A longtime local union leader was among those honored as part of Essex County’s 2017 Italian Heritage Month Celebration. Bloomfield native and Bloomfield High alum Joseph Calabro, a father of two, has been a “dynamic and influential labor leader” with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), according to a news release from Essex County.

The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders honored Calabro during its annual Italian Heritage Month Celebration, held this year on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at the Hall of Records in Newark. The freeholders also recognized two other prominent Italian-American community members during the ceremony: Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. and Essex County Purchasing Director Julius “Jay” Coltre, both of Roseland.