Passaic is a
cityA City in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in
Passaic CountyPassaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 489,049. Its county seat is Paterson. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area....
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 67,861. Located north of
NewarkBrick City redirects here. For the township in Ocean County, see Brick Township, New Jersey.Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County. Newark has a population of 281,402, making it the largest municipality in New Jersey and the 65th largest city in the U.S...
on the
Passaic RiverThe Passaic River is a river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, called the Great...
, it was first settled in 1678 by
DutchThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
traders, as Acquackanonk Township. The city and river draw their name from the
LenapeThe "Lenape", pronounced IPA: , , or in English, means "the people." Sometimes the name is spelled Lenape or Lenapi. Also known as the Lenni Lenape, the "true people", or as the "Delaware Indians", they are organized bands of Native American peoples with shared cultural and linguistic...
word "pahsayèk" meaning "valley".
History
The city originated from a
DutchThe Dutch people are the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide, notably in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States....
settlement on the Passaic River established in 1679 which was called
AcquackanonkThe Acquackanonk were a Lenape group whose territory was on the Passaic River in northern New Jersey. They spoke the same dialect and shared the same totem as the neighboring Hackensack, Tappan and Rumachenanck ....
. Industrial growth began in the 19th century, as Passaic became a
textileA textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands...
and metalworking center. Passaic was formed within
Acquackanonk TownshipAcquackanonk Township was incorporated in 1693 by the British in the newly established colony of New Jersey It was located in the northern part of Essex County, New Jersey on the Passaic River. In 1837, Passaic County was created, incorporating this township and some portions of both Bergen County...
on March 10, 1869, and was incorporated as an independent
villageA Village in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government.The Village Act of 1891 defined the form of government to consist of a five-member board of trustees to be elected to three-year staggered terms. One member serves...
on March 21, 1871. Passaic was chartered as a city on April 2, 1873.
A famous strike in 1926 against reductions in wages involved the
right of free assemblyFreedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests...
.
Passaic has been called "The Birthplace of Television". In 1931, experimental television station W2XCD began transmitting from
DeForestLee De Forest was an American inventor with over 180 patents to his credit. De Forest invented the Audion, a vacuum tube that takes relatively weak electrical signals and amplifies them. De Forest is one of the fathers of the "electronic age", as the Audion helped to usher in the widespread use...
Radio Corp. in Passaic. It has been called the first television station to transmit to the home, and was the first such station to broadcast a feature film.
Allen B. DuMontAllen Balcom DuMont was an American scientist and inventor best known for improvements to the cathode ray tube in 1931 for use in television receivers. Seven years later he manufactured and sold the first commercially practical television set to the public...
, formerly DeForest's chief engineer, opened pioneering TV manufacturer DuMont Laboratories in Passaic in 1937. DuMont later started the
DuMont Television NetworkThe DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
, the world's first commercial television network, in 1946.
Geography
Passaic is located at .
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (3.12%) is water. Passaic is bordered on the north, west and south by the City of
CliftonClifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 78,672....
, and to the east by the
Passaic RiverThe Passaic River is a river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, called the Great...
.
Passaic is located 10 miles from
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, and 12 miles from
Newark AirportNewark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
.
The city
Passaic has several business districts: Main Avenue begins in Passaic Park and follows the curve of the river to downtown. Broadway runs east - west through the center of the city, ending at Main Avenue in downtown. Monroe Street has many shops, restaurants and businesses reflecting the city's Latino and Eastern European populations.
The city is home to several architecturally notable churches, including St. John's Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian of Passaic, and St. John's Episcopal Church.
Southwest Passaic (known as Passaic Park) is a residential and institutional center of
Orthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism is a formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.Orthodox...
, with 25-30
minyan{dablink|This article is about the term in [Judaism]. For other meanings, see [Minyan ].}{infobox Halacha|image=|caption=|verse={bibleverse||Leviticus|22:32|HE}|talmud=[Megillah] 23b; Sanhedrin 74b|talmudy=[Megillah] 4:4|mishnah=[Megillah] 4:3...
im on
ShabbosShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night...
, and 1,300 families, as well as being home to numerous
yeshivaYeshiva or yeshivah , or metivta or mesivta ) also frequently referred to as a Beth midrash, Talmudical Academy, Rabbinical Academy or Rabbinical School is an institution unique to classical Judaism for study of its traditional, central texts...
s, schools and other institutions. There are also kosher food and shopping establishments.
Passaic Park takes its name from Third Ward Park. This area is also noted for its large mansions and homes of various architectural styles, especially
VictorianThe term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. As with the latter, the period of building that it covers may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria after whom it is...
and
TudorThe Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...
