Salvatore Pillitteri Dies in Accident Returning From Fort Dix Duties

 