Husband of Licia Albanese, the Metropolitan Opera soprano.
Joseph A. Gimma, an investment banker, Republican Party official and former chairman of the New York State Racing Commission, died of a heart attack on Thursday at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stamford, Conn. He was 83 years old and lived in Manhattan and South Norwalk, Conn.
Mr. Gimma (pronounced JIM-uh) spent 66 years in investment banking. At his death he was a senior vice president of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
Active in politics for many decades, he was treasurer of the New York County Republican Committee from 1950 to 1966, and chairman of the committee from 1962 to 1966. He served as chairman of the racing commission from 1965 to 1976.
A patron of the arts, he was best known in musical circles since 1945 as the husband of Licia Albanese, the Metropolitan Opera soprano.
Mr. Gimma was born in Bari, Italy, and came to New York as a child. He attended public school in Manhattan and graduated from Washington Irving High School, but never went to college.
He began work at the investment banking firm of Herrick Berg in 1924, when he was 17 years old. In 1937 he joined another investment banker, G. M. P. Murphy, and in 1942 moved to Hornblower & Weeks, where he became a general partner in 1950. Through a series of mergers over the years the firm became part of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
In 1950 Mr. Gimma was named treasurer of the Republican county committee and its chief fund-raiser. He took on the added duties of chairman in 1962.
He was appointed to the racing commission by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1959 and became its chairman six years later. After stepping down in 1976 he stayed on as a commissioner; his latest term would have expired in 1992.
Mr. Gimma served as a governor of the American Stock Exchange from 1952 to 1958. He was president of the Puccini Foundation and a former chairman of the Columbus Citizens Foundation. He was a knight of the Order of Malta and a knight grand cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher.
Besides his wife, Mr. Gimma is survived by a son, Joseph Jr., of Washington, and two sisters, Cecelia Struzzieri of Palm Beach, Fla., and Ninette Salerno of Flushing, Queens.
Joseph A. Gimma, an investment banker, Republican Party official and former chairman of the New York State Racing Commission, died of a heart attack on Thursday at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stamford, Conn. He was 83 years old and lived in Manhattan and South Norwalk, Conn.
Mr. Gimma (pronounced JIM-uh) spent 66 years in investment banking. At his death he was a senior vice president of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
Active in politics for many decades, he was treasurer of the New York County Republican Committee from 1950 to 1966, and chairman of the committee from 1962 to 1966. He served as chairman of the racing commission from 1965 to 1976.
A patron of the arts, he was best known in musical circles since 1945 as the husband of Licia Albanese, the Metropolitan Opera soprano.
Mr. Gimma was born in Bari, Italy, and came to New York as a child. He attended public school in Manhattan and graduated from Washington Irving High School, but never went to college.
He began work at the investment banking firm of Herrick Berg in 1924, when he was 17 years old. In 1937 he joined another investment banker, G. M. P. Murphy, and in 1942 moved to Hornblower & Weeks, where he became a general partner in 1950. Through a series of mergers over the years the firm became part of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
In 1950 Mr. Gimma was named treasurer of the Republican county committee and its chief fund-raiser. He took on the added duties of chairman in 1962.
He was appointed to the racing commission by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1959 and became its chairman six years later. After stepping down in 1976 he stayed on as a commissioner; his latest term would have expired in 1992.
Mr. Gimma served as a governor of the American Stock Exchange from 1952 to 1958. He was president of the Puccini Foundation and a former chairman of the Columbus Citizens Foundation. He was a knight of the Order of Malta and a knight grand cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher.
Besides his wife, Mr. Gimma is survived by a son, Joseph Jr., of Washington, and two sisters, Cecelia Struzzieri of Palm Beach, Fla., and Ninette Salerno of Flushing, Queens.
Husband of Licia Albanese, the Metropolitan Opera soprano.
Joseph A. Gimma, an investment banker, Republican Party official and former chairman of the New York State Racing Commission, died of a heart attack on Thursday at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stamford, Conn. He was 83 years old and lived in Manhattan and South Norwalk, Conn.
Mr. Gimma (pronounced JIM-uh) spent 66 years in investment banking. At his death he was a senior vice president of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
Active in politics for many decades, he was treasurer of the New York County Republican Committee from 1950 to 1966, and chairman of the committee from 1962 to 1966. He served as chairman of the racing commission from 1965 to 1976.
A patron of the arts, he was best known in musical circles since 1945 as the husband of Licia Albanese, the Metropolitan Opera soprano.
Mr. Gimma was born in Bari, Italy, and came to New York as a child. He attended public school in Manhattan and graduated from Washington Irving High School, but never went to college.
He began work at the investment banking firm of Herrick Berg in 1924, when he was 17 years old. In 1937 he joined another investment banker, G. M. P. Murphy, and in 1942 moved to Hornblower & Weeks, where he became a general partner in 1950. Through a series of mergers over the years the firm became part of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
In 1950 Mr. Gimma was named treasurer of the Republican county committee and its chief fund-raiser. He took on the added duties of chairman in 1962.
He was appointed to the racing commission by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1959 and became its chairman six years later. After stepping down in 1976 he stayed on as a commissioner; his latest term would have expired in 1992.
Mr. Gimma served as a governor of the American Stock Exchange from 1952 to 1958. He was president of the Puccini Foundation and a former chairman of the Columbus Citizens Foundation. He was a knight of the Order of Malta and a knight grand cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher.
Besides his wife, Mr. Gimma is survived by a son, Joseph Jr., of Washington, and two sisters, Cecelia Struzzieri of Palm Beach, Fla., and Ninette Salerno of Flushing, Queens.
Joseph A. Gimma, an investment banker, Republican Party official and former chairman of the New York State Racing Commission, died of a heart attack on Thursday at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stamford, Conn. He was 83 years old and lived in Manhattan and South Norwalk, Conn.
Mr. Gimma (pronounced JIM-uh) spent 66 years in investment banking. At his death he was a senior vice president of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
Active in politics for many decades, he was treasurer of the New York County Republican Committee from 1950 to 1966, and chairman of the committee from 1962 to 1966. He served as chairman of the racing commission from 1965 to 1976.
A patron of the arts, he was best known in musical circles since 1945 as the husband of Licia Albanese, the Metropolitan Opera soprano.
Mr. Gimma was born in Bari, Italy, and came to New York as a child. He attended public school in Manhattan and graduated from Washington Irving High School, but never went to college.
He began work at the investment banking firm of Herrick Berg in 1924, when he was 17 years old. In 1937 he joined another investment banker, G. M. P. Murphy, and in 1942 moved to Hornblower & Weeks, where he became a general partner in 1950. Through a series of mergers over the years the firm became part of Shearson Lehman Hutton.
In 1950 Mr. Gimma was named treasurer of the Republican county committee and its chief fund-raiser. He took on the added duties of chairman in 1962.
He was appointed to the racing commission by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1959 and became its chairman six years later. After stepping down in 1976 he stayed on as a commissioner; his latest term would have expired in 1992.
Mr. Gimma served as a governor of the American Stock Exchange from 1952 to 1958. He was president of the Puccini Foundation and a former chairman of the Columbus Citizens Foundation. He was a knight of the Order of Malta and a knight grand cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher.
Besides his wife, Mr. Gimma is survived by a son, Joseph Jr., of Washington, and two sisters, Cecelia Struzzieri of Palm Beach, Fla., and Ninette Salerno of Flushing, Queens.
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