. Several
condominiumA condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
and
cooperativeA cooperative is defined by the International Co-operative Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and...
apartment complexes are also located here including: Carlton Tower (the city's tallest structure), The Towers, and Barry Gardens (which are all located within walking distance of each other on a stretch of Passaic Avenue between Aycrigg Avenue and Barry Place).
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 67,861 people, 19,458 households, and 14,457 families residing in the city of Passaic, New Jersey. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 21,804.7 people per square mile (8,424.8/km²). There were 20,194 housing units at an average density of 6,488.6/sq mi (2,507.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 35.43% White, 13.83% African American, 0.78% Native American, 5.51% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 39.36% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.04% from two or more races. The cultural groupings for Hispanic or Latino of any race were 62.46% of the population. Passaic is also known for its
UkrainianUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
enclave.. 60.2% spoke
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
, 29.3%
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, 2.5%
GujaratiGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family...
and 2.5%
PolishPolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
as their first language. Among the speakers of Polish in Passaic are many
GoralsThe Gorale are a group of indigenous people found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic...
. Passaic also has both a sizable Orthodox Jewish community and a growing Mexican community of over 13,000 that in 2000 made up 19.67% of the population.
http://passaic.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm In the first half of the twentieth century there was a sizable Italian-American population, but today this is less so.
There were 19,458 households out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 8.2% of Passaic households were same-sex partner households. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 3.93. In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,594, and the median income for a family was $34,935. Males had a median income of $24,568 versus $21,352 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $12,874. About 18.4% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
The city of Passaic is governed under the
Mayor-CouncilThe Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...
system of municipal government under the
Faulkner ActThe Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
. Under this form of government, the mayor is elected directly by the voters for a four-year term. Seven council Members serve four year terms on a staggered basis.
The
Mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
of Passaic is Dr. Alex Blanco, who won a special election in November 2008 to succeed acting mayor
Gary SchaerGary Schaer is an American Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly where he represents the 36th legislative district, having taken office on January 10 2006...
, who, as City Council president automatically moved into this position upon the resignation by previous mayor
Samuel RiveraSamuel Rivera was the Democratic mayor of the U.S. city of Passaic, New Jersey from 2001 until 2008. Rivera came to national attention on September 6 2007, when he was indicted and arrested on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for agreeing to direct municipal contracts to an insurance broker...
, after Rivera pled guilty to corruption charges filed against him. Blanco was elected to serve the remainder of Rivera's term, and was re-elected to a full term on May 12, 2009, with 4,751 votes (53.2% of votes cast), defeating Passaic Board of Education member Vinny Capuana who received 4,177 (46.8%). Passaic's Deputy Mayor is Robert C. Hare.
, members of the City Council are Gary Schaer (Council President), Maritza Colón-Montañez, Gerardo Fernandez, Jose Garcia, Kenneth J. Lucianin, Chaim M. Munk and Daniel J. Schwartz. The seat previously held by Marcellus Jackson was won by Kenneth J. Lucianin after a special election to fill that seat. Jackson and former councilman Jonathan Soto were also arrested on September 6, 2007 as part of the same sweep as Mayor Rivera. Before his resignation, Mayor Rivera attempted to hand-pick a replacement for Jackson, relying on is tie-breaker vote in a split council. The three council members who disagreed with Rivera's selection were able to postpone this selection by not attending the vote for the replacement, depriving Rivera of the minimum quota to produce the deadlock vote. On September 25, 2009, former Councilman Gerardo Fernandez having been found guilty of lying to the federal grand jury reviewing evidence of the latest corruption wave was sentenced to 18 months in prison and cannot hold public office for two years.
In addition to his role as council president, Schaer also holds a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly. This dual position is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the
New Jersey LegislatureThe New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
and signed into law by
Governor of New JerseyThe Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The current holder of that office is Jon Corzine, who re-assumed executive powers on May 7, 2007 from acting Gov. Richard Codey, after recuperating from an automobile accident on April 12, 2007...
Jon CorzineJon Stevens Corzine is the Governor of New Jersey and a former United States Senator. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year Senate term before being elected Governor in 2005. He is a candidate for re-election in 2009....
in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.
For the past twenty years waves of corruption have plagued the city which has seen the federal convictions of two mayors, seven councilman and other public officials. Despite the many previously identified events of abuse of public trust the city continues. Recent activities include the hiring of a new business administrator, Tony Ianoco, after he had been found using his official status to "solicit donations" while working for Paramus borough.
Federal, state and county representation
Passaic is in the Eighth Congressional District is part of New Jersey's 36th Legislative District.
