Belleville, New Jersey

Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States

Township in New Jersey

Belleville, New Jersey

Township

Township of Belleville
Wesley United Methodist Church

Wesley United Methodist Church

Nickname:

Cherry Blossom Capital of America

Location in Essex County and the state of New Jersey.

Location in Essex County and the state of New Jersey.

Census Bureau map of Belleville, New Jersey

Census Bureau map of Belleville, New Jersey

Belleville is located in Essex County, New Jersey

Belleville

Belleville

Location in Essex County

Show map of Essex County, New Jersey

Belleville is located in New Jersey

Belleville

Belleville

Location in New Jersey

Show map of New Jersey

Belleville is located in the United States

Belleville

Belleville

Location in the United States

Show map of the United States

Coordinates: 40°47′37″N 74°09′40″W﻿ / ﻿40.793481°N 74.161159°W﻿ / 40.793481; -74.161159Coordinates: 40°47′37″N 74°09′40″W﻿ / ﻿40.793481°N 74.161159°W﻿ / 40.793481; -74.161159[1][2]
Country|  United States
State| File:Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey
County| File:Flag of Essex County, New Jersey.gif Essex
Incorporated| April 8, 1839
Named for| French language for "beautiful city"
Government

[7]

• Type| Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body| Township Council
• Mayor| Michael Melham (term ends June 30, 2026)[3][4]
• Manager| Anthony D. Iacono[5]
• Municipal clerk| Kelly A. Cavanagh[6]
Area

[1]

• Total| 3.37 sq mi (8.71 km2)
• Land| 3.30 sq mi (8.54 km2)
• Water| 0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)  2.05%
• Rank| 319th of 565 in state
14th of 22 in county[1]
Elevation

[8]

| 161 ft (49 m)
Population

(2020 Census)[9][10][11][12]

• Total| 38,222
• Estimate

(2019)[13]

| 36,497
• Rank| 64th of 566 in state
7th of 22 in county[14]
• Density| 10,755.7/sq mi (4,152.8/km2)
• Rank| 31st of 566 in state
5th of 22 in county[14]
Time zone| UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)| UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code|

07109[15][16]

Area codes| 862/973
FIPS code| 3401304695[1][17][18]
GNIS feature ID| 1729713[1][19]
Website| www.bellevillenj.org

Belleville (French: "Belle ville" meaning "Beautiful city / town"[20][21]) is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population was 38,222,[10][11][22] reflecting an increase of 6.4% from the 2010 Census population of 35,926. This increase follows a decline of 2 (0.0%) from the 35,928 counted in the 2000 Census. The population had increased by 1,715 (+5.0%) from the 34,213 counted in the 1990 Census.[23]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 2010 Census
* 3.2 2000 Census
* 4 Government
* 4.1 Local government
* 4.2 Federal, state and county representation
* 4.3 Politics
* 5 Education
* 6 Transportation
* 6.1 Roads and highways
* 6.2 Public transportation
* 7 Places of interest
* 7.1 Belleville locations in The Sopranos
* 7.2 1996 Torch Relay
* 8 Notable people
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## History[edit | edit source]

File:Hillside Pleasure Park - Belleville, New Jersey.jpg

Hillside Pleasure Park in Belleville, c. 1905

Originally known as "Second River" or "Washington", the inhabitants renamed the settlement "Belleville" in 1797.[24] Belleville was originally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1839, from portions of Bloomfield. Portions of the township were taken to create Woodside Township (March 24, 1869, now defunct) and Franklin Township (February 18, 1874, now known as Nutley). The independent municipality of Belleville city was created within the township on March 27, 1874, and was dissolved on February 22, 1876. On November 16, 1910, Belleville was reincorporated as a town, based on the results of a referendum held eight days earlier.[25]

In 1870, Belleville became the first city on the East Coast of the United States with a Chinatown. While much of the country (especially the Western states) had strong anti-Chinese sentiment, the town welcomed a group of Chinese workers from the West Coast who had been workers on building the Central Pacific Railroad. This group of people eventually formed the basis for Chinatowns in Newark and New York City.[26]

In 1981, the town was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.[27][28][29][30]

Frankie Valli and the band The Four Seasons formed in Belleville,[31] as did The Delicates, the late 50s / early 60s girl group made up of Denise Ferri, Arleen Lanzotti and Peggy Santiglia.[32]

In 1994, Congress passed a resolution recognizing Belleville as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the United States.[33]

## Geography[edit | edit source]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.37 square miles (8.71 km2), including 3.30 square miles (8.54 km2) of land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km2) of water (2.05%).[1][2]

Silver Lake (2010 total population of 4,243[34]) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) defined by the United States Census Bureau as of the 2010 Census that is split between Belleville (with 3,769 of the CDP's residents) and Bloomfield (474 of the total).[35]

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Belwood, Big Tree and Soho.[36]

The Second River forms much of the border between Belleville and Newark as it runs through Branch Brook Park.

The township of Belleville has given itself the nickname the Cherry Blossom Capital of America, with an annual display that is larger than the famed Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., site of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.[37][38]

The township borders the municipalities of Bloomfield, Newark and Nutley in Essex County; Lyndhurst and North Arlington in Bergen County; and Kearny in Hudson County.[39][40][41]

## Demographics[edit | edit source]

Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1840| 2,466| | —
1850| 3,514| | 42.5%
1860| 3,969| | 12.9%
1870| 3,644| *| −8.2%
1880| 3,004| *| −17.6%
1890| 3,487| | 16.1%
1900| 5,987| | 71.7%
1910| 9,891| | 65.2%
1920| 15,660| | 58.3%
1930| 26,974| | 72.2%
1940| 28,167| | 4.4%
1950| 32,019| | 13.7%
1960| 35,005| | 9.3%
1970| 37,629| | 7.5%
1980| 35,367| | −6.0%
1990| 34,213| | −3.3%
2000| 35,928| | 5.0%
2010| 35,926| | 0.0%
2020| 38,222| | 6.4%
Population sources:
1840–1920[42] 1840[43] 1850–1870[44]
1850[45] 1870[46] 1880–1890[47]
1890–1910[48] 1910–1930[49]
1930–1990[50] 2000[22][51] 2010[52][10][11] 2020[53]
* = Lost territory in previous decade.[25]

