Guide to the Jerry Leopaldi Collection 1945-2002 (Bulk: 1963-1969) MG 1630

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary
Biographical Note:
Scope and Content Note
Arrangement
Access Points
Related Material
Administrative Information

Series Descriptions and Container List

Series 1: Entertainment

Series 2. Labor Union (IUE-CIO)

Series 3: Labor’s Peace Corps.

Series 4: Supporting American Servicemen.

Series 5: 52 Association

Series 6: Personal / Miscellaneous

Series 7: Photographs

Series 8: Oversized material

Series 9: Audio Visual material

Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. January 2008. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.Finding aid written in English.

Biographical Note:

Jerry Leopaldi was born in Jersey City, NJ on July 21, 1927. He moved to Newark as a youth, and is a graduate of Newark’s East Side High School. Mr. Leopaldi served in the United States Merchant Marines during World War II. During his service, his ship hit a mine and was sunk near the coast of Bornea.

From 1943, until his retirement in 1968, Mr. Leopaldi was an employee of International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) in Clifton, NJ. During that time, he served as president of their local IUE-CIO union. In 1955, he married his wife Angela (Dante) Leopaldi.

During the late 1950s and 1960s, Mr. Leopaldi became involved in various philanthropic causes. He served as regional director of the 52 Association, which existed to help wartime veterans. In 1963, he began the Labor’s Peace Corp, which was dedicated to helping the people of underdeveloped countries in South America. In 1965, Mr. Leopaldi began the Committee to Support American Servicemen, which was involved in raising money to help wartime veterans at home, as well as refugees and orphans in South Vietnam. Through SAS, he became involved in providing entertainment acts at VA hospitals across the northeastern US.

After retiring from ITT in 1968, Mr. Leopaldi began his own entertainment production company, Jerry Leopaldi Enterprises. This company engaged in scouting acting and performing talent, producing education and civic programming, and supporting philanthropic programming during the 1970’s. His production company received support and funding from 20th Century Fox due to Mr. Leopaldi’s relationship with Spyros Skouras (former head of the film production company). He also produced an awards event that aired on the Pat Boone Show. Additionally, his company became involved in casting for several major motion pictures during the decade including ‘The Exorcist’, ‘The Godfather’, and ‘The French Connection’ (in this film in fact he played an extra). Furthermore, his company produced several local cable television programs, many of which he hosted, as well as public education short films

In the 1980 and 1990s, Mr. Leopaldi continued his involvement in helping others through his production company, including initiating the America’s Students Helping Students program during the late 1990s. This program was dedicated to empowering youth to help them become, as well as remain, drug and alcohol free.

On June 18, 2002, Mr. Leopaldi died of kidney complications. He was married to Angela Leopaldi until his death. The couple had five children.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection contains a significant amount of manuscript, newsprint, photographic and audiovisual material related to life and work of Jerry Leopaldi. The items in this collection have been processed and categorized into groupings based on their subject, as well as the different organizations to which Mr. Leopaldi was affiliated. His letters and correspondence represent largely his work with various philanthropic organizations, as well as his work as an entertainment producer. Heavy correspondence between Mr. Leopaldi and certain individuals have been grouped together. The newspaper clippings in this collection chronicle Mr. Leopaldi’s public life from the early 1950’s to his death in 2002. Significant among these are his involvement in wartime efforts to help servicemen during Vietnam, his involvement in aiding South American countries in economic need, and his involvement in the entertainment industry.. Significant among the letters in this collection is correspondence between Jerry Leopaldi and former NJ governor Richard Hughes, entertainer Pat Boone, and former head of 20th Century Fox Spyros Skouros.

It should be noted that the contents of a personal binder kept by Mr. Leopaldi have been kept together and placed with his personal correspondence and materials (Series IV). However, this binder does contain a significant amount of newspaper clippings and materials that pertain to the other series in this collection.