Education
The
Passaic City School DistrictPassaic City School District is a compehensive community public school district located in Passaic, New Jersey, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.-PreK-6:* * -3-6:...
is a type II school district, and is an independent legal entity administered by a nine-member
Board of EducationA board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
elected by the voters of the school district. The Superintendent of Schools is Dr. Robert H. Holster. The school district is not a part of any regional or consolidated school district, and neither receives nor sends students, except for a limited number of special education students. The school system comprises 2 early childhood centers, 12 elementary schools (grades K-6), 1 middle school (grades 7-8), and
Passaic High SchoolPassaic High School is a four-year community public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Passaic, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Passaic City School District....
for grades 9-12. The district is one of 31
Abbott DistrictAbbott Districts are school districts in New Jersey covered by a series of New Jersey Supreme Court rulings, begun in 1985, that found that the education provided to school children in poor communities was inadequate and unconstitutional and mandated that state funding for these districts be equal...
s statewide.
The
Collegiate SchoolThe Collegiate School is a private coeducational day school located in Passaic, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The school has an enrollment of 162 students...
is a private
coeducationMixed-sex education , is the integrated education of males and females in the same institution. The opposite situation is described as single-sex education...
al
day schoolA day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children return to their homes...
located in Passaic, serving students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade.
Passaic County Community CollegePassaic County Community College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Passaic County, New Jersey. The school's main campus is located in Paterson. The Wanaque Academic Center is located in Wanaque, has over 1,000 students. The Public Safety Academy is...
opened a new campus in the city of Passaic on September 11, 2008. Construction commenced on the new site in Spring 2007 at 2 Paulison Avenue. The new campus will allow PCCC to reach the 15% of its students who come from the city of Passaic. The college's nursing program will be relocated and expanded at the new campus to provide a qualified program to help fill the longstanding nursing shortage.
The Yeshiva Gedolah of Passaic, an advanced
yeshivaYeshiva or yeshivah , or metivta or mesivta ) also frequently referred to as a Beth midrash, Talmudical Academy, Rabbinical Academy or Rabbinical School is an institution unique to classical Judaism for study of its traditional, central texts...
is an institute of Jewish learning for post-high school age men. Passaic also has a number of other orthodox educational institutions for primary and secondary education as well as other advanced seminaries and
kollelA kollel is an institute for advanced studies of the Talmud and of rabbinic literature for Jewish men, essentially a post-graduate yeshiva which pays married men a regular monthly stipend or annual salary to study Judaism's classic texts in depth.-Original sense:Originally, the word was...
s for advanced and married students.
Fire
The Passaic Fire Department (PFD) is a paid fire department. The PFD was organized in November 1869 and became a paid department in 1909 which now consists of 109 firefighters. There are two
fire housesA fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
that contain seven Engines and three Ladder trucks.
Commerce
Portions of Passaic are part of an
Urban Enterprise ZoneIn the United States, Urban Enterprise Zones , also known as Enterprise Zones, encourage development in blighted neighborhoods by offering entrepreneurs and investors tax and regulatory relief if they start businesses in the area. It is an area where companies can locate free of certain local,...
. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½%
sales taxA sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. The tax is usually set as a percentage by the government charging the tax. There is usually a list of exemptions...
rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).
Transportation
Passaic is served by state roadways including Route 3 and Route 21. The
Garden State ParkwayThe Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York state line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at the southern tip of the state. Its name refers to the state nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents...
and
Interstate 80Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the San Francisco Bay Area east to the New York City area. In the state of New Jersey, it runs from the Delaware Water Gap to its eastern terminus at Interstate 95 in Teaneck...
are nearby.
Local bus transportation is provided by
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
, with service to
PatersonPaterson is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 149,222. Census population projections indicate a population of 146,545 as of 2007, making it New Jersey's third largest city. It is the county seat of Passaic County...
,
RutherfordRutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,110. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 8 miles west of Midtown Manhattan....
,
NewarkBrick City redirects here. For the township in Ocean County, see Brick Township, New Jersey.Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County. Newark has a population of 281,402, making it the largest municipality in New Jersey and the 65th largest city in the U.S...
,
CliftonClifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 78,672....
,
GarfieldGarfield is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 29,786.When the area that is now Garfield was first developed in 1873, it was known as East Passaic. In 1881, the community's name was changed to Garfield in honor of...
, and
WallingtonWallington is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 11,583....
among other locations.
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
bus 190 provides local service and interstate service to
Port Authority Bus TerminalThe Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey....
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
.
The
PassaicPassaic Station is a New Jersey Transit rail station serviced by Main Line trains. The station is located at the intersection of Passaic Avenue, Lackawanna Place, and Van Houten Avenue in the Passaic Park section of Passaic, New Jersey....
