April 2022: The Hammontonian | Page 19

Since Giuseppe Berenato first arrived in Hammonton in the early 1890s , his children and grandchildren — and cousins and siblings — have helped to make the name “ Joe Berenato ” one of the most common names in Hammonton .
“ It was always handed down . My father is a Joe , but my grandfather was not a Joe — but he had a brother named Joe ,” said Joseph “ Joe Boy ” Berenato .
However , Berenato does not just to decipher who ’ s who ,” he said .
Joseph A . Berenato III — also known as “ Joe Casino ,” has helped open Resorts Casino & Hotel in Atlantic City , or “ Joe Bus ,” because he was Hammonton School District ’ s transportation director — disagreed somewhat with the assessment regarding the number of Joe Berenatos .
“ There ’ s never too many , but
THE HAMMONTONIAN | APRIL 2022 | P . 19

Nuances of being a Joe Berenato in town

by JOSEPH F . BERENATO

IT ’ S A HAMMONTON THING

“ JOE CASINO ” BERENATO
himself have any children named Joe Berenato .
“ My wife wouldn ’ t let me have any children named ‘ Joe .’ She said there was too many of us . I still get mad about it ,” he said .
His cousin , Joseph “ Pepe ” Berenato , said that there have been so many Joe Berenatos that the family has long-since adopted a method to delineate one from another .
“ You have to have a nickname . You need a nickname ,
( L-R ) JOSEPH D . “ JOEY ” BERENATO , JR . STANDS WITH HIS SON , JOSEPH D . BERENATO III , AND HIS FATHER , JOSEPH D . “ JOE BLUEBERRY ” BERENATO SR .
there are a lot . They say , ‘ Which one are you ?’ all the time ,” he said .
Joseph D . Berenato Jr .— known as “ Joey ,” or “ Joe Blue Jr .”— noted that mistaken identity is common .
“ It ’ s crazy , because people always have to make sure they are talking to the correct Joe Berenato . I ’ ve gotten mail and phone calls for other Joes . People ask my wife if [ Gazette writer Joseph F . Berenato ] is the Joe Berenato she is married
to . She always says , ‘ His dad is Joe , the one with the twin ,’” he said .
“ Pepe ” Berenato said that lineage is another effective identifier , something which all Joe Berenatos should have at the ready .
“ Be prepared to explain
yourself , who you ’ re related to , who your father is , who your mother is and all in that regard ,” he said .
JOSEPH “ PEPE ” BERENATO ( RIGHT ) POSES WITH HIS FATHER , JOSEPH “ JOE PEACH ” BERENATO ( LEFT ).
“ Joe Casino ” Berenato said that such inquiries are not just limited to Hammonton ’ s borders , either .
“ When I go out of town and I have to do something where I write my name , they always ask , ‘ Which Berenato are you ? I know the Berenatos from Hammonton .’ The Berenatos are the Smiths of Hammonton ,” he said .
“ Joey ” Berenato said that there is a major expectation of those named Joe Berenato .
“ We ’ re expected to know how many Joe Berenatos there are and how we are related , because — let ’ s be honest — we are all related somehow ,” he said .
“ Joe Boy ” Berenato listed several qualities associated with the name .
“ Be truthful . Be a good person . Do right by everybody ; I ’ ve always felt that way . Be a hard worker ; you ’ ve got to be a hard worker if you ’ re a Joe Berenato . There ’ s no doubt about that ; it comes with the name . If you ’ re a Joe Berenato , you ’ re known to work — and that ’ s how it ’ s always been ,” he said . “ Pepe ” Berenato concurred . “ I think we ’ re overall good people ; I don ’ t know any bad ones . We ’ re hard-working ,” he said .
Those qualities associated with the name are part of what prompted “ Joey ” Berenato to name his son Joe — specifically , Joseph D . Berenato III .
See BERENATO , P . 20