix, 35, 1333 Princess Avenue, Robert Mentz, 30, 2608 Baird Avenue, and Gilbert Upshaw, 36, 1525 Wildwood Avenue, all six-year members of the force.
The six men will earn $6625 a year as detectives; a $200 increase in present salary. All have been acting as detectives.
Deputy Police Chief William Yeager also announced the appointment of Sgt. Peter Paull, 42, a 16-year man on the force, as acting lieutenant. Paull will be in charge of the communications section.
Frank Senatore, also 42, and an 18-year veteran, will be transferred from the patrol division to the detective division Monday morning, Yeager said.
Present during the swearing in were Police Chief Harold Melleby, Yeager, and Captain John Watkins, head of the detective division.
Man Held in Slaying Of City Shopowner
Camden Courier-Post —
A 38-year-old Camden junkyard worker was arrested and arraigned last night in connection with Monday’s brutal rape and slaying of a Kaighns Avenue shopkeeper.
Leroy Snyder, of the 700 block Cherry Street, was arrested in his home about 9 p.m. by city and county detectives and charged on three counts, two of them in connection with the murder of Mrs. Gertrude Friedman, 58, operator of a linoleum store at 330 Kaighns Ave.
Snyder, arraigned before Camden Municipal Court Judge Theodore Z. Davis, was charged with murder and larceny and possession of stolen property in connection with the slaying.
Recover Clothing
Det. Capt. Frank Senatore said the second charge stems from police recovery of clothing and jewelry which they believe belonged to Mrs. Friedman and her husband Harold. Capt. Senatore said the items were found in Snyder’s possession.
Snyder also was charged with assault with attempt to rape in connection with the attempted rape of a South Camden woman in her home on July 26.
The suspect was placed in the Camden County Jail with a preliminary hearing scheduled Monday. Police said the arrest came after three days of intensive investigation into the crime. They said the suspect offered no resistance to his arrest.
Mrs. Friedman’s battered body was found early Monday afternoon on the living room floor of her apartment behind the shop by Paul Pallas of Maple Shade who operates the Storm Window Service at 336 Kaighns Ave.
An autopsy on Tuesday revealed Mrs. Friedman had been raped, beaten and slashed about the throat. Blair M. Murphy, chief investigator for the Camden County Medical Examiners’ office said the victim died from “a penetrating wound of her neck.”
Police said she was found naked on the floor of her ransacked apartment after a customer went to the shop, got no response and summoned Pallas to the scene.
Investigator Held For the Grand Jury In Burglary Case
Camden Courier-Post —
An investigator assigned to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office was held for grand jury action after he waived a preliminary hearing in Camden Municipal Court on a charge of possession of stolen property today.
Judge William M. Rosenblatt allowed the suspect, Joseph A. Watson, 26, to remain free in his own recognizance pending grand jury action.
Watson, of the 100 block of E. State Street, Camden, is also charged with the Sept. 11 burglary of an Atlantic Appliance Company warehouse at 7890 Airport Highway, Pennsauken. He will answer to a charge of breaking and entering and larceny before Pennsauken Municipal Court Judge Joseph Zampino on Feb. 7.
Arraigned on the burglary charges yesterday, Watson was freed in his own recognizance by Pennsauken authorities.
County Dets. Frank Senatore and William Kelly said that Watson was arrested yesterday, at about 11:30 a.m. on a warrant issued by Pennsauken police.
A portable color television set valued at $350 and a stereo set worth $300, among the 40 televisions and phonographs stolen in the Sept. 11 burglary, were found in Watson’s possession, the officers claimed.
Camden County Prosecutor A. Donald Bigley said that Watson, who had been appointed to the investigator’s post on Nov. 1, more than a month after the burglary occurred, had been suspended from his $6,500 a year job upon his arrest.
Bigley said a State Police investigation conducted before Watson was appointed indicated that Watson had never been convicted of a crime. He had once been charged with assault and battery, Bigley noted, but the charge had later been dropped.
Camden County Prosecutor's Office
Front Row left to right: Frank Senatore, Willie Guidotti, Anthony Bezich, Pros. A. D. Bigley, Al Scarduzio, Dominick DiBart, Dominick Caruso, Isiah Steinberg.
2nd row (and those behind that row): Jerry Banks, Bill Eisenberg, Ed Kitlas, Harry Slattery, Harris Berman, Bill Reeves, Jerry Cohen, Tony DiMaggio, Capt. Patrick Carr, Steve Robinson, Chief Bill Large, Sam Natal, Capt. James Large, Franz DeNie, Harry DeVore, Joe Carmen, Vince Wall, Fred Block, Luis Rodriguez, Bill Kelly, Estel Brown, Charles Cohen, Tom Mitchell, Tom Stuebing, Tom Schules.
3rd Row (and those behind that row): Bob DePersia, Ginger Horner, Fran Conniff, Sue DiMaggio, Alice Palumbo, Doris Logan, Clare Sylvestro, Celia May, Caroline Migliaccio, Jo Sosa, Michele Thomas, Alice Adams, Mary Didio, Sue Weisenfeld, Virginia Roberts, Betty Greene, Charlene Dyer, Ira Back.
4th Row: Jim Jackson, Joe Perry, Walt Haver, Leonard Dryer, Frank Werner, Bill O’Brien, Vic Sarubbi, Al Malloie, Charlie Weber, Joe Price.
Obituary
Camden Courier-Post —
Senatore, Franciesco “Frank” F.
On January 24, 2005, of Blackwood. Age 79.
Beloved husband of Dorothy (nee Justice). Devoted father of Carol (Anthony) Di Bartolomeo, Frank (Judy) Senatore, Emilie (Ken) Fedor, Gail (Ronald) Dolente, Michael F. (Tina) Senatore, Denise (Brian) Beck and Adrienne Senatore. Loving grandfather of Michele, Lisa, Stephanie, Tony, Miranda, Frankie, Jill, Jen, Ken, John, Lisa, Mike, Ron and Missy and great grandfather of Gianna, Alexis and Alyssa. Dear brother of Ann Paul, Gemma Crosley and Thelma Bieberbach and brother-in-law of Donna (James) Fennimore, Nancy (Joseph) Kane, Patricia (Pat) Bowen and Joseph (Mary Ann) Justice. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.
Mr. Senatore was a member of VFW Post 7929, Blackwood, American Legion Post 281 Stetser-Lamartine of Chews Landing, Garden State Chapter NJ DESA and the Sons of Italy. He was a Coast Guard veteran of WWII, Captain of the Camden City Police and Chief of Detectives for the Camden County Prosecutors Office.
Relatives and friends are invited to the viewing from 7 to 9 PM Wednesday evening and from 8:15 to 9:15 AM Thursday morning at Gardner Funeral Home, Runnemede. Funeral Mass 10 AM Thursday at St. Agnes RC Church, Coles-Little Gloucester Rds., Blackwood. Interment Brig. Gen. Wm. C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Arneytown. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Mr. Senatore’s memory to AL-Post 281 c/o Families of Soldiers Overseas, PO Box 94, Glendora, NJ 08029.