New Jersey Transit rail station is located in the Passaic Park section, providing service on the
Main LineThe Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the United States that runs from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the former north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
southbound to
Hoboken TerminalHoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
, and to
Secaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey opened on December 15, 2003...
for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak connections to
Pennsylvania StationPennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity rail station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. The station is located in the underground levels of Pennsylvania Plaza, an urban complex located between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue and between...
in
Midtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
,
Newark AirportNewark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
and points north and south. Northbound service is provided to
PatersonPaterson is a New Jersey Transit Main Line rail station located in Paterson, New Jersey. The station, which is on an elevated viaduct, has entrances on Market Street and Ward Street, and is located where Market Street, 16th Avenue, Park Avenue, Ward Street, Memorial Drive, and Railroad Avenue all...
,
RidgewoodRidgewood Station is a major New Jersey Transit rail station hub. It is located in downtown Ridgewood, New Jersey, and divides the downtown area in half....
and
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
stations in
SuffernSuffern Station is a train station in Suffern, New York, United States, controlled by New Jersey Transit and also used by the Metro-North Railroad. Metro-North's Port Jervis Line joins New Jersey Transit's Main Line at this station. These two lines offer service from Port Jervis to Hoboken, New...
and
Port JervisThe Port Jervis Metro-North station serves the residents of that city and surrounding communities. It is the western terminus of the Port Jervis Line, with trains taking New York City-bound passengers there via Hoboken and Secaucus Junction...
.
Commuter jitney buses operate along Main Avenue providing service to
PatersonPaterson is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 149,222. Census population projections indicate a population of 146,545 as of 2007, making it New Jersey's third largest city. It is the county seat of Passaic County...
,
Union CityUnion City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 67,088, living on a land area of 3.28 km² . It is the most densely populated city in the United States, with a density of 52,977.8 per square mile -...
, the
George Washington Bridge Bus TerminalThe George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal or George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, and points between. This service does not operate on an official schedule.
Notable residents
- Mitch Albom (born 1958), author of The Five People You Meet in Heaven
The Five People You Meet in Heaven... is a novel by the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom. It recounts the life and death of a simple yet dignified old man, Eddie. After dying in a freak accident, Eddie finds himself in heaven where he encounters five people who have significantly...
.
- Suzanne Berger
Suzanne Berger is the Raphael Dorman and Helen Starbuck Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiative...
(born 1939), political scientist.
- Terrence Boyle
Terrence William Boyle is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. He was Chief Judge of that court from 1997-2004. From 1991 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2007, he was a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit...
(born 1945), judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North CarolinaThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina is the United States District Court that serves the eastern 44 counties in North Carolina. Appeals from the Eastern District of North Carolina are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The...
.
- George Breeman
George Breeman was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism following a turret explosion in 1906 on board the battleship USS Kearsarge .-Biography:...
(1880-1937), sailor and Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient.
- Bob Butterworth
Robert A. Butterworth is an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Florida.-Early life and career:Butterworth was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and moved to Florida with his family as a child. He received a degree in business administration from the University of Florida in 1965,...
(born 1942), former Florida Attorney GeneralThe Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state....
.
- Arthur K. Cebrowski
Vice Admiral Arthur K. Cebrowski was a retired United States Navy admiral who served from October 2001 to January 2005 as Director of the Office of Force Transformation in the U.S. Department of Defense...
(1942-2005), United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
admiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm." or "ADM"...
and senior U.S. Department of Defense official.
- Alan N. Cohen
Alan N. Cohen was the former co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets, and chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.Cohen began his career in law and entertainment some years after he graduated from Columbia...
(1930-2004), former co-owner of the Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a professional basketball club based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team is owned by Wycliffe Grousbeck and coached by Doc Rivers, with Danny Ainge as the President of...
and the New Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association that plays in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are currently based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and play their home games at the Izod Center...
.
- Howard Crook
Howard Crook is an American lyric tenor who has lived and worked in the Netherlands and France since the early 1980s.He was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, and educated at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and then University of Illinois, where he received a master's degree in music,...
(born 1947), Opera singer tenor.
- Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the...
(born 1975), Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
infielder.
- Dow H. Drukker
Dow Henry Drukker was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey who represented the state's 7th congressional district from 1914 to 1919....
(1872-1963), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional districtNew Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is currently represented by Democrat Frank Pallone. In the 2006 election, Pallone defeated Republican Leigh Ann Bellew to win a tenth term.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
from 1914-1919.
- Evelyn Dubrow
Evelyn Dubrow was a legendary labour lobbyist for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.Dubrow attended New York University, where she studied journalism....
(1911-2006), lobbyist and Presidential Medal of FreedomThe Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is, along with theequivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress, the highest civilian award in the U.S...
recipient.
