Clifton Merchant Magazine - July 2016

Clifton Merchant July 2016 3

The Class of 1946At 88, Still Young at Heart

The Class of 1956Shaping Their Hometown

The Class of 1976Poetry in Mustang Motion

The Class of 1986Commitment to Community

The Class of 1996A Speech for the Ages

The Class of 2006Didnt They Just Graduate?

Whats Inside?6

10

20

34

46

56

64

The Class of 1966Giving BackBumps and All

Table of Mustangs

Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko

2016 Tomahawk Promotions

Visit cliftonmagazine.comfor current & past issues

973-253-4400 [email protected]

Art DirectorKen Peterson

Graphic DesignerAly Ibrahim

Business ManagerGabriella Marriello

Editorial InternAriana Puzzo

1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton, NJ 07011

Jack De Vries, Joe Hawrylko, Irene Jarosewich, Ihor Andruch,

Tom Warnick, Michael C. Gabriele

Contributing Writers

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With a rebel spirit, a rock n roll heart andlooking back as a mom, Mustang Maria(Dal Pan) Dias shares a story on page 56about her speech at the 1996 CHS com-mencement. Above she is holding BruceSpringsteens guitar, signed by PresidentObama. The guitar belongs to Getty Imagesco-founder Jonathan Klein, who is amongthe people Dias has been fortunate enoughto write speeches with over the years.

July 2016 Clifton Merchant4

Seventy years later, John Filippone is still one good-looking Mustang. Now 88, he cheerfully recalls hisstrategy to beat out his closest competitor for title of

Best Dressed CHS Class of 1946.

Every morning I pressed my pants,

shined my shoes, wore clothes like high

school kids shouldargyle socks, penny

loafers, sports shirts, said Filippone.

Dont get me wrong. Fred Archer was a

good dresser, but every day he wore a suit

and tie like a businessman. So even though

we both looked good, I also looked snappy.

I looked like a high school kid.

Born and raised in Clifton,

growing up in Delawanna,

Filippone is a multi-genera-

tional Mustang. He and his

wife of 62 years, Rose

Marie (Ricci), raised two

Mustangs Robin and

John Joseph.

Robin and husband

Fred Hemsey raised

Francesca and Regina,

also both Mustang grads.

His granddaughters

Francesca, who married last

October, and Regina, who will be

married in Septemberare one of the

reasons Filippone insists on keeping in

shape and taking care of himself.

I love them both I dont want them to have some

stodgy old grandfather. Not long ago, Filippone, who

besides being a dapper dresser is also a good dancer,

was showing the girls some fancy footwork waltzes

and tangos. Im clowning around in front of the kids

and next thing you know, the whole town sees me.

They put me on that Facebook thing.

Filippones father ran a milk home delivery

business that Filippone joined after he graduated

CHS and where he worked until he got drafted in

1951. He served in the Army for two years,

although not in Korea.

He and Rose Marie married in 1954

and settled down in Clifton, taking over

the business from his dad. In 1960,

when the home delivery business

began to falter because of super-

markets and vending machines,

he closed the family business

and joined the Valley Fair

department store in Little

Ferry where he worked as

the traffic manager for

shipping and receiving until

he retired in 1996.

Retirement did not mean

slowing down. Im young yet,

not even 90, snorts Filippone

who works out two to three

times a week at Planet Fitness

near Corrados.


Belle De Luca, Doris Smolensky, Elizabeth Millwood, Gordon Hahn, Harold Corizzi, John Filippone, Lillian Buys.

WHERE ARE THESE MUSTANGS NOW?46

Class of

YoungMustangAT HEARTBy Irene Jarosewich


The 1945-46 CHS basketball team was perhaps the best ever. With a 22-1 record, they went on to be North Jersey GroupIV and Passaic Valley Conference Champions. From left standing, Coach Bednarcik, Van Cleef, Torcivia, Atkinson,Bulyn, Hatala, Dull, Olson, Gall, Corizzi, Parsons and Dr. Gerow. Front row, DeLotto, Wolf, Donall and Gibnavdi.

I make sure to lift weights, keep my posture good.

I dont want to get round shoulders like old people,

Filippone laughed and continued. Im stronger than

you think. I could take down a guy like you, said the

54 Filippone challenging the 62 CMM publisher

Tom Hawrylko to a wrestling match.

When he is not picking on guys younger and taller

than he is, or volunteering with the Knights of Columbus

to raise funds for worthy causes, he serves as an atten-

dant / pallbearer at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home.

Hell be taking a leave from both work and volun-

teering when he embarks on a 12-day tour to Italy and

Sicily in October with his wifes cousins.

An active member of the Knights of Columbus at St.

Philip Roman Catholic parish, he and fellow 1946

Mustang Teresa Mancini Pivirotto also volunteered at

the June carnival. Not that many of us left, he noted

with a tinge of sadness about classmates.

So how does he keep in such great shape?

Besides his exercise and his attitude, he credits his

wifes cooking for his good health. Rose Marie is a

fabulous cook and she sticks to the Mediterranean diet.

Plus, I dont eat butter.

Youll have to ask Filippone to explain how the son

of a milkman does not eat butter. My father didnt eat

butter either, he offers.

Living on Luddington Ave., Filippone also keeps his

yard looking good with decorations that change with

the seasons. He has seen the community evolve over

his eight decades from one that was mostly white and

Catholic to a unique melting pot of races, religions and

ethnicities. This is a great town he said. I think the

diversity is good for us. Its good for our community.

Who cares where youre from or the language you

speak or how you worship as long as you get involved

and become part of our community here.

Coming out of an era when CHS had graduating

classes with less than 200 students and yearbooks that

voted classmates to be not only the Best Dressed, but

Best Class Flirts and Million Dollar Smiles,

Filippones tagline proved prophetic: JohnnieTheapparel oft proclaims the man.

John Filippones outer appearance still shows his

inner self he is kind and respectful, with attention to

the smallest details, upbeat, forward-thinking, young at

heart. And one of our favorite Mustangs.

WHERE ARE THESE MUSTANGS NOW?46Cla

ss of


Locally, they became developers,policy makers and do-gooders,the people that during the 1960s

and 1970s helped shape Clifton

into one of the largest and fastest-

growing cities in New Jersey.

Regionally, nationally and inter-

nationally, the members of the

Class of 56 were indeed, as their

yearbook stated, ready to go out into the world to seek

their proverbial fortunes.

Robert Smithson is one such example. While the late

internationally recognized artist did not have kind

words to say about his art education at CHS, he did get

much inspiration from this area for his new genre of art.

By 1959, after his discharge from the Army, where

he worked as an artist on a base in Georgia, Smithson

hiked, camped, and investigated geology across the

country. He had already begun showing his paintings in

New York galleries, but was about to take an innovative

new direction with his art, one that would take him out

of the studio, the gallery and the museum itself.

His break from painting would

lead him to create a new genre,

Land Art. With the help of bull-

dozers, pilots, as well as his wife

and collaborator, the late Nancy

Holt, Spiral Jetty, his best-knownproject was completed in 1970.

Besides being his wife and col-

laborator, Holt, was an internation-

ally acclaimed artist and a Class of 1956 Mustang.

Building up CliftonHere in town, guys like Tom Cupo, Al Mardirossian,

Murray Kashtan and other boys from Botany were

doing their own version of land art. Taking derelict and

abandoned factories, vacant land and old farms, they

developed Clifton. Cupo especially had a deft hand at

shaping his hometown into a community for the 21st

century. He had a keen eye for design and often visited

larger cities for inspiration on designing a project, and

his signature work remain a cornerstone in various

Clifton neighborhoods.

Albert Mardirossian, Bob Hofmann, Richard Hanle, Jack Russo, Thomas Negele, Joseph R. Jeffers, Richard Fincken

56WHERE ARE THESE

Class of

MUSTANGS NOW?56

here in Cliftonand BeyondLandArt

Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt


Richard Finckens signature work is basket-

ball. He is a member of the CHS Athletic Hall of

Fame, with All-County, All-League, All-Group

IV and All-Metropolitan honors, and named one

of Dell Sports Magazines top 500 high schoolplayers in the country. He graduated from

Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN, with a

triple major in physical education, English and

social studies.

Basketball was in his blood. He started coach-

ing as an assistant at two high schools. Then, he

began 28 legendary coaching years for

Hopatcong High School. Fincken racked up 391

wins and several county championships, plus Coach of

the Year honors. He lives in Wantage with his wife,

Fran, of 50 years. The couple has three daughters and

several grandchildren.

