NJ Italian Heritage Commission To Honor Coronato

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission is scheduled to honor Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato Friday afternoon at the Ocean County Library.

The prosecutor will receive the commission's annual award "for his contributions to our community that exemplify the virtues of our shared heritage: hard work, dedication to social causes, helping those in need, and his outstanding accomplishments in the field of law," the commission said in a news release.

The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission "raises public awareness of the rich and varied culture, positive achievements and traditions of Italy, the Italian people, and Italian Americans as they have all contributed to American and world civilizations."

Coronato, who was named Ocean County prosecutor in 2013, was the first prosecutor in New Jersey to push for all police officers in the county to be equipped with naloxone to reverse opioid-based overdoses. He also has pushed for a number of programs in Ocean County to battle the opioid crisis from a number of angles. He pushed for the creation of a database for all pawn shops in the county to log pawned items with strict identification requirements to try to deter thefts and catch thieves who steal items to pawn them for a quick fix. Coronato also pushed to create a program where those who overdose are met by a recovery specialist who works to get them into treatment to end the cycle of use and overdose, and a program that allows addicts who want help to seek it through local police departments, called Blue HART, was rolled out this year.

"NJIHC engages in the development, support and production of educational programs, forums, seminars, publications and exchanges for schools and private/public sector audiences throughout the state. The Commission brings long overdue recognition to Italian accomplishments that have improved the quality of life for all, be it in the sciences, the arts, technology, medicine, law, literature, philosophy, or trade and commerce," the commission said.

The award presentation is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Ocean County Library, 101 Washington St., Toms River.

Joseph Coronato, photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff