Passaic, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Passaic is a city
City (New Jersey)
A City in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....

 in Passaic County
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents (2.8%) from the 2000 Census population of 67,861. Located north of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

 on the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...

, it was first settled in 1678 by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 traders, as Acquackanonk Township. The city and river draw their name from the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...

 word "pahsayèk" which has been variously attributed to mean "valley" or "place where the land splits."

History

The city originated from a Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

 settlement on the Passaic River established in 1679 which was called Acquackanonk
Acquackanonk (Native Americans)
The Acquackanonk were a Lenape group whose territory was on the Passaic River in northern New Jersey. They spoke the same dialect and shared the same totem as the neighboring Hackensack, Tappan and Rumachenanck ....

. Industrial growth began in the 19th century, as Passaic became a textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...

 and metalworking center. Passaic was formed within Acquackanonk Township on March 10, 1869, and was incorporated as an independent village
Village (New Jersey)
A Village in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government.The Village Act of 1891 defined the form of government to consist of a five-member board of trustees to be elected to three-year staggered terms. One member serves...

 on March 21, 1871. Passaic was chartered as a city on April 2, 1873.

The 1926 Passaic Textile Strike
1926 Passaic Textile Strike
The 1926 Passaic Textile Strike was a work stoppage by over 15,000 woolen mill workers in and around Passaic, New Jersey over wage issues in several factories in the vicinity...

 led by union organizer Albert Weisbord
Albert Weisbord
Albert Weisbord was an American political activist and union organizer. He is best remembered as one of the primary union organizers of the seminal 1926 Passaic Textile Strike and as the founder of a small Trotskyist political organization of the 1930s called the Communist League of...

 had 36,000 mil workers leave their jobs to oppose wage cuts demanded by the textile industry. The workers successfully fought to keep their wages unchanged but did not receive recognition of their union by the mill owners.

Passaic has been called "The Birthplace of Television". In 1931, experimental television station W2XCD began transmitting from DeForest
Lee De Forest
Lee De Forest was an American inventor with over 180 patents to his credit. De Forest invented the Audion, a vacuum tube that takes relatively weak electrical signals and amplifies them. De Forest is one of the fathers of the "electronic age", as the Audion helped to usher in the widespread use...

 Radio Corp. in Passaic. It has been called the first television station to transmit to the home, and was the first such station to broadcast a feature film. Allen B. DuMont
Allen B. DuMont
Allen Balcom DuMont also spelled Du Mont, was an American scientist and inventor best known for improvements to the cathode ray tube in 1931 for use in television receivers. Seven years later he manufactured and sold the first commercially practical television set to the public...

, formerly DeForest's chief engineer, opened pioneering TV manufacturer DuMont Laboratories in Passaic in 1937, and started the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...

, the world's first commercial television network, in 1946. The Okonite company began manufacturing electrical cable here in 1888, with early uses of the company's insulated wires including some of the earliest telegraph cables and the wiring for Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...

's Pearl Street Station
Pearl Street Station
Pearl Street Station was the first central power plant in the United States. It was located at 255-257 Pearl Street in Manhattan on a site measuring 50 by 100 feet, just south of Fulton Street. It began with one direct current generator, and it started generating electricity on September 4, 1882,...

 in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...

.

In 1992, the voters of Passaic Township in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....

 voted to change their town's name to Long Hill Township, New Jersey
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
-Local government:Long Hill Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...

, to avoid confusion with the City of Passaic and the largely rural community 22 miles (35.4 km) away.

Passaic is served by two newspapers The Record
The Record (Bergen County)
The Record is a newspaper in northern New Jersey. It has the second largest circulation of New Jersey's daily newspapers, behind The Star-Ledger. Owned by the Borg family since 1930, it is the flagship publication of the North Jersey Media Group. Stephen Borg is the publisher of The Record...

and The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...

.

Geography

Passaic is located at 40°51′27"N 74°7′44"W.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 3.21 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.11 square miles (8.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.12%) is water. Passaic is bordered on the north, west and south by the City of Clifton
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...

, and to the east by the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...

.

Passaic is located 10 miles (16.1 km) from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, and 12 miles (19.3 km) from Newark Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...