Lady MustangsJudi Zagaya Den Herder is the keeper of the flame for

the 56 Mustangs, a steadfast organizer for the reunion

committee. Like many Mustang grads, she was hired by

Roche, where she worked until she retired in 2001. Now

she volunteers at Hackensack University Medical

Center. Although she loves to travel, she calls Clifton

home, along with her son, daughter and two grandkids.

Joan Sanford of Dutch Hill is also a globe-trotter.

However, I love Clifton. Its my hometown, she

declared, noting that she was actually born in the house

where she lives in Lakeview. The retired teacher taught

literature and language classes for 37 years at Little Falls

Middle School.

Sanford is a big supporter of the towns cultural

events, serving on the board of the Clifton Arts Center.

People are unaware that we have cultural events and art

organizations in our town, she noted. They dont have

to go anywhere else to enjoy art.

Sanford has volunteered her time for the Dutch Hill

Residents Association, the Clifton Public Library, the

Centennial Committee and Clifton Residents on Call.

She also welcomes Cliftons many cultures.

The diversity of the city is very nice to have, she

said. All of us have come from somewheremy moth-

er was a European immigrant at age 13. Many of these

people will add to the beauty of the town.

Fellow educator Silvia Hart loved teaching kinder-

garten for 44 years at School 15. She instilled positive

values to her students and taught them to work hard. I

enjoyed watching the students grow, Hart said.

Watching them use what they learned from me by the

end of the year was a bonus for me.

Carol Chanda LoGioco was born and raised here,

attending School 6 and CHS. She and 55 grad Frank

LoGioco married in 1968. After working as a sec-

Best pals in 56, Tom Cupo and Murray Kashtan remain so today.


Class of


retary at Walter Kidde in

Belleville, she became a

stay-at-home mom to

their daughter, Lori Ann,

a 90 Mustang and

Felican College grad

who works as an oncol-

ogy nurse. LoGiocos

husband, Frank, retired

in 2000 as Cliftons chief

of police. In November,

they will celebrate their

48th wedding anniver-

sary, and love to visit

their two grandchildren.

Evelyn (Hollasch)

Kovacs days are filled with being a grandparent and

fundraising. She worked for PSEG and Pfizer until retir-

ing in 2001. Married in 1965, she and husband Ed had

their wedding reception at Mountainside Inn, where they

also held their 50th anniversary. She helps out with her

grandkids and is a member of the Valley Seniors Group

on Van Houten Ave., the Prime Timers and the

Columbiettes of St. Philip Church on Valley Rd.

Kovacs is a volunteer for the American Cancer

Societys Relay For Life. A six-year breast cancer sur-

vivor, her team has raised $15,483. She continued

fundraising with another Relay For Life in Clifton last

June. Her daughter, Cathy, is an 87 grad who played in

the Mustang band.

Marie (Antonelli) Monaco heard about the ITT

Secretarial Program while at CHS. But I didnt know

where ITT was, she said. Everyone told me to look for

the tower. It was hard to miss the 300-foot ITT tower,

located on the Clifton-Nutley border. Once there,

Monaco was hired and worked on and off for 25 years,

in between raising her sons Jim and Joe, eventually

becoming a senior executive secretary.

It was a wonderful career, she said. Today, Monaco

loves to see her two sons with their wives, Denise and

Kathy, raising families of their own. Right now, my life

is the happiest, she declared.

Jean Volikas Dal Pan also worked at ITT after grow-

ing up in the Richfield section. Graduating from

Teanecks Fairleigh Dickinson in 1972, she was a project

administrator until 1975, the year she married John Dal

Pan, 56. They first met at their CHS 15th-year class

reunion, never having connected during high school.

Their daughter, Maria Dal Pan Dias, is a 96 grad and

CHS class president. Today, she is Director of Content

Marketing at Getty Images in New York City. Son John

Paul is a 99 Mustang and a quality assurance technician

at HB Communications in Mountainside. He bought

their old home two years ago.

Volikas Dal Pan visits her children and grandchildren

from her current home in Arizona. She stays in touch

with her classmates by attending the 56 reunions.

For information on the CHS 1956 Class Reunion at

the Brownstone in Paterson, contact Judi Zagaya Den

Herder at 973-779-6923 or [email protected].


Class of

Carol Chanda, Jean Volikas, Evelyn Hollasch, Joan Sanford, Silvia Salvi, Marie Antonelli, Judith Zagaya


m

By Tom Warnick

Many know Greg Baron as oneheck of a musician. One thing forsure is that hes a one-of-a-kind

artist who has created the towns

most unique roadway artworks.

When youre driving on Broad

St. passing under the ramp con-

necting the Garden State Parkway

to Rt. 3, youll spot the 56 grads

colorful shapes and umbrellas

arranged in an eye-catching

design. And lets not forget Barons

Looney Tunes piece at the

Passaic Ave. and Rt. 3 underpass.

I love that one, the self-described looney tune

and longtime resident of Lakeview noted. I like to

make artworks that are pretty and people enjoy.

If someone dares to put a graffiti tag on one of his

pieces, Baron has the perfect solution. I paint a heart or

butterfly on it, he grinned. That must make them

(mad). Nowadays, the 78-year-old Baron is looking to

pass the torch, or rather, spray can to whoever is up to

the task at hand.

Its time to move on, Baron explained. Im look-

ing for someone to take it over. Id show them how to

do itits easy.

Baron can also be heard at City Council meetings,

speaking out in his melodious voice about quality-of-

life-issues in his Lakeview neighborhood. If theres a

PSEG wire hanging too low, or something needs fixed

or cleaned, hes there to call attention to it.

Even though hes creating public artworks or attending

meetings, he always returns to his first lovemusic. He

spent the 50s to 80s as a piano tuner and roadie touring

with a wide variety of artists, from R&B to rock,

including eight years with The Grateful Dead.

Baron chronicled his experiences on the road in a book

he wrote titled Backstage...Where High-tech and Low-life Collide. Its an illustrated and provocative tour of thebackstage areas of concert venues from around the globe.

From 1971 to 1985, Baron tuned pianos at the

legendary Capitol Theatre in Passaic and currently at the

Bergen PAC in Englewood. And for years, he has been

the house pianist at the Clifton Arts Center providing

what he call background music for events.

He especially enjoys playing music for residents of

nursing homes. He expanded his repertoire so hed play

older tunes that people would recognize.

Its a good feeling to be able to do that, he said.

People are singing when they couldnt pronounce

words. They also get up dancing, which is very good for

them. Baron recalled a woman with Alzheimers that

joined him at the pianoand knew all the lyrics to

every song he played.

When hes not making music, being a Lakeview

advocate or walking the streets of Manhattan, Baron is

hoping to find someone who can continue making the

towns roadways colorful. Theyd be appreciated by

everyone in Clifton, he said. Its a great thing to do.


Class of

Greg Baron in 1956 and today at one of his painted underpasses on Main Ave., near Corrados with an old favorite themeMustangs.

TorchUnderpassing

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Class of

WHERE ARE THESE MUSTANGS NOW?

While many have given back to their schooland community, the Class of 66 is unique thatit has produced such a large number of talented

teachers. Not only did most students remain

here, they ended up inspiring the next generation

and continuing the proud tradition and reputa-

tion of Cliftons schools.

Robert Morgan was a talented trumpet player

and master sergeant during his four years as a

student. Later, the 66 grad helped define one of

the most famous signatures of our com-

Robert Morgan, Diane Donkersloot, Donald Nadel, Eugene Duda, Jacalyn Sussman, Kenneth Brand, Madeline Postal

In a decade filled with protests large and small, during theirsenior year, the CHS Class of 1966 led the call against...speed bumps. The too-high speed bumps installed by theBoard of Ed to reduce drag racing on Colfax Ave. nicked oilpans, scraped the undersides of cars and rattled school busdrivers. Ban the Bumps became the new slogan, hungfrom banners and wrapped around cars. Lyrics about thespeed bumps, sung to the tune of the 1964 protest classicEve of Destruction were matched up with an illustrationby senior Richard Lasky and distributed on flyers. In theend, student activism prevailed, and the speed bumps wereremovedor at least reduced in height.

6666


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Class of


Jeanne Coyle, Jack Whiting, Susan King, Mario Fargnoli, Stephen Cook, Nancy Maurer, Stanley R. Sudol

munitythe Mustang Bandbefore

retiring in June 2014. (He came out of

retirement as interim director in late

2015) Under his leadership, the band per-

fected its sound and high stepping rou-

tines while putting on outstanding per-

formances throughout New Jersey and

around the world.

