Caggiano is Belleville Italian Man of

Peter E. Caggiano

On Aug. 5, 1959, Pete was born at Columbus Hospital in Newark – a funny coincidence since he is “Man of the Year” for the Columbus Day Parade. He attended grammar school at St. Rocco’s Parish. When he was eight years old his mother died, leaving his father to raise Pete and his older sister, Marianne.

Although his dad never graduated from high school, he stressed the importance of education to Pete and his sister. Pete attended Essex Catholic High School in Newark, where he started his journey in athletics. He played football and wrestled throughout high school, placing in various tournaments. He was able to learn the value of having a good work ethic during high school since he was passionate about the two sports and kept up with his academics.

Pete often reflects about his father and the life he lived. He dedicated his life to providing a beautiful life for his children. His dad worked tirelessly as a factory worker and on the weekends, he was a security guard at Pinkerton Security. Pete believes that he inherited his father’s strong work ethic.

After graduating from high school in 1977, Pete attended Kean University in Union where he wrestled for all four years, the last two years as captain of the team. Pete was also the president of his fraternity, Sigma Theta Chi, and also held office on the student council.

In 1983, he graduated from Kean University with a B.A. in business management. His college years broadened his outlook on life, as he ventured into the world, excited to see what was awaiting him.

Pete ran several successful small businesses throughout his career. He was a partner at Nautilus Fitness Center in Belleville and a restaurant and bar named