Raul Suarez

In the heyday of 1960s and ‘70s Atlantic City, Raul Suarez was a man who knew everyone and whom everyone knew. A beloved local celebrity, he was widely known by his nickname, “Cooks Books,” which he earned as a popular emcee at the city’s famed 500 Club. His warm presence and smooth voice graced the stage where he introduced legendary performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis. Flowers from many of these stars would later adorn his funeral. Suarez, a male, was also a familiar voice on a local radio show and a friendly face behind the wheel of a taxicab. To his family, he was much more. After his nephew Mario was just three years old, Suarez stepped in to become a father figure. His niece, Blanche Morro, remembered being one of her uncle's "little sidekicks." His family recalled him as the "sweetest, gentle, generous, humble, friendliest man" they ever knew, a man with no enemies. He lived by the motto, "every day is a miracle," a phrase he even had printed on his cab.

The miracle of his own life was cut tragically short in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday, March 31, 1985. While working in his taxi, Suarez was attacked. Around 1:50 a.m., witnesses saw a struggle inside his cab, which was stopped near the Crest Motel on the eastbound side of Route 30, also known as the White Horse Pike, in Absecon, New Jersey. After the struggle, Suarez emerged from his vehicle, walked a few steps into the roadway, and collapsed. He had been stabbed multiple times. The unknown assailants then drove away in his taxi. Raul Suarez died from his wounds.

His stolen taxicab was discovered later that day, abandoned in the 800 block of North Michigan Avenue in Atlantic City, about a half-mile from the main highway. The discovery marked the beginning of a long and frustrating investigation for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. Over the decades, detectives have interviewed more than 160 people in their search for his killer, but no arrests have ever been made. The case has remained an active investigation, with law enforcement refusing to label it a "cold case." In 2019, Suarez's family learned that there may be DNA evidence from the cab to be tested, with his niece stating at the time that she was told there was blood work that did not belong to her uncle.

The murder sent a shockwave through the community and forever altered the course of his family’s life. His nephew, Mario Suarez, was 17 when his uncle was killed. “The murder changed the course of my life,” he later said. “It made me who I am today.” Now the Undersheriff for Atlantic County, Mario Suarez has never given up the fight for justice for the man who raised him. He and his sister Blanche remember their uncle as a significant figure in their lives, and the mystery surrounding his death remains a source of deep pain. "We're beside ourselves because he was a very big figure in our life," Morro said years later.

Decades have passed, but the memory of "Cooks Books" has not faded. On the anniversary of his death, his family and law enforcement continue to appeal to the public for help. A Facebook page was started to share stories and solicit tips. "We still get these stories from people," Undersheriff Suarez said in 2019. "People write us all the time saying how much they miss him and how much he changed their lives." He described the killing as a "random" act that has haunted his family for four decades.

As of March 2025, on the 40th anniversary of the homicide, the case remains unsolved. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office continues to seek any information, no matter how minor it may seem, that could finally provide the missing pieces to the puzzle. Undersheriff Mario Suarez has personally offered a $10,000 reward for any tip that leads to the arrest and conviction of his uncle's killer. He has promised anonymity for anyone who comes forward. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at (609) 909-7800, Undersheriff Mario Suarez directly at (609) 909-7200, or to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at (609) 652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477.