Celebrating Nutley - Belleville's Italian Heritage Honorees Ahead of Sunday's Parade

BELLEVILLE, NJ - Meet the 42nd Nutley-Belleville Italian Heritage Parade honorees. The Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day and Italian Heritage Parade Committee held their honoree dinner at Nanina's in the Park in Belleville on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Grand Marshal — Marialena Marzullo

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Marialena Marzullo was born and raised in Montclair to Rocco and Maria Marzullo. Her family arrived in Montclair in 1966 from Aquilonia and Avellino in Italy. Marzullo was the first American-born member of her family.

She attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (OLMC) in Montclair, where her ancestors were founding members, and her family is still very active in the church community. She attended Montclair University and in 1988, attended a semester abroad at Università degli Studi di Siena where she studied Cultural Italian History and International Social Science.

Marzullo is co-chair of the Community Outreach Program for OLMC, where according to the press release, she is the driving force in raising funds for families and organizations in need throughout the Essex, Bergen, Morris, and Passaic County communities and also oversees all fundraising events partnering with a workforce of municipal and government officials. During the COVID-19 Pandemic the Community Outreach Program for OLMC fed over 100,000 people and since then that number has tripled.

Additionally, Marzullo is the co-chair of the Montclair-Aquilonia Sister Cities agreement between the Montclair and Aquilonia, Italy to celebrate 100 years of Aquilones to Montclair that have become productive members serving the community. She leads this initiative, and it is the cornerstone for the Amici di Aquilonia student exchange program where students from Italy attend a semester abroad at Montclair State University, and students from Montclair attend a semester abroad in Italy.

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Marzullo is a lead coordinating member for The San Vito Society where throughout the year its members participate in celebrating Italian heritage in many events held in and around the community.

Marzullo is co-vice president of Unico Montclair.  Moreover, in 2018, she joined Federazione delle Associazioni della Campania USA and she was appointed consigliere and the vice president of New Jersey.

For the past 14 years, Marzullo has been a member of KPMG, LLP. In 2018, she received KPMG’s National John Kirkpatrick Community Service and Humanitarian Award, and she is a Firm Culture champion, diversity officer, and Great Places to Work leader for the firm. She is an active member in the Italian Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Newark, which promotes Italian culture through our churches and communities.

In 2021, she received the Heritage and Community Service Awards for Dedicated Leadership from Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, New Jersey State Legislature, New Jersey General Assembly, Essex County, New Jersey Board of County Commissioners, and Newark. In November 2023, the New Jersey State P.B.A. presented Marzullo with an honorary membership to the Montclair Local 53 which is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a civilian.

Lifetime Achievement Honoree — Eugenio Siciliano

Siciliano was born in Calabria, Rose, Province di Cosenza Italy on Nov. 21, 1938. Siciliano endured many hardships as a child; especially the death of his father in 1943 at the age of 4. In order to assist his family with the necessary finances for survival, Siciliano and his brother, Luigi were forced to leave school at an early age and began working at whatever jobs they could find. Siciliano was never  without work and at times worked two jobs just to provide for his family.

In 1956, Siciliano married his childhood sweetheart, Immacolata “Iolanda” Bria and they have been married for 67 years. They have four children, Angela and her husband, Bill; Paula and her late husband Joe; Paul and his wife, Jennifer and Maria and her husband, Gerard. They are grandparents of eight grandchildren: Christopher, Ashley, Natasha, Justin, Gerard Jr., Samantha Jake and Olivia. Additionally, they have six great grandchildren: Caterina, Logan, Jack, Landon, Colette and Salvatore and two boys on the way this October and December.

In 1968, Siciliano left Italy and immigrated to the United States in order to give his family a better life. He was welcomed to the United States by his older brother, Luigi and his family.

In 1970, he returned to Italy to gather his family to return to the United States

They arrived in 1971. and settled in Bloomfield where he and his wife bought a home and raised their family.

He was the foreman/supervisor at the Kearny Municipal Landfill Authority for 17 years.

In 1982, they opened San Marco Ravioli, a wholesale and retail pasta manufacturing business that was a staple for Italian/Americans located on Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield. It was a successful business for 34 years run first by Siciliano and his wife and later together with their son, Paul and his family.

Siciliano is an active member of the Federation of Italian-American Societies of New Jersey, as well as a member of the Calabria National Forum. Moreover, he was also vice president of the Liberty Club for two years.

At the age of 85, he still considers himself semi-retired. When not at work, he enjoys tending to his garden and spending time with his family and friends.

Italian Heritage Award Recipient — Anthony Pastena, D.O.

