Anthony J (Tony) DeMarco of Paterson helped compulsive gamblers in New Jersey for three decades. He has served on the board of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ since 1991 and served as a member of the Executive Committee and board secretary for many years. The council, which runs the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline that people can call to get help for their gambling problems and for at least 18 years, Tony was not only a board member, but he was also one of the people on the other end of the line when people reached out for help. He was kind, caring and compassionate to everyone and he spent a lifetime helping other people.
Born and raised in Paterson, Tony was true to the town to the very end. He received both an undergraduate and a law degree from Seton Hall and a doctorate from St. John’s University.
Tony was a professional hypnotist. In his practice, he used his hypnosis skills to help people deal with issues of gambling addiction, pain management, drug abuse, weight control, stress reduction, emotional cleansing, past life regression and a wide variety of other challenges.
He was the co-founder of the Academy of Professional Hypnosis in Union, which was the first school of hypnosis approved in 1991 as a post-secondary vocational school of hypnosis by the State of New Jersey Department of Education. He was also a member of a long list of organizations that are dedicated to helping people through hypnosis and counseling. He was the co-founder and chief-advisor to the National Association of Certified Hypno Counselors and he served as an Advisory Board Member of that organization as well as the National Guild of Hypnotists and the International Association of Counselors & Therapists. Both the NGH and the IACT presented him with their own Presidents Awards for his contribution to the field as well as for his dedication.
He was involved with the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association, the American Board of Hypnotherapy and the International Hypnosis Federation. He served for more than 14th years as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Council of Professional Hypnosis Organizations of the United States and Canada (COPHO), and was a member of the C.G. Jung Foundation of New York. Dr. De Marco also served as Vice President of the National Federation of Hypnotists Union.
In addition to writing his column for the Journal of the National Guild of Hypnotists, he authored many hypnosis articles, as well as an Addictions Practice Manual entitled “Slaying the Dragon of Addiction”, embodying a program of hypnosis treatment for addictions complemented by other methods of self-help that is utilized by hypnotists throughout the USA. Dr. De Marco was inducted into the International Hypnosis Hall of Fame in 1996.
We lost Tony February 1st at the age of 87 from COVID related complications and he will be greatly missed by his wife of 60 years, Joan, as well as his son Frank who also lived in Paterson, son Michael and his wife Ann of West Milford, and his daughter Francesca and her husband Joe Leonetti of North Haledon. He was predeceased by his son AD and sister Rose Marie. He was Grandpa to Emily, Anthony, Jake, Isabella, Thea and Mikey. His sister Francine and dozens of family members will also dearly miss their Uncle Sonny. He loved All Creatures Great and Small, especially the several four legged friends he rescued. He never stopped dreaming.