Noted NJ attorney David Satz Jr. dies at 83

VERONA, N.J. A longtime South Orange resident, Satz died of cancer Friday at his home in Verona, just weeks before his 84th birthday, his family said. At the time of his death, he was still working a few days each week at the Newark-based law firm of Saiber, Schlesinger, Satz and Goldstein.

Satz graduated from Harvard before earning his law degree at the University of Pennsylvania, then went on to hold high-ranking posts in the New Jersey Attorney General's office. He was named to his federal post in 1961 and held the job for most of the decade.

After leaving that post, Satz helped develop casino gaming laws in New Jersey and in other states and was a longtime official with the International Association of Gaming Attorneys, serving as its president from 1994-96.

During his time a U.S. attorney, Satz was involved in several high-profile cases.

Among his more notable cases was the prosecution of Tino De Angelis, a case that became known as "The Great Salad Oil Swindle." De Angelis was a commodities trader who improperly bought and sold vegetable oil futures contracts around the world, robbing banks of $175 million.

Satz also investigated Simone "Sam The Plumber" DeCavalcante, a noted mobster who posed as owner of a plumbing supply store in Kenilworth. Satz worked with the F.B.I. to release 13 volumes of wiretap transcripts that exposed the inner workings of the mob.