### 2010 Census[edit | edit source]

The 2010 United States census counted 35,926 people, 13,395 households, and 9,001 families in the township. The population density was 10,755.7 per square mile (4,152.8/km2). There were 14,327 housing units at an average density of 4,289.3 per square mile (1,656.1/km2). The racial makeup was 60.55% (21,753) White, 9.12% (3,277) Black or African American, 0.35% (126) Native American, 12.00% (4,312) Asian, 0.05% (18) Pacific Islander, 13.97% (5,018) from other races, and 3.96% (1,422) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.34% (14,133) of the population.[52]

Of the 13,395 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18; 44.3% were married couples living together; 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.8% were non-families. Of all households, 27.0% were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.29.[52]

21.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.0 males.[52]

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $60,127 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,658) and the median family income was $69,181 (+/− $4,525). Males had a median income of $46,656 (+/− $2,959) versus $42,237 (+/− $2,818) for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,668 (+/− $1,357). About 3.7% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[54]

### 2000 Census[edit | edit source]

As of the 2000 United States Census[17] there were 35,928 people, 13,731 households, and 9,089 families residing in the township. The population density was 10,744.3 people per square mile (4,153.3/km2). There were 14,144 housing units at an average density of 4,229.8 per square mile (1,635.0/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 69.44% White, 5.36% African American, 0.17% Native American, 11.31% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 9.83% from other races, and 3.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.68% of the population.[22][51]

As of the 2000 Census, the most common ancestries listed were Italian (30.9%), Irish (9.4%), German (6.9%), Polish (4.5%), United States (2.6%) and English (2.2%).[22][55]

There were 13,731 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.23.[22][51]

In the township the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.[22][51]

The median income for a household in the township was $48,576, and the median income for a family was $55,212. Males had a median income of $38,074 versus $31,729 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,093. About 6.3% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[22][51]

## Government[edit | edit source]

File:Belleville town hall Wash Av cloudy jeh.jpg

Town hall

### Local government[edit | edit source]

Belleville is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of New Jersey municipal government. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.[56] The governing body is comprised of a seven-member Township Council, of which two members are elected at-large, one is elected at-large as a mayor, and one each is chosen from four wards, with elections held on a non-partisan basis as part of the May municipal election. Members are elected in even-numbered years to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with the four ward seats up for vote together and the two at-large seats and the mayoral seat up for vote two years later.[7]

As of July 2022[update], the mayor of Belleville is Michael A. Melham, whose term of office ends June 30, 2026. Members of the Belleville Township Council are Deputy Mayor Thomas Graziano (at-large; 2026), Vincent Cozzarelli (Ward 3; 2024), Naomy De Peña (at-large; 2026), John J. Notari (Ward 4; 2024), Steven J. Rovell (Ward 2; 2024) and Marie Strumolo-Burke (Ward 1; 2024).[3][57][58][59][60]

The Township Manager is Anthony D. Iacono.[5]

### Federal, state and county representation[edit | edit source]

Belleville is located in the 8th Congressional District[61] and is part of New Jersey's 29th state legislative district.[10][62][63] Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Belleville had been in the 28th state legislative district.[64]

For the 117th United States Congress, New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District is represented by Albio Sires (D, West New York).[65][66] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[67] and Bob Menendez (Harrison, term ends 2025).[68][69]

For the 2022–2023 session, the 29th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Teresa Ruiz (D, Newark) and in the General Assembly by Eliana Pintor Marin (D, Newark) and Shanique Speight (D, Newark).[70]

Essex County is governed by a directly-elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by the Board of County Commissioners. As of 2022[update], the County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. (D, Roseland), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2022.[71] The county's Board of County Commissioners is comprised of nine members, five of whom are elected from districts and four of whom are elected on an at-large basis. They are elected for three-year concurrent terms and may be re-elected to successive terms at the annual election in November.[72] Essex County's Commissioners are: Commissioner President Wayne L. Richardson (D, District 2 – Irvington, Maplewood and parts of Newark's South and West Wards; Newark, 2024),[73] Commissioner Vice President Carlos M. Pomares (D, District 5 – Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and Nutley; Bloomfield, 2024),[74] Tyshammie L. Cooper (D, District 3 - Newark: Part of West Ward; East Orange, Orange and South Orange; East Orange, 2024),[75] Brendan W. Gill (D, at large; Montclair, 2024),[76] Romaine Graham (D, at large; Irvington, 2024),[77] Rufus I. Johnson (D, at large; Newark, 2024),[78] Leonard M. Luciano (D, District 4 – Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Millburn, North Caldwell, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange; West Caldwell, 2024),[79] Robert Mercado (D, District 1 – Newark's North and East Wards, parts of Central, South, and West Wards; Newark, 2024),[80] Patricia Sebold (D, at-large; Livingston, 2024).[81][82][83][84][85] Constitutional officers elected countywide are: County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin (West Caldwell; D, 2025),[86][87] Register of Deeds Juan M. Rivera Jr. (Newark; D, 2025),[88][89] Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura (Fairfield; D, 2024),[90][91] and Surrogate Alturrick Kenney (D, 2023).[92][93]

### Politics[edit | edit source]

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 19,684 registered voters in Belleville, of which 7,241 (36.8%) were registered as Democrats, 2,708 (13.8%) were registered as Republicans and 9,729 (49.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[94]

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 65.8% of the vote (8,031 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 33.3% (4,071 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (109 votes), among the 12,956 ballots cast by the township's 20,621 registered voters (745 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 62.8%.[95][96] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 56.9% of the vote here (7,475 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 41.4% (5,444 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (110 votes), among the 13,135 ballots cast by the township's 19,378 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.8%.[97] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 50.6% of the vote here (6,046 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 48.0% (5,728 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (130 votes), among the 11,940 ballots cast by the township's 17,411 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 68.6.[98]

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 53.1% of the vote (3,170 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 45.8% (2,734 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (67 votes), among the 6,050 ballots cast by the township's 20,904 registered voters (79 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 28.9%.[99][100] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 50.7% of the vote here (3,626 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 42.6% (3,041 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 4.6% (329 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (72 votes), among the 7,146 ballots cast by the Township's 19,313 registered voters, yielding a 37.0% turnout.[101]

