BY HILLARY VIDERS
SPECIAL TO NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
On April 3, the Englewood Historical Society’s (EHS) 34th Annual Awards Dinner had a record turnout. At the festive event, held at the Clinton Inn in Tenafly, close to 120 distinguished guests and EHS board members honored Tom Siracusa’s Highwood Firehouse and attorney Frank Lucianna, Esq. The event was a “who’s who” of Englewood dignitaries and community leaders.
Each year, the EHS honors a person or place whose efforts at preservation or documentation have made a significant contribution to Englewood’s history. One of this year’s honorees, the Highwood Firehouse, was built around 1903 at a cost of $4,500 to aid the northwest side of the city. The structure, a red brick building with cream brick quoins, looks much the same as it did in the early 20th century, although its tower has since been truncated.
“We are fortunate that Tom Siracusa and those that came before him kept the structure intact. It is now being used for a successful service station,” said EHS Co-President Irmari Nacht. “EHS is honoring Siracusa for adaptive reuse and preservation of a piece of Englewood’s history.”
Board member Dr. Michael Passow presented the Englewood Historical Society’s 2019 award to Siracusa, who was congratulated by many proud members of his family. A host of Siracusa’s grandchildren paid tribute to him by wearing red plastic Englewood Fire Department hats.
“It is very exciting to receive this award,” Siracusa said. “It is wonderful seeing so many of my family members and my customers here tonight.”
The other honoree of the evening, Lucianna, has been a renowned criminal lawyer for over 60 years. Lucianna is a decorated World War II veteran of the Infantry and Army Air Corps, and has been instrumental in preserving the legacy of Englewood’s veterans.
For many years, Lucianna has served as the grand marshal at Englewood’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades, where he speaks dramatically about his military service, reads the Honor Roll and advocates for U.S. soldiers and their families.
Lucianna was presented with his award by noted Englewood citizen Olga Mosciaro and EHS Co-President Charlotte Bennett-Schoen.
Accepting his award, Lucianna said, “I’m a very lucky man. I’ve have had a wonderful wife, Dolores, for 64 years, and I have two wonderful daughters, Nancy and Diane. I have loved being a lawyer, and I am also very proud to be an American. Every day, I thank our soldiers who made sacrifices fighting for our freedoms, but I am also grateful to the mothers who gave their children to our country. America has been great because of our young people!”
A special event at the dinner was the introduction of EHS’ publication “Extraordinary Englewood,” a 166-page coffee table book with interviews and photographs of 75 talented, creative and distinguished Englewood residents.
(Editor’s note: The “Extraordinary Englewood” book was written by Hillary Viders, the author of this article, and the interviews originally appeared in Northern Valley Press. See page 14 for more about the book.)
Bennett-Schoen said, “Today the people in the ‘Extraordinary Englewood’ book are a diverse group of interesting people whom we may see around town; tomorrow they will be part of Englewood’s fascinating history.”
She asked all the people in the audience who were interviewed in the book to stand, and the impressive group received a hearty round of applause.
During the awards dinner, Nacht and Bennett-Schoen emphasized EHS’ goal of encouraging preservation, restoration and adaptive use of Englewood’s irreplaceable buildings.
EHS is an information source, and as such, welcomes anyone interested in the history of Englewood and its neighboring communities who would like to take an active part in promoting local history and attend Society meetings and programs. The group’s website can be found at englewoodhistoricalsociety.org.
There will be an “Extraordinary Englewood” book launch party on Sunday, April 28, from 4:30–6 p.m. at the Englewood Public Library. This event is free and open to the public. There will be refreshments, book sales and book signings by Viders and some of the people interviewed in the book.