Nutley, New Jersey

This article is about the township of Nutley in New Jersey. For the village in East Sussex, see Nutley, East Sussex. Nutley is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 27,362.

What is now Nutley was originally incorporated as Franklin Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1874, from portions of Belleville Township. Nutley was incorporated as a Town on March 5, 1902, replacing Franklin Township.^[3] Nutley was one of several Essex County communities that changed to the Township type during the 1970s in order to qualify for federal revenue-sharing aid only available to townships. Nutley derived its name from the estate of the Satterthwaite family, established in 1844, which stretched along the Passaic River and from an artist's colony in the area.^[4][5]

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Geography

Nutley is located at 40°49′11″N, 74°9′32″W (40.819600, -74.158770)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.9 km²), of which, 3.4 square miles (8.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.75%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 27,362 people, 10,884 households, and 7,368 families residing in the township. The population density was 8,123.0 people per square mile (3,134.9/km²). There were 11,118 housing units at an average density of 1, 273.8/km² (3,300.6/sq mi). The racial makeup of the township was 87.95% White, 1.87% African American, 0.05% Native American, 7.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.75% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.69% of the population.

As of the 2000 census, 36.0% of town residents were of Italian ancestry, the 12th-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and fifth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.^[7]

There were 10,884 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $59,634, and the median income for a family was $73,264. Males had a median income of $51,121 versus $37,100 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,039. About 3.4% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Nutley's population grew between the 1920s and 1960s due to a large influx of Italian immigrants and assimilated Italian-Americans. Today, 44.5% of Nutley is of Italian descent, per data from the 2000 Census^[8]

History

The town of Nutley grew slowly as the Village of Newark developed. The first European settler in the area, recorded in the minutes of a Newark town meeting in 1693, was a Dutch painter named Bastian Van Giesen.^[4] His house still stands today on Chestnut Street and is the location of the Nutley Women's Club. John Treat and Thomas Stagg purchased lots adjacent to Van Geisen's in 1695 and 1698 respectively. The first brownstone quarry in Nutley is believed to have been in operation by the early 18th century and was the town's first major industry.^[4] Jobs at the brownstone quarry in the Avondale section of Nutley provided work for many Italian and Irish immigrants. Mills situated along the Third River in the area now known as Memorial Park I became Nutley's second major industry.^[4] John and Thomas Speer, Joseph Kingsland, and Henry Duncan all operated mills in the town during the 1800s. Current streets in Nutley are named after these mill owners. Henry Duncan built several mills throughout the town and established the village of Franklinville consisting of 30 homes and a few small businesses which later became the center of Nutley.^[4] One of Duncan's buildings has been modified and now serves as the town hall.

Nutley's town historian, John Demmer, is the author of the book titled Nutley. Demmer is also part of The Nutley Historical Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serve the educational, cultural and historical needs of the community.

Government

Local representation

Nutley has operated a Commission form of government under the Walsh Act since 1912.^[9] Each of the five commissioners are elected on a nonpartisan basis to serve four-year concurrent terms (current terms of office all end on June 30, 2008). The commissioners also serve as department heads in addition to their legislative functions. The Commissioners elect one Commissioner as Mayor. Historically the Commissioner that receives the most votes is appointed Mayor. The mayor is only responsible for his or her departments and serves as the chair of the commission.^[10]

Nutley's current Commissioners are:

• Joanne Cocchiola-Oliver - Commissioner of Public Affairs and Mayor (2008)
• Tom Evans - Commissioner of Revenue and Finance (2008)
• Carmen A. Orechio - Commissioner of Public Safety (2008)
• Peter C. Scarpelli - Commissioner of Public Works (2008)
• Mauro G. Tucci - Commissioner of Parks and Public Property (2008)

Federal, state and county representation

Nutley is part of New Jersey's 36th Legislative District and is in the Eighth Congressional District.^[11]

New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Passaic County and northern sections of Essex County, is represented by Bill Pascrell Jr. (D, Paterson). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 36th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Paul Sarlo (D, Wood-Ridge) and in the Assembly by Frederick Scalera (D, Nutley) and Gary Schaer (D, Passaic). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Essex County's County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson, Freeholder Vice President Ralph R. Caputo, Freeholders-At-Large Johnny Jones, Donald M. Payne, Jr., and Patricia Sebold, Freeholder District 1 Samuel Gonzalez, Freeholder District 2 D. Bilal Beasley, Freeholder District 3 Carol Y. Clark, Freeholder District 4 Linda Lordi Cavanaugh and Freeholder District 5 Ralph R. Caputo.

