SPOTSWOOD–Former Mayor and Borough Councilman Nicholas Poliseno passed away on July 18 at the age of 41.
Poliseno passed away peacefully at his home after his courageous battle from the illnesses he sustained during his heroic actions serving as a First Responder on 9/11, according to the obituary from Brunswick Memorial Funeral Home.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, he moved to Monroe Township in 1984. He resided there before moving to Spotswood in 1997.
He was a supervisor with Con Edison, Manhattan, New York, where he worked for 14 years.
In 1993, he became a junior member at Central Monroe volunteer fire company. In 1997, he joined the Spotswood volunteer fire company, where he was a member for 20 years, served as a past president, and rose through the ranks to become former chief.
He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Father’s Club, a 3rd-degree member, Immaculate Conception Council No. 4907, Knights of Columbus, Spotswood, and a member of the Middlesex County Urban Search and Rescue.
Poliseno held the position of councilman in Spotswood from 2010 to 2012 before becoming mayor from 2012 to 2016. Running for re-election in November of 2016, Poliseno lost his mayoral seat to current Spotswood Mayor Edward Seely.
Funeral Services were held on July 26 at in The Brunswick Memorial Home, located at 454 Cranbury Rd, East Brunswick. Followed by a Mass Christian Burial at Immaculate Conception Church, located at 18 South St., Spotswood. Interment followed at Holy Cross Burial Park, in South Brunswick.
Surviving is his wife of 19 years, his two daughters, his parents, and his two brothers.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Spotswood Mayor and 9/11 first responder, Nick Poliseno,” Acting Governor Shelia Oliver said in a prepared statement.
“His dedication to the cleanup efforts in the aftermath of 9/11 led to his untimely passing. He was a vocal supporter of the hard-fought-for and recently renewed federal Zadroga Act, which permanently re-established the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund,” Oliver said.
“Governor [Phil] Murphy and I send our deepest condolences to his wife, two daughters, and the entire Poliseno family at this difficult time,” Oliver said.
In October 2017, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office charged Poliseno with theft for stealing from a scholarship fund set up to honor borough EMT Hinal Patel.
Poliseno entered into a pre-trial intervention program and his case was dismissed on March 19 after he successfully completed the program, according to a Middlesex County court document.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].