Alex DeCroce's sudden passing - URHS loses its benefactor

[NJT4272]

Trenton - Longtime Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, the leading Republican of the state’s lower house who represented Morris County for 23 years, collapsed and died in a bathroom inside the Statehouse late Monday night, just moments after the 214th Legislature held its final voting session.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/0 ... colla.html

Alex DeCroce was the URHS' biggest supporter in Trenton and probably one of their last. They even named a car after him. With his passing, does this mean the end of state support for a NJ transportation museum? Alex DeCroce was their go-to guy when something urgent would arise. Does this mean some hard times are on the way for NJ's collection of railroad history?

[Steamtown Observer]

DeCroce's influence really declined once McGreevy and the Democrats took power in Trenton. Since URHS was perceived as a Republican favorite son any political support was gone. Once Flemington was selected as the museum site and the locals were less than enthusiastic the whole thing ground to a halt. The second round of selections that came up with Phillipsburg dragged on for so long the political winds in the state changed and URHS openly backed the losing side. McGreevy's people were openly vindictive against DeCroce's pet project and subsequent Democrats were indifferent at best. When Christie came in the state was in financial crisis and to the best of my knowledge DeCroce did not really do anything for them n the last two years.

At this point the only thing the state is doing for URHS is leasing them the Boonton site by way of NJT. Unless the current friction between the site and adjacent homeowners were to escalate I don't see it changing.