Politics

On the national level, Nutley leans toward the Republican Party. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush received 54% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 45%.

Education

The Nutley Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Nutley has five elementary schools for students in grades K-6, Spring Garden, Radcliffe, Lincoln, Yantacaw, and Washington. Students in grades 7 & 8 attend John H. Walker Middle School, and students in grades 9-12 attend Nutley High School.

Recreation

Nutley's parks include Booth Park, DeMuro Park, Father Glotzbach Park, Msgr Owens Park, Flora Louden Park, Kingsland Park, Memorial Park I, II, III, Nichols Park, and Rheinheimer Park. They offer fields for baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer among other sports.^[12]

Operation Nutley Cares

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the central gulf coast region on August 29, 2005, Mayor Joanne Cocchiola and Commissioner Carmen Orechio reached out to local residents who wanted to help victims of the devastation, and formed the Operation Nutley Cares Committee. A decision was made to adopt Bay St. Louis, Mississippi as a sister city, Bay St. Louis, population 8,500, which sits just northwest of New Orleans, and had at least 60% of the community completely destroyed by Katrina and another 20% condemned. Monetary donations are still being accepted to help fund efforts to assist Bay St. Louis.

Corporate residents

Hoffmann–La Roche is headquartered in Nutley, and was the site of the creations of the blockbuster medications Valium and Librium.^[5]

Noted residents

Nutley's rich history includes being the home to many notables:

• Merle Allin, bass player
• Julian "Bud" Blake, cartoonist (Tiger).^[13][14]
• Robert Blake, actor (Baretta), born Michael James Vincenzo Gubitosi.^[15]
• William Pène du Bois, author, artist.^[16]
• Jonathan Budine, Film Director, Producer and Editor
• Henry Cuyler Bunner, novelist.^[17]
• Elan Carter, Playboy Playmate of the Month, June 1994
• Tina Cervasio, sportscaster, best known for her work as the Boston Red Sox sideline reporter on NESN telecasts.^[18]
• Samuel "Little Sammy" Corsaro, Gambino crime family soldier
• Frank Fowler, painter.^[17]
• Ron Fraser, "Wizard of College Baseball", Baseball coach at University of Miami.^[19]
• Robert Ellis Kur, television journalist
• Artie Lange, comedian
• Frank Lautenberg, United States Senator
• Balls Mahoney, wrestler for ECW
• Frederic Dana Marsh, illustrator
• Reginald Marsh, painter.^[17]
• Frank Edward Nora, host of the podcast The Overnightscape
• Annie Oakley, sharpshooter.^[17]
• Carlo Jackie Paris, jazz singer and guitarist.^[20]
• Frederic Dorr Steele, illustrator.^[17]
• Martha Stewart, domestic guru, born Martha Helen Kostyra.^[21]
• Alix Strachey, psychoanalyst, born Alix Sargant-Florence, translated Sigmund Freud's works into English
• Nick Zano (1979-), actor
• Salvatore Tolve, Film Director and Editor

Cultural references

• Nutley is referenced in the Futurama episode "Put Your Head on My Shoulders" as the destination of the bus stop where Bender found all of the undesirable Valentine's Day dates for his dating service customers.
• The short-lived FOX television show Quintuplets was set in Nutley.^[22]
• The courtroom in NBC's television show Ed was an exact replica of Nutley's municipal courtroom. In addition, various locations in the township were used, including the outside of the Public Safety building.
• George Dorn, in The Illuminatus! Trilogy is described as having grown up in Nutley, with references to his childhood illustrating that the authors had more than a passing familiarity with the town.
• In the Schrödinger's Cat trilogy, Nutley High School and Nutley are mentioned in passing, with Nutley being the location of a "tapioca mine".
• Part of an episode of Law & Order SVU was filmed in Nutley's Park Oval, Nutley's Park and Recreation Center and Nutley High School.
• Martha Stewart, has mentioned numerous times on her television shows, her childhood memories of Nutley. She also had a "Nutley Day" on her talk show Martha, in 2006.
• An episode of Comedy's Central's "Strangers with Candy" was filmed at the Jim Dandys on Frankin Avenue
• Nutley was mentioned periodically on HBO's "The Sopranos"
• Nutley was mentioned in passing by the character Carl from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" on a video on the "Adult Swim" website

References

• Nutley, New Jersey is at coordinates 40°49′11″N 74°09′32″W / 40.8196, -74.15877Coordinates: 40°49′11″N 74°09′32″W / 40.8196, -74.15877