Nelson Johnson

Nelson Johnson (born 1948) is an American lawyer, judge and author, best known for his 2002 New York Times bestseller, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City.[1]

For the US ambassador to the republic of China in the 1930s, see Nelson T. Johnson.
Nelson Johnson
Websitenucky1883.com

Early life

Johnson is a life-long resident of Hammonton, N.J.[2]

Career

Johnson was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1974. He represented the Atlantic City Planning Board in the early 1980s. In explaining his motivation to write Boardwalk Empire, Johnson explained "It [City Hall] was dysfunctional and corrupt. I thought, in order to do my job here, I have to find out how it got this way. I didn't set out to write a book. I just wanted a better understanding."[3]

Johnson retired from his position as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in September, 2018. During his tenure on the bench, he handled mass tort cases/product liability claims.

Nelson's 2002 book Boardwalk Empire was the basis for the HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire.[3] Its sequel is The Northside: African Americans and the Creation of Atlantic City.[3][4] In 2010, Nelson was asked by the New Jersey State Superior Court to cease promoting the book and the series in order to preserve the ethical neutrality of his position as a judge.[5]

His third book, published by Rutgers University Press, is Battleground New Jersey: Vanderbilt, Hague and Their Fight for Justice, and is about Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague and Arthur T. Vanderbilt, first Chief Justice of New Jersey’s modern Supreme Court.[6][7]

References
  1. "Book review: Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson". The Scotsman, 28 January 2011.
  2. "Judge Nelson Johnson: Atlantic City's Godfather". NEWJERSEYMONTHLY.COM, August 16, 2019
  3. "Author of 'Boardwalk Empire' helped historical book transition into dramatized crime series". BLOG.NJ.COM, September 19, 2010
  4. "Book Review: Johnson gets it right with tale of 'The Northside'". Press of Atlantic City. November 21, 2010 By PATRICIA REID-MERRITT,
  5. "Boardwalk Empire Author Muzzled". Observer'.
  6. Michael Clark, "Author Nelson Johnson strikes gold with infamous Atlantic City characters "
  7. "Judge details state politics history in book"]. MyCentralJersey. Katie Park January 16, 2015
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