Rotary Announces Public Safety Award Winners

The Rotary Club of East Haven has announced that this year’s recipients of their annual Joseph Buonome Memorial Public Safety Awards are East Haven Firefighter James Oca and East Haven Police Officer Robert Nappe.

The Rotary Club recently renamed the awards in memory of former well respected citizen and Rotarian Joseph Buonome, who passed away in February of this year.    

As is customary, the awards will be presented at the Rotary’s annual Installation of Officers Dinner, which this year will be held on Wednesday June 26th. The event will take place at Amarante’s Sea Cliff on 62 Cove Street in New Haven.  Following a 6:00 pm social hour, dinner will be presented at 7:00 pm, with tickets available for $ 45 per person.  

Firefighter James Oca has been a member of the department for over 25 years, the last twenty as a Battalion Chief. Over this span James has taught hundreds of citizens CPR, First Aid and Babysitter First Aid courses. BC Oca is on the Board of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”, an international organization whose mission is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the untimely death of an infant. Oca trains, educates and mobilizes professional quality photographers to provide beautiful heirloom portraits to affected families, which serve as an important step in their very difficult healing process.  

Officer Robert Nappe has been a member of the EHPD for over thirty years and is a Forensic Dive Master and Instructor. In 2003 he went to Iraq to assist in the training of foreign Police officers, which based on that experience, he authored a book entitled, “Blessed are the Peace Keepers”. Nappe created and has run the East Haven Dive Team and Marine Unit since its recognition in 1995. He holds a CT State License as a Paramedic since 1981 and has worked on an ambulance for many years. In 2001 he responded to the Twin Towers in NYC as a paramedic with AMR Ambulance Service. In 2003 Officer Nappe was a recipient of the American Red Cross Heroes of New Haven award for saving a man’s life.  

Current President Ben Mazzucco will be turning over the gavel to Robert Parente as the Club’s new President, along with the following officers: President-elect Stacy Piccirillo, Secretary Jeri Ripkin, Treasurer Carl Ruggiero and Sergeant at Arms Donna Coleman.  

At this year’s dinner Rotarian Frank Gentilesco, Jr. will be receiving from the local club the prestigious Rotary “Paul Harris Fellow”, the highest award a member can receive.  

In addition, the club will be awarding two scholarships to high school students and honoring them at this year’s dinner event. Each year the club provides a $1000 scholarship in the name of former member Vincent Balletto, MD, to a graduating East Haven High School student. The club will also be awarding another $ 1000 scholarship to be given to one of last year’s EH Rotary “Students of the Month”, who will now be graduating.  

The club now in its 74th year was organized on March 3, 1939 and held its first meeting and was admitted to membership in Rotary International on March 13th of the same year. Since that time the club has remained dedicated and committed to improving the community and citizens of East Haven. Through its annual scholarship program and Student of the Month, the club recognizes and encourages achievement of high school students. Amber Alert Identification cards, Clothe the Children, free Thanksgiving dinners and annual distribution of holiday food baskets are some of its other volunteer activities.   

Ticket(s) to the awards dinner are available at East Haven Town Hall from Town Clerk Stacy Piccirillo or Frank Gentilesco, Jr. in the Mayor’s office or by calling Bob Parente (203) 675-1588, Bill Illingworth (203) 469-4903, or Jack Leary (203) 469-8506.