Mr. and Mrs. Onofrio and Debra Ann Nigro-Cirillo of West New York prove the old saying that the family that loves together, stays together!
Former West New York Board of Education President Cosmo Cirillo, their son, tells us that his parents celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary on Nov. 10. He and his sister Angela are both doing their duty for their parents in these happy times. Papa Onofrio was born in Molfetta, Italy, and is an American citizen. Mama Debra Ann was born in Manhattan, and was a graduate of the Wood School in Manhattan in 1974. She is also a paraprofessional at Memorial High School and is a teacher’s aide within the school system. Her husband is a distribution driver with Fedway Associates in Kearny, west Hudson County, and is also a New Jersey state licensed soccer sports referee. Cosmo tells us that his father has been in the United States of America for 40 years, after coming to West New York in 1972, and is a product of the Italian state educational system. Both husband and wife love Italian music, and she likes soap operas and reading, while he also likes baseball and basketball.
Mr. Cirillo is a member of the Teamsters Union, and the Café Italiano in Hoboken. Mrs. Cirillo is a member of the New Jersey Education Association, the West New York Women’s Club and the Union City/West New York Rotary Club. The Cirillo’s also tell us that their daughter Angela is a student at Caldwell College in Morris County. Meanwhile Cosmo tells us that his girlfriend Vanessa Treus is also a student at Callwell College, and resides in North Bergen.
As for Cosmo Cirillo, he tells us that he works as a municipal court attendant, and president of the Union City/ West New York Rotary Club, and is truly his father’s and mother’s son! There you go, Mr. and Mrs. Cirillo – and all the best!
Recently a reader sent me a letter asking me about some of the old-time politicians that I may have known and met because of my memories, which I have come to really appreciate as years go by. So here we go…
How can I ever forget the legendary state senator and mayor of Union City William V. Musto, and the last mayor of his line that never veered off the track when it came to serving the public’s needs, none other than Arthur Wichert. Lest we forget a throwback, Union City Deputy Mayor Nicholas Mastorelli. In Secaucus you have the legendary Mayor Paul Amico and his behind the scenes nephew Danny Amico, whose personal politics was independence. In West New York, the legendary Anthony M. DeFino Jr., whose tough Democratic reforms pulled the town finally together after too much friction within threatened to pull the party apart. In North Bergen, it would be former Mayor Anthony Di Vincent and a new crowd of people who did their best in trying to offset the old Mocco-guard flow and after-flow.
Unfortunately, old habits die hard. Weehawken will have their own Poster Boy soon in the likes of Mayor Richard Turner, who is headed for sainthood if he wins another one or two mayoral elections. Of course his “shadow” has long been former Republican mayor, the one and only Mayor Stanley Iacono. As for Guttenberg, the only North Hudson town with a mayor who achieved a PhD.Degree, Herman Klein. His close friend, the late Mayor Robert Sabello, was old and ill on his tenure. However, Gerald Drasheff is the newest of the Democratic mayors there, and they say he is doing a great job!
And so it goes … until next time … MATT.
EDITOR’S NOTE: After six and a half years of writing about his neighbors and their good news, Matthew Amato passed away suddenly on Nov. 9. This is his last column. His kindness and concern for others will be missed. A story about Matt ran in the Nov. 13 editions of the paper.
We still want to publicize your achievements and personal milestones! Send them in for the Good News section by writing to: editorial@hudsonreporter.com.