- Charles Evered
Charles Evered is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Evered grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey, the fifth child of Marie née Cole and Charles J. Evered....
(born 1964), playwright.
- Donald Fagen
Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the jazz-influenced rock band Steely Dan. Fagen is known for his use of complex jazz harmonies, elaborate arrangements, and exacting attention to detail––all...
(born 1948), musician with Steely DanSteely Dan is an American jazz-rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band reached a peak of popularity in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
.
- Jack Fina
Jack Fina was a bandleader, songwriter, and pianist.Known as "The Ten Most Talented Fingers On Radio", Fina was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and educated at the New York College of Music and was a student of August Fraemcke and Elsa Nicilini...
(1913-1970), musician
- Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic. He is well known for his "Sky Line" column in The New Yorker....
(born 1950), Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City....
-winning architecture critic.
- David Grisman
David Grisman is a bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music....
(born 1945), famous bluegrass musician and former member of Old and in the WayOld and in the Way was a bluegrass supergroup in the 1970s. The group performed traditional tunes such as "Pig in a Pen" as well as bluegrass-flavoured versions of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and Peter Rowan's "Panama Red"....
with Jerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead...
of the Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
- Reed Gusciora
Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th legislative district....
(born 1960), former minority leader of the New Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
.
- Robert Helps
Robert Helps was an American pianist and composer....
(1928-2001), pianist and composer.
- Craig Heyward
Craig William "Ironhead" Heyward was an American football running back who played for the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams, and Indianapolis Colts in an 11-year National Football League career.-Biography:His son Craig Heyward Jr...
(1966-2006), National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
running back.
- Dennis Johnson
Dennis Leroy Johnson was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills...
(born 1951), former NFL defensive tackleDefensive tackle is a position on the defensive line in American and Canadian football. The defensive tackle lines up toward the center of the field, and is flanked by the defensive ends. With the defensive ends, they comprise the defensive line.Defensive tackles are typically the largest and...
.
- Mike Jorgensen
Michael Jorgensen is a former Major League Baseball player, and later manager, drafted by the New York Mets in the fourth round of the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft. Born August 16, in , he is the only major league player to be born the same day Babe Ruth died.-Early career:Jorgensen made his...
(born 1948), former Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
player
- Lewis Kaplan
Lewis Kaplan is an American violinist. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey. He resides on the Upper West Side in New York City with his wife, Adria...
, violinThe violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
ist.
- Fritz Knothe (1903-1963), former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
player
- Martin Krugman
Martin "Marty" Krugman was an associate of the Lucchese crime family and the basis for the character "Morrie Kessler" as depicted by Chuck Low in the 1990 film Goodfellas.-Biography:Marcin-Martin Krugman was a Passaic, New Jersey...
(1919-?), successful hair salon and wig shop proprietor who was a suspect in the 1978 Lufthansa heistThe Lufthansa heist was a robbery at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels were stolen, at the time making it the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil...
and later allegedly murdered in 1979
- Richard Liptak (1985) Radio host on 90.3 WMSC
- Anthony Mason (born 1925), actor.
- Ray Malavasi
Ray Malavasi was a former football coach who served as head coach of two National Football League teams: the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams....
(1930-1987), National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
head coach.
- William J. Martini
William J. "Bill" Martini is a United States district court judge for the District of New Jersey, having served in this position since November 19, 2002...
(born 1947), former RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
Congressman.
- Michael Marisi Ornstein
Michael Marisi Ornstein, , is an American actor and painter.He studied acting as a child at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and later studied under Stella Adler. After high school, he enrolled in the Mason Gross School of the Arts...
(born 1963), filmmaker and actor.
- Bill Mokray
William G. "Bill" Mokray was a leading basketball statistician and historian.Mokray's love of basketball stats began while attending Passaic High School in Passaic, New Jersey...
(1907-1974), basketball historian and statistician enshrined to the Basketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors exceptional basketball players, all-time great coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game.Named after basketball inventor Dr...
in 1965 as a contributor to the sport.
- David Packer
David Packer is an American actor.Packer was born in Passaic, New Jersey. His first starring role was as the human traitor Daniel Bernstein in the 1983 NBC mini series V. He reprised the role in the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle.He has also appeared in such films as Strange Days, True Crime, and...
(born 1962), actor.
- Morris Pashman
Morris Pashman was an American Republican Party politician and attorney who served as Mayor of Passaic, New Jersey before spending 23 years as a judge, 10 of them on the New Jersey Supreme Court...
(1912-1999), New Jersey Supreme CourtThe New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
Justice who served as mayor of Passaic from 1951 to 1955.
- Millie Perkins
Millie Perkins is an American film and television actress.-Life and career:Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Perkins grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and began her career as a model in New York City and by 1958 was an international cover girl...
