George Otlowski

He was born on January 3, 1912. His first job was at an asphalt company working as a water boy, having lied about his age and claiming he was 16.[1] Otlowski's initial career was as in publishing, as president of a company that printed Polish language newspapers for the large Polish community in the area.[2] He became active in the city's Democratic political machine, which was led by former New Jersey Attorney General David T. Wilentz.[1] In 1944, he took a position as assistant to Perth Amboy's mayor, John Delaney.[2]

Otlowski first sought elective office in 1955, winning the first of two terms on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.[2] In the 1962 primary for the newly formed New Jersey's 15th congressional district, Otlowski lost to Edward J. Patten, a former mayor of Perth Amboy.[3] He won his first General Assembly race in 1973, representing the 19th Legislative District and served there until 1992.[2] In the Assembly, he supported legislation to aid the mentally ill and those living in nursing homes, and helped create Middlesex County College.[1] In the 1991 primary elections, Otlowski lost a three-way race for the two Assembly seats in the district.[4]

Perth Amboy elected him as its mayor in 1976, serving what The Star-Ledger described as a "stormy tenure". In the years following his election, the city saw a major demographic change with a substantial increase in the Hispanic population and gradually The Star-Ledger described how the people "were turning against him".[2] Two Hispanic candidates ran against Otlowski in the 1988 mayoral race, with Joseph Vas coming in second by 325 votes.[5] In 1989, the candidates Otlowski had supported for city council lost in the local elections and he was unable to work with the slate that won election. By 1990, he was facing a recall election petition led by Vas and he decided to step down two years into his term of office, saying "I had a lot of fun being mayor. There were tremendous challenges. It was like fighting some kind of dragon."[2]

Otlowski lived on Kennedy Street in Perth Amboy, just blocks from where he was born.[1] He died at age 97 on March 16, 2009, at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy.[2] He wrote an obituary for himself in his later years that said "He loved the city as strongly and deeply as he loved his family".[1]