.

The city

Passaic has several business districts: Main Avenue begins in Passaic Park and follows the curve of the river to downtown. Broadway runs east – west through the center of the city, ending at Main Avenue in downtown. Monroe Street has many shops, restaurants and businesses reflecting the city's Latino and Eastern European populations.

The city is home to several architecturally notable churches, including St. John's Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian of Passaic, and St. John's Episcopal Church.

Passaic Park

Southwest Passaic (known as Passaic Park) is a residential and institutional center of Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...

, with 25-30 minyan
Minyan
A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....

im on Shabbos
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

, and 1,300 families, as well as being home to numerous yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

s, schools and other institutions. There are also kosher food and shopping establishments.

Passaic Park takes its name from Third Ward Park. This area is also noted for its large mansions and homes of various architectural styles, especially Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 and Tudor
Tudorbethan architecture
The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...

. Several condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...

 and cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...

 apartment complexes are also located here including: Carlton Tower (the city's tallest structure), The Towers, and Barry Gardens (which are all located within walking distance of each other on a stretch of Passaic Avenue between Aycrigg Avenue and Barry Place).

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 69,781 people, 19,411 households, and 14,590 families residing in the city of Passaic. The racial makeup of the city was 45.1% White, 10.6% African American, 1.1% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 33.4% from some other race
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 5.5% from two or more races. The cultural groupings for Hispanic or Latino of any race were 71.0% of the population.

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 67,861 people, 19,458 households, and 14,457 families residing in the city of Passaic, New Jersey. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 21,804.7 people per square mile (8,424.8/km²). There were 20,194 housing units at an average density of 6,488.6 per square mile (2,507.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 35.43% White, 13.83% African American, 0.78% Native American, 5.51% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 39.36% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 5.04% from two or more races. The cultural groupings for Hispanic or Latino of any race were 62.46% of the population.

As of the 2000 Census, 59.3% spoke Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 at home, while 28.9% of residents identified themselves as speaking English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 at home. An additional 2.5% were speakers of Gujarathi
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...

 and 2.4% spoke Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

. There were 31,101 foreign-born residents of Passaic in 2000, of which 79.4% were from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

, with 31.3% of foreign-born residents from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and 27.2% from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

. Among the speakers of Polish in Passaic are many Gorals
Gorals
The Gorale are a group of indigenous people found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic...

. Passaic also has both a sizable Orthodox Jewish community that reaches into Clifton
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...

, with 20 Orthodox synagogues serving a Jewish population of 12,000 that is predominantly Orthodox. In the first half of the twentieth century there was a sizable Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...

 population, but this has declined over the years.

There were 19,458 households out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 8.2% of Passaic households were same-sex partner households. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 3.93. In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,594, and the median income for a family was $34,935. Males had a median income of $24,568 versus $21,352 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $12,874. About 18.4% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

The city of Passaic is governed under the Mayor-Council
Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...

 system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...

. Under this form of government, the mayor is elected directly by the voters for a four-year term. Seven council Members serve four year terms on a staggered basis.

The Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Passaic is Alex Blanco
Alex Blanco
Alex Blanco is an American politician and mayor of Passaic, New Jersey, United States. He is the first elected and second serving Dominican-American mayor in the United States .-Biography:...

, who won a special election in November 2008 to succeed acting mayor Gary Schaer
Gary Schaer
Gary Schaer is an American Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly where he represents the 36th legislative district, having taken office on January 10, 2006, and on the Passaic, New Jersey City Council where he is the council president...

, who, as City Council president automatically moved into this position upon the resignation by previous mayor Samuel Rivera
Samuel Rivera
Samuel Rivera was the Democratic mayor of the U.S. city of Passaic, New Jersey, from 2001 until 2008. Rivera came to national attention on September 6, 2007, when he was indicted and arrested on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for agreeing to direct municipal contracts to an insurance...

, after Rivera pleaded guilty to corruption charges filed against him. Blanco was elected to serve the remainder of Rivera's term, and was re-elected to a full term on May 12, 2009, with 4,751 votes (53.2% of votes cast), defeating Passaic Board of Education member Vinny Capuana who received 4,177 (46.8%).