(born 1938), actress, best known for her lead role in the film The Diary of Anne FrankThe Diary of Anne Frank is a 1959 motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, which was based on the diary of Anne Frank. It was directed by George Stevens, with a screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett...
.
- Jason Perry
Jason Perry is a former American football safety in the National Football League . He played in the NFL from 1999 to 2002.Perry was born in in Passaic, New Jersey and attended Paterson Catholic High School....
(born 1976), former safetySafety is an American and Canadian football position played by a member of the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up from ten to fifteen yards behind the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position in a typical formation, the free safety and the strong safety ....
in the NFL from 1999 to 2002.
- Kenneth Peterson (S/Sgt). Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple with Oak Leaf Cluster.
- Joe Piscopo
Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo is an American comedian and actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
(born 1951), comedian.
- Gerry Polci, drummer and singer with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons is an American pop and rock group, with a sound somewhat reminiscent of doo-wop, although they were not thought of as actually being a doo-wop group. By the mid 1960s, they had become an internationally famous rock-and-roll act...
.
- Michael J. Pollard
-Early life:Born Michael John Pollack, Jr. in Passaic, New Jersey, he is the son of Sonia and Michael John Pollack. He attended the Montclair Academy and the Actors Studio.-Career:...
(born 1939), actor.
- Stuart Rabner
Stuart Jeff Rabner is the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. He has previously served as New Jersey Attorney General, Chief Counsel to Governor Jon Corzine, and as a federal prosecutor at the U.S...
(born 1960), Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme CourtThe New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
.
- Frankie Randall
Frankie Randall is an American singer and actor. His acting credits include The Dean Martin Summer Show and the 1973 film Day of the Wolves....
(born Francis Lisbona, January 11, 1938) Popular entertainer, musician, singer and actor.
- Joseph Rankin
Joseph Rankin was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Rankin pursued an academic course.He moved to Mishicot, Wisconsin, in 1854 and engaged in mercantile pursuits....
, U.S. Representative from WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
.
- John Roosma
John S. Roosma was an amateur basketball great during the 1920s. He played for the United States Military Academy for five years, graduating in 1926...
(1900-1983), captain of Ernest BloodErnest A. Blood was a former high school and college men's basketball coach...
's "Wonder Teams" who became the first college player to total 1,000 points for his career while at the United States Military AcademyThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. Established in 1802, USMA is the oldest of the United States's five service academies. The military garrison at West Point was occupied in 1778 and played a key...
.
- Alan Rosenberg
Alan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:...
(born 1951), Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
-winning actor and activist, Screen Actors GuildThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
President (2005-present), Donald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the jazz-influenced rock band Steely Dan. Fagen is known for his use of complex jazz harmonies, elaborate arrangements, and exacting attention to detail––all...
's cousin
- Mark Rosenberg
Mark Rosenberg was an American film producer whose works included The Killing Fields and Presumed Innocent, who was the President of Worldwide Theatrical Production at Warner Bros. in the 1980s....
(c. 1948 - 1992), film producer.
- Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter.-Early life:Rudd was born in Passaic, New Jersey, the son of Jewish immigrants from England; his family's original surname was "Rudnitzky"...
(born 1969), actor.
- Bob Russell
Sidney Keith Russell, known as Bob Russell was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey. Although he was primarily a lyricist who collaborated with composers, he was, on occasion, a composer who collaborated with lyricists.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was...
(1914-1970), Hall of FameThe Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
songwriter
- Bob Russell
Bob Russell was an American entertainer, best known for hosting the Miss America pageant during the years of 1940 to 1946, 1948 to 1950 and 1954...
(1908-1998), entertainer.
- Sherwood Schwartz
Sherwood Charles Schwartz is an American television producer. He worked on radio shows in the 1940s, and created the television series Gilligan's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC...
(born 1916), TV producer
- Víctor Santos
Víctor Irving Santos is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:Santos signed with the Detroit Tigers as a non-drafted free agent in 1995...
(born 1976), Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They are members of the Central Division of the National League....
pitcher
- The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an American girl group in the early 1960s, and the first to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens , Doris Coley The Shirelles were an American girl group in the early 1960s, and the first to have a number one single on...
, musicians
- Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson was an American artist famous for his land art.-Background and education:Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey and studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League of New York....
(1938-1973), artist
- Larry Storch
Lawrence Samuel "Larry" Storch is an American actor best known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for top cartoon shows, including Mr...
(born 1923), actor
- Tyronne Stowe
Tyronne Kevin Stowe is a former American football linebacker that played for ten seasons in the National Football League. Stowe attended Passaic High School. He played college football at Rutgers University. He currently works as a pastor in Chandler, Arizona....