## Education[edit | edit source]

File:Bellville School No 7 jeh.jpg

School Number 7

File:Bellville Middle School 279 Wash Av & Joralemon St cloudy jeh.jpg

Bellville Middle School

The Belleville School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.[102] As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 4,548 students and 361.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1.[103] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[104]) are Hornblower Early Childhood Center[105] (60 students; in PreK), School 3[106] (322; K-5), School 4[107] (466; PreK-5), School 5[108] (375; K-5), School 7[109] (404; PreK-5), School 8[110] (464; K-5), School 9[111] (124; K-5), School 10[112] (152; K-5), Belleville Middle School[113] (736; 6-8) and Belleville High School[114] (1,358; 9-12).[115][116][117]

The Belleville Public Library and Information Center had a collection of 105,452 volumes.[118]

## Transportation[edit | edit source]

### Roads and highways[edit | edit source]

File:2021-08-25 10 11 21 View south along New Jersey State Route 21 (McCarter Highway) from the overpass for the ramp from Main Street in Belleville Township, Essex County, New Jersey.jpg

Route 21 southbound in Belleville

As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 67.17 miles (108.10 km) of roadways, of which 57.22 miles (92.09 km) were maintained by the municipality, 6.21 miles (9.99 km) by Essex County and 3.74 miles (6.02 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[119]

Route 7 and New Jersey Route 21 as well as County Route 506 all pass through Belleville. The Belleville Turnpike Bridge (also known as the Rutgers Street Bridge) crosses the Passaic River, connecting Belleville to North Arlington. The bridge was formally renamed on July 4, 2013, as the "Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes de Oca Memorial Bridge" in memory of a United States Marine Corps soldier killed in February 2012 while serving in Afghanistan.[120][121]

### Public transportation[edit | edit source]

The Silver Lake station[122] provides service to Newark Penn Station on the Newark Light Rail.[123]

Until 1966, the Newark Branch of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad provided train service at stations at Belleville and Cleveland Street. The New York and Greenwood Lake Railway, later the Boonton Line, also served the township.[124] The Newark Branch tracks are now used for freight only, operated by Norfolk Southern.[125]

NJ Transit bus service is available to and from Newark on the 13, 27, 72, 74, 90, 92, 93 and 94 bus lines.[126][127]

## Places of interest[edit | edit source]

File:Dutch Reform Ch military monument Belleville jeh.jpg

Military monument, Second River Dutch Church

* Clara Maass Medical Center is a 469-bed teaching hospital that is part of the Barnabas Health system, founded in 1868 as Newark German Hospital, and named for Clara Maass, a nurse who died after volunteering for medical experiments to study yellow fever[128]
* Reformed Dutch Church of Second River – The church's original building was constructed in 1697 and replaced in 1725. A new structure was erected in 1807 after a tornado destroyed the previous church building, and the current church dates to 1853. More than 60 Continental Army soldiers are buried in the cemetery that adjoins the church.[129][130]
* Christ Church Cemetery & Mausoleum – This cemetery was originally the first Episcopal Church in the area, established in 1746 by a land grant signed by King George II. The original burial ground still exists today, accompanied by a newer mausoleum.[131]

### Belleville locations in The Sopranos[edit | edit source]

* Episode 3 ("Denial, Anger, Acceptance"): Christopher Moltisanti's "mock execution" is on the pier in the Passaic River used by Belleville High School's crew team.
* Episode 28 ("Proshai, Livushka"): Livia Soprano's funeral is held at the Irvine-Cozzarelli Memorial Home, across the street from Belleville Middle School on Washington Avenue.
* Season 4- Even though Furio Giunta's house was stated to be in Nutley, its actual location was Belleville on Essex Street.
* Episode 55 ("Where's Johnny?"): Junior gets lost and tells the policemen who find him that he lives in Belleville.
* Episode 76 ("Cold Stones"): Rosalie Aprile briefly dates a much younger French motorcyclist named Michel, who hails from Belleville, Paris. Ro expresses a particular sense of kinship with Michel given his connection to a town with the same name as the New Jersey town where members of her inner circle live (e.g., Corrado Soprano) and do business (e.g., the Irvine-Cozzarelli Memorial Home).

### 1996 Torch Relay[edit | edit source]

On June 18, 1996, the Olympic Torch Relay came through Belleville. The relay entered Belleville from Rutgers, made a left onto Washington Avenue, passing the Belleville Town Hall, a right onto Belleville Avenue and stayed on Belleville into the township of Bloomfield. The torch relay ended at Atlanta, Georgia for the 1996 Summer Olympics.[132]

## Notable people[edit | edit source]

See also: Category:People from Belleville, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Belleville include:

* Platt Adams (1885–1961), track and field athlete who was winner of gold and silver Olympic medals[133]
* Russell Baker (born 1925), Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Growing Up[134]
* Chico Borja (born 1959), former professional soccer player[135]
* Lonnie G. Bunch III (born 1952), museum director and historian[136]
* Gilbert Luis R. Centina III (born 1947), Roman Catholic priest and author[137]
* Ralph R. Caputo (born 1940), member of the New Jersey General Assembly who has represented the 28th Legislative District[138]
* Kacy Catanzaro (born 1990) is a gymnast noted for being the first woman to qualify for the finals of the television sports challenge American Ninja Warrior[139]
* Samuel Cornish (1795–1858), abolitionist and publisher of the first newspaper in the United States owned by African Americans[140]
* Bob Crewe (1930–2014), songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, record producer and fine artist best known for producing, and co-writing together with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons[141]
* Robert Curvin (1934–2015), researcher and theorist on issues related to urban poverty[142]
* Michael Devaney (1891–1967), track and field athlete who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics and in the 1924 Summer Olympics, and was part of the team that won the gold medal in 1920 in the 3000 meter steeplechase competition[143]
* Tommy DeVito (born 1936), musician and singer[144]
* Dennis Diken (born 1957), drummer with The Smithereens[145]
* Cornelius Ennis (1813–1899), cotton shipper and railroad executive who served as Mayor of Houston, Texas[146]
* Connie Francis (born 1938), singer[147]
* Dany Garcia (born 1969), businessperson, professional bodybuilder and film / television producer[148]
* Bob Gaudio (born 1942), singer, songwriter and producer[144]
* Kay Gardella (1923–2005), reporter, critic and columnist for almost 60 years at the New York Daily News[149]
* Frances Goodrich (1890–1984), dramatist and screenwriter, best known for her collaborations with her partner and husband Albert Hackett[150]
* Scott Graham (born 1965), Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster[151]
* David Grant (born 1965), former NFL player[152]
* Phil Grippaldi (born 1946) was an Olympic weightlifter who competed for the United States at the games in 1968, 1972 and 1976[153][154]
* Creighton Gubanich (born 1972), catcher who played professionally in 15 games for the Boston Red Sox in 1999 and had a grand slam as his first career hit and only career home run[155]

File:Gen. Lewellyn F. Haskell - NARA - 528379 Restored.jpg

Gen. Llewellyn F. Haskell

* Llewellyn F. Haskell (1842–1929), United States Army officer and a Union general during the American Civil War[156]
* George Hrab (born 1971), drummer, guitarist, composer and podcaster known for performing rock, funk and jazz[157]
* Frank Iero (born 1981), musician best known as the rhythm guitarist for the band My Chemical Romance, lead vocalist for the band Leathermouth and lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Pencey Prep[158]
* Nick Massi (1935–2000), early member of the Four Seasons[144]
* Tony Meola (born 1969), soccer goalie[159]
* Paul Mirabella (born 1954), MLB player for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and the Milwaukee Brewers[160]
* Doris Kopsky Muller (1922–1997), cyclist who was the first woman to win a national title in cycling[161]
* Joe Pesci (born 1943), actor[162]
* Daniel H. Rucker (1812–1910), U.S. Army brigadier general[163]
* Diane Ruggiero, That's Life series creator and Veronica Mars writer[164]
* Roxana Saberi (born 1977), Iranian-American journalist arrested in Iran in February 2009[165]
* Junior Sanchez (born 1977), DJ, record producer and remixer[166]
* Peggy Santiglia (born 1944), singer, songwriter and lead singer The Angels[167]
* Fred Schneider (born 1951), singer, songwriter, arranger and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band the B-52's, of which he is a founding member[168]
* Andrew E. Svenson (1910–1975), children's author, publisher, and partner in the Stratemeyer Syndicate, who authored or coauthored more than 70 books for children, including books in the Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins series[169]
* Frankie Valli (born 1934), lead singer of the musical group The Four Seasons[144]
* Sharon Van Etten (born 1981), singer-songwriter[170]
* Gerard Way (born 1977), musician, singer-songwriter, and comic book writer best known as the lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance and writer of the comic series The Umbrella Academy[171]
* Mikey Way (born 1980), musician best known as the bassist for the band My Chemical Romance[172]
* Gus Wickie (1885–1947), German-born American bass singer, stage actor and voice of Bluto in the Fleischer Studios’ Popeye cartoons from 1935 until 1938[173]
* Leonard R. Willette (1921–1944), Tuskegee Airman pilot killed in action in World War II flying over Germany while protecting a group of American bombers[174]
* Bob Yudin (born 1939), former chairman of the Bergen County, New Jersey Republican Party[175]

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ^ a b c d e f 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
2. ^ a b US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
3. ^ a b Directory, Township of Belleville. Accessed July 20, 2022.
4. ^ 2022 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed July 1, 2022. As of date accessed, results of the May 2022 municipal elections are not reflected.
5. ^ a b Township Manager, Township of Belleville. Accessed July 20, 2022.
6. ^ Office of the Township Clerk, Township of Belleville. Accessed July 20, 2022.
7. ^ a b 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 128.
8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Belleville, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 4, 2013.
9. ^ DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 23, 2021.
10. ^ a b c d Municipalities Sorted by 2011–2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.
11. ^ a b c Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 3, 2012.
12. ^ Census 2010: Essex County, Asbury Park Press. Accessed June 3, 2011.
13. ^ QuickFacts for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey; Essex County, New Jersey; New Jersey from Population estimates, July 1, 2019, (V2019), United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 21, 2020.
14. ^ a b GCT-PH1 Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – State – County Subdivision from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 4, 2012.
15. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Belleville, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 8, 2011.
16. ^ ZIP Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 21, 2013.
17. ^ a b U.S. Census website , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
18. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
19. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
20. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 27, 2015.
21. ^ Belleville History: People And Events, Westfield Historical Society. Accessed November 8, 2011. "Belleville, a place carrying the French name for 'beautiful town,' stands on the west bank of the Passaic River in Essex County, New Jersey."
22. ^ a b c d e f g Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey Archived September 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 3, 2012.
23. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010 Archived August 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed July 11, 2012.
24. ^ "Belleville History: People And Events – A Town Gets Its Name", WestfieldNJ.com. Accessed September 14, 2017. "On Saturday, June 24, 1797, inhabitants of the Second River settlement met at John Ryerson's house for the purpose of giving a new name to their home. The minutes of the meeting tell what happened there: 'Resolved, that the name Second River is improper and inconsistent, as it originally applied to the brook and not to the village and therefore that some name applicable be now chosen.... Resolved, that the whole district, commonly known and called by the name of Second River be hereafter known only by the name of Washington.'"
25. ^ a b The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 125.
26. ^ Xu, April. "The First Chinatown on the East Coast; Several Chinese workers who helped build the Central Pacific Railroad found refuge in Belleville, NJ.", Asian American Writers' Workshop, April 7, 2017. Accessed May 8, 2017. "About 100 people watched as Perrone, the president of the Belleville Historical Society, led the ceremonial digging of the monument's foundation one rainy October morning in Belleville, New Jersey. The monument was meant to honor a group of Chinese who died around 150 years ago. They were Chinese workers who were among those who built the Central Pacific Railroad and came to live and work Belleville in 1870.... This Chinese community across the Hudson River was actually responsible for giving rise to the Newark (NJ) Chinatown and eventually, the Manhattan Chinatown — which later, successively, became the largest Chinese communities in the eastern United States."
27. ^ "Chapter VI: Municipal Names and Municipal Classification", p. 73. New Jersey State Commission on County and Municipal Government, 1992. Accessed September 24, 2015.
28. ^ "Removing Tiering From The Revenue Sharing Formula Would Eliminate Payment Inequities To Local Governments", Government Accountability Office, April 15, 1982. Accessed September 24, 2015. "In 1978, South Orange Village was the first municipality to change its name to the 'township' of South Orange Village effective beginning in entitlement period 10 (October 1978 to September 1979). The Borough of Fairfield in 1978 changed its designation by a majority vote of the electorate and became the 'Township of Fairfield' effective beginning entitlement period 11 (October 1979 to September 1980).... However, the Revenue Sharing Act was not changed and the actions taken by South Orange and Fairfield prompted the Town of Montclair and West Orange to change their designation by referendum in the November 4, 1980, election. The municipalities of Belleville, Verona, Bloomfield, Nutley, Essex Fells, Caldwell, and West Caldwell have since changed their classification from municipality to a township."
29. ^ Narvaez, Alfonso A. "New Jersey Journal", The New York Times, December 27, 1981. Accessed September 24, 2015. "Under the Federal system, New Jersey's portion of the revenue sharing funds is disbursed among the 21 counties to create three 'money pools.' One is for county governments, one for 'places' and a third for townships. By making the change, a community can use the 'township advantage' to get away from the category containing areas with low per capita incomes."
30. ^ Karcher, Alan J. New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness, pp. 119–120. Rutgers University Press, 1998. ISBN 9780813525662. Accessed September 24, 2015.
31. ^ Rotella, Mark. "Straight Out of Newark", The New York Times, October 2, 2005. Accessed March 3, 2012. "You remember the Four Seasons, right? Their sound, the wail of Frankie Valli – "She-e-e-e-e-e-ry baby" – layered over solid three-part harmonies, was the music of the streets of urban New Jersey and New York. It was the sound of the projects of Newark and the poor Italian neighborhoods of Belleville... Sitting in the Waldorf-Astoria in a polo shirt and leather loafers, he was describing his neighborhood in Belleville in the 1950s when he, his brother Nick, and a friend named Nick Massi first formed the Variety Trio, then the Varietones."
32. ^ Clemente, John. Girl Groups: Fabulous Females that Rocked the world, p. 13. Krause Publications, 2000. Accessed June 28, 2022. "The belles from Belleville, The Delicates, 1959, (L-R) Arlene Lanzotti, Peggy Santiglia, Denise Ferri."
33. ^ "Legislative Calendar". 1994.
34. ^ DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Silver Lake – Essex CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 4, 2012.
35. ^ New Jersey: 2010 – Population and Housing Unit Counts – 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012, p. III-3. Accessed November 4, 2012. "Silver Lake (formed from parts of deleted whole-township Belleville and Bloomfield CDPs)"
36. ^ Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 22, 2015.
37. ^ A History Of Branch Brook's Cherry Blossoms – Belleville: The Cherry Blossom Capital of America Archived April 15, 2012(Date mismatch), at the Wayback Machine, Belleville Public Library and Information Center. Accessed November 8, 2011.
38. ^ Staff. "Editorial: Give Belleville tourists reason to stay", Belleville Times, April 21, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of October 1, 2013. Accessed September 14, 2017. "Each spring, people flock to Essex County's Cherry Blossom Festival in Branch Brook Park. The county park system has the largest variety of blossoms in the world.... Belleville already promotes itself as a cherry blossom capital, but perhaps more could be done, especially this time of year, when so many people descend on Branch Brook Park. It's one of the few major events attracting people outside the area to Belleville."
39. ^ Areas touching Belleville, MapIt. Accessed March 19, 2020.
40. ^ Municipalities, Essex County, New Jersey Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed March 19, 2020.