, members of the Passaic City Council are Council President Gary Schaer
Gary Schaer
Gary Schaer is an American Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly where he represents the 36th legislative district, having taken office on January 10, 2006, and on the Passaic, New Jersey City Council where he is the council president...

, Jose Garcia, Hector C. Lora, Terrence L. Love, Chaim M. Munk, Zaida Polanco and Daniel J. Schwartz. In addition to his role as council president, Schaer also holds a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly. This dual position, often called double dipping, is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...

 and signed into law by Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...

 Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...

 in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.

Corruption charges over the past decades have resulted in the federal convictions of two mayors, seven councilman and other public officials. Passaic Business Administrator Anthony Ianoco was terminated in February 2011 after he was charged with cocaine possession, following his arrest in Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

, where police arrested him after he was caught driving the wrong way in a Passaic city vehicle.

Federal, state and county representation

Passaic is in the 8th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 36th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission
New Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...

 based on the results of the 2010 Census.




Education

The Passaic City School District
Passaic City School District
Passaic City School District is a compehensive community public school district located in Passaic, New Jersey, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade...

 is a type II school district, and is an independent legal entity administered by a nine-member Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....

 elected by the voters of the school district. The Superintendent of Schools is Dr. Robert H. Holster. The school system includes two early childhood centers, 12 elementary schools (grades K-6), a middle school (grades 7-8), and Passaic High School
Passaic High School
Passaic High School is a four-year community public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Passaic, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Passaic City School District...

 for grades 9-12. The district is one of 31 Abbott District
Abbott District
Abbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case filed by the Education Law...

s statewide.

The Collegiate School
Collegiate School (New Jersey)
The Collegiate School is a private coeducational day school located in Passaic, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The school has an enrollment of 162 students...

 is a private coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...

al day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...

 located in Passaic, serving students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade.

Passaic County Community College
Passaic County Community College
Passaic County Community College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Passaic County, New Jersey. The school's main campus is located in Paterson. The Wanaque Academic Center is located in Wanaque, has over 1,000 students. The Public Safety Academy is...

 opened a new campus in the city of Passaic on September 11, 2008, at 2 Paulison Avenue. The new campus will allow PCCC to reach the 15% of its students who come from the city of Passaic. The college's nursing program will be relocated and expanded at the new campus to provide a qualified program to help fill the longstanding nursing shortage.

The Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic is an institute of Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

ic learning for post-high-school-age men. Passaic has two Mesivta
Mesivta
Mesivta is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva high school for boys. The term is commonly used in the United States to describe a yeshiva that emphasizes Talmudic studies for boys in grades 9 through 11 or 12; alternately, it refers to the religious studies track in a yeshiva high school that offers both...

s, Mesivta Tiferes Rav Tzvi Aryeh Zemel Zal, and Mesivta Zichron Baruch
Mesivta Zichron Baruch
Mesivta Zichron Baruch, also known as Mesivta of Clifton, is an Orthodox Jewish high school in Clifton, New Jersey. Established in 2007, it has over 76 students.-Location:...

. Passaic also has a number of Orthodox educational institutions for primary education as well as other advanced seminaries and kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...

s for married students.

Fire

The Passaic Fire Department (PFD) is a paid fire department. The PFD was organized in November 1869 and became a paid department in 1909 which now consists of 109 firefighters. There are two fire houses
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...

 that contain seven Engines and three Ladder trucks.

Commerce

Portions of Passaic are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone
Urban Enterprise Zone
In the United States, Urban Enterprise Zones , also known as Enterprise Zones, are intended to encourage development in blighted neighborhoods through tax and regulatory relief to entrepreneurs and investors who launch businesses in the area. UEZs are areas where companies can locate free of...

. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....

 rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).

Since 1994, the Hercules Chemical Company
Hercules Chemical Company
Hercules Chemical Company Inc. is a manufacturing company located in Passaic, New Jersey, United States. The company manufactures a variety of plumbing products targeted toward plumbing professionals.- History :...

 has been located in Passaic.