Morgan graduated from the University

of Iowa in 1971 and became CHS band

director in 1972, in addition to teaching

music. The high schools band room was

dedicated in his honor, being renamed the

Robert D. Morgan Band Room.

Diane (Donkersloot) Drake was a

proud Mustang Band majorette, espe-

cially when the band won an unprece-

dented three medals at a competition in

Europe. It was the best thing that ever happened to

me, she recalled. I became a part of the school as a

member of the band.

Her family is also connected to the bandher two

sisters, Janice Ice and Barabara Skelly, were also

majorettes, and her brother John was a band member.

Plus, the Mustang Band Alumni Association annually

bestows the John and Margaret Donkersloot scholar-

ship award to a graduating band member. The award is

named after her parents, who were very active with the

marching band and high school.

Drake taught at Schools 3, 4, 8 and 15, and at

Christopher Columbus Middle School.

When not traveling around the world, Drake attends

every band appearance as a Mustang Band Alumni

Association member.

For 44 years, the recently-retired Jack Whiting was

the friendly Clifton Tax Assessor who treated everyone

with respect and kindness. He has also been CHS first

two-year district wrestling champion and coached var-

sity wrestling at CHS and Paul VI High School, and

Northern Division Little League softball and baseball at

the Clifton Center. He also co-created the Junior

Recreational Wrestling program, which helps prepare

the next generation of Mustang grapplers. A few years

back, Whiting was given the Clifton Optimist Stanley

Zwier Community Service Award for coaching.

Nancy (Maurer) Muddell still lives in the same

house she was born in. After graduating, she taught at

Wayne Valley High School for five years. Returning to

her roots, she came back home to teach at School 8 for

16 years. Now retired, Muddell enjoys running silent

auctions for the New Jersey Veterinary Foundation,

which she has done for 18 years. She is also the chair-

person for the 66 reunion, her eighth such event.

Lois (Schneider) Farese is a Montclair State

University grad who taught business subjects for 31

years at Northern Highland Regional High School in

Allendale before retiring. She has since been brought

back as a club advisor for the marketing program

Pre-planning the reunion: John Royce, Maddy Postal Royce, Ron Nadel,Nancy Maurer Muddell. Charles Rybny, Judi Muha Rybny, Mary JaneBiegel Kozel, Diane Donkersloot Drake, Richard Kozel.


6666

Class of

DECA. As a Mustang, she was president of DECA. She

wrote a book, Marketing Essentials, which is now in itsseventh edition.

Jackie (Sussman) Schein taught first and second-

grade classes for 25 years, at Schools 5, 12 and 17. She

volunteers at the Clifton Jewish Center on Delaware St.

and serves on its board. Schein also serves as co-chair

for the reunion.

Bob Waltons most vivid memory of high school is

going on the award-winning European trip with the

Mustang band.

After that trip, I was a different person, the bands

sousaphone player recalled. My eyes were opened to

the world. Theres a whole world out there, and I want-

ed to know everything.

Walton earned bachelor and master degrees at

Montclair State University and became an educator in

the Bergenfield School System, where he taught 15

years of middle-school music and 20 years of elemen-

tary classes.

After retiring from teaching, Waltons eyes were still

open...to the road. He wrote Route 66, The People, ThePlaces, The Dream based on his travels.

After Walton and co-author Sal Santoro appeared on

Jay Lenos Garage, the book became a Jay Leno BookClub selection and sales heated up.

Madeline Postal and John Royce were star-crossed

loves at CHS. While they had dated before their senior

years, he had to move to Massachusetts with his fami-

ly. The two eventually married other people and had

several children, but both ended up divorced.

Postal and Royce reconnected at a Mustang class

reunion and ended up marrying. At a later reunion,

Royce was made an honorary graduate of CHS. The

couple lives in Oakland, New Jersey, and has held year-

ly barbecues for fellow66 grads.

Connect with the class at the 1966 Solid Gold 66

Fiftieth Year Reunion Weekend on Nov. 4 to 6. It

begins at the Friday Night Mustang Football Game at

the stadium. On Saturday morning, tour CHS and join

classmates for lunch at Rutts. That evening, attend a

banquet at the Regency House, Pompton Plains. The

banquet cost is $70. Write to [email protected],

find it on FB at the Clifton HS Class of 66 page, or call

Nancy Maurer Muddell at 201-723-0402, or Jackie

Sussman Schein at 973-265-4873.


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Class of


Not too many people have joked with the Pope, talkedabout history with Richard Nixon or been on a first-name

basis with Bruce Springsteen. Count Cliftons Robert

Castronovo Sr. as one of the few.

The retired COO and Senior Executive VP of Giants

Stadium and the Continental Airlines Arena has rubbed

elbows with some of the worlds most famous people,

but at heart, hell always be a Clifton guy. Like the

Springsteen song from his album The River, the CHS 66grad has the ties that bind.

Were not going anywhere, he said. I grew up here.

We have a lot of relationships in town. Those relation-

ships include family, longtime friends, the students he

taught and coached at CHS, as well as the kids he cur-

rently coaches at the Boys Club.

Castronovo grew up on Hamas St. in the Oak Ridge

section. He was a promising roundball player for the

Mustangs, but a case of mono forced him to stop playing

hoops during his sophomore year. He never returned, a

decision he came to regret. That was a big mistake. I

should have stuck it out, he said.

So when he arrived at Rutgers University - Newark,

Castronovo was burning to play basketball again. For

three years he was a starting guard/forward, led the

Scarlet Raiders in scoring twice, tallying 16 points per

game with a total of 971. The 6 foot-3 inch, two-year

captain also pulled down 600 career rebounds. In 2002,

Castronovo was inducted into the Rutgers Sports Hall of

Fame, an honor he deeply appreciates.

Return to CHS Graduating with a B.A. in history, he served in the

Army Reserves, and in 1972, returned to CHS as a sub-

stitute history teacher before going full-time the follow-

ing year. He co-coached Mustangs basketball with Dick

Tarrant and John Kostisin from 1973-78. During that

time, the team won the Passaic County and league titles,

with players such as Ed Bednarcik, Bud Campbell, Bob

Holly, Dennis Tarrant and Nick Poulis. All of them,

great kids, he recalled.

He loved coaching and he loved teaching. I created

an environment in my classroom where I never sent the

kids down to the principals office, Castronovo

explained. I tried to teach each kid individually and

made a lot of relationships I really enjoyed. I coached the

same way.

In the late 1970s, the New York Cosmos were a red-

hot professional soccer team playing at the

Meadowlands. There were openings, so I took a job

there to make some money, part-time, for a few years,

Castronovo recalled. His teaching and coaching experi-

ence laid the groundwork for what was to come.

By Tom Warnick

Robert Castronovo Sr. (second from left)with his familywife Nancy,daughter Laura and son Robert Jr. and Bruce Springsteen, in 1999.

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The background of teaching and coaching

is being organized and having discipline, he

said. This experience helped me take on the

new roles with a much larger scope.

Immense Opportunity In 1981, the Meadowlands Arena opened,

and he was offered the position of Director of

Admissions. Giving up teaching was difficult,

I loved the students. It was wonderful, but

Castronovo also understood the immense

opportunity he was being offered.

Castronovo was literally putting in turn-

stiles for his first event at the Meadowlands in

July 1981: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street

Band, the first of a six-show run. During his tenure,

Castronovo called them the house band, helping stage

50 of their concerts. That included 15 shows over six

weeks in 1999, an arena record.

Bruce wasnt the only one. Castronovo worked with

The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Grateful Dead

and many others.

He worked with all the sports teams that played at the

Meadowlands, too. He negotiated with promoters, devel-

oped a rapport with big-name acts and worked with

bookers. I went from the operational phase to the

administrator phase, began to book and schedule events

and concerts. I built relationships, plus I knew the oper-

ation, which really helped.

Castronovo meets Pope John Paul II after a Mass with His Holinessthat drew 83,000 people.

6666

Class of


Mon-Fri 8am to 9pm Sat & Sun 8am to 5pmJuly 4th Hours 8am to 5pm Walk-in Medical Care

Weekday Appointments Available

Dr. Michael Basista, Medical Director of Immedicenter

Immedicenter1355 Broad St. Clifton 973-778-5566www.immedicenter.com


In 1995, Castronovo became a top guy. He was named

Executive VP and COO for Giants Stadium and

Continental Airlines Arena, a position he held until 2002.

