Essex County Honors 6 At Italian-American Heritage Events – Belleville, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County officials paid tribute to residents from five towns, as well as a local Columbus Day parade committee, during two separate events in October.

The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders held its 2019 Italian Heritage Month Celebration on Oct. 23 at the Hall of Records in Newark.

Held to “commemorate the heritage and culture of the Italian-American community,” the event honored four Essex County residents (see full biographies below):

• John Alati of Verona
• Michael Parlavecchio of Millburn
• Leslie Pogany of South Orange
• Joseph Zarra of Nutley

The freeholders also honored members of the 37th annual Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day Parade Committee during the ceremony.

Another ceremony took place at the Hall of Records on Oct. 29, when Essex County officials hosted the 2019 Essex County Italian-American Heritage Month celebration.

During the cultural event, officials honored Courtney Gaccione, Essex County counsel and county adjuster, and Robert Detore, CEO of Turning Point Inc.

Gaccione is a resident of West Orange and former resident of Verona. Detore is a Verona resident. Both were named “Stellas della Contea di Essex” (Stars of Essex County), an honor which recognizes them for their commitment to improving the lives of all residents and their community involvement.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said the celebration was “an opportunity to recognize the contributions that Italian-Americans have made to the history and culture of Essex County.”

The freeholder board and county executive office provided the following biographies for each honoree.

JOHN ALATI

John M. Alati is the current President of the UNICO Foundation, and served as the President of UNICO National from 2002-2003. He has served as Chairman Emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Italian American Organizations from 2005 to present day. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Italian American Museum of New York City, the Columbus Heritage Coalition, and the Columbus Educational Foundation. In addition to his leadership in the afore mentioned organizations, he served in a variety of elected and appointed government positions over the course of the last 20 years, including the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders; Chairman of the Irvington Democratic Committee; Commissioner of the Essex County Board of Elections; and Executive Director of the Essex County Improvement Authority. He has been married to his wife Linda-Gail for 46 years and they have two children, John and Danine, a son in-law Juan, and a grandson Luca.

MICHAEL PARLAVECCHIO

Michael J. Parlavecchio is a former Assistant Prosecutor with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and current Counsel to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders since 2003. He is also Counsel to the law firm of Bevan, Mosca & Giuditta, in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and represents the Townships of Bloomfield and Belleville as their Township Attorney. He has also served the community through public service as Vice-Chair of the Millburn Board of Adjustment, coaching with the Milburn Recreation Department, and as a member of the Millburn Soccer Club’s Board of Directors. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member of Hockey in New Jersey, a non-profit organization founded to promote hockey and serve children in the City of Newark. Michael has been a resident of the Township of Millburn for over 16 years, where he lives with his wife, Caryn, and their two daughters, Ella and Rosie.

LESLIE POGANY

Leslie Pogany is the owner and operator of Bunny’s Sports Bar, located in the heart of South Orange Village. She is a second-generation Italian, born to Sabino “Harry” and Vivian Cucciniello, and started working in the family business as a child. She developed her entrepreneurial spirit from her father, grandmother, uncles and aunts who owned and operated their store as a tavern and eventually a full-service restaurant. Leslie and her late husband, John took full ownership of Bunny’s in 1999. She is a lifelong resident of South Orange who loves her community. Over the years, she has contributed generously to South-Orange-Maplewood athletic teams including: Seton Hall University, Columbia High School, Seton Hall Preparatory Academy and her church, Our Lady of Sorrows. She has also served as District Leader of the South Orange Democratic Committee, Board member of the South Orange Village Alliance, and President of the South Orange Chamber of Commerce. Leslie was happily married for the last 40 years to her husband, John who recently passed away. They have three children, Stephen, Noelle, and Ryan, and three grandchildren, Alexa-Hortenzia, Ella, and Liam.

JOSEPH ZARRA

Joseph S. Zarra is the Essex County Superintendent of Schools with the New Jersey State Department of Education, and is in his 45th year as an educator. He is a member of Nutley UNICO; the Nutley Third Half Club; the Nutley Educational Foundation, and is a trustee on the Essex County College Board of Trustees. While working in the Nutley School district for 30 years, he held the positions of History Teacher, Department Chairperson, Football and Wrestling Coach, Athletic Director, High School Vice Principal, Principal, and Superintendent of Schools. In addition to his years of service as an educator, he served in the New Jersey National Guard for 20 years. He has been married to his wife Donna for 41 years and they have two daughters, Erica and Jessica, who are also educators.

COURTNEY GACCIONE

Courtney M. Gaccione, Esq., a long-time resident of Verona who now resides in West Orange, is a seasoned attorney and expert in employment litigation and labor relations. As an 18-year veteran of the Essex County team, she has risen through the ranks serving as Assistant County Counsel and Chief of Labor and Employment, prior to assuming the role as Essex County Counsel in 2015. In this capacity, Ms. Gaccione is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Office of Essex County Counsel, supervising attorneys and staff, and representing Essex County Departments and Divisions in all legal matters impacting the County. Revered in the field, she has served as a seminar speaker for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education multiple times, speaking about Civil Service Disciplinary Actions and leading an Administrative Law Forum. She has also been a member of the New Jersey Association of County Counsels, the New Jersey Women Lawyer’s Association and served as the Labor and Employment Committee Chair for the New Jersey Bar Association. Ms. Gaccione earned her Juris Doctor Degree from Seton Hall University School of Law, with a concentration in Labor and Employment Law, including Employment Discrimination and Labor Relations and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management with an Organizational Management concentration from Rutgers University.

ROBERT DETORE

Robert R. Detore, a resident of Verona, currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Turning Point, Inc., a 137-bed, licensed and nationally accredited substance use disorder company providing detox, short and long term residential and outpatient services with facilities in Passaic, Essex, Ocean and Hunterdon Counties. He is the founder and former CEO of Correctional Health Services, Inc. CHS was the major provider of healthcare services to 17 county juvenile and adult correctional facilities and private correctional facilities in New Jersey. Since 2011, he has served as the President of the Board of Trustees of The Robert Treat Academy Charter School in Newark. He is a former board member of Community Education Center, LLC., Mellon Bank FSB, Cathedral Healthcare Services, Inc., East Orange General Hospital and Wynona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center. Mr. Detore is no stranger to government, serving as the Mayor of Verona from 2001-2005 and as Council President and Councilman-at-Large in the City of Orange from 1980-1988. He is a graduate of the George Washington University and holds master’s degrees from New York University and Seton Hall University.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com