Transportation

Passaic is served by state roadways including Route 3 and Route 21. The Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...

 and Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...

 are nearby.

Local bus transportation is provided by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...

, with service to Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

, Rutherford
Rutherford, New Jersey
Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,061. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....

, Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, Clifton
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...

, Garfield
Garfield, New Jersey
Garfield is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,487.When the area that is now Garfield was first developed in 1873, it was known as East Passaic. In 1881, the community's name was changed to Garfield in honor of...

, and Wallington
Wallington, New Jersey
Wallington is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 11,335.Wallington was created as a borough on January 2, 1895 , at the height of the "Boroughitis" fever then sweeping through Bergen County...

 among other locations on the 74, 702, 703, 705, 707, 709, 744, 758, 780 and 970routes. New Jersey Transit bus routes 161 and 190 provides local service and interstate service to Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

The Passaic
Passaic (NJT station)
Passaic Station is a New Jersey Transit rail station serviced by Main Line trains in Passaic, New Jersey. The station is located in the Passaic Park section of Passaic at an intersection that links Passaic Avenue and Van Houten Avenue with Lackawanna Place...

 New Jersey Transit rail station is located in the Passaic Park section, providing service on the Main Line
Main Line (NJ Transit)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit running from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...

 southbound to Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...

, and to Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...

 for New Jersey Transit connections to Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...

 in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...

, Newark Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...

 and points north and south. Northbound service is provided to Paterson
Paterson (NJT station)
Paterson Station is a New Jersey Transit Main Line rail station located in Paterson, New Jersey. The station, which is on an elevated viaduct, has entrances on Market Street and Ward Street, and is located where Market Street, 16th Avenue, Park Avenue, Ward Street, Memorial Drive, and Railroad...

, Ridgewood
Ridgewood (NJT station)
Ridgewood Station is a major New Jersey Transit rail station hub. It is located in downtown Ridgewood, New Jersey, and divides the downtown area in half....

 and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 stations in Suffern
Suffern (Metro-North station)
Suffern Station is a train station in Suffern, New York, United States, controlled by New Jersey Transit and also used by the Metro-North Railroad. Metro-North's Port Jervis Line joins New Jersey Transit's Main Line at this station. These two lines offer service from Port Jervis to Hoboken, New...

 and Port Jervis
Port Jervis (Metro-North station)
The Port Jervis Metro-North station serves the residents of that city and surrounding communities. It is the western terminus of the Port Jervis Line, with trains taking New York City-bound passengers there via Hoboken and Secaucus Junction...

.

Passaic formerly had four train stations (Passaic Park
Passaic Park (Erie Railroad station)
Passaic Park Station was a former railroad station for the Erie Railroad's main line in Passaic, New Jersey. The station was located in between the Carlton Hill station and the Prospect Street station...

, Prospect Street, Passaic
Passaic (Erie Railroad station)
Passaic Station was a former railroad station for the Erie Railroad in downtown Passaic, New Jersey. The station was located in the center of Main street at the corner of Madison street.- Passaic Plan :...

 and Harrison Street) on the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...

 main line. In 1963, these stations were abandoned and the main line was moved to the Boonton Branch
Boonton Branch
The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles from Hoboken, NJ to Denville, NJ as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad, which in turn was part of the Lackawanna Railroad...

.

Commuter jitney buses operate along Main Avenue providing service to Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

, Union City
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...

, the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, and points between. This service does not operate on an official schedule.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Passaic include:
  • Mitch Albom
    Mitch Albom
    Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...

     (born 1958), author of The Five People You Meet in Heaven
    The Five People You Meet in Heaven
    The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by Mitch Albom. It recounts the life and death of an old maintenance man named Eddie. After dying in an accident, Eddie finds himself in heaven where he encounters five people who have significantly affected his life, whether he realized at the time or...

    .
  • John Barbata
    John Barbata
    John Barbata is an American drummer, born in Passaic, New Jersey, active especially in pop and pop/rock bands in the 1960s and 1970s, both as a band member and as a session drummer.-Biography:...

     (born 1945), drummer for The Turtles
    The Turtles
    The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...

    .
  • Terrence Boyle
    Terrence Boyle
    Terrence William Boyle is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. He was Chief Judge of that court from 1997-2004. From 1991 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2007, he was a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit...

     (born 1945), judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
    United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
    The United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina is the United States District Court that serves the eastern 44 counties in North Carolina. Appeals from the Eastern District of North Carolina are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The...

    .
  • George Breeman
    George Breeman
    George Breeman was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism following a turret explosion in 1906 on board the battleship .-Biography:...

     (1880–1937), sailor and Medal of Honor
    Medal of Honor
    The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

     recipient.
  • Bob Butterworth
    Bob Butterworth
    Robert A. Butterworth is an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Florida.-Early life and career:Butterworth was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and moved to Florida with his family as a child. He received a degree in business administration from the University of Florida in 1965,...

     (born 1942), former Florida Attorney General
    Florida Attorney General
    The Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state....

    .
  • Arthur K. Cebrowski
    Arthur K. Cebrowski
    Vice Admiral Arthur K. Cebrowski was a retired United States Navy admiral who served from October 2001 to January 2005 as Director of the Office of Force Transformation in the U.S. Department of Defense...

     (1942–2005), United States Navy
    United States Navy
    The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

     admiral
    Admiral
    Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

     and senior U.S. Department of Defense official.
  • Morris Cerullo
    Morris Cerullo
    Morris Cerullo is an American pentecostal televangelist.-Early life and ministry:Cerullo, whose evangelistic ministry is based in San Diego, California, was born in Passaic, New Jersey to a Russo Jewish/Italian family. His parents died in an automobile accident when he was only two years old...

     (born 1931), pentecostal televangelist.
  • Alan N. Cohen
    Alan N. Cohen
    Alan Norman Cohen was the former co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets, and chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.Cohen began his career in law and entertainment some years after he graduated from Columbia...

     (1930–2004), former co-owner of the Boston Celtics
    Boston Celtics
    The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

     and the New Jersey Nets
    New Jersey Nets
    The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

    .
  • Howard Crook
    Howard Crook
    Howard Crook is an American lyric tenor who has lived and worked in the Netherlands and France since the early 1980s.He was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, and educated at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and then University of Illinois, where he received a master's degree in music,...

     (born 1947), Opera singer tenor.
  • Mark DeRosa
    Mark DeRosa
    Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...

     (born 1975), Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     infielder.
  • Dow H. Drukker
    Dow H. Drukker
    Dow Henry Drukker was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey who represented the state's 7th congressional district from 1914 to 1919.-Biography:...

     (1872–1963), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district
    New Jersey's 6th congressional district
    New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is currently represented by Democrat Frank Pallone. In the 2010 election, Pallone defeated Republican Anna C...

     from 1914–1919.
  • Evelyn Dubrow
    Evelyn Dubrow
    Evelyn Dubrow was a legendary labour lobbyist for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.Dubrow attended New York University, where she studied journalism....

     (1911–2006), lobbyist and Presidential Medal of Freedom
    Presidential Medal of Freedom
    The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...

     recipient.
  • Charles Evered
    Charles Evered
    Charles Evered is an American-born playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Evered grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey, the fifth child of Marie and Charles J. Evered...

     (born 1964), playwright.
  • Donald Fagen
    Donald Fagen
    Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....

     (born 1948), musician with Steely Dan
    Steely Dan
    Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...

    .
  • Paul Goldberger
    Paul Goldberger
    Paul Goldberger is the Architecture Critic for The New Yorker, where since 1997 he has written the magazine's celebrated "Sky Line" column. He also holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City...

     (born 1950), Pulitzer Prize
    Pulitzer Prize
    The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

    -winning architecture critic.
  • David Grisman
    David Grisman
    David Grisman is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music.-Biography:Grisman grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey...

     (born 1945), bluegrass musician and former member of Old and in the Way
    Old and in the Way
    Old & in the Way was a bluegrass supergroup in the 1970s. The group performed traditional tunes such as "Pig in a Pen" as well as bluegrass-flavoured versions of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and Peter Rowan's "Panama Red"....

     with Jerry Garcia
    Jerry Garcia
    Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...

     of the Grateful Dead
    Grateful Dead
    The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...

