Background
Greelish was born in 1939 in New York City to William and Mildred Greelish.
Greelish was born in 1939 in New York City to William and Mildred Greelish.
He attended Dickinson College from 1957 to 1959 and then dropped out of college to work at a brewery.
At the age of 7 he moved with his family to Califon, New Jersey. He decided to return to school, attending night classes and graduating from Rutgers–Newark in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1971.
Greelish worked as law secretary to United States. District Judge Frederick Bernard Lacey in 1971.
Later that year, he began working in the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He was an assistant prosecutor under United States. Attorney Herbert Jay Stern, serving in that position until 1976.
In 1976 he joined the Morristown law firm of Schenck, Price, Smith & King. He became First Assistant Attorney General of New Jersey in 1982, and then first assistant United States. Attorney in 1983 under West. Hunt Dumont.
From August 1985 to March 1987, Greelish was the United States. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
During his tenure he prosecuted cases dealing with organized crime, white-collar fraud and drug trafficking. Among the cases he handled was the prosecution of Susan Rosenberg and Timothy Blunk for their role in the Resistance Conspiracy. He resigned to enter private practice, working as a partner in the Newark office of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae (later known as LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae).
In 1991 Greelish died of a pulmonary embolism after attending an outdoor symphony performance in Morristown, New Jersey.