A night of valor for Essex County Conference
n PHOTOS BY ED CARATTINI JR.
More than 125 officers were honored at the 36th annual Essex
County Conference Valor Awards on June 8 at the Nutley Elks.
County Conference Chair Joe Savittieri, the State Delegate for
Montclair Local 73, presented awards for the County Conference
Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, unit citations and three levels
of meritorious service. Six college-bound students were awarded
scholarships, and the Nutley Elks was recognized as the County
Conference Organization of the Year.
Essex County Sheriff’s Detective Angel Colon was named Officer
of the Year. Colon was compelled to use deadly force on an armed
bank robbery suspect who threatened his life and the lives of scores
of bystanders.
Unit citations were awarded to the West Orange Patrol Division;
Irvington Criminal Investigations Bureau; Essex County Prosecu-
tors Homicide Task Force, Rutgers PD, Irvington PD and Newark
PD; Montclair Detective Bureau; Essex County Prosecutors Homi-
cide Task Force, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, NJ State Police Ma-
jor Crimes; Nutley PD and Essex County Prosecutors Office; and the
Bloomfield PD.
“A” Awards were given to officers who displayed “unusual bravery
and courageous conduct involving risk and acknowledging that the
risk exists.” Those honored for these awards included:
Belleville: Detectives John Hood, Jr. and David Sheriden and Of-
ficers Michael Forte and Hugh Jones.
Bloomfield: Sergeants Michael Moleski and Robert Miller; De-
tectives James Romano, Jennifer Horn, Louis Vitello, Michael Mora,
Anthony Nardiello and Daniel Freitag; Officers Robert Kish, John
Donker, Joseph Davis, George Bambera, Joseph Condito and Mat-
thew Rubbinaccio.
Essex County Sheriff’s: Candelario Maradiaga.
Millburn: Officer Donald Royce.
Nutley: Officer Gerard Tusa.
Verona: Detective Sergeant Timothy M. Banta.
West Orange: Sergeants Robert Krimmel and David Palmere.
“B” Awards were given to officers who displayed “a degree of
merit for actions taken just short of the risk of life.” Those honored
for these awards included:
Belleville: Officers Joey O’Donnell, Giovanni Casillo and Thomas
Infusino.
Bloomfield: Officers Susan Looges, Tyler Ferrentino, Darwin Ru-
bio, Bruce Calkin, Michael Malia, Daniel Freid, Nicholas Laratta,
Donald Grey and Rubin Rivera.
Essex County Sheriff’s: Joseph Coppola.
Montclair: Officers Daniel Heiser and Anthony Swan.
Orange: Detective Gregory Johnson and Officers Craig Barnett,
Pablo Cajiga and Jason Richards.
Verona: Sergeants Daniel J. Greco and Anthony R. Condorelli,
Detective Joel A. Martin and Officers James B. Huber, Erin K. Mc-
Garrity and Gerard M. Barone, Jr.
West Orange: Sergeants Andrew Berkery, John Rolli and James
Bette; Detective Ryan Funk and Officers Lawrence Dominguez,
Ryan Dwyer, Patrick Hanson, Joseph Mauriello, Christopher Po-
lizzano, Michael Polizzano, Matthew Reiss, Connor Smeraldo and
Daniel Verduga.
“C” Awards were given to officers who displayed “a degree of ex-
cellence in police work.” Those honored for these awards included:
Bloomfield: Officer Robert Mazariegos.
Cedar Grove: Sergeant Jose Rodriguez and Officers John Smi-
gelsky, Dominick Buscio, Christopher Lynch and Joseph Johnson.
Essex County Sheriff’s: Sidney Barnes, Damian Crapis, Joseph
Feith, Kevin Macken, Christian Megaro, Odilio Say and Robert
Werner.
Millburn: Officers Socrates Barbosa, Alyssa Salemi and Ryan Kelly.
Nutley: Sergeant Tiffany McDermott; Detectives Robert McDer-
Essex County Conference Officer of the Year Angel Colon of the Essex County Sher-
iff’s Officers and Court Attendants Local 183.
The team that received a Unit Citation award included officers from the Essex
County Prosecutors Homicide Task Force, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and NJ
State Police Major Crimes.
A Unit Citation award given to the Irvington Police Department Criminal Investi-
gations Bureau.
mott, Sean Swift and James Banhuber; and Officers Matthew Mur-
phy, John Mecka, PJ Sandomenico, Nicolas Albanese, Mark Vicido-
mini and Rich Schwarz.
Orange: Sergeant Todd Dankins and Officers Charles Eaddy and
Anthony Holmes.
Verona: Captain Michael Ruglio; Lieutenants Paul D. Watkins III
and David R. Wardrope; Sergeants Daniel J. Greco, Anthony R. Con-
dorelli and John C. Lecreux; Detective Joel A. Martin; and Officers
Giovanni V. DeSomma, William S. Frazee, James B. Huber, Alyssa N.
Kirby, Justin R. Nielsen, Robert C. Maguire, Brian P. McMahon and
Robert J. Juliano.
West Caldwell: Sergeants Brian Joy and Patrick Cooper; Detec-
tive Sergeant Declan Beere; and Officers William Stallone and Brian
Zimmer.
West Orange: Lieutenant John Demars; Sergeants John Connolly
and Wilfred Jiroux; Detectives Jeffrey Carosia, Christopher Davis,
Quentin DeMarco, Anthony Faraone, Rory Kearns and Detective
Jeffrey Krimmel; and Officers Rakeem Bell, Herbert Granados,
Giovanni Loreto, Neuman Paye, Frank Romayo, Andrew Scioscia,
Luis Simon, Brad Squires and William Varanelli. d
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■ JULY 2018 53