    .
  • Reed Gusciora
    Reed Gusciora
    Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...

     (born 1960), former minority leader of the New Jersey General Assembly
    New Jersey General Assembly
    The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

    .
  • Beth Gylys
    Beth Gylys
    Beth A. Gylys is a poet and professor of English and Creative Writing at Georgia State University.Gylys grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Allegheny College with a Bachelors Degree in 1986. She went on to receive a Masters Degree from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in English...

     (born 1964), poet and professor.
  • Art Harris (1949-70), running back who was involved in the 1970 Marshall football team plane crash that killed everyone on board.
  • Robert Helps
    Robert Helps
    Robert Helps was an American pianist and composer....

     (1928–2001), pianist and composer.
  • Craig Heyward
    Craig Heyward
    Craig William "Ironhead" Heyward was an American football running back who played for the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, St...

     (1966–2006), National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     running back.
  • Dennis Johnson
    Dennis Johnson (defensive tackle)
    Dennis Leroy Johnson was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills...

     (born 1951), former NFL defensive tackle.
  • Mike Jorgensen
    Mike Jorgensen
    Michael Jorgensen is a former Major League Baseball player drafted by the New York Mets in the fourth round of the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft...

     (born 1948), former Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     player.
  • Lewis Kaplan
    Lewis Kaplan
    Lewis Kaplan is an American violinist. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey. He resides on the Upper West Side in New York City with his wife, Adria...

    , violin
    Violin
    The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

    ist.
  • Fritz Knothe
    Fritz Knothe
    Wilfred Edgar Knothe is a former Major League Baseball player. He played two seasons with the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies .-External links:...

      (1903–1963), former Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     player and member of "Wonder Team."
  • Anthony Mason (born 1925), actor.
  • Ray Malavasi
    Ray Malavasi
    Ray Malavasi was a former football coach who served as head coach of two National Football League teams: the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams....

     (1930–87), National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     head coach.
  • William J. Martini
    William J. Martini
    William J. "Bill" Martini is a United States district court judge for the District of New Jersey, having served in this position since November 19, 2002...

     (born 1947), former Republican
    Republican Party (United States)
    The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

     Congressman.
  • Larry Mialik
    Larry Mialik
    -Career:Mialik was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and would play with the team for three seasons. After a season away from the NFL, he played with the San Diego Chargers during the 1976 NFL season....

     (born 1950), former National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player.
  • Bill Mokray
    Bill Mokray
    William G. "Bill" Mokray was a leading basketball statistician and historian.Mokray's love of basketball stats began while attending Passaic High School in Passaic, New Jersey...

     (1907–1974), basketball historian and statistician enshrined to the Basketball Hall of Fame
    Basketball Hall of Fame
    The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...

     in 1965 as a contributor to the sport.
  • Jack Mulhall
    Jack Mulhall
    Jack Mulhall, born John Joseph Francis Mulhall, was a film actor since the silent film era and appeared in over 430 films....

     (1887–1979), silent film and talkie leading man.
  • Morris Pashman
    Morris Pashman
    Morris Pashman was an American Republican Party politician and attorney who served as Mayor of Passaic, New Jersey before spending 23 years as a judge, 10 of them on the New Jersey Supreme Court...

     (1912–1999), New Jersey Supreme Court
    New Jersey Supreme Court
    The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...

     Justice who served as mayor of Passaic from 1951 to 1955.
  • Millie Perkins
    Millie Perkins
    Millie Perkins is an American film and television actress.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Her father was a merchant marine captain...

     (born 1938), actress, best known for her lead role in the film The Diary of Anne Frank.
  • Jason Perry
    Jason Perry (American football)
    Jason Perry is a former American football safety in the National Football League . He played in the NFL from 1999 to 2002.Perry was born in Passaic, New Jersey and attended Paterson Catholic High School.-References:...

     (born 1976), former safety in the NFL from 1999 to 2002.
  • Joe Piscopo
    Joe Piscopo
    Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo is an American comedian and actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...

     (born 1951), comedian.
  • Gerry Polci, drummer and singer with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
    The Four Seasons (group)
    The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...