(born 1965), former NFL linebacker.
- Marcia Strassman
Marcia Strassman is an American actress best-known for her roles as Julie Kotter in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and Diane Szalinski in the 1989 feature film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its first sequel.-Biography:...
(born 1948), actress, grew up in Passaic, across the street from Alan RosenbergAlan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:...
.
- Michael Stroka
Michael George Stroka was an American actor on soap operas like ABC-TV's Dark Shadows, where he played Aristede, Bruno, Bruno Hess, and Laszlo Ferrari from 1969 to 1970...
(born 1938), actor
- Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. The naturally blonde Swit is best-known for her two-time Emmy-winning portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
(born 1937), actress.
- Danny Szetela
Daniel "Danny" Szetela is an American soccer player currently under contract with D.C. United.- Career :...
(born 1987), Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation . The league comprises 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada...
player
- Dave Szott
David Andrew Szott is a former professional American football offensive lineman.Scott played 14 years in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Jets, before retiring from football in February 2004. He remained with the Jets as an...
(born 1967), National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
player and coach
- Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen
Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He assumed Senior status on October 23, 2006, on his 65th birthday.- Early life and education :...
(born 1941), judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
.
- Jack Tatum
John David Tatum is a former American football defensive back who played ten seasons from 1971 to 1980 for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League...
(born 1948), football player.
- Ösel Tendzin
Ösel Tendzin was a western Buddhist. He was Chögyam Trungpa's principal student. On August 22, 1976, Chögyam Trungpa empowered Ösel Tendzin as his Vajra Regent and first Western lineage holder in the Tibetan Karma Kagyü and Nyingma lineages. On August 25, 1990, Ösel Tendzin died in San Francisco,...
(born 1943), Tibetan BuddhistTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India...
scholar. http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/vrot/
- Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games...
(born 1939), sportscaster.
- Perry Williams
Perry Williams may refer to:*Perry Williams , American football cornerback*Perry Williams , American football running back...
(born 1961), former cornerbackA cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
.
- Darrin Winston
Darrin Alexander Winston was a Major League Baseball player. He played two baseball seasons in the majors, both for the Philadelphia Phillies, and also played in the Montreal Expos and Pittsburgh Pirates minor league organizations. He batted right-handed and threw left-handed during his baseball...
(1966-2008), Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
player who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
.
- Saul Zaentz
Saul Zaentz is an American film producer and former record company executive. He has won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times and in 1996 was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award....
(born 1921), film producer.
- Michael Zager
Michael Zager has produced, composed, and/or arranged original music in a wide range of musical idioms, including commercials, albums, network television, and as a source for theme music for films....
(born 1943), musician and producer
- Frankie Zak
Frank Thomas Zak was a professional baseball player from 1944 to 1946. Zak played for the Pittsburgh Pirates his entire career, his main position being shortstop. Zak never had a lot of playing time, his highest number of at bats was 160. Even so, he still managed to become an All-Star in 1944...
(1922-1972) Major League Baseball player, Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions, in addition to the distinction of playing in the first modern World Series. The Pirates are also often...
.
Popular culture references
- In the 1960s television sitcom F Troop
F Troop is a satirical American television sitcom that originally aired from 1965-1967 on ABC. It was originally broadcast in the United States from September 14, 1965 to finishing on April 6, 1967, producing a total of 65 episodes. The first season [34 episodes] was filmed in black-and-white, and...
, the character, Cpl. Randolph Agarn (played by Larry StorchLawrence Samuel "Larry" Storch is an American actor best known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for top cartoon shows, including Mr...
), hails from Passaic, Storch's home town. The city is occasionally mentioned - and featured - in episodes.
- The short-lived Ellen Travolta
Ellen Travolta is an American actress, the eldest sibling of John Travolta. She is probably best remembered for her portrayal of Louisa Arcola Delvecchio, the mother of Chachi Arcola in the 1950s-based sitcom Happy Days, and its unsuccessful spinoff, Joanie Loves Chachi...
sitcom Makin' ItMakin' It is a short-lived sitcom starring David Naughton as a disco dancer in the late 1970s. The series only lasted eight episodes, airing on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 through March 16, 1979 before being canceled...
was set in Passaic, although, at the time of the disco-themed show, the city actually had little disco culture of its own. Ms. Travolta had an occasional role in Welcome Back Kotter, which starred Ms. Strassman as Mrs. Kotter.
- Numerous music groups have performed at the Loop Lounge on Broadway. Performers have included: Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, frontman Mike Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Wade Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
. Dead MilkmenThe Dead Milkmen is a satirical punk band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band initially consisted of Joe Genaro , Dave Schulthise , Dean Sabatino , and Rodney Linderman .The band plays jangly, driving punk rock with irreverent, often childish and...