The photographs in this collection reflect the different aspects of Mr. Leopaldi’s life. Most of the pictures in this collection depict Mr. Leopaldi’s public life such as dinners, meetings, experiences in foreign countries, union activity and those whom he helped during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Along with these are two sleeves of .35mm slides depicting wounded persons in Vietnam and some of his SAS related work. Significant among the photographs in this collection are those taken with (or of) Richard J Hughes, General William Westmoreland (who commanded significant operations during the Vietnam War), Spyros Skouras, Pat Boone, and Connie Francis. Also of interest are a large amount of photographs taken during Mr. Leopaldi’s visit to Vietnam during the 1960’s, depicting both native Vietnamese as well as US soldiers.

Part of this collection is also represented by approximately 500 videocassettes. The videos contain both programming and events produced by Jerry Leopaldi. Mr. Leopaldi’s entertainment company was involved in both producing television programming as well as producing events themselves that his company would then film. The public events he produced were captured on VHS format videocassettes, while a large portion of the television programming he hosted and produced are captured on UMatic cassettes. The programs he hosted and produced were local cable programs that dealt with such topics as youth culture, politics, local affairs, as well as a talent search program and law enforcement program. His programs aired in the late 1970’s and early-mid 1980’s mostly.

The collection also contains an oversized folder that contains anti-drug posters, an election campaign poster, and state resolution honoring the memory of Mr. Leopaldi.

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Arrangement

The series in this collection are comprised of organizations to which Mr. Leopaldi belonged, as well as separate series for photographic/media material, personal material, and oversized material. The manuscript groups (organizations and personal) have been organized based on correspondence types, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous material. Photographs and media material have been organized and subject. Series and groups have also been organized chronologically where that information was available.

Series 1. Entertainment
Consists of six folders containing correspondence, newspaper clippings, material related to a humanitarian award created by
Jerry Leopaldi, and miscellaneous manuscript items related to his involvement in the entertainment industry and as a producer
for Jerry Leopaldi Enterprises.

Series 2. Labor Union (IUE-CIO)
Consists of seven folders of correspondence, Union election campaign material, labor newspapers, newspaper clippings, and
miscellaneous items concerning the labor union to which Mr. Leopaldi belonged as an employee at ITT.

Series 3. Labor’s Peace Corps.
Consists of seven folders of correspondence, newspaper clippings, material related to ‘Mankind Day’, Congressional proceedings,
and miscellaneous items

Series 4. Supporting American Servicemen (SAS)
Consists of fourteen folders (two boxes) of correspondence, newspaper clippings, Congressional records, miscellaneous items
and an event program.

Series 5. 52 Association
Consists of six folders correspondence newspaper clippings, a Congressional record, program for a Vietnam War moratorium,
and a state proclamation.

Series 6. Personal / Miscellaneous
Consists of 10 folders (two boxes) of correspondence, resumes, certificates/citations, newspaper clippings, documents related
to two programs created by Mr. Leopaldi, election material for his campaign to run for NJ State assembly, and the contents
of a personal binder.

Series 7. Photographs
Consists of three boxes of photographs taken between 1951-1972 concerning Mr. Leopaldi’s involvement with SAS, Labor’s Peace
Corp, the local IUE-CIO, and Jerry Leopaldi Enterprises.

Series 8. Videocassettes. Consists of Leopaldi television programs such as The Good News, Crime Blockers, The Columbus Day
Parade, The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, The Italian Tribute
and several other programs. See Leopaldi Tapes for a detailed inventory list of videotapes in this collection.

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Related Material

For other materials related to the Vietnam War and Labor Unions, see:

Manuscript Group 1525, Dr. Leo Litzky Collection

Manuscript Group 1527, Ihne-Vogdorich Family Collection

Manuscript Group 1540, Ronald T “Rocky” Sorrento Papers

Manuscript Group 1613, Mostillo Family Papers

Manuscript Group 1629, Rubinstein Collection

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 1630, Jerrry Leopaldi Collection, The New Jersey Historical Society.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Angela Leopaldi, 2002.

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Series Descriptions and Container List

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ca. 1989-2002

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