Joseph LaRosa

Joseph A. LaRosa, Jr., Ed.D., is a retired educator and a member of a family whose roots in Sea Isle City, NJ, go back well over 100-years. Originally employed in the hospitality industry in nearby Atlantic City, he eventually realized his high school ambition and became an educator. He is the former principal and Superintendent of the Dennis Township, NJ, Schools. Earning a traditional doctorate from Rutgers University in Educational Administration, his dissertation You Bet Your Life: Casino Gaming and Public Education in Atlantic City, NJ, historically traces the Atlantic City School District and the challenges faced when casino gaming was introduced into the community. In 1962 a major storm devastated Sea Isle City, destroying much of his hometown. In response to this childhood tragedy, in 2010 he authored a formal history of the event Our Perfect Storm: A History of the March 1962 Storm that Devastated Sea Isle City. While completing his research, Joe collected many oral histories and first-person accounts. These were later published in 2019 as a second book titled Storm Stories. He also worked parts of every summer as an ocean lifeguard, retiring after a 52-year career. In 2010 he was elected to the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Hall of Fame.

Articles by Joseph LaRosa