Paul Rudd Among 8 Named To Passaic County Hall Of Fame

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — Actor Paul Rudd, baseball pioneer Mike "King" Kelly and several longtime public servants are among eight honorees who will enter the Passaic County Hall of Fame later this month, county officials announced.

The 2026 class will be inducted during a public ceremony at 11 a.m. on Sept. 29 at Paterson City Hall, 401 Grand Street.

Subscribe

"When you look at this class together, you see the whole story of Passaic County," Passaic County Commissioner Director Sandi Lazzara said. "We are honored to recognize all of them."

This year's inductees span public service, arts and sports, with connections stretching from Paterson's Great Falls to Hollywood and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Perhaps the most recognizable name is Paul Rudd, who was born in Passaic and has spent nearly three decades working in film, television and theater.

Rudd broke through with the 1995 comedy "Clueless" and went on to appear in films including "Wet Hot American Summer," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "I Love You, Man" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

He later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Scott Lang, better known as Ant-Man. His television credits include "Friends," "Parks and Recreation," and "Only Murders in the Building."

Rudd also co-founded Big Slick, a charity event that county officials said has raised more than $21 million for Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2024.

Public Service Honorees

Former Passaic County Commissioners Pasquale "Pat" Lepore and Terrence "Terry" Duffy will also enter the county Hall of Fame.

Lepore served more than 20 years on the Board of County Commissioners and five terms as its director after previously serving four terms as mayor of Woodland Park. County officials credited his work as longtime budget chairman with helping produce nearly a dozen upgrades to the county's bond rating.

Duffy was elected to the county board in 2004 and served through the end of 2025, working in areas that included economic development, infrastructure, parks and public safety. He also owns Duffy's Tavern in Paterson's Riverside section and has been involved with youth athletics in Paterson and West Milford.

Pat and Mary Ellen Kramer of Paterson will be inducted together for their roles in the city's history and preservation of the Great Falls.

Pat Kramer served as Paterson's mayor from 1967 to 1972 and again from 1975 to 1982. His tenure included efforts to secure National Historic Landmark status for the Great Falls.

Mary Ellen Kramer launched a campaign in 1967 to protect Paterson's historic district and helped organize a grassroots effort that stopped a proposed four-lane highway from cutting through the area.

Arts And Sports

Joining Rudd in the Arts & Letters category is Gaetano Federici, an Italian-born sculptor who arrived in Paterson in 1887 and spent more than six decades creating works tied to the Silk City's history.

His works include the Dean McNulty statue at St. John's Cathedral, the Nathan Barnert monument at City Hall and three pieces originally installed at Hinchliffe Stadium.

The sports inductees are Mike "King" Kelly and Richard "Rich" Corsetto.

Kelly's family settled in Paterson after the Civil War, and he played for the Paterson Olympics before making his Major League Baseball debut with Cincinnati in 1878. He later starred for Chicago, leading the National League with a .388 batting average in 1886.

After that season, Chicago sold Kelly to Boston for a then-record $10,000. His fame extended beyond baseball, with the 1889 song "Slide, Kelly, Slide" inspired by him. Kelly was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Corsetto, a Paterson native, has spent more than five decades in athletics as a player, coach and mentor. During 38 years of coaching, he compiled a 748-320 record, including 435 collegiate victories, according to the county.

His teams won 14 Garden State Athletic Conference championships and three NJCAA Region 19 titles, while reaching the national tournament three times.

The Passaic County Hall of Fame was established by the Board of County Commissioners in 2017 to recognize people, organizations and groups whose accomplishments have had a lasting impact on the county or carried its name beyond North Jersey.

Past inductees include Lou Costello, Larry Doby, former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Joe Piscopo, Bucky Pizzarelli and The Shirelles.