During his first year, he managed a triple header

hosting the NCAA Final Four, the NHL Stanley Cup

Finals and the NBA Playoffs. This was in addition to

home schedules for the Giants, Jets, NCAA and inde-

pendent college games.

While I was there, we had a bit of everything, he

said nonchalantly. Everything included about 250

events each year. Consider the challenge.

There would be 80,000 fans at a game, and theres

only a few hundred of you, Castronovo said of his job.

It was almost like planning for a war. We had to try to

cover as many variables as possible each time.

In 2002, it was time to move on, and he became CEO

of Champions World, booking world-class soccer teams

such as Manchester United, AC Milan and Real Madrid

in arenas around the US. After three years, he decided to

retire. It was a good thingI had been working 70

hours a week, going 100 miles an hour, he said. That

job was a good bridge to retirement.

Amazing Stories, Unique MemoriesCastronovo is pretty low-key about his meetings with

famous people. During Pope John Paul IIs Mass before

a packed Giants Stadium, the rain never let up. It had not

rained for months, but that day it didnt stop. Castronovo

was first in line to meet His Holiness. He shook my

hand, smiled said, See, I cured your drought.

Heavy rain also wreaked havoc with a Frank Sinatra

concert. It was pouring, so I went to see him back-

stage, Castronovo said, who asked the Chairman of the

Board to delay his entrance. Only 200 people had arrived

for the opening act. He basically told me where to go.

The show went on, and the arena filled up.

Elton John demanded not one, not two, but three hel-

icopter pilots. He insisted on taking a helicopter from

Teterboro Airport to the arena, Castronovo recalled.

Then he didnt like that the helicopter didnt give him

privacy. Then, for some reason he wasnt comfortable

with the second pilot. So Im going through the Yellow

Pages trying to find another helicopter pilot,

Castronovo recalled. Instead John left and refused to do

the second of three shows. The promoter and manager

had to talk him back, Castronovo said.

Eccentricities and wants are just part of the job, but

Castronovo made sure to follow whatever was in the

rider, or contract. The Beach Boys wanted their beer

bottles placed at a certain height onstage, he said. Neil

Diamond wanted the air conditioners turned off and

smoke pumped in to give the arena a nightclub atmos-

phere. We had to go the extra mile for everybody.

He even went the extra mile for a former president.

Richard Nixon, who lived in Saddle River in the 1980s,

wanted to take his family to the circus at the

Meadowlands. I was appointed to be his liaison,

Castronovo said, a dream come true for a former history

teacher. This was like living history to me. After chat-

ting with Nixon for a while, there was an intermission.

He said, Come on, Bob, were gonna go out. So we go

to the concourse. Some people didnt believe it was real-

ly Richard Nixon. When asked, he stopped for pictures.

Castronovo had to become Jersey Strong to arrange a

meeting between Luciano Pavarotti and the former gov-

ernor, Christine Todd Whitman. After the Three Tenors

performed in Giants Stadium, Whitman requested to

meet all three, but Pavarotti refused to leave his trailer.

I was aggravated. I was angry, Castronovo recalled.

I burst in to Pavarottis trailer and said, Look,

Castronovo chatted history with Richard Nixon

6666

Class of



t

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youre gonna meet the Governor of New Jersey. We

argued. Then his manager told him he should do it. When

he did, he was nice as pie to her!

I was meeting people that you saw on TV or in the

movies, Castronovo noted. It was a lot of stress and

work, but the memories cannot be duplicated.

Giving BackHe now enjoys retirement with his wife, Nancy, with

whom he has been married since 1973. They continue to

live in the home on Greendale Rd. that they bought in

1991, only a few blocks from where he grew up.

He is pleased that their two children, Laura and

Robert Jr., have followed similar paths into the sports

and entertainment world. Laura (CHS 96) works for the

National Football League as Director of Club Business

and Corporate Development. Robert Jr. (CHS 00) is

Director of Event Production for the Barclays Center.

Im sure my job influenced them. They grew up

around big events. They get it. Im proud of them.

He continues his love of teaching and coaches kids at

Boys Club.I grew up in Boys Club, he said. I learned

to swim there, and I developed my basketball skills

there. Id race home from school on my bike to go there.

It was a place for us to go, a part of my formative years.

I want to give back, he added, and its something I

enjoy. Ive come full circle.

6666Cl

ass of

WHERE ARE THESEMUSTANGS NOW?

Castronovo describes Paul McCartney as a tremen-dously nice guy. He and current CEO and president ofMetLife Stadium Ron VanDeVeen presented Sir Paulwith a case of wine.

One-Stop

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Anthony Orlando, Barbara Jablonski, Craig Pezzano, Cindy Brevic, Edwin Feliciano, Susan McDonald, Ernest Generalli


76

Class of


Maybe Brenda (Ludvik) Calandrillo did her job a lit-tle too well while she worked in the CHS office. Hermethodical attendance-taking inspired one habitually

tardy Mustang to write a poem about her.

I cant believe he wrote it, she laughed, and I cant

believe I remember it after 40 years! When asked to

reveal the poems author, the CHS 76 grad would only

provide his first name, Ed. However, she did give us the

entire poem, The Girl in the Office:Theres a girl in the office who I always see

And whenever Im late shell chase after me

(That wasnt true, she pointed out.)Could it be that Im handsome?

Could it be that Im dumb?

Its probably neither, Im just a late bum

She gives me a look, and her look it does mention

She writes down my name and gives me detention

I hope hes not late now! she joked. As for being

handsome, she did concede that he had a pretty

charming smile.

Back in CHS, Calandrillo was also a member of the

Madrigals, as an alto/soprano. It was just fun, it really

was. And its still going strong, she said. After work-

ing in the office and taking the executive secretary job

training program, she found her calling.

Thats what I wanted to do, she noted. I loved it.

Amelia Del Favero and Eleanor Kasenchar gave me the

tools for my 30-year career as an executive secretary,

she added.

Retired in 2004, Calandrillo and her husband of 32

years, Frank, moved to Mahwah in 1990. She was

elected to the Township Council and served 12 years.

Dont complain about whats going on in your

towndo something about it. You really can make a

difference, Calandrillo advised those who sometime

sit on the sidelines in their communities. She is proud-

est of serving as chair of the building committee for the

new town hall and senior center in Mahwah.

Frank and I volunteer, especially for our veterans,

she said. Last winter, they were involved in making

hats for homeless veterans in Bergen County.

Together, we are active with American Legion

Baseball, so our summers are busy, Calandrillo said.

It is a great feeling to see our players scouted and

signed by Major League Baseball.

Calandrillo has some special memories of CHS, but

she cant believe how fast time has flown. It really

cant be 40 years...Im still 39! she kidded. I loved

the camaraderie of the students. I had a lot of good

friends. God bless the class of 76.

John GeorgeBrenda LudvikJames Hill

BETTERLate THANNever

The Class of 76 enjoyed their 40th reunionat the Ramsey Country Club this past

March. Photos by Keith Butler.


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John George, who has chaired the reunions

for decades, was senior class president. He,

along with VP Cliff Breslow, treasurer Lynn

Wescott, corresponding secretary Sheri Breslow

and recording secretary Kim Holtzman, led the

senior class as they hosted frundraiser ranging

from car washes to rock n roll concerts.

George was a big Mustang in a lot of ways...

he was on the football, wrestling and track

teams. Ed Kocsis filled the other presidential

role, serving as head of the Student Council that

year. Other highlights of the school year includ-

ed shows by Robert Klein and the Flying Mueller

Brothers, a ziti dinner and several cake sales.

In that yearthe nations bicentennialthere were

three wings at CHS and three vice principals: Senior VP

Terry Hanner, Junior VP Severin Palydowycz and

Sophomore VP John Murphy.

Aaron Halpern was the Principal, and one young

anthropology teacher, Bill Canniciwho retired as

CHS principal in 2006was in the early years of his

career.

The Fighting Mustangs proved again they were a

force to be reckoned with on the gridiron, going 8-2

under their legendary coach, Bill Vander Closter.

r


On Thanksgiving Day the Mustangs dominated

Garfield 51-6 with a defense led by Norman

Darmstatter and George Buttel at ends, John George

at tackle and linebackers Ray Capilli and Jim Hill.

Hill was a captain of the Mustangs and came back as

head coach in 1998. Currently, he is an assistant foot-

ball coach at Indian Hills High School in Oakland. He

retired from Clifton Schools, having been a physical

education teacher at Woodrow Wilson and Christopher

Columbus Middle Schools.

CHS wrestlers had an okay year, going 8-6, with 101

pound Joe Viola finishing as the runner-up in the States.

Captain Oresta Fedun led the Girls Volleyball team

to becoming the NNJIL champs while Karen Ventrell

and JoAnn Svec made first All-County Team.

Basketball ended with a 5-18 record, while cross coun-

try went 1-9-1. Despite some close games and ties with

Garfield and Ridgewood, the soccer team had a disap-

pointing record of 5-9-3 but recorded the most goals in

one game with eight in the next against Wayne Valley.

With Drum Majorette Debbie Kievit at the lead, the

Mustang Band marched in the Pulaski Day Parade in

NYC and hosted the Herald News Band Festival.

The hard work of the Girls Glee Club paid off

thanks to their extra after-school and nighttime

rehearsals. Their talent and enthusiasm helped them to

gain acceptance within the Choral Department at CHS.

The girls sang in the Winter and Spring concerts and

were involved in other choral activities, such as a string

of performances in historic Williamsburg, Virginia.

Yasin Abu Roumi, Jane Morgenland, Gary Giardina, Karen Pilloud, Lawrence Grasso, Kim Nouhan, Michael Goldstein

76

Class of


which means Tomahawk Jr. is trainedand nationally certified in restorativewater drying methods by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and RestorationCertification, also known as IICRC.

Whoever touches the life of the child touches the most sensitive pointof a whole, which has roots in the most distant past and climbs

toward the infinite future. Dr. Maria Montessori

22 Varettoni Pl., Clifton 973-772-2330

1293 Broad St., Bloomfield 973-338-8300

rainbowmontessori.com

Science & Geography Music & Math Foreign Languages So Much More!

Register Now for New Summer Elementary Enrichment Program for 1st - 8th Graders

Register for Summer 2016 ages 6 weeks - 6 years old Register for September 2016/17 School Year

Directors Jackie Licata-Alectoridis and Jane Maffucci invite you to tour our school



Mark C. Tietjen, Cliftons assistantsuperintendent of schools, was having ameal at the Allwood Diner last March,

when, by chance, he met a student he

knew from his days as a teacher at

Woodrow Wilson Middle School. The two

engaged in friendly conversation about

memorable school days, which led them to

recall the Tuesday morning of the Sept. 11

terrorist attack.

Do you remember what I told the stu-

dents that day? Tietjen asked his former

pupil. The young man responded immediately: You

said: What Im about to tell you will change your

lives.

While that fateful day in 2001 was a momentous,

world-altering experience, the Allwood Diner anecdote

illustrates the impact that a teacher can have on the life

of a student, on a hometown scale.

Tietjen, as a lifelong educator, understood that even

this horrific event, wrapped in chaos and fear, was a

teachable momenta chance to guide, instruct and

care for the well-being of his students, even in the most

extreme situation.

A lifelong Clifton resident and a member of the

Class of 1976, Tietjen embarked on his college career

knowing he wanted to be a teacher and work in Clifton.

It was always Clifton, he said during an interview at

his office. For me, it was the only place, he contin-

ued. I made a great choice for my career. Theres no

better job than being a classroom teacher. The best part

is the interaction with students and watching them

learn. Im very lucky.

Tietjen graduated from William Paterson University

in 1980, did his student teaching in the Wayne public

school system and then landed a job as social studies

and special education teacher at Woodrow Wilson (also

his alma mater).

He earned masters degrees at Montclair State

University and Caldwell College and saw opportunities

to advance his career in education by becoming an

administrator. Tietjen became a vice principal at

Christopher Columbus Middle School in 2004 and

served there for six years.

By Michael C. Gabriele

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Class of


BESTJobin theWorld

Mark Tietjen in his office, along with the pho-tos of his three children, Matthew,Christopher and Jennyall CHS graduates.


m

Moving Up at HomeIn 2010 he seized another opportunity and became

assistant superintendent of the Clifton Schools. The job

description includes the responsibility of being the

director of personnel, working with principals and

administrators at all city schools to document that edu-

cators are following state guidelines and implementing

curriculum in an effective manner.

The hardest part of the job comes when hes part of

the administrative team that must weigh difficult choic-

es and make tough decisions due to tight school budg-

ets. Earlier this year Clifton unveiled a district budget

for the 2016/2017 school year, which required a num-

ber of teacher layoffs.

Given his 36-year career as a teacher and an admin-

istrator, he identified the common thread in the field of

education.

Were here for the students. Thats the common

thread. Were teaching them how to learn. Were guid-

ing them with the direction of their lives. Managing

academic standards, school safety and security, athlet-

ics, interaction with teachers, parents and students, and

extra-curricular activities all are priorities for Tietjen.

And in recent years, another concern has emerged: how

to deal with the ubiquitous social media phenomenon,

especially the instant posting of problematic, some-

times disturbing, images and text messages.

Throughout the school year Tietjen makes a point of

visiting Cliftons many schools (16 elementary schools

and associated annexes; two middle schools; and CHS

and the high school annex) at least once a week.

Having gone through the Clifton school system as a

student, starting at School 2, Tietjen fully appreciates

the full-circle aspect of his career. Today, as an admin-

istrator, he has the unique perspective of retracing his

own footsteps through the hallways of Clifton schools.

Its familiar territory and there are many points of

reference that offer insights. Students and teachers of

today, no doubt, are seeing, hearing and experiencing

things much as Tietjen did. As a student, Tietjen

recalled having freshman culture shock when he first

arrived at CHS from Woodrow Wilson.

76

Class of



This was during a period in the

1970s when the size of senior

classes at the high school regularly

approached 1,000 students. There

were so many students, he said,

recalling those days with a smile.

I had no idea how big the high

school was until I got there.

He understands that each era

presents its own set of challenges

for the school district and its edu-

cators and students. Reflecting

again on the common thread, he

said that, as a pupil at CHS, he was

surrounded by caring teachers

who were focused on getting students to learn and

understand the classroom material.

Teachers also were concerned about helping students

figure out the life path they would take after gradua-

tion. Teachers utilized a mixture of professional skills,

compassion and candid assessments. If the teachers

didnt like your work or your performance in the class-

room, they told you so. He noted that the same caring

environment and constructive student/teacher dialogue

also exist today at CHS.

Mentors Along the WayOne of Tietjens favorite teachers was William

Cannici, who went on to be CHS principal from 1998 to

2006. He was a very meticulous teacher and a good

guy. Regarding professional mentors, Tietjen said that,

as a teacher at Woodrow Wilson, he received words of

wisdom from William Hahn, the for-

mer principal, who retired in

December 2011. Bill Hahn told me

that, to be a good school administra-

tor, you needed to be a good listen-

er, he said. Hahn also imparted

three key administrative attributes:

be friendly, firm and fair.

Clifton education, quite literally,

has been an integral part of Tietjens

family. His wife, Betty Ann, is a sec-

retary in the CHS middle wing. His

three children, Matthew,

Christopher and Jenny, are all CHS

graduates (2007, 2010 and 2011).

Tietjens siblingssister Karen (who passed away in

2003) and brother Royalso graduated from CHS

(1968 and 1972). His parents, Martin and Gloria Tietjen,

lived in Clifton for many years. Martin served with the

legendary General George S. Patton in Europe during

World War II and worked for 40 years at Shulton, which

operated in Clifton from 1946 to 1991.

As Tietjen settles in for the summer season and pre-

pares for the 2016/2017 school year, hes fully aware

that, on any given day, at any given diner, breakfast,

lunch or supper, its likely that he will have many more

unexpected, convivial encounters with former students.

Its a sure bet hell hear about a particular day or a

certain conversation from years ago, which had a pro-

found impact on the life of a young adult.

For Tietjen, its a most enjoyable fringe benefit that

comes with having the best job in the world.

Tietjen escorted the late MelindaLenaz to the senior prom.

76

Class of


Good Neighbors,Great Rates

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Bill G. Eljouzi973-478-9500

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973-772-8451


To quote the song lyrics of Amy (Fingerhut)Mackouls favorite band from the United Kingdom,her journey from the Class of 76 to the present day is a

long and winding road; a circuitous route that most

likely has similarities with the lives of other female

classmates.

The events on her resum include graduation from

college, career ambitions, temporary relocation to other

parts of the country, a return to the Garden State, mar-

riage, divorce and remarriage, two daughters, the pass-

ing of a beloved parent, and the joys of a balanced, busy

lifeas she marked her 40th high school class reunion

in March.

Mackoul currently serves as an account executive

for NJ Advance Media (njadvancemedia.com), which

represents the second act in her professional life.

She previously worked 25 years for Verizon and its

various corporate iterations, before retiring from the

telecommunications giant in 2012. She is enjoying

family life in Morris Countys Riverdale with daugh-

ters Amanda, 23, and Ashley, 18; husband Ted; and

three stepsons, Matthew, Gregory and Peter, along

with stepdaughter-in-law Rehana.

Mackoul visits Clifton regularly to see her mom,

Barbara, who still lives in the house on Burlington Rd.

where Amy grew up. Her dad, Bernardknown to

friends and family members as Berniedied in 2013.

Through the years, her life journey has intersected

major events, such as Sept. 11 and Hurricane Sandy.

There have been milestones and bumps on Mackouls

long and winding road, but the most significant bump in

her life occurred on March 30, 1966, just before her 8th

birthday. She was, at the time, a third grader at School

9. While crossing Allwood Road at Burlington Rd.,

adjacent to the traffic light intersection at Market St.,

she was hit by an oncoming car, flew into the air and

landed on the street.

Seeing the Light on the Other SideHer father watched in horror as the accident unfold-

ed. Clifton Police Officer Thomas Steelethe father of

classmate Nancy Steelewas the first to arrive at the

scene. First responders rushed young Amy to Passaic

General Hospital as she had suffered a concussion, bro-

ken ribs, a broken right leg and various other injuries.

Fifty years after the accident, she still recalls bits and

pieces of her ordeal and admitted that her leg, broken in

several places, still hurts when it rains.

Recounting the harrowing tale while enjoying a cup

of coffee at Allwood Rd.s Tick Tock Diner on a

Wednesday afternoon in early June, Mackoul con-

fessed to having a near-death experience immediate-

ly after the accidentseeing herself floating upward

toward an ethereal white light, only to suddenly

A Beatles fan who resides in Riverdale, Mackoul workedat Verizon for many years and currently is an accountexecutive for NJ Advance Media.

By Michael C. Gabriele

76

Class of



f

a

Justin AyalaElena BennettJacek BialyJulia BialyZachary CheekAlexander ConklinNorely CuritomaiMartin CzajkowskiRyan DeRose-TraviaMichael DiazFrancis-Raphael

DomporArda DurukanMatthew EbrahimGabriel FahyAlyson FenelonMatthew FernandezMichelle FerreyraYvette FrancoDiego Gomera-TavarezEsteban GomezDevin Hulme

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Joel SanchezHenrique SchulzMonika SotoJoseph Strobino Jr.Advait SuvarnakarAashka SuvarnakarAastha SuvarnakarSabrina TorresChelsea VidalValerie VillanuevaAhman Williams

Fifty-two Clifton seniors were among the 411 PC Class of 2016 grads who took partin the Commencement Exercises at the Prudential Center on June 9. Classmatescame from 70 towns in North Jersey and Rockland County as an audience of about4,500 parents, family members, and friends cheered them on. Clifton Paladins willbe attending many prestigious schools nationwide, including Cornell University.

Congratulations to all of our graduates from Clifton!The Class of 2016 was offered over $90 million in scholarships and grants.

Clifton students earned over $1.5 million in scholarships!


stop and be pulled back to earthly

boundaries. She recovered from her

wounds and broken bones and, after two

months, was finally able to return to

School 9.

It was a serious accident, but I lived

to tell about it, she said with a knowing

smile as the waitress refilled her coffee

mug. My father and I used to talk about

it occasionally, but we never dwelled on

it. The traumatic experience has kept her

grounded in daily life and made her

extremely observant and super-cau-

tious when it comes to looking out for

her two daughters.

She attended Christopher Columbus Middle School

before CHS. Mackoul graduated from Boston

University in 1980, earning a double major in psychol-

ogy and business. She landed jobs at weight-loss clinics

in Boston, Buffalo, N.Y., and New Hampshire and was

married in 1981. Three years later she returned to her

home state, got divorced, moved in with her parents,

and garnered a sales and marketing position at Nynex

Corp., which had an office at 855 Valley

Rd. Nynex evolved into Bell Atlantic

and then finally Verizon. Verizon trans-

ferred Mackouls position to downtown

Manhattan, near the World Trade Center

complex. She briefly relocated to West

Paterson, remarried in 1991 and then

bought a home in Riverdale, where she

currently resides.

Where were you on 9/11/01?After several years, Verizon moved

her to an office in Midtown Manhattan

at 1095 Avenue of the Americas, adja-

cent to Bryant Park. She had numerous managerial

responsibilities, which often required her to work into

the early evening hours. On Monday, September 10,

2001, it was an especially busy day, and she was work-

ing late.

Before finally leaving the office, she grabbed sever-

al stacks of papers and put them into her shoulder bag,

deciding it would be best for her to work at home the

following day.

Amy Fingerhut in 1976.

76

Class of


Passaics Third Ward Parkcorner of Van Houten and Passaic Aves.

Bring blankets or lawn chairs!

Call Greg Komeshok for more info: 973- 473 - 5111

Sponsors include Polish/Slavic Federal Credit Union, Wawel Bank, Nicholas Martini

Foundation, State Senator Paul Sarlo, Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Assemblywoman

Marlene Caride, Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, Sheriff Richard Berdnik, Weiner

and Mazzei, PC, and Slovak Catholic Sokol. This project is funded in part by the Passaic County

Cultural and Heritage Council at Passaic County Community College, through a grant from the New

Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of the State, a partner agency

of the National Endowment for the Arts. Park is Handicapped-Accessible.

She awoke the next morning to the horror of 9/11.

Nine Clifton residents perished on that dreadful day,

including her classmate, Tim Grazioso, whom

Mackoul had several classes with at CHS. Tims

younger brother, John (CHS 78), also died in the ter-

rorist attack. The brothers worked at Cantor Fitzgerald,

on the top floors of One World Trade Center.

Retiring from Verizon in 2012, Mackoul devoted her

free time caring for her ailing dad Bernard, a Korean

War veteran, who died on May 4, 2013. In the wake of

her mourning, she accepted a position with the

Department of Community Affairs for the State of New

Jersey, managing a staff of 18 people at a Hurricane

Sandy recovery center in Paramus.

Her assignments at the center

included assessing storm damage,

counseling area residents and dis-

tributing state grant money to busi-

nesses and home owners. Many

know that the catastrophic super-

storm, which hit the Garden State

on Oct. 29, 2012, badly battered the

Jersey Shore.

However, Sandy also caused sig-

nificant damage in Bergen County

municipalities, many of which are

built on low-lying flood plains. My

college psychology studies came in

handy for that job, she said.

Mackoul held the Sandy recovery

center position for two years and

then accepted her current position

with NJ Advance Media in

November 2015. Much like her

days working at Verizon, she

acknowledged that the job is engag-

ing and demanding, since she is

involved with the business aspects

of social media, digital advertising

and designing websites for various

organizations.

She said her 40th reunion get-

together earlier this year was, as

usual, a most enjoyable gathering of

classmates. Though many of her

best friends have left New Jersey,

she still maintains close long-distance relationships,

communicating via Facebook, email, cell phone calls

and texts. We stay in touch, she said, citing the

enduring bonds of high school friendships. A lot of

people have moved away, but when we get together,

the conversations pick right up again.

Singing and participating in informal jam sessions

with friends during the 1970s are among some of her

fondest high school memories. Mackoul typically held

the piano chair for these musical events. Going for-

ward, as she will continue along her own the long and

winding road, perhaps shell find the time to warm up

her piano fingers and belt out a few Beatle tunes.



Clifton is fueled by commitment to community, likethe efforts of Joe Gaccione who has been a volunteer

football coach for 30 years.

I began the summer after graduation in 1986. Coach

Jack Purcell asked me to come help him with the Clifton

Colts and Ive been doing it ever since. The other

Clifton team at the time was the Junior Mustangs and in

2004, the two teams merged, keeping the Mustang name.

Like all the intramural sports teams, the Clifton Junior

Football Program is independent but gets good support-

ed from the Clifton Department of Recreation, where

Gaccione serves on the Board.

I had such a great experience playing football,

baseball, basketball in Little League when I was

growing up here in Clifton, said Gaccione. People

were there for me. I wanted to pass along the same

experience for others, for kids to know that they have

somebody who cares about them.

Gaccione, son of former city councilmember Frank

Gaccione, works in the family construction business and

is also a member of the Clifton/Passaic UNICO where he

chaired the recent fundraiser for the V Foundation for

Cancer Research. Its close to my heart. Im a cancer

survivor for 10 years now.