Pastena was born in Newark and grew up in Bloomfield. He is a board-certified family medicine physician and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice (FAFFP). Pastena has practiced in Nutley, almost 30 years, first independently and since 2016 with Summit Health. Additionally, Pastena serves as the Board of

Education Physician for several school districts, including; Bloomfield, Little Falls, and the Banyan Schools and formerly, Belleville.

Moreover, he served as the medical director for Patient Care Home Health and as a preceptor for medical students, residents, advanced nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

He has won numerous awards including NJ Monthly Top Doctors multiple times, Montclair Magazine Top Doctors and Patient Choice Awards, Americas Compassionate Doctors. Pastena is affiliated with Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside and Hackensack University Medical Center, RW Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and Clara Maass Medical Center.

Italian American Business Leader Recipients —Rocco, Deanna and Vincent Gencarelli of Gencarelli Bakery in Bloomfield and Wayne

Rocco, Deanna, and Vincent Gencarelli the current owners of the family business Gencarelli’s Bakery which began in 1975 by their parents, Rosario “Rose” and Ernesto “Ernie” Gencarelli. Ernesto was born in Calabria, Italy and Rosaria was born in Foggia, Italy.

Rocco graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1983 and Seton Hall University in 1987 with a degree in business. He worked alongside his parents through the early years and learned the baking trade. He continues to work full-time in the bakery, ensuring the store has a full inventory of quality baked goods, and specializing in bread baking.

Deanna graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1986 and Seton Hall University in 1990 with a degree in Business. Deanna also worked alongside her parents through the early years and is currently the store manager.

Vincent graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1989 and Montclair University in 1994 with a degree in Business. Like his siblings, Vincent grew up working alongside his parents and siblings to learn the business and is currently the operating manager of both Bloomfield and Wayne locations. Rocco, Deanna, and Vincent continue to follow their parents’ work ethic to maintain the bakery’s quality of standard.

Furthermore, they continue to acknowledge the importance of family and tradition by gathering for weekly Monday family dinners, a tradition started by their mother with her home cooked meals and is now hosted by Deanna.

Nutley Italian Woman of the Year— Danielle Marie Ferrara Manganello

Danielle Marie Ferrara Manganello was born and raised in Nutley. Her mother’s family emigrated from Pietraperzia, Sicily and her father’s family from Naples. Her parents,

Arlene (a life-long Nutleyite) and Steve (originally from Silver Lake, Belleville), still reside in Nutley.

Manganello is the eldest of her siblings, Steven and Stefanie. Her Italian roots stem deep from her parents and grandparents.

She attended Lincoln Elementary School, then Franklin Middle School (now John H. Walker Middle School), and graduated in 1995 from Nutley High School. She was a Girl Scout, played softball, and was a twirler with the Nutley Sun Strutter’s. She attended Essex County College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Rutgers University. She earned two master’s degrees in bio-pharm innovation and administrative science and also holds a dental license.

She has two sons, Tommy and Joey. She has been very involved with their extracurricular activities including coaching little league. Additionally, she served on several boy scout committees, and was actively involved with both of their football teams.

She began her professional career at Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley during her high

school years as a work study student. She became very interested in this industry, and after furthering her education, is still employed in the pharmaceutical field.

She believes in giving back to the community as much as she can. While she no

longer lives in Nutley, she felt she wanted to give back to where she grew up. She is a

parishioner of Holy Family Church and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Church in Newark where she is involved in many activities. She is a member of the Gala committee and has volunteered many years at the Holy Family Italian Festival. She is currently the president of the Nutley Chapter of UNICO. She has served on many committees within Nutley UNICO. Manganello is actively involved at the district level and serves on the Good and Welfare committee in District VII of UNICO. Additionally, she is a member of the UNICO National Columbus Day committee.

Belleville Italian Woman of the Year — Patricia A. Vangieri

Patricia “Patty” A. Vangieri is the owner of The Glass Gallery-Stained Glass Studio in Nutley.

Vangieri’s roots are from Calabria to Naples. A lifelong resident of Belleville, Vangieri, together with her mother, Emily opened the Glass Gallery-Stained Glass Studio on Chestnut Street in Nutley in 1988. She began learning the trade in her teens underher mother’s guidance. She welcomes the challenge of difficult restorations. Her work can be found in religious settings, restaurants, homes, offices and even in the movie “The Woman in the Window.” In addition, she has been featured on YouTube and on the show Blank Canvas. She has devoted her time to others by creating and donating installations to such institutions as The Seeing Eye in Morristown and the rectory of Holy Family Church in Nutley.

Most recently, she volunteered her talents in a combined effort with The Nutley Partners for Peace and Nutley students to design and construct a three-dimensional structure which

spells the words UNITY and PEACE. UNITY in metal and stone and PEACE in glass mosaic detail. The installation is now a permanent fixture in Nutley’s Yanticaw Park.

