Introduction
Joseph Corea was born in Camden NJ of February 19, 1895 to Andrew and Mary Corea, who both were Italian immigrants. Andrew Corea worked in a shirt factory in Camden. Joseph and Andrew Corea may have been related to James Corea, who lived in the neighborhood, worked in a shirt factory, and whose career paralleled in many ways that of Joseph Corea. By 1910 the family had bought a home at 208 Benson Street in Camden’s heavily Italian Third Ward.
Joseph Corea was vision-impaired. When he registered for the draft in June of 1917, the registrar stated that he was totally blind in both eyes. As the registrar was James Corea, this may not have been completely the case. In any event, his vision did not prevent Joseph Corea from engaging in the real estate business, or from serving as Justice of the Peace in Camden’s Third Ward during the late 1920s.
Joseph Corea married around 1924. When the census was taken in April of 1930, he, wife rose, son Andrew A., and widowed mother Mary were still living at 208 Benson Street. Also residing their was nephew Michael Lancellotti, who worked as Justice of the Peace Corea’s clerk. Their next door neighbors at 206 Benson Street were the Tulinis; father Nicholas Tulini was tragically killed in the March 9, 1932 explosion at the Public Service Gas Company plant at Locust and Cherry Street. The Beneditto Tisa family also resided on the block in these years, first at 214 and later at 213. Son John Tisa was well known in the labor movement and later the owner of Tisa’s Pet Shop in Pennsauken. The Coreas were still at 208 Benson Street as late as the fall of 1936.
By 1947 Joseph Corea and his family had moved to 505 Benson Street. He was listed at that address in the 1956 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory. By 1959, however, the listing was in the name of his son Andrew.
Two Women Injured In Car Of Justice
Camden Courier-Post —
Two women were slightly injured last night when the car in which they were riding with Justice of the Peace Joseph Corea and his clerk, Michael Lancilloti, both of Camden, struck a parked car and crashed into a tree on the White Horse pike, Haddon Heights.
Miss Marion Finch, 25, of Berlin, and Miss Ellen McGonigle, 40, of 1527 Federal street, Camden, were treated by a Haddon Heights physician for cuts, bruises and shock.
Lancilloti, the driver, who lives at [?] Benson street, was arrested on complaint of James Cunningham, [?] White Horse pike, whose car was badly damaged. The crash occurred in front of his home. At a hearing before Justice of the Peace Joseph Patton a charge of reckless driving was dropped when Corea and Lancilloti promised to pay for the damage.
Corea has been in the public prints frequently as one of the prime movers in the Magistrates’ and Constables’ Association.