They’re some of Essex County’s “finest residents of Italian descent,” and according to officials, they deserve a huge round of applause for making the region a better place to live. Last week, the Essex County Board of County Commissioners held its annual Italian Heritage Month Event. The award ceremony is held to “celebrate the accomplishments of men and women of Italian heritage.”

For 2022, there were four honorees, including Donato DiGeronimo of Verona, a retired battalion chief of the Montclair Fire Department. Other awardees included: Dan Fabrizio of South Orange (Retired School Teacher); Edie Peters Liguori of Belleville (President of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association); Maria Pagan of Newark (Retired Special Education Teacher and member of Trike Masters Inc., Motorcycle Club).