BELLEVILLE, NJ – July 12, 2019 – In the moments after being sworn in as Belleville’s chief judge, Joseph C. Angelo reflected on his life.
Snapshots of his first day at School No. 10 and meeting his first friend, Bob, and being sworn in as the township’s prosecutor came flooding back.
Every memory centered around the town that he was born and raised in.
“This is a celebration of Belleville,” said Angelo before a crowd of 200 people who crammed into council chambers for his swearing-in ceremony. “This is not a celebration of me. My grandparents lived on Belleville Avenue in Belleville. My parents were married in St. Peter’s Church in Belleville. I graduated from Belleville High School in 1987.”
Although life has sometimes taken him far afield, all roads have led Angelo back to his beloved hometown, where he was sworn in as the town’s prosecutor in 2004.
He talked about the journey with equal parts humility, humor and heart when he was sworn in recently.
He regretted that his dad, William, a stonemason who never graduated high school, couldn’t be there to see his son become a judge.
“But,” Angelo said, “I think today is a good day for him.”
Angelo then thanked his mom, Rose, a proud 1947 graduate of Belleville High.
He thanked his wife of 18 years, Diana, a Bloomfield girl who was born to two Belleville natives.
Angelo admitted that his three kids, Gabrielle, 12, Alexandra, 11 and Sabrina, 8, didn’t seem too impressed at Dad’s promotion.
“My kids really put this into perspective for me,” Angelo said. “They said the most profound thing and inspiring thing to me. When I got the news, I said, ‘So, what do you guys think? Pretty big deal?’ They looked at me and said, ‘Dad, nobody cares.’”
He thanked his predecessor, Judge Karen Smith, and Judge Frank Zinna for mentoring him.
He also singled out the support he has received from Belleville Mayor Michael Melham.
“I cannot be happier to know that we have a tried-and-true Belleville guy as our judge,” Melham said. “Joe has represented Belleville with class and dignity and we know he is going to continue to do that as our chief judge.”