This Is My New Jersey

October is a great month for New Jersey. Why you ask? Well, it is Italian Heritage Month!

New Jersey has a proud Italian heritage. According to the most recent US Census, the “most Italian town” (by percentage) in the United States is Fairfield, with 50.3% of residents claiming Italian heritage. An additional five towns are in the top 10: Hammonton (43.2%), Ocean Gate (42.6%), East Hanover (41.3%), Cedar Grove (40.8%), and Wood Ridge (40.6%).

So I think it is safe to say we have good reason to be proud.

We can claim great actors like Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini. We shared singers like Connie Francis and of course Francis Albert, with the world. Heroes like Joseph Rotunda proved to the rest of the country we were loyal to our newly adopted homeland. And musicians like Bucky Pizzarelli entertained generations.

We are creative. We are intelligent. We are hard-working. Being of Italian descent AND from Jersey makes us a special breed. We are tough and quirky. We laugh loudly and love freely. We kiss each other hello. A handshake just won’t do. Men still believe in manners and cherish their women. The women cherish their families. And we all cherish our heritage.

I hope you will join me as I share all that is great about the Italian culture in New Jersey during this month.