See related story: Trailblazers: Nutley Partners for Peace Unveil Unity/Peace Public Art Installation

Vangieri provides instructional classes at The Glass Gallery and through an adult program at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood.

The Rev. Joseph Ferraro — Nutley Italian Man of the Year

The Rev. Joseph Ferraro was born in Newark and lived the first 4 and a half years in the Silver Lake section of Belleville and grew up in Bloomfield. His parents are the late Anthony M. Ferraro Sr. and Flora Toscano Ferraro. His father was born and raised in the Silver Lake section of Belleville and his mother was born and raised in Acri, Cosenza Italy. Ferraro’s father’s parents were from the same town in Italy.

Ferraro is the oldest of three brothers, Anthony Jr., Angelo and Allan.  He attended St. Anthony of Padua School in Belleville, Bloomfield High School, Montclair State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Italian. He attended the University of Firenze, Florence, Italy, University of Urbino, Italy (both through the State University of New York at New Paltz and attended Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University.

He worked in shoe retail during high school and college and worked in New York City as a lithographer in color corrections and purchasing.

When he was 33 years old, he entered the seminary. He was ordained on Nov. 17, 1990. He just celebrated his 33rd anniversary in the priesthood. After ordination he had various assignments starting with the Church of St. Anne in Garwood as a deacon/parochial vicar. He was then assigned to the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in Jersey City as the parochial

vicar/temporary administrator. Years later, he was assigned to the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Maplewood as the parochial vicar, then as pastor to the Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Belleville. Ferraro is currently the pastor at Holy Family Church in Nutley.

He is actively involved in many organizations during this time serving as a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Newark, the College of Counsultors, a member of the Patrimony Committee of the Archdiocese, serves as an adjunct spiritual director and confessor at Immaculate Conception Seminary and chaplain for the Regina Pacis Knights of Columbus, Maplewood. He is a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and a member of the Knights of Columbus Regina Pacis #4066

Belleville Italian Man of the Year — Frank P. Arena DPM

Frank P. Arena DPM migrated from Italy in the 1920s and settled in Belleville. Both of his parents attended Belleville High School, where they met.

When Arena was five, they moved to Birchwood Drive where he was raised. His mother worked for a local doctor at Clara Maass Medical Center and his father became a renowned member of the Belleville Fire Department. Arena’s goal, from childhood, has been to continue giving back to the community that his family had so warmly embraced.

From School Number Five to Belleville High School, Arena followed the same path that his parents did and reaped the benefits of the cohesive community founded by so many Italian Americans of that era. A Boy Scout, a Key-Club member, and a class vice president, he developed his deep commitment to both the community and to providing kindness and care to the people who had helped to define him. He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and then the Temple School of Podiatric Medicine. He completed his surgical residency at James C. Giuffre Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was chief resident. He then returned to his roots to establish Arena Family Foot Care, at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville. In his office he cultivated a home-like feeling while making inroads as a surgeon and a leader at the hospital. He is the first-ever podiatrist to earn operating privileges at Clara Maass Medical Center.

Beyond the office, he’s supported many community causes during his career, including membership in the Kiwanis Club and membership and presidency of the Essex County Chapter of the American Diabetes Association. He did charitable work for City of Hope, and supported and continues to support local Belleville organizations.

Additionally, he’s a founder, an active participant, and chief of the Wound Care Center at Clara Maass Medical Center since its inception. He served as director of the Department of Podiatry at Clara Maass Medical Center.

For the past 40 years, Arena has been caring for the Nutley-Belleville community. From the start, he grew the business surrounded by family and extended family. Supported by his sister, his parents and all four of his grandparents, he grew his business and his family-style brand. His office is steeped in that Italian- American culture, sense of community, and especially sense of family. From the Frank Sinatra backdrop to the ever-changing family photos, patients are treated to not just physical care, but are embraced in the Arena Foot Care Family. He has been married for 36 years and they have two daughters.

He served over 40 years of family practice, and is a notable son of Belleville.

Renaissance Woman — Danielle Gherardi

Danielle Gherardi grew up in Oradell with her parents and younger brother Donny in a very tight-knit Italian American Catholic home. They attended St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Oradell. She is a 2012 graduate of Academy of the Holy Angels and a 2016 graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology with a bachelors in biomedical engineering and a masters in engineering management.

Gherardi is a customer quality manager at Becton Dickinson and Co (BD), a medical technology company, in Franklin Lakes.

Her grandfather immigrated to Union City with his brother and three sisters from Somendenna in the province of Bergamo, Lombardia Italy. Her grandmother was from Danta di Cadore, in the province of Belluno, Veneto Italy. Her grandfather died before she was born and her grandmother died when she was three years old, both at very young ages.