41. ^ New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
42. ^ Compendium of censuses 1726–1905: together with the tabulated returns of 1905, New Jersey Department of State, 1906. Accessed August 21, 2013.
43. ^ Bowen, Francis. American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1843, p. 231, David H. Williams, 1842. Accessed August 21, 2013.
44. ^ Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 241, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed August 21, 2013. "Belleville township was formed from the eastern portion of Bloomfield in 1839. It is about four miles in length and about two in width. Acquackannonck, Passaic county, bounds it on the north, Union, Hudson county, from which it is separated by the Passaic river, on the east, Newark on the south, and Bloomfield on the west. It contains extensive manufactories. Population in 1850, 3,514; in 1860, 3,969; and in 1870, 3,644 inhabitants."
45. ^ Debow, James Dunwoody Brownson. The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, p. 138. R. Armstrong, 1853. Accessed August 21, 2013.
46. ^ Staff. A compendium of the ninth census, 1870, p. 258. United States Census Bureau, 1872. Accessed August 21, 2013.
47. ^ Porter, Robert Percival. Preliminary Results as Contained in the Eleventh Census Bulletins: Volume III – 51 to 75, p. 98. United States Census Bureau, 1890. Accessed August 21, 2013.
48. ^ Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910: Population by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions, 1910, 1900, 1890, United States Census Bureau, p. 336. Accessed July 11, 2012.
49. ^ Fifteenth Census of the United States : 1930 – Population Volume I, United States Census Bureau, p. 716. Accessed March 3, 2012.
50. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 – 1990 Archived May 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed June 28, 2015.
51. ^ a b c d e DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 11, 2012.
52. ^ a b c d DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 1, 2012.
53. ^ "Explore Census Data". Data.census.gov. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
54. ^ DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Belleville township, Essex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 3, 2012.
55. ^ Belleville, New Jersey, City-Data. Accessed September 2, 2007.
56. ^ Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed November 18, 2019.
57. ^ 2021 Municipal Data Sheet, Township of Belleville. Accessed April 25, 2022.
58. ^ Essex County Directory, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed April 25, 2022.
59. ^ Municipal Election May 10, 2022 Official Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated May 18, 2022. Accessed July 1, 2022.
60. ^ May 12, 2020 Municipal Special Election Unofficial Results, Essex County, New Jersey Clerk, updated May 15, 2020. Accessed August 16, 2020.
61. ^ Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
62. ^ 2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.
63. ^ Districts by Number for 2011–2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.
64. ^ 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government Archived June 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, p. 55, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.
65. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
66. ^ Biography, Congressman Albio Sires. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Congressman Sires resides in West New York with his wife, Adrienne."
67. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
68. ^ Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
69. ^ Home, sweet home: Bob Menendez back in Hudson County. nj.com. Accessed April 30, 2021. "Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ) Class II; Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ) Class I"
70. ^ Legislative Roster for District 29, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2022.
71. ^ Essex County Executive, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
72. ^ General Information, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020. "The County Executive, elected from the County at-large, for a four-year term, is the chief political and administrative officer of the County.... The Board of Chosen Freeholders consists of nine members, five of whom are elected from districts and four of whom are elected at-large. They are elected for three-year concurrent terms and may be re-elected to successive terms at the annual election in November. There is no limit to the number of terms they may serve."
73. ^ Wayne L. Richardson, Commissioner President, District 2, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
74. ^ Carlos M. Pomares, Commissioner Vice President, District 5, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
75. ^ Tyshammie L. Cooper, Commissioner, District 3, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
76. ^ Brendan W. Gill, Commissioner At-Large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
77. ^ Romaine Graham, Commissioner At-Large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
78. ^ Rufus I. Johnson, Commissioner At-Large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
79. ^ Leonard M. Luciano, Commissioner, District 4, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
80. ^ Robert Mercado, Commissioner, District 1, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
81. ^ Patricia Sebold, Commissioner At-Large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
82. ^ Members of the Essex County Board of County Commissioners, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
83. ^ Breakdown of County Commissioners Districts, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
84. ^ 2021 County Data Sheet, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2022.
85. ^ County Directory, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2022.
86. ^ About The Clerk, Essex County Clerk. Accessed July 20, 2020.
87. ^ Members List: Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
88. ^ About the Register,Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed July 20, 2022.
89. ^ Members List: Registers, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
90. ^ Armando B. Fontura, Essex County Sheriff's Office. Accessed June 10, 2018.
91. ^ Members List: Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
92. ^ The Essex County Surrogate's Office, Essex County Surrogate. Accessed July 20, 2020.
93. ^ Members List: Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
94. ^ Voter Registration Summary – Essex, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 5, 2012.
95. ^ "Presidential General Election Results – November 6, 2012 – Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. March 15, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
96. ^ "Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast – November 6, 2012 – General Election Results – Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. March 15, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
97. ^ 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Essex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 5, 2012.
98. ^ 2004 Presidential Election: Essex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 5, 2012.
99. ^ "Governor – Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
100. ^ "Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast – November 5, 2013 – General Election Results – Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
101. ^ 2009 Governor: Essex County Archived February 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 5, 2012.
102. ^ Belleville Board of Education District Policy 0110 – Identification, Belleville School District. Accessed March 19, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Belleville School District. Composition: The Belleville School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Township of Belleville."
103. ^ District information for Belleville Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
104. ^ School Data for the Belleville School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
105. ^ Hornblower Early Childhood Center, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
106. ^ School 3, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
