Belleville Detective named Nutley's Grand Marshal for Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Police work and Irish blood run through Anthony Wieners’ veins.

The Belleville police detective and president of the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association can trace his heritage all the way to County Cork, Ireland, from where his great grandfather Micheal Flynn immigrated to America in the late 1870s, according to a self-penned biography by Wieners.

Three of Flynn’s nine children, including Wieners’ grandfather, became police officers, with one grand-uncle becoming Belleville’s first police chief.

Wieners’ heritage as an Irish American police officer will be honored when he presides as grand marshal over Nutley’s 33rd annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade this  Saturday, March 5, said Tom McEnery, president of the Nutley Irish American Alliance, which organizes the parade.

McEnery said Wieners was chosen to be grand marshal because he has been good to the community.

“He’s been good to the Irish. He’s very proud of his Irish heritage,” McEnery said.

Wieners belongs to the organization as well as the Belleville Irish-American Association, McEnery said.

“I am extremely proud of my Irish heritage and I am equally as proud to represent a profession whose rich history has been so influenced by the contributions of the many sons and daughters of Erin who have worn the badge and honorably served their communities,” Wieners said in a biography submitted to the Nutley Irish group’s promotional booklet on the parade.

The parade starts at 1 p.m. Saturday at Holy Family Church, located at Brookline Avenue and Harrison Street in Nutley, McEnery said. Before the parade at 10 a.m., there will be an Irish Memorial Mass at St. Mary’s Church, 17 Monsignor Owens Place.

Wieners was honored at a dinner with about 250 people at the Landmark Restaurant in East Rutherford on Feb. 5, said McEnery. Other people who are being honored in the parade include Deputy Grand Marshal Brenda Sherman, Member of the Year Linda Strimike, and Parade Queen Geena Russo.

“I want to thank the officers and trustees of the Nutley Irish American Alliance for bestowing this distinct honor on me,” Wieners said in the same biography provided to the Nutley Irish group.

Wieners wrote his great-grandfather from County Cork, married Ann Drury and together they had nine children, one of whom was Wieners’ grandfather John, and grand uncles Michael and James.

The three men grew up to become police officers of the Belleville Police Department, read the biography. Michael became Belleville’s first police chief.

Wieners himself is a Belleville native and current resident and first took up the family profession in 1980 when he joined the East Orange Police Department as a patrolman. He transferred to Belleville later that year.

Wieners has been actively involved in police union issues over the years. He has been the Belleville PBA president and vice president. Wieners has also been a chairman and co-chairman of the Essex County PBA conference.

He was elected to be president of the state PBA in 2006 after serving on the executive board and as vice president.

Under his leadership, Wieners introduced NJ PBA COP SHOT, which rewards money for information on any incident in which a police officer is shot or killed, read his biography.

This year, Wieners has been in the thick of battles with Gov. Chris Christie, who wants to reduce pension payments and increase police officers’ contributions to the fund - part of a broader war between state administrations and unions across the country .

Wieners had the state PBA hold a information session on the pension system for state legislators last month. There will also be a Trenton public rally  today, Thursday, March 3 at 11 a.m. at the state capitol building on West State Street sponsored by the state PBA and the state firefighters' union. Police officers and firefighters across the state will start gathering at 9 a.m. for what they are calling  a rally for public safety.