James R. Mathes Jr. Dies; Led City Council

Camden Courier-Post – Wednesday, February 18, 2004

By ERIK SCHWARTZ, Courier-Post Staff

Former City Council President James R. Mathes Jr. died Sunday, two weeks before he was to begin a federal prison term for a corruption conviction. He was 64.

Mathes was in declining health recently, giving a judge last week reason to delay his 27-month sentence until March 1.

"I think he made up his mind that he was not going to jail," said Mangaliso Davis, a friend and chairman of the city’s African American Advisory Commission.

Last summer, a federal jury found Mathes and mob associate Daniel Daidone guilty of conspiring to steer city business to Mafia-backed firms.

Their trial turned on the testimony of former mob boss Ralph Natale, who was a government witness. Prosecutors said Mathes accepted a diamond ring for his girlfriend from Daidone. Natale said Daidone was his go-between for illicit deals with city officials from 1996 to 1998.

Mathes served on city council from 1986 to 1997 and as its president from 1990 to 1997. Shortly after his indictment, he resigned from his job as affirmative-action officer for the city school district, which he held from 1985 to 2001.

Friends and colleagues said that post gave him stature throughout the city,which is more than one-half African-American and more than a third Latino.

"If you had a problem, Mr. Mathes would fix it," Davis said. "He’d make a phone call and you’d either have a job or a prospect of a job. He was Mr. Fix-it."

"He made sure everybody ate," said Councilman Ali Sloan El. "Everybody ain’t eating now because of his loss."

Sloan El said Mathes was a role model for him and others.

"Politically and athletically, he was a mentor to us, and when it came to get involved politically, he taught us the process," Sloan El said.

In addition to leading city council, Mathes also held the top elected position on the Camden Board of Education, on which he served from 1973 to 1980, and the chairmanship of the city’s housing authority.

Sloan El said Mathes’ successes in politics came from hard work.

"He made sure Camden got its vote out," he said.