107. ^ School 4, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
108. ^ School 5, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
109. ^ School 7, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
110. ^ School 8, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
111. ^ School 9, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
112. ^ School 10, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
113. ^ Belleville Middle School, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
114. ^ Belleville High School, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
115. ^ District Directory, Belleville School District. Accessed July 6, 2022.
116. ^ School Performance Reports for the Belleville Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 6, 2022.
117. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Belleville School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
118. ^ "Belleville Free Public Library". librarytechnology.org. September 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
119. ^ Essex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.
120. ^ Hickey, James P. "North Arlington looking for answers on De Oca Bridge sign", South Bergenite, July 25, 2013, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 7, 2016. Accessed September 14, 2017.
121. ^ Assembly, No. 2676 State of New Jersey 215th Legislature, New Jersey General Assembly, introduced March 8, 2012. Accessed August 21, 2013. "Designates State Highway Route 7 bridge between Township of Belleville and Borough of North Arlington 'Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes de Oca Memorial Bridge.'"
122. ^ Silver Lake station, NJ Transit. Accessed December 1, 2014.
123. ^ Newark Light Rail System Map, NJ Transit. Accessed December 1, 2014.
124. ^ Belleville History: People and Events, Westfield Historical Society. Accessed August 21, 2013. "Fifty years ago trains were a common sight in Belleville. In 1940 two branches of the Erie Railroad served the town. The Paterson-Newark branch ran north and south, with stops at Essex and Cleveland Streets. Each week 122 trains ran on this line. The Greenwood Lake branch extended east and west between Jersey City and Greenwood Lake. On this line, with its stations at Mill Street and Belwood Park (Hewitt Place), passed 199 trains weekly."
125. ^ Master Plan for the Township of Nutley, Essex County, NJ, Township of Nutley, December 19, 2012. Accessed August 26, 2018. "Freight rail service is provided along the former Erie-Lackawanna (Newark Branch) passenger line. The line is currently owned by and operated by the Norfolk Southern Corporation."
126. ^ Essex County Bus/Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed November 8, 2011.
127. ^ Essex County Bus Map, NJ Transit. Accessed November 2, 2019.
128. ^ About Us, Clara Maass Medical Center. Accessed August 21, 2013.
129. ^ "A Church with a History", The New York Times, August 11, 1895. Accessed August 21, 2013.
130. ^ Bill Pascrell Jr. 300th Anniversary of the Belleville Reformed Church Archived October 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Congressional Record 105th Congress (1997–1998), page E419. March 10, 1997. Accessed August 21, 2013.
131. ^ Christ Church Cemetery & Mausoleum
132. ^ Neeley, Dequendre; and Rojas, Diana. "Aglow with the spirit of the Olympic Games; New Jerseyans carry flame that will end up in Atlanta", The Record, June 19, 1996. Accessed July 20, 2022, via Newspapers.com.
133. ^ Platt Adams, Sports Reference LLC. Accessed September 14, 2017.
134. ^ Rowe, Jonathan. "The Gap Between Us", the Christian Science Monitor, January 24, 1991. Accessed August 14, 2007. "IN his book Growing Up, Russell Baker; the New York Times columnist, described the kitchen table of his childhood. It was in Belleville, N.J., during the depths of the Depression."
135. ^ Staff. "Results Plus", The New York Times, November 18, 1992. Accessed July 11, 2012. "Jeff Agoos and Chico Borja of Belleville, N.J., scored two goals each as the United States beat Russia, 8–3, last night in its opening match of the FIFA world indoor championship in Hong Kong."
136. ^ Lamberti, Mike, May 28, 2019. "Belleville, New Jersey’s own Lonnie Bunch III ascends to the top of his profession, as the new Secretary of the Smithsonian; Bunch is the first African-American in the 173-year history of the Smithsonian to be named its Director."
137. ^ Gilbert Luis R. Centina III, Poem Hunter. Accessed September 10, 2019. "Author Gilbert Luis R. Centina III of Belleville, New Jersey is a leading Christian voice in contemporary literature."
138. ^ Milo, Paul. "Report: Caputo Bidding Adieu to Belleville; Redistricting Compelling Move, Assemblyman Says", Belleville Patch, April 8, 2011. Accessed December 22, 2014. "There's been another development in what is proving to be an eventful week in local politics: Assemblyman Ralph Caputo is leaving Belleville and relocating to Nutley, where he plans to seek re-election from the 28th District, according to a published report."
139. ^ Iannetta, Jessica. "'American Ninja' star Kacy Catanzaro of N.J.: 'I didn't realize how many other people would care'", The Star-Ledger, July 18, 2014. Accessed December 22, 2014. "Kacy Catanzaro grew up watching American Ninja Warrior with her dad on the TV in their Belleville, N.J. home."
140. ^ Di Ionno, Mark. "N.J.'s Lonnie Bunch: History in the making at African-American museum", The Star-Ledger, February 13, 2011. Accessed April 14, 2013. "Not the first, though. Many years later, as a historian, Bunch learned Belleville had been a place where free blacks from New York City bought land for country houses in the 19th century. 'One was Samuel Cornish, owner and publisher of the first black-owned paper in the United States (founded 1832),' Bunch said."
141. ^ Woo, Elaine. "Bob Crewe dies at 83; songwriter behind Frankie Valli, Four Seasons", Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2014. Accessed December 22, 2014. "Crewe was born Nov. 12, 1930, in Newark, N.J., and grew up in nearby Belleville, where a couple of future members of the Four Seasons were born."
142. ^ Roberts, Sam. "Robert Curvin, Scholar Who Fought Bias and Poverty in Newark, Dies at 81", The New York Times, September 30, 2015. Accessed May 23, 2016. "Robert Curvin was born on Feb. 23, 1934, in Belleville, N.J., a township adjacent to Newark."
143. ^ Mike Devaney, Sports-Reference.com. Accessed December 22, 2014.
144. ^ a b c d Glassberg, Lauren. "A Sneak Peek At Broadway's 'Jersey Boys'", WABC-TV, December 5, 2005. Accessed September 25, 2007. "The music is contagious and the story about four guys from Belleville, New Jersey is more intriguing than you may have expected. It's Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.... Here's a bit of trivia: Joe Pesci the actor introduced Tommy Devito, Nick Massi, Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio in 1959."
145. ^ "You Say It's Your Birthday: The Smithereens' Dennis Diken", MTV News, February 25, 1997. Accessed April 14, 2013. "Today is the birthday of Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken, who was born in 1957 in Belleville, New Jersey."
146. ^ Benham, Priscilla Myers. "Ennis, Cornelius (1813–1899)", Handbook of Texas. Accessed December 28, 2020. "Ennis, Cornelius (1813–1899). Cornelius Ennis, mayor of Houston, merchant, Confederate blockade runner, and railroad entrepreneur, was born on September 26, 1813, in Belleville, New Jersey."
147. ^ Bondy, Halley. "Belleville to honor hometown girl, the resilient Connie Francis", The Star-Ledger, October 22, 2009. Accessed January 3, 2011.
148. ^ Strauss, Gerry. "N.J. woman finds winning tag-team partner in 'The Rock'", Inside Jersey, September 18, 2015, updated March 29, 2019. Accessed October 21, 2020. "Growing up in Belleville was 'a great American experience. I loved it,' says Dany Garcia, who, with ex-husband Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, has built a multimillion-dollar film and TV production company."
149. ^ Staff. "Kay Gardella, 82, Daily News TV Critic, Dies", The New York Times, April 15, 2005. Accessed December 22, 2014. "Ms. Gardella was born in Belleville, N.J., and graduated from the old Upsala College in East Orange."
150. ^ Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed December 22, 2014. "Goodrich, Frances (1890–1984) and Hackett, Albert (1900–1995), U.S. writers. Born in Belleville, New Jersey, Goodrich attended Passaic High School."
