Ex-Hoboken Mayor Dies, Argued That His City, Not Cooperstown, Was Baseball's Birthplace

HOBOKEN, NJ — Former Hoboken Mayor Patrick Pasculli, a teacher who rose to guide the city through tumultuous times, has died, officials said Friday.

Pasculli, 78, served as mayor from 1988 until 1993, until the election of Mayor Anthony Russo.

Pasculli was thrust into office in 1988 when Mayor Thomas Vezzetti — known as a reformer and dubbed "The Wackiest Mayor in America" by the New York Daily News — died suddenly of a heart attack. Pasculli, who'd been serving as council president, took over during a heated time when the city was gentrifying.

"Mayor Pasculli dedicated many years of service to Hoboken and stepped forward to lead our city during a time of significant change," said Mayor Emily Jabbour on Friday morning. "As Hoboken was transitioning from its industrial past and beginning to see new redevelopment and investment, he worked to help guide the community forward while continuing to serve its residents."

Among the biggest controversies during Pasculli's term were two residential towers proposed by the Port Authority for the southern piers. Revenue from the development would have filled budget gaps, but the projects failed in a series of referendum votes. Waterfront activists and others didn't want huge development blocking the views. Ultimately, the piers were preserved as parkland.

Pasculli decided not to run again in 1993, but continued participating in public life.

Hoboken, Not Cooperstown

Among his passions while in office was Hoboken history. A 1990 story in the New Yorker chronicles his efforts (along with current Hoboken City Clerk James Farina and others) to cement the city's place in baseball history.

He argued that the first game of organized baseball was played on the city's Elysian Fields, rather than in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Friends Remember

Eileen Sevano, a former Hoboken resident who taught in Teaneck years ago, said Friday, "Mr. Pasculli, as mayor, once came to my class to talk about baseball. We were doing a unit on baseball and he came to talk about Hoboken!"

Jabbour's full statement from Friday reads:

“I am saddened to learn of the passing of Mayor Patrick Pasculli.On behalf of the City of Hoboken, I extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends, and everyone who had the opportunity to know and work with him. Mayor Pasculli dedicated many years of service to Hoboken and stepped forward to lead our city during a time of significant change. As Hoboken was transitioning from its industrial past and beginning to see new redevelopment and investment, he worked to help guide the community forward while continuing to serve its residents.

"He took pride in celebrating Hoboken’s unique history and ensured that our city received the rightful recognition as the birthplace of the first organized game of baseball, which is a distinction that remains an important part of Hoboken’s identity today. We are grateful for his years of service to Hoboken, and we keep his loved ones in our thoughts during this difficult time.”

This story will be updated with more information, including about services, when it's available.