    .
  • Michael J. Pollard
    Michael J. Pollard
    - Early life :Born Michael John Pollack, Jr. in Passaic, New Jersey, he is the son of Sonia and Michael John Pollack. He attended the Montclair Academy and the Actors Studio.- Career :...

     (born 1939), actor.
  • Stuart Rabner
    Stuart Rabner
    Stuart Jeff Rabner is the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. He has previously served as New Jersey Attorney General, Chief Counsel to Governor Jon Corzine, and as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.-Biography:Rabner grew up in Passaic,...

     (born 1960), Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court
    New Jersey Supreme Court
    The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...

    .
  • Frankie Randall
    Frankie Randall (singer)
    Frank Joseph Lisbona, better known as Frankie Randall, is an American singer and actor. His acting credits include The Dean Martin Summer Show and the 1973 film Day of the Wolves....

     (born 1938), entertainer, musician, singer and actor.
  • Joseph Rankin
    Joseph Rankin
    Joseph Rankin was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Rankin pursued an academic course.He moved to Mishicot, Wisconsin, in 1854 and engaged in mercantile pursuits....

     (1833–1886), U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
    Wisconsin
    Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

    .
  • John Roosma
    John Roosma
    John S. Roosma was an amateur basketball great during the 1920s. He played for the United States Military Academy for five years, graduating in 1926...

     (1900–1983), captain of Ernest Blood
    Ernest Blood
    Ernest A. Blood was a high school and college men's basketball coach...

    's "Wonder Teams" who became the first college player to total 1,000 points for his career while at the United States Military Academy
    United States Military Academy
    The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

    .
  • Alan Rosenberg
    Alan Rosenberg
    Alan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:...

     (born 1951), Emmy Award
    Emmy Award
    An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

    -winning actor and activist, Screen Actors Guild
    Screen Actors Guild
    The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...

     President (2005–present).
  • Mark Rosenberg
    Mark Rosenberg
    Mark Rosenberg was an American film producer whose works included The Killing Fields and Presumed Innocent, who was the President of Worldwide Theatrical Production at Warner Bros. in the 1980s....

     (c. 1948–1992), film producer.
  • Paul Rudd
    Paul Rudd
    Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...

     (born 1969), actor.
  • Bob Russell
    Bob Russell (songwriter)
    Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...

     (1914–70), Hall of Fame
    Songwriters Hall of Fame
    The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...

     songwriter.
  • Bob Russell
    Bob Russell (Entertainer)
    Bob Russell was an American entertainer, best known for hosting the Miss America pageant during the years of 1940 to 1946, 1948 to 1950 and 1954...

     (1908–98), entertainer.
  • Nick Sakiewicz
    Nick Sakiewicz
    Nick Sakiewicz is a former soccer goalkeeper and current soccer executive. He is currently the CEO and Operating Partner of Keystone Sports & Entertainment, LLC, the ownership group of the Philadelphia Union. He played in the Major Indoor Soccer League and American Professional Soccer League and...

     (born 1961), soccer executive.
  • Zoe Saldana
    Zoe Saldana
    Zoe Saldana , sometimes stylized Zoë Saldaña, is an American actress. She had her breakthrough role in the 2000 film Center Stage and later gained prominence for her roles as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Uhura in the 2009 film Star Trek, and a starring role...

     (born 1978), actress who appeared in the 2009 film Avatar.
  • Víctor Santos
    Víctor Santos
    Víctor Irving Santos is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He currently is a free agent.-Early life:...

     (born 1976), Cincinnati Reds
    Cincinnati Reds
    The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

     pitcher.
  • Sherwood Schwartz
    Sherwood Schwartz
    Sherwood Charles Schwartz was an American television producer. He worked on radio shows in the 1940s, and created the television series Gilligan's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC...

     (1916-2011), TV producer, best known for creating Gilligan's Island
    Gilligan's Island
    Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...

    and The Brady Bunch
    The Brady Bunch
    The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...

    .
  • The Shirelles
    The Shirelles
    The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...

    , musicians.
  • Robert Smithson
    Robert Smithson
    Robert Smithson was an American artist famous for his land art.-Background and education:Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey and studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League of New York....

