{{Short description|American politician (1910–1991)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Peter J. Camiel | state_senate2 = Pennsylvania | district2 = 3rd | term_start2 = January 6, 1953 | term_end2 = November 30, 1964 | constituency2 = Parts of Philadelphia | predecessor2 = John Meade | successor2 = Louis Johanson | office = Chairman of the<br>Philadelphia Democratic City Committee | term_start = December 26, 1969 | term_end = June 30, 1976 | predecessor = Bill Green | successor = Martin Weinberg | office3 = Member of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission | term_start3 = 1975 | term_end3 = 1991 | successor3 = Bob Brady | birth_date = January 30, 1910 | birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|01|31|1910|01|30|mf=yes}} | death_place = Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, US<ref name=obit /> | party = Democratic | alma_mater = | occupation = | spouse = | children = | website = }} '''Peter J. Camiel''' (January 30, 1910 – January 31, 1991) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 3rd district from 1953 to 1964.<ref>{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Senate Members N | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/SN.html}}</ref><ref name=pgbio>{{cite web| last = Kestenbaum| first = Lawrence | authorlink = Lawrence Kestenbaum| title = Index to Politicians: Nolan| work = The Political Graveyard| publisher = | date = March 24, 2009| url = http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/nolan.html| accessdate = 2009-12-02}}</ref>
==Career== Camiel started his political career as a ward leader in Philadelphia. He became a millionaire running a wholesale beer distribution business.
He served as Chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party from 1969 to 1976, when he lost a power struggle with Mayor Frank Rizzo. Camiel had helped get Rizzo elected in 1971 but they became bitter rivals.
Camiel became leader of the 5th ward in Philadelphia, known as Center City, and served in that capacity for over 40 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Peter J. Camiel, 81, Philadelphia Chief of '70's Democrats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/02/obituaries/peter-j-camiel-81-philadelphia-chief-of-70-s-democrats.html |website=www.nytimes.com |accessdate=1 February 2019}}</ref>
Camiel was nominated to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission by Governor Milton Shapp in 1975. In 1980, he and three other defendants, including Vince Fumo and Thomas Nolan, were convicted of placing "ghost workers" on state payroll.<ref name=obit>{{Cite news | title = AROUND THE NATION; 3 Mail Fraud Convictions Upset in Pennsylvania| newspaper = New York Times| date = August 5, 1981| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/05/us/around-the-nation-3-mail-fraud-convictions-upset-in-pennsylvania.html}}</ref> The charges were thrown out in August 1981.<ref name=obit /> He was suspended from the Turnpike Commission as a result of the indictment but returned in December 1981. He was renominated for a four-year term by Governor Bob Casey Sr. in 1987.<ref>Cozzoli, Frank. "Peter Camiel, noted Democrat, turnpike official, dies at 81." ''Patriot-News, The (Harrisburg, PA)'', February 1, 1991: B1. ''NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current''. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/10D8A321B65615F4 .</ref> He served on the commission until his death in 1991.<ref>Brutto, Carmen. "Yerusalim, Philly party head get backing of Senate panel." ''Patriot-News, The (Harrisburg, PA)'', March 20, 1991: B4. ''NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current''. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/10D8A32D4D13A318 .</ref>
Peter J Camiel died of lung cancer on January 31, 1991, at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
==Legacy== A rest area on the Pennsylvania Turnpike is named in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Service Plazas - Peter J. Camiel| work = www.paturnpike.com| publisher = Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission| date = | url = http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/srvcplaza/camiel.aspx| access-date = 2009-12-15| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100510143301/http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/srvcplaza/camiel.aspx| archive-date = 2010-05-10| url-status = dead}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Camiel, Peter}} Category:1910 births Category:1991 deaths Category:Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Pennsylvania Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly