All About "Jersey" Joe

Statement

'Jersey' Joe Pennacchio is also New Jersey State Senator Joe Pennacchio representing the 26th Legislative District. Like many other elected officials, Joe initially began by volunteering for hometown and county organizations, looking to make his community a better place to live. He was appointed by Governor Whitman to the New Jersey State Economic Development Authority. In 1999, Joe ran in a field of 14 candidates for three Morris County Freeholder positions and won!

When Assemblywoman Carol Murphy was selected Commissioner on the New Jersey State Board of Public Utilities, Joe won a special election to fill her seat. He has served in the New Jersey State Legislature for the last seven years. While in the legislature, Joe continually fought against any and all tax increases. His staunch fiscal conservatism and keen grasp of monetary issues earned him the spot as the leading Republican appropriations officer on the Assembly Appropriations Committee. He has also worked on behalf of at-risk children. His Kinship Guardian Bill has become a model for the rest of the nation

Joe was not born into a political life. The second of three children, Joe was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, in 1955. His parents, John and Josephine, were Italian immigrants who came to the United States shortly after World War II. Joe's dad was an iron worker with the Iron Workers Local Union 76B, and his mom was a seamstress who belonged to the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.

Baptized a Roman Catholic, Joe served as an altar boy in Most Precious Blood Church in Bensonhurst.

Life was not easy for the Pennacchio household. Like most of his Brooklyn community, money was tight, and luxuries were far and few in between. At 13, Joe began as a paperboy for the New York Daily News. He supplemented his paper route income by occasionally shining shoes for 15 cents in Coney Island. In the summer of 1968, Joe started working at the busy Brooklyn Spumoni Garden's Pizzeria.
A product of the New York City public school system, Joe graduated Lafayette High School in 1973. He managed to find time between his studies and work to become captain of Lafayette's football team, as well as participated in the 1973 New York Golden Gloves where he lasted a total of one and a half rounds.

After graduating magnum cum laude from Brooklyn College in 1976, Joe was accepted into the New York University College of Dentistry. Prior to graduating he met his wife, Diane. They have been married 27 years. Joe and Diane adopted the Garden State as their new home in 1980. Today, Joe Pennacchio operates two successful dental practices that he founded in Morris County. Joe, Diane and their children reside in Montville.

'Jersey Joe' considers himself lucky and is so appreciative of all the opportunities America has offered him and his family.

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