     (1938–1973), artist.
  • Mark Stevens, former NFL QB, Redskins, played college at Purdue.
  • Larry Storch
    Larry Storch
    Lawrence Samuel "Larry" Storch is an American actor best known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for top cartoon shows, including Mr...

     (born 1923), actor.
  • Tyronne Stowe
    Tyronne Stowe
    Tyronne Kevin Stowe is a former American football linebacker that played for ten seasons in the National Football League. Stowe attended Passaic High School. He played college football at Rutgers University. He currently works as a pastor in Chandler, Arizona.-References:...

     (born 1965), former NFL linebacker.
  • Loretta Swit
    Loretta Swit
    Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...

     (born 1937), actress.
  • Danny Szetela
    Danny Szetela
    Daniel "Danny" Szetela is a former American soccer player.-Club:In 2002, Szetela entered USSF's Bradenton Academy, graduating in May 2004. He then signed with Major League Soccer. His desire to play for his hometown club, the MetroStars, went unfulfilled...

     (born 1987), Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer
    Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

     player.
  • Dave Szott
    Dave Szott
    David Andrew Szott is a former professional American football offensive lineman.Szott played 14 years in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Jets, before retiring from football in February 2004. He remained with the Jets as an...

     (born 1967), National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player and coach.
  • Jack Tatum
    Jack Tatum
    John David Tatum was an American football defensive back who played ten seasons from 1971 through 1980 for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League...

     (born 1948), football player.
  • Ösel Tendzin
    Ösel Tendzin
    Ösel Tendzin was a western Buddhist. He was Chögyam Trungpa's principal student. On August 22, 1976, Chögyam Trungpa empowered Ösel Tendzin as his Vajra Regent and first Western lineage holder in the Tibetan Karma Kagyü and Nyingma lineages. On August 25, 1990, Ösel Tendzin died in San Francisco,...

     (1943–90), Tibetan Buddhist
    Tibetan Buddhism
    Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...

     scholar.
  • Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen
    Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen
    Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He assumed senior status on October 23, 2006, on his 65th birthday.- Early life and education :...

     (born 1941), judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...

    .
  • Dick Vitale
    Dick Vitale
    Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...

     (born 1939), sportscaster.
  • Perry Williams
    Perry Williams (cornerback)
    Perry Lamar Williams is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.Williams won two Super Bowls with the Giants....

     (born 1961), former cornerback
    Cornerback
    A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

     for the New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

    .
  • Darrin Winston
    Darrin Winston
    Darrin Alexander Winston was a Major League Baseball player. He played two baseball seasons in the majors, both for the Philadelphia Phillies, and also played in the Montreal Expos and Pittsburgh Pirates minor league organizations. He batted right-handed and threw left-handed during his baseball...

     (1966–2008), Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     player who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies
    Philadelphia Phillies
    The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

    .
  • Saul Zaentz
    Saul Zaentz
    Saul Zaentz is an American film producer and former record company executive. He has won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times and in 1996 was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award....

     (born 1921), film producer.
  • Frankie Zak
    Frankie Zak
    Frank Thomas Zak was a professional baseball player from 1944 to 1946. Zak played for the Pittsburgh Pirates his entire career, his main position being shortstop. Zak never had a lot of playing time, his highest number of at bats was 160. Even so, he still managed to become an All-Star in 1944...

     (1922–72), Major League Baseball player, Pittsburgh Pirates
    Pittsburgh Pirates
    The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

    .

Films shot in Passaic

  • 2006: Be Kind Rewind
    Be Kind Rewind
    Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film with dramatic elements from New Line Cinema, written and directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film first appeared on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later...

    directed by Michel Gondry
    Michel Gondry
    Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...

    .
  • 2009: Filming for new NBC series "Mercy
    Mercy (TV series)
    Mercy is a medical drama which aired on NBC from September 23, 2009 to May 12, 2010. The series initially aired on Wednesday nights at 8/7c, as part of the 2009 fall season, but was pushed back to 9/8c in April....

    " is being shot in the old St Mary's Hospital on occasion.

External links

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