151. ^ Staff. "Sicklerville's versatile Scott Graham is quickly forging a career in sports announcing", Courier-Post, May 11, 2000. Accessed November 4, 2012. "This summer, the Belleville, Essex County, native will spend most of his on-air time with the Phillies."
152. ^ via Associated Press. "Seminar stresses school to college-bound athletes", Lawrence Journal-World, June 25, 1983. Accessed January 3, 2011.
153. ^ Phil Grippaldi, NJSports.com. Accessed November 23, 2017. "Philip Salvatore Grippaldi was born September 27, 1946 in Newark and grew up in Belleville."
154. ^ Fremon, Suzanne S. "State Has 13 on Olympic Team", The New York Times, August 13, 1972. Accessed November 22, 2017. "Other New Jerseyans on the various Olympic teams are Phillip Grippaldo [sic] of Belleville and Frank Capsouras of River Edge, weight lifters; Robert Sparks of Clark and Thomas Hardiman of Trenton, team‐handball players, and Reginald Jones of Newark a light‐middleweight boxer."
155. ^ Creighton Gubanich, Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed December 22, 2014.
156. ^ Herringshaw's American Blue-book of Biography, p. 482. American Publishers Association, 1914. Accessed May 27, 2016. "Haskell, Llewellyn Frost, soldier and manufacturer of Belleville, N.J., was born Oct. 8, 1842, in Belleville, N.J."
157. ^ Howell, Dave. "George Hrab to perform his 'Broad Street Score' in Bethlehem", The Morning Call, January 21, 2016. Accessed December 3, 2017. "The 44-year-old Hrab (pronounced with a near silent 'h') was born in Belleville, N.J. His parents immigrated to the United States as youngsters. 'I grew up speaking Ukrainian, went to Ukrainian Saturday school, ski and canoe trips, and scouts. You were given demerits if you spoke English,' he says."
158. ^ Bruder, Jessica. "Loud, Proud and Important", The New York Times, May 29, 2005. Accessed March 28, 2008. "Among some of the station's most ardent fans are the bands that WSOU has boosted. That's all I listen to when I go home, said Frank Iero, a guitarist in My Chemical Romance and a Belleville native."
159. ^ Jersey-kid Meola ready for KC, The Kansas City Star, February 6, 1999, "Born and raised in Belleville, N.J...."
160. ^ Smith, Red. "Homecoming for a Yankee Fan; Sports of The Times The View from Jersey A Seat in the Bull Pen", The New York Times, March 16, 1979. Accessed June 19, 2009. "He was born in Belleville, N.J., attended high school in Parsippany, now lives in Boonton Manor."
161. ^ Doris Kopsky Muller Archived June 9, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, United States Bicycling Hall of Fame. Accessed June 27, 2019. "When the Amateur Bicycle League of America, predecessor to the U.S. Cycling Federation, expanded its national-championship format in 1937―in a program in Buffalo, New York―to introduce the women’s title competition, fifteen-year-old Doris Kopsky of Belleville, New Jersey, won the first women’s national title, officially designated as the girls’ championship."
162. ^ Colford, Paul D. "Flash! The latest entertainment news and more", Newsday, August 19, 1998. Accessed January 3, 2010. "Pesci, a high school dropout who grew up in Belleville, NJ..."
163. ^ Magoffin, Susan Shelby (1926). Down the Santa Fé Trail and Into Mexico. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 239\. ISBN 9780300094671 - via Google Books.
164. ^ Sato, Steven. "CBS' 'That's Life' Is All That: Paul Sorvino, Creator Diane Ruggiero Talk About New Show" Archived February 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, WEWS-TV. Accessed July 14, 2008. "Cinderella had nothing on a young woman named Diane Ruggiero. Ruggiero, a native of Belleville, N.J., was working as a waitress and a part-time writer."
165. ^ Stephey, M.J. "Imprisoned Journalist Roxana Saberi", Time, May 7, 2009. Accessed September 14, 2017. "Born April 26, 1977 in Belleville, New Jersey to a Japanese mother and Iranian father. When she was 6 months old, the family moved to Fargo, North Dakota."
166. ^ Staff. Junior Sanchez Archived September 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, The Beat, September 8, 2012. Accessed February 4, 2013. "Originally from suburban Belleville, New Jersey, Junior Sanchez had his DJ beginnings with a jerry rigged DJ set made up of his parent's two stereo systems when he was 11."
167. ^ Childs, Marti Smiley; and March, Jeff. "Then and Now: Peggy Santiglis", Echoes of the Sixties, p. 85, Billboard Books, 1999. ISBN 0-8230-8316-0. Accessed May 15, 2011. "Raised in Belleville, New Jersey, Peggy grew up in a musical household."
168. ^ Lustig, Jay. "'Rock Lobster,' The B-52's', NJArts.net, August 2, 2015. Accessed June 24, 2019. "The B-52's formed in Athens, Ga., in 1976, but its two most high-profile band members have Jersey roots: Fred Schneider was born in Newark and grew up in Belleville and then Long Branch; Kate Pierson was born in Weehawken and grew up in Rutherford."
169. ^ "Andrew E. Svenson Aka Jerry West - The Author Of The Happy Hollisters Book Series", The Happy Hollisters. Accessed February 6, 2022. "Andrew Svenson was born in Belleville, NJ, in 1910, and his interest in writing started early."
170. ^ Kaplan, Ilana. "Sharon Van Etten Is Right There", Interview, May 27, 2014. Accessed June 29, 2018. "Sharon Van Etten: Oh, nice! I can’t let go of it. I was born in Belleville. Then I grew up in Nutley and in the sixth grade we moved to Clinton."
171. ^ LaGorce, Tammy. "Bellowing Like Iron Maiden, but Very, Very Sensitive", The New York Times, November 7, 2004. Accessed August 26, 2018. "Wait too long, and the cartoonish geek punk who leads My Chemical Romance – the guy dipped in the requisite all black, with thick mascara and smudges of orange shadow beneath both eyes before a recent show at Irving Plaza in Manhattan – overtakes the boyish 27-year-old from Belleville given to explaining the band's progression through stories about his grandma and his Dungeons and Dragons addiction."
172. ^ Michel, Sia. "Fresh From the Garden State, in Black Leather and Eyeliner", The New York Times, October 22, 2006. Accessed July 11, 2012. "Perhaps the key to understanding the band's macabre nature is a dim basement apartment with low ceilings. It was there that Gerard and Mikey Way, the band's singer and bassist, grew up, in the belly of a two-family home in Belleville, N.J., a blue-collar town about 10 miles from Manhattan."
173. ^ Gerstein, David. [1] "Out of the Vaults: From Binko to Bluto”, November 30, 2013. Accessed March 22, 2022. "Gus Wicke, 61, for 12 years member of the quartet at Bill Hardey's Gay Nineties, New York nitery, died Jan. 3 in Belleville, N. J. Wicke, who had once been with the Shanley trio, is survived by two sisters."
174. ^ Kadosh, Matt. "Belleville Tuskegee Airman soars in history", The Record, February 21, 2018. Accessed March 3, 2018. "Willette, of the Tuskegee Airmen's 99th Fighter Squadron, had died in the crash while escorting B-17 bombers over Germany in 1944. The 1939 Belleville High School graduate was one of 66 black Tuskegee Airmen killed in World War II combat."
175. ^ Loffredo, Nicholas. "Yudin Named to State Transition Committee", Wyckoff Patch, December 2, 2009. Accessed December 19, 2013. "A Belleville native, Yudin has lived in Wyckoff since 1970, and the business started in 1935 in Paterson came to the township in 1972."

## External links[edit | edit source]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belleville, New Jersey.

* Township of Belleville

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Essex County, New Jersey, United States

County seat: Newark

Cities|

* East Orange
* Newark

Map of New Jersey highlighting Essex County

Boroughs|

* Caldwell
* Essex Fells
* Glen Ridge
* North Caldwell
* Roseland

Townships|

* Belleville
* Bloomfield
* Cedar Grove
* City of Orange
* Fairfield
* Irvington
* Livingston
* Maplewood
* Millburn
* Montclair
* Nutley
* South Orange
* Verona
* West Caldwell
* West Orange

CDPs|

* Ampere North
* Brookdale
* Llewellyn Park
* Montclair State University‡
* Pleasantdale
* Short Hills
* Silver Lake
* Upper Montclair
* Watsessing

Other communities|

* Halcyon Park

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

*[c.]: circa
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template