This year he took on a new taskEast Coast Regional

Director for USA Football, the organization promoting

flag football throughout the country. Were trying to

save the game of football for young people, he said.

Parents dont want the children to play tackle. Flag

football is no contact. Were trying to promote the game

of football, the values of sportsmanship, teamwork

and not just winning, or who is the fastest.

86

Class of


Andrew Zurawski, Carolyn Kasich, Bernard Galambos, Debra DeRobertis, David Szott, Donna Dangremond, Jack Corradino

1986


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Class of


James Carroll, Jessica LoRe, Joseph Gaccione, Jody Ann Vaccaro, Keith Serafin, Kathy DiVirgilio, Krissy Alfieri

Gaccione, who lives in Athenia, is upbeat about the

future of Clifton, I know a lot of people left, but honest-

ly, my four or five closest friends are here, and I see no

reason to leave, he said. And I see it in the kids I

coach. Clifton will have some great leaders in 20 years.

Clifton is FriendshipsWe call ourselves the Forever Friends, said Jessica

LoRe Walker, friends that no matter what you know

you can call and theyll be there for you.

These are lifelong friendships, not just weddings

and funerals. Some of us met when we were 12, togeth-

er at CCMS, singing in the chorus. We then just contin-

ued in high school.

The Forever FriendsGeri Smaha Cranmer; Niki-

Ann Fonseca Ramos; Jody Doccaro; Sue Petrovic; Lori

Snack; Melissa Petronachak; Lisa Moratry to get

together monthly for dinner, at someones house.

For sure it doesnt always work out, Walker said

matter-of-factly, but we try.

Walker, who lives in Dutch Hill and is the food serv-

ices director for Chartwells in Fair Lawn, has a son

Joseph who will be a CHS sophomore next fall and

daughter Gianna who will enter 6th grade at CCMS.

Her hopes for her children are that they will be able

to develop lifelong friendships like hers, but worries

that kids these days dont really know how, or dont

really have time, to just hang out.

We would visit each others home, even help clean

each others house you know, mothers rule cant

be with your friends until the house is clean just so

we could all go out together.

After CHS, life took the Forever Friends in different

directions. While all are still in Jersey, they did not get

together as a group very often, but about six years ago,

mostly through Facebook, we all reconnected and

decided to meet, she said.

To the first meeting, the girlfriends brought old year-

books, photos and Jody brought old notes that we used

to pass to each other. It was hysterical! And still, when

we meet, we tell stories and we laugh. Its good for the

soul for us to be together.

Think Outside the BoxNiki-Ann Fonseca Ramos, one of the Forever

Friends, remembers the chorus at CCMS where she

first met a lot of her girlfriends.

I havent thought about this in a while, but at one

time I aspired to be a singer. It didnt work out. No mat-

ter, she laughed, I sing for my kids!

Ramos, an assistant to the principal at Franklin

Elementary School in Saddle Brook, lives there with

husband Frank, whom she met in 1992 at the former

Ashleys Dance Club in Styretowne, and their three

boys, Daniel, Christian and Michael.

If I have to say one thing as a take away from that

period of my life, Ramos said, its that I developed an

open attitude. Keep an open mind to new possibilities.

If an opportunity arises, and its safe, I ask, why not?

Try it. She put this attitude to the test when not long

after leaving CHS, the company she was working for

went out of business.

Most people would have gone looking for a new

job. But at the time Amtrak had a special, she said.

You buy a ticket for a low price and you can make

three stops anywhere in the country. So for a year I

traveled. First, I traveled Amtraks southern route

cross-country with stops in Florida, Texas and San

Diego, where I lived at a health institute for several

months. On the way back I stopped in Colorado,

Chicago and back home to New Jersey.

She had friends, family, acquaintances that she relied

on during her travels and is convinced the year off to

travel is one of the best things she has every done.

It taught me how to think outside the box, said

Ramos. You cant plan for everything in life, and if

you take chances, one thing will lead to another, then to

another.


Your Choice of AttorneyBack in high school, Jack

Corradino played lacrosse and spent

his summers down the shore as a life-

guard. Today he is a personal injury

lawyer that has won millions of dol-

lars in settlements for his clients.

After college, following in the foot-

steps of his father Dolph, Corradino

chose to become an attorney.

Corradino always knew what he

wanted to do. In grammar school,

when his teacher gave out an assign-

ment and asked everyone to write

down what they wanted to be when they grew up,

Corradino replied in his essay, I want to be a personal

injury lawyer.

The essay still hangs in his fathers home, complete

with a drawing of a little stick person carrying a brief-

case.

In 2000, he also became an entrepreneur, beginning

his own law firm, based here in Clifton. Starting off

with just five employees, the law firm of

Corradino and Papa has expanded to more

than 30 with a satellite office in

Manhattan.

Soon after he started he was joined by

his mother Barbara Sederenko, who left

her position as senior VP at a tech firm to

manage the new business, and sister Gina

(CHS 85) as marketing director.

Recognized for excellence in the

practice of law, Corradino was selected

by a panel of peers as one of New

Jerseys Super Lawyers of 2016an

award that is given to less than five per-

cent of the attorneys in this state.

Reunion This FallThe Class of 1986 30th reunion will be held at the

Bethwood on Nov. 26. The cost is $75, and for more

information write [email protected]. The

committee is still looking for misplaced alumni, so

please feel free to send contact information, as well.

Samantha DeRose and her family are proud thattheyre born and bred here. For 70 years and countingthey have been a part of the towns fabric, with several

generations of CHS grads.

Her father, Arthur DeRose, is a 55 Mustang who

married her mom, Sandra Spence, 56. Her sister, late

brother, aunt and uncle were all Mustang grads, as well.

Her older son, Ryan, graduated from Paramus Catholic

High School (thus the Paladin) but younger son Ethan

is a Mustang, Class of 2018.

DeRose, her sister and mother all live next to each

other on Harrington Rd. Her Aunt Marsha lives in

Fairfield but still calls the Allwood neighborhood

home.

Clifton is part of our family, DeRose said.

The 86 Mustang teaches alternative education

English as part of the ASPIRE program at the CHS

Annex. She volunteers at United Reformed Church on

Clifton Ave. and at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in

Wayne, and shes been an entertainer and musician for

hospitals, parties and local charities.

DeRose loves to see CHS growing and flourishing as

a result of increased ethnic diversity. Much more cul-

turally diversefor the better, she said. We definite-

ly see a lot more. The school is so much better when

students are exposed to so many cultures. Their experi-

ences are so much richer. Watching these changes is a

fascinating process.

Teaching in Clifton has been an amazing experi-

ence for me, she said. As a student, I never under-

stood the profound impact that my teachers at CHS had

on my life until I became a teacher in Clifton, myself.

With a lot of the teachers I had, we ended becom-

ing colleagues, DeRose recalled, going from student

to teacher. At times, there was a adjustment from

being student-teacher to peers.

Nevertheless, my former teachers were happy to be

working with me, she said, and now my students are

becoming colleagues. Case in point: Brittany

Gaccione is an 07 Mustang and DeRoses former stu-

dent. Now, she also teaches Englishand last year was

a study-hall teacher for DeRoses son Ethan.

Its come full circle, she said. Its a true testament

to Clifton Public Schools that so many former students

come back as teachers.

DeRose, who did standup comedy for several years,

gave it up due to time constraints. Now she uses humor

to teach.We certainly laugh every single day, she

said. My class lends itself to talking. And the kids

bring a lot of joy to the class.

By Tom Warnick

Class of

5 &5Mustangs a Paladin


86WHERE ARE THESE MUSTANGS NOW?

From left: Sandra, Ethan, Samantha, Ryan, Ron, Arthur Sr.

As a comedian and teacher, you know

when your material is bombing, she

explained. If the kids get what youre teach-

ing and are laughing, you walk out after class

saying, Yeah!.

In 2012, DeRose had a funny idea that

left everyone buzzing. She made a deal with

her struggling class that she would shave off

all her shoulder-length hair if each student

earned a passing grade.

The deal was a fundraiser for the St.

Baldricks Foundation to support childhood

cancer research. When the school year ended,

so did her long hair. Everyone had earned a

passing grade.

For a while there, it was a nail-biter, said

the proud teacher said. They were struggling,

but they pulled themselves together. They squeaked by,

with no curves or anything. Thats the whole pointit

gives them some positive things that they did.

