Representative Paul John Moore

Paul John Moore (August 5, 1868 – January 10, 1938) was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey’s 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1927 to 1929. A lifelong resident of Newark, New Jersey, he was also known in private life as the maternal grandfather of private investigator Thomas Corbally.

Moore was born in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, on August 5, 1868. He was educated in the city’s public and parochial schools, reflecting the strong Catholic presence in the community, and attended St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, a Benedictine institution founded to serve the children of Newark’s growing immigrant population. His early education in both public and religious schools provided him with grounding in civic life and community values that would later inform his public service.

On November 1, 1892, Moore joined the Newark Fire Department, beginning what would become a long and distinguished municipal career. Entering the department at a time when American cities were rapidly industrializing and urban fire protection was becoming increasingly professionalized, he advanced steadily through the ranks. He was eventually promoted to chief engineer of the department, a senior leadership position that placed him in charge of firefighting operations and the management of equipment and personnel in a densely built and expanding city. Moore served in the Newark Fire Department until his retirement on August 1, 1924, completing more than three decades of service. Following his retirement from active duty, he drew on his technical and practical experience by working as a firefighting equipment salesman, remaining connected to the field in which he had spent his working life.

Moore’s prominence in Newark and Essex County, gained through his long tenure in the fire service and his involvement in local affairs, helped pave the way for his entry into electoral politics as a Democrat. He was elected as a Democrat to the Seventieth Congress and represented New Jersey’s 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1927, to March 3, 1929. His term in Congress coincided with the later years of the Coolidge administration, a period marked by economic expansion and growing urban and industrial concerns that were of particular relevance to his home district in northern New Jersey.

After serving a single term, Moore was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1928 to the Seventy-first Congress. Despite this setback, he remained active in party affairs and public life. In 1928 and 1929 he served as chairman of the Essex County Democratic Committee, a role that placed him at the center of Democratic Party organization and strategy in one of New Jersey’s most populous and politically significant counties. He again sought federal office in 1930 as a candidate for election to the Seventy-second Congress, but was unsuccessful.

Following his congressional service and his continued engagement in party leadership, Moore returned to private employment. He resumed work as a firefighting equipment salesman in Newark, continuing in that occupation until 1931. That year he retired from active business and public life and moved with his wife, Frances, to a residence at 27 Lancaster Avenue in nearby Maplewood, New Jersey, a suburban community in Essex County that attracted many Newark professionals and retirees during this period.

Paul John Moore died in Newark, New Jersey, on January 10, 1938. He was interred in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in East Orange, New Jersey, a burial place for many of the region’s Catholic families and public figures. His career spanned municipal service, national legislative office, and county party leadership, and he remained closely tied to the Newark and Essex County communities throughout his life.