, They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is a double Grammy Award-winning American alternative rock band which began as a duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, and currently also includes Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. Formed in 1982, they are best known for an unconventional and experimental style...
, APBAPB was a Scottish post-punk band, formed in 1979, that blended funk-rock, punk rock and New Wave music. The group had only modest success during its brief run, yet their influence can be heard in the sound of such current bands as Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture, and Red Hot Chili...
, Gang of FourThe Gang of Four was the name given to a leftist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
, My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their...
, and The SmithereensThe Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
.
- The city's name was mentioned in "Raging Cory," an episode of Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World was an American television sitcom that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, who grows up from a young boy to a married man...
.
- Almost the entire movie Be Kind, Rewind starring Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is best known for his role as Mr. Albert Johnson in The Color Purple and as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise....
, Mia FarrowMia Farrow is an American actress, singer, and former fashion model. Farrow has appeared in more than forty films and won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe award , three BAFTA Film Award nominations, and a win for best actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival...
, Jack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 70s UK punk band The Boys...
, Mos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and MC known by the stage name Mos Def. Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, who released the album...
, and Sigourney WeaverSigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley in the Alien film series and as Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters movies. Weaver is also a three-time Academy Award nominee for her performances in Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl...
was filmed in Passaic, in fact most of the shooting was done on Passaic Street at the route 21 overpass, which the majority of the movie took place within a couple of hundred yards.
- On February 24, 1973, Passaic's Capitol Theatre
The Capitol Theatre was an entertainment venue located at the intersection of Monroe Street and Central Avenue in Passaic, New Jersey. Built in 1926 as a vaudeville house, the Capitol later served as a movie theater and a venue for rock concerts.Throughout the 1970s and into the mid 1980s, the...
was the site of the final live show by American rock 'n' roll band The ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock and roll band. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964, The Byrds underwent several personnel changes, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973....
.
- In the 1920s, the Passaic High School basketball team, led by coach Ernest Blood
Ernest A. Blood was a former high school and college men's basketball coach...
, won 159 consecutive games, earning the nickname "Wonder Team".
- The title character of the series Sledge Hammer!
Sledge Hammer! is a satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and starred David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character, with a...
was said to be born in Passaic.
- One of the mock Bialystock and Bloom musicals in The Producers
The Producers is a comedy film written and directed by Mel Brooks, which tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who attempt to cheat their investors by deliberately producing a flop show on Broadway...
was called South Passaic.
- Passaic is mentioned in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords is an Emmy-nominated television comedy series that follows the adventures of the Flight of the Conchords, a two-man novelty band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City...
when the band goes on a warm-up tour by playing a club in Passaic and damaging the club's amplifier.
- In the episode Total Re-Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is an American animated television series shown on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim late-night programming block, as well as Teletoon in Canada...
, Frylock sends away for organs to help re-build Carl's body from the "Passaic Organ Bank".
- Burt ("BS") Levy's series of novels starting with The Last Open Road
The Last Open Road is a novel written by B.S. Levy. It tells the story of a young mechanic from Passaic, New Jersey who becomes involved in automobile road racing during its peak in the 1950s. The book follows Buddy Palumbo, the main character, as he has to balance family life with working on cars...
features a young Italian-American mechanic from Passaic who becomes involved in the American sports car racingSports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
scene in the 1950s.
- The original release of The Sims
The Sims is an American strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It was created by game designer Will Wright, also known for developing SimCity. It is a simulation of the daily activities of one or more virtual persons in a suburban household...
included an exterior wallpaper called "Passaic Aluminum Siding".
- Glenn Maer, the drummer from U.S. Chaos
U.S. Chaos are an American punk rock band from New Jersey, formed in 1981. They were one of the first American bands to play in an Oi!/street punk style....
, was born in Passaic in 1962.
- Passaic is mentioned as a hometown (for at least a short period of time) of the brothers on Royal Pains (2009) on USA Network. They had to downsize from a nice house in maybe Passaic, New Jersey to a little two-bedroom apartment when their father lost all of their money.
Film shot in Passaic
- 2006: Be Kind Rewind
Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film from New Line Cinema, directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film first appeared on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later shown at the Berlin International...
directed by Michel GondryMichel Gondry, born May 8, 1963, is a French film, commercial and music video director and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.- Biography :...
.
- 2009: Filming for new NBC series "Mercy
Mercy is a drama, which premiered on NBC on September 23, 2009 as part of the 2009 fall season.The show is an ensemble set in the fictional Mercy Hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey which focuses on three nurses. Veronica Callahan is a nurse who has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, while...
" is being shot in the old St Mary's Hospital on occasion.
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