He served for 13 years in the Hoboken police department, where he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He founded and was the treasurer of the Hoboken Municipal Employees Credit Union.[1]
In 1963 he served as a councilman for the Hoboken third ward for 10 years before being elected mayor in 1973.[2]
Capiello was elected in May 1973 defeating incumbent mayor DePascale and avoiding a runoff by 84 votes.[3] Capiello was the mayor who laid the groundwork for the development along the Hoboken waterfront, and was credited with helping to turn Hoboken around.[4]
In 1985, Cappiello narrowly lost the mayoral election to Thomas Vezzetti. Capiello's support for gentrification and his attribution of several arsons to a purported tradition of Puerto Rican revenge burnings resulted in many Puerto Rican residents voting for Vezetti.[6]
On February 17, 2009, Cappiello announced his intention to run for mayor again.[7] He never filed and later endorsed Peter Cammarano.[8] After Cammarano's resignation, Cappiello endorsed Frank Raia in the special election to complete the unfinished term.[9]
^ abcd"Former Hoboken Mayor Steve Cappiello Dies". Jersey Journal. April 17, 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-13. Former Hoboken Mayor and Councilman Steve Cappiello died yesterday at Hoboken University Medical Center, Failla Memorial Home has confirmed.
^"Slaying Suspect Held". New York Times. July 2, 1977. Retrieved 2015-02-13. ... was charged with the murder of the 19-year-old nephew of the Hoboken Mayor, Steve Cappiello, according to authorities.