Abraham C. Corotis
Abraham Charles Corotis, born on January 29, 1907, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the eldest son of Benjamin and Dora Corotis. His brother Sidney joined the family in 1909. The Corotis family resided in Philadelphia according to the 1910 census.
In 1920, the Corotis family was recorded at 100 Virginia Avenue in Haddon Township, New Jersey, where Benjamin Corotis worked as a carpenter to support his family.
A. Charles Corotis started his career as a sportswriter for the Camden Courier-Post newspapers by 1928, continuing his role as a reporter into the 1940s. Together with James M. O'Neill, another Courier-Post writer, he authored the book "Camden County Centennial, 1844-1944," commemorating the county's one hundredth anniversary.
During this time, A. Charles Corotis married Hazel McCluskey, and the couple had three children: June, Bruce, and Ross Corotis.
Known for his prolific writing in various roles, including reporter, columnist, and public relations agent, Corotis was actively involved in political campaigns as a publicity director. After 1946, he assumed ownership of the long-established weekly paper, the Camden Argus. In 1955, a compilation of his writings from the Argus titled "It's All In The Game: A Selected Collection of Gay Essays on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Mnemosyne" was published. Subsequently, he authored another book, "Those Thousand Eyes: A Sound Selection of Journalistic Essays Assayed from the Argus, New Jersey's Literate Review Weekly," in 1957. Corotis also contributed to several magazines, weekly newspapers, and authored numerous pamphlets and articles.
In the 1950s, Corotis faced legal challenges from State Senator Joseph Cowgill, resulting in a libel lawsuit that Cowgill won. This legal setback led to the demise of the Argus and the destruction of Corotis' business. A. Charles Corotis recounted these events in his novel "B. Bull Bastard," published in 1959. The novel vividly portrayed the extent of political corruption and the suppression of truth, detailing a manipulated miscarriage of justice.
Tragically, son Bruce Corotis, a photographer, passed away in February 1972 at the age of 36.
A. Charles Corotis, last residing in Vincentown, New Jersey, passed away in October 1985. He was survived by his wife Hazel, daughter June, and son Dr. Ross Corotis. Mrs. Hazel Corotis joined her husband on March 26, 1991.
