BY TOM CLANCEY
OF PASCACK PRESS
HILLSDALE—It’s been 45 years since her life was cut short. It’s been 25 years since her family and supporters fought back.
At an event in Hillsdale on Sept. 29, supporters of the Joan Angela D’Alessandro Memorial Foundation celebrated 25 years of fighting back—efforts that brought a sea change of child safety legislation, imposing lifetime penalties for perpetrators convicted of killing children while committing a sex crime.
At the event, supporters also celebrated the indelible spirit of the 7-year-old girl, taken all too soon, and the hope her legacy has inspired.
After the 1973 crime, as she faced the seemingly insurmountable task of coping with her daughter’s death, Rosemarie D’Alessandro thought of Joan.
“I thought of my daughter; and I still had my own life, and she didn’t have a life here on earth. So I thought of her, and that gave me strength during that very hard time,” Rosemarie D’Alessandro told Pascack Press last week.
As she pressed on raising her family, the D’Alessandros were again confronted with the legacy of the heinous crime in 1993, when Joan’s killer came up for parole. The case galvanized the community, which rallied to their support in opposing the convicted killer’s pending release from prison.
And while no law could ever retroactively affect Joan’s case, the family and their supporters fought to change what they new was wrong.
Joan’s Law—signed first in New Jersey, and then nationwide in 1997 by President Bill Clinton—mandates life in prison for anyone convicted of murdering a child during the commission of a sex crime.
The family and supporters also advocated for the Justice for Victims Law, which eliminated the statute of limitations in New Jersey for victims to sue convicted killers if they come into wealth while incarcerated.
But today, Joan’s Joy stands for much more than legislative change: It’s a movement that lends support to children in need and encourages the community as a whole to protect its most vulnerable members.
At the Joan’s Joy Child Safety Festival at the Hillsdale Train Station, visitors held hands in a circle, coming together to acknowledge that even in the face of a terrible crime, the community can unite for good.
The venue was the Joan Angela D’Alessandro White Butterfly Sculpture and Garden at the
Hillsdale Train Station, where an engraved sculptures stands as a
testament to the events that have transpired.
The empowering and hopeful event brought in community partners to share experiences:
• There was a law enforcement K-9 demonstration;
• Attendees held hands to stand up for child safety and reflect;
• Rosemarie D’Alessandro released butterflies, which have taken on a symbolic representation of Joan’s spirit;
• Social justice choreographer Nikki Manx performed a duet with Jenna Familletti, then led a
community dance inspired by the original “White Butterfly,” written in tribute to Joan’s memory;
• Local martial arts legend Michael DePasquale Jr. gave a streetwise self defense lesson; and
• Participants enjoyed a special song and dancing.
In its mission to help children, the Joan’s Joy Foundation provides enriching cultural experiences to kids that would not otherwise have those opportunities, and it can serve as a powerful tool for advocacy—for instance, leading a local push to strengthen Joan’s Law in New Jersey in recent years. But it has also served as a place to turn for people undergoing hardships.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people, and now I help these people that are going through a lot,” said Rosemarie D’Alessandro. “I get to know them. Sometimes I have them over for lunch. Sometimes they’ll bring their own lunch. I get to know these people and they become my friends.
“Some of them are going through—oh my God—dangerous situations,” she said. “So they’ll come here and say, ‘you know, now I feel stronger.’ … These are people from all different walks of life; some of them are vice presidents of big companies; and some of them are just making out, working three jobs.”
The Joan’s Joy Foundation’s efforts are ongoing and the organization always welcomes volunteers. In addition to its leader, Rosemarie D’Alessandro, the foundation is assisted immeasurably by her adult sons, Michael and John D’Alessandro, and a dedicated array of volunteers who unite under its mission: “Remember Joan today so tomorrow’s children will be safe.”
Photo by Murray Bass