Because of this, her cousins and she have relied solely on minimal memories of their grandparents which included photos, stories and recipes.

According to the statement, growing up, every night was family dinner together, but her mother always made Sundays extremely special with hints of their Northern Italian cuisine, like polenta or risotto. Her family would spend hours together every day in the kitchen and around the table cooking, eating, laughing and telling stories of the family. Summers and holidays were spent with her father’s sisters and their families by the beach in the same fashion.

Gherardi is a very active member of the Italian Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Newark.

At the apostolate, she works tirelessly to help preserve and promote the Italian/Italian American Catholic culture and traditions within the diocese and spread that same devotion throughout the tri-state area.

She is a member of many Italian American and Catholic service organizations.

Gherardi is the founding core team lead of the FUEL (Faithfully United in Eucharistic Life) Young Adult Ministry out of St. Joseph’s Church in Oradell. Furthermore, she is a member of the Elmwood Park Chapter of UNICO National, Italian Sons and Daughters of America, Italian American Independent Club of Totowa, and a youth committee member of  the Italian Welfare League, which provides services to Italian children with disability or trauma related medical bills.

Renaissance Man — Cavaliere Louis A. Nicastro

Louis A. Nicastro is a 32-year-old Italian American from Lodi. He has been a lifelong parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Virgin in Garfield. His ancestors settled in this area over 100 years ago when they emigrated from the villages of Olevano Sul Tusciano and Roccadaspide, near Salerno.

His brothers and he would play bocce ball at Century Field Park in preparation for the annual UNICO tournament.

His father instilled a pride for his Italian Heritage from a young age. He saw his father rise up the ranks of UNICO National to become the UNICO National president. When he was a teenager, Nicastro’s father swore him into the Garfield Chapter of UNICO National.

Now over 15 years in the organization, and countless hours of service, Nicastro has founded the Elmwood Park UNICO chapter and was appointed this year to the UNICO National Youth Chair.

They are averaging over 50 plus members at each monthly meeting with the bulk of the membership in their 20s and 30s looking to deepen their Catholic faith and Italian roots.

Additionally, he is the captain of the Our Lady of Mount Virgin Soccer Club. He helps organize an annual Mass for San Luigi Scrosoppi, the patron saint of soccer every April. Nicastro has organized a Penalty Kick Fundraiser for Redemptoris Mater Seminary’s project to build a soccer field for the seminarians. He participates annually in the Garfield UNICO Christmas baskets.They prepare and deliver over 50 boxes of food to the impoverished in the city, an annual service event he has partaken in since he was 12 years old. Nicastro helped save the East Rutherford Bocce Ball Court from destruction. They organized a renovation of the court with the Boro Department of Public Works. Once work was completed, they held a bocce

ball lesson and game for the Montclair University Italian Club.

HIs UNICO Chapter raised $400 to use in philanthropic efforts at the first ever Italian Heritage Night with the New York Red Bulls Soccer Team. They sold 40 tickets to the last match of the regular season.They had an Italian tailgate party beforehand in the parking lot with traditional music and food.

Nicastro assisted with the 2023 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast, where he helped set up tents, tables and chairs. He was stationed at the Italian Apostolate tent not just at that feast but several other events, He prepared, trimmed, decorated, and delivered olive branches to Italian parishes for Palm Sunday in 2023. The olive branch is the traditional palm used in Italy for this holiday.

Community Excellence Award Recipients — Maggie and Peter Millar

Peter and Maggie Millar have been residents of Kearny for the past 54 years.

Peter was born in Saltcoats, Scotland, United Kingdom. He played professional soccer for Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1963-1964. He was later drafted into the US Army during Vietnam in 1965. He retired from the Army in 1967 at the rank of Sergeant (E-5).

He represented the United States in the World Cup where he played for the United States National Team. For several years held the record for three hat tricks. He later started his own sheet metal shop, Millar Sheet Metal Corp where he was in business for over 35 years.

Maggie was born in Ardara, County Donegal, Ireland. She was a stay-at-home mom to her daughter, Edana and her son, the late Peter Justin, who died in 2021.

Moreover, she was a small business owner of the Irish Quality Shop on Kearny Avenue in Kearny which was a staple to all of Irish heritage. She retired in 2013.

They have three grandchildren, Blaine, Brooke, and Isabella.

Additionally, they are members of the Italian American Federation.

The Italian Heritage Month Parade will kick off at Belleville High School at 1:30 p.m. The Parade route will travel along Joralemon Street, turn at Franklin Avenue, and continue to the Nutley Park Oval.

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