DeRoses sons are the next generation of Cliftonites

in her family. Ethan is a junior Mustang and a gifted

musician who plays in the New Jersey Symphony

Orchestra in Newark.

Her oldest, Ryan, is a graduate of Paramus Catholic

and headed to Seton Hall. He has also earned a black

belt from Clifton Martial Arts Academy on Bloomfield

Ave., You do whats best for your kids, she explained

of him attending PC.

DeRose remembers working with the yearbook staff,

which included Marygrace (McDonald) Record and

Mimi Budnick. The student did a little bit of everything

back then as a co-editor and photographer.

She had a blast playing on the field hockey team,

which unfortunately was discontinued. She reveled in

the camaraderie with Meaghan Monahan and Ana

(Gonzalez) Malloy.

She also enjoyed her friendship with future NFL

player Dave Szott, whom shes known since kinder-

garten at School 9.

Shes known Shawn Winfield even longer since

birth, she said. Hes a really good friend, and we

hung out a lot during senior year.

DeRoses reason for teaching, volunteering and liv-

ing in town is simple.

Clifton has been so good to us, she said of her

family. Clifton Public Schools have been wonderful to

our entire family for three generations and for that, we

will always be grateful.


86

Class of


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As a young Mustang, Michael Gimon discoveredexactly what he wanted to do with his life. And hecouldnt be happier following that path. The 86

grad knew that teaching and teaching physical edu-

cation would be his calling.

I had a very positive experiences being involved

in physical education, he said. (Then-football

coach) Dennis Heck was a big influence during his

time on the team, as well as track coach Louis

Fraulo and wrestling coach Steve LePage.

Gimon graduated from Salisbury University in

Maryland and in 1990, began to teach at Passaic

Catholic and Pope John Paul II Regional schools, before

moving on to Paul VI Catholic High School.

He was the first physical education teacher at Paul VI,

then on Valley Rd. so he created the entire PE curricu-

lum. It was amazing, he said. Im in my twenties and

I have a fresh program. I set up my own lesson plan.

Having gone to college in Maryland gave him some

connections there and Chesapeake High School recruit-

ed him, which is where he remains to this day. He likes

the school because it reminds him of his hometown. Its

very similar to Clifton in demographics, he said.

So this Mustang became a Cougar. Gimon was hired

as a full-time special education teacher. He called it a

privilege teaching a special, self-contained class. He

taught and reinforced various skills students would need

after high school. He was also promoted to varsity vol-

leyball head coach, which he still coaches.

Meanwhile, the state of Maryland joined Unified

Sports, which works in conjunction with the Special

Olympics. Unified Sports teams are athletes with special

needs playing sports with non-disabled partners. Bocce

was the first sport implemented at Chesapeake and

Gimon became the teams coach.

Gimon is gratified by his work. Ill see those students

with their parents year later, and theyre still ecstatic

about what theyve accomplished, he said. After sever-

al years, Gimon returned to teaching physical education.

He became the Varsity Club Advisor responsible for

coordinating the schools camaraderie, fellowship and

sportsmanship events. He is also the voice of

Chesapeake High School, announcing football and bas-

ketball games, while his son, Michael IV, runs the score-

board. He cites longtime Mustang football announcer

Robert Zschack as an influence.

Gimon now coaches his daughter Jasmin on the vol-

leyball team. I think its a blast, he said. We both do.

I treat her as any other athlete. The only difference is she

gets a ride home. Its also a thrill to announce when my

sons therethats a lot of fun.

Now, Gimon is working toward another new goal:

Certification in Athletic Administration (CAA) to

become eligible to be an athletic director. He plans to

take the CAA exam in December 2016.

If you go to the Mustangs Thanksgiving football

game, chances are youll find Gimon there. Hes been

attending the game for the past 15 years with football

teammates Scott Porter, Kevin DeFeo and Enrico

Crispo. As much as he was influenced by coaches and

teachers at CHS, he has done much the same at

Chesapeake. I run into former athletes and students who

remind me of what Ive accomplished, he said. For

those brief moments in time, I was their influence.

86

Class of


Michael Gimon the 4th, his dadMike the 3rd (also at left in 1986)and daughter Jasmin. His parentsAdele and Mike Gimon the 2nd stillreside in Clifton on Rutherford Blvd.

Mike Gimon isNow a Cougar


The class of 1996 was a great class, a unique group,recalled grad Rich Reynics. We had interesting andtalented classmates. It had a rebel spirit, very vocal

about trying to change the community and school.

Maybe one of the best examples of that spirit is Maria

(Dal Pan) Dias, now the Editorial Director of Content

Marketing at Getty Images.

In a blog titled What making a speech (and being

denied my diploma) taught me about work and life

posted online June 17, she wrote about the experience of

being senior class president. Her words follow:

In high school, I was granted the honor of delivering

a graduation speech. It did not go as planned.

It was 1996, and I was class president at Clifton

High School. A theater geek and garage band musician

(in other words, a spotlight hog), the idea of delivering

the address thrilled me to the core. Weeks before grad-

uation, I started writing.

I decided I wanted my speech to be authentic and

light, not the usual best years of our lives clich. So

I wrote about the high school moments Id truly miss

and the parts I wouldnt. With recently installed securi-

ty cameras and changes that restricted outdoor access,

in my view, the school environment had changed from

a place of curiosity and independence to one of oppres-

sion. Our four-year sentence is up! I wrote. It was

cheeky, but it was honest.

I worked on the speech with one of my favorite

English teachers, Candace Redstone. She handed the

final version to the schools three vice principals for

MUSTANGS NOW?

Class of


Lindsay Whiting, Jose Raul Torres, Anna Zielinski, Brian Witte, Tiffany Michele Starr, Michael Prawetz, Tamara Powell.

96

Remember This Speech?

Tony Grosso (at left) and Mustang cheerleaders Kelly (Scholts) McInerney and Jennifer (Dal Pos) Rascher.


review, and they approved.

Everything looked good.

But two nights before grad-

uation, she called me at home.

We need to talk, she said.

My heart beat in my throat.The principal read your

speech. He wants you to write

a new one. He wants you to

talk about the football team and how helpful the Board

of Education has been.

I was stunned. I had friends who played football, but

in four years, Id only seen one game. And the Board of

Ed? I had spent my whole year as president protesting

outdated traditions, championing gender equality and

Title IX. With the exception of one female official, I

found most of them useless.

When I hung up the phone my wet eyes burned. Then my father offered me a shocking solution. He

said, Maria, who cares? When you get up there, say

whatever you want. Its your

speech. Whats the worst they

can do? Cut the microphone?

My dad, my hero. Who

knew he was such a rebel?! I

took his advice. I felt bad

lying, but I wrote a fake speech

hitting all the bogus points.

The following day I practiced

it aloud for the principal as he

nodded approval.

Graduation night arrived and I knew what I had to

do. In front of thousands of people, I explained what

happened and how Im going to say what I want to

say because Im nobodys puppet. I read the original

speech.

My classmates cheeredBut the next day, when we gathered in the school

library to receive our official diplomas, mine was miss-

ing from the stack. The principal withheld it.

The local newspapers picked up the story.

The 1996 Valedictorian was Fakhra Chaudhry.Chirag Jardosh was Salutatorian and both

spoke at commencement. ?

All summer, people wrote letters to the editors either

applauding or condemning me. Even some adults I

knew questioned what I had done.

Eventually, my diploma showed up in the mail.That was 20 years ago, and while thats pretty far in

the rear-view, I still rely on the lessons the experience

taught me:

1. Take risks. Success in life comes from figuring out

which rules you can break, and having the guts to break

them. Some things you need to do without seeking per-

mission.

2. Walk the talk. My classmates elected me because

I was discontented and outspoken; Im glad I did not let

them down. The best leaders stand behind what they

believe in, even (and especially) when it is not easy.

3. Always be true to yourself. I often imagine what

would have happened if I had read the principals ver-

sion of the speech. I would have lost the respect of the

people I cared about mostand, importantly, myself.

After graduation, life went on. Crazy things hap-

pened, as they do.

That speech helped me land my first internship. I

won a gazebo on The Price Is Right and donated it toClifton High (its still there).

I graduated college, and, thanks in part to the men-

torship of CHS teachers Joseph Bravaco and James

Kelly who ran the student newspaper and broadcast

news programs, respectively, I went on to have a great

career as a journalist, covering protests in Washington,

D.C., the Burning Man festival in Nevada and inter-

viewing celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.


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MUSTANGS NOW?

Class of


Most recently though, that experience has

come in handy in a way I

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