NY Waterway Ferry Founder Arthur Imperatore Dies At 95

WEEHAWKEN, N.J. — From humble beginnings, living as one of 10 children in a two-bedroom apartment above a grocery store, NY Waterway ferry founder Arthur E. Imperatore Sr. went on to form a transportation network that has brought millions of New Jersey commuters to and from New York City for 34 years. His fleet also has saved dozens of people from the Hudson River waters, including the "Miracle on the Hudson" passengers in 2009.

Imperatore died Wednesday at age 95. He resided in Edgewater at the time of his death.

The entrepreneur's career spanned more than seven decades and included ventures from mining to real estate, from sports teams to transportation. He founded NY Waterway in 1986 in Weehawken, N.J. and built it into a system that has transported almost 300 million people.

He and his brothers also started A-P-A Transport Corp., which became the fourth largest and most profitable interstate freight trucking company in the United States.

Saving lives

Imperatore's ferries have served as a life-saving backup system when other transit modes are disrupted.

Ferry crews evacuated 150,000 people from Manhattan on Sept. and have rescued hundreds of people from area waters, including 143 people from Flight 1547, the "Miracle on the Hudson," the most successful marine rescue in aviation history.

Despite skeptics who derided his vision as “Arthur’s Folly" in its beginnings, Imperatore drew from his nearly 40 years of experience in the industry to pioneer a ferry-bus network, leading to the company’s success.

With his stepson, Armand Pohan, Imperatore ran the company until his death.

It was Imperatore’s dream to revitalize his native New Jersey community. Starting with the company’s Port Imperial terminus in Weehawken, on the Hudson County waterfront, Imperatore led the development of a thriving residential and commercial community.

His vessels transport passengers from Hoboken, Jersey City, West New York, Weehawken, and Edgewater to New York City, where they can then transfer to buses around Manhattan.

The ferry-bus network has supported waterfront development from Edgewater to Jersey City (the New Jersey “Gold Coast”), boosting both local and state economies.

Born to a fruit grocer

Born on July 8, 1925 to Italian fruit grocer Eugene Imperatore and his wife Teresa (née Sorrentino) in West New York, Imperatore was the ninth of 10 children living in a two-bedroom apartment above his father’s grocery.

He began earning a wage at age 5, and by age 8 had set a goal of earning 10 cents per week to help support his family.

Starting as a delivery boy for his father’s grocery, Imperatore also worked as a Western Union messenger and shoeshine boy. His strong work ethic and entrepreneurial drive continued to propel him forward.

Imperatore carried that work ethic and sense of duty into the U.S. Army Air Corps where he served as a navigator on B-24 Liberators and B-29 Superfortresses during WWII.

After the war in 1947, he and his brothers started A-P-A Transport Corp. with two surplus army trucks and grew to become the fourth largest and most profitable interstate freight trucking company in the United States. At A-P-A he instituted stringent productivity and efficiency systems which are emulated today across numerous industries.

The company wrote, "The notion that a company’s greatest asset is a motivated and involved workforce is a common thread that runs throughout Imperatore’s successful enterprises.

"He was committed to connecting, communicating, and giving back to all of his employees, whom he looked upon as extended family. As an employer, he set the performance bar high to inspire employees to reach the potential he believed they all had—demanding excellence while also leading by example."

He also supported charitable causes including medical research, social services and education.

Among his awards were three honorary doctoral degrees, the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, and the first U.S. Senate Productivity Award, presented to him by former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley.

Imperatore contemplated the possibilities of what he might yet achieve during his 2017 induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, saying “I talk to God every once in a while. I tell him ‘Listen, God, I know you might have your eye on me – however, I still have a lot of work to do.’”

Imperatore was an avid American history buff and a patron of the arts who loved music, especially opera and Cole Porter. At age 70, he took up the game of golf and was, from then on, a devoted fan of the sport.

He will be remembered for his warm demeanor, dry sense of humor, iron will, deep intelligence, and boundless ability to dream.

On Thursday, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said, "Arthur Imperatore embodied the American Dream, creating a ferry company from humble beginnings through hard work, dedication, and a mission to improve the lives of other people. His company has played a major role in revitalizing coastal cities like Hoboken for decades. My deepest condolences go out to the Imperatore family."

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Mei-Ling Yee-Imperatore; his son, Arthur E. Imperatore, Jr.; his daughter, India Imperatore; his stepson and daughter-in-law Armand Pohan and Nancy O. Rieger; his step-children George (Elizabeth) Carr, Alexander (Renée) Carr, and Arielle Moylen; eight grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren. He was predeceased by parents and his nine brothers and sisters.

A memorial service will be planned for a future date.

In lieu of flowers, the company said, "please consider remembering Mr. Imperatore with a contribution to the foundations of his two closest physicians, Dr. Valentin Fuster and Dr. David Adams, who worked tirelessly to provide him with quality years of life." Mitralfoundation.org and http://giving.mountsinai.org/Heart.

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