Mystery, Millions Murder in North Jersey by John E. O'Rourke

Author:John E. O'Rourke [O'Rourke, John E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Criminals & Outlaws, History, United States, State & Local, Middle Atlantic (DC; DE; MD; NJ; NY; PA), Photography, Subjects & Themes, Historical
ISBN: 9781467137942
Google: EfaEDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2019-01-15T16:04:40+00:00

Missing person flyer. Provided by Agent John Turkington.

As an adolescent, Artie Seale was seen as a good kid who rarely got into trouble. His peers and teachers all agreed that he was likeable. While in school, Artie was an above-average student and was viewed as bright and eager to learn. His after-school activities consisted of playing football, baseball or other physical activities with his pool of friends. With each passing schoolyear, the young Seale grew stronger and developed a muscular physique from his rigorous workouts. By the time he entered his teenage years, Artie was a good-looking kid with strong facial features. His blond hair and blue eyes caught the attention of more than a few young ladies in town.

One of these was a slender teenager known to everyone as Jackie. Jackie had a cute figure, wavy blond hair and eyes bluer than Artie’s. As Artie came to find out, Jackie was just a nickname; her real name was Irene Jacqueline Szarko. She lived in the Westminster section of town. Irene Jacqueline and her brother, John, lived with their parents at 969 Revere Drive, only a few blocks from the blue-collar home of Artie. Jackie was “born into a family of modest wealth,” recalls Ed Petersen. Her father, John Szarko, and her uncles Walter and Fred were successful businessmen in Hillside. The family money didn’t originate from this business—the money came from Jackie’s grandfather Michael Szarko, a real estate investor and businessman with landholdings throughout Hillside. Of the many landholdings he had, the storefront at 1317 Liberty Avenue was now the main source of revenue for John Szarko and his siblings, not considering the inheritance they received upon Michael’s passing.

The Szarkos were second-generation residents of Hillside and were known by just about everyone in town. In a predominantly middle-class community, the Szarkos were considered rich. Vito Menza, a local real estate agent and friend of both the Szarkos and the Seales, said “Jackie Szarko didn’t want for anything.” While Jackie’s father catered to the family business, her mother, after whom she was named, was a registered nurse. They were a “lovely family,” recalled Menza, and their daughter had an effervescent personality. She was athletically inclined and enjoyed physical activity to keep herself looking fit and trim. Her athleticism, figure and warm personality are presumably what attracted Artie Seale to her.

Soon Jackie and Artie were being described as lovestruck “high school sweethearts.” In the hopes that Artie would go on to college, Arthur L. and Daphne sent him to the strictly structured Admiral Farragut Academy in the shore community of Pine Beach, New Jersey. Admiral Farragut Academy is a private military prep school that prepares young adults for admittance into the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). While in attendance, Art (as he was now called) did well academically, receiving a B average. Captain John Matthies, a graduate of the school who rose to be its superintendent, said Seale was “a popular, well-rounded student who played varsity football and track.” Matthies said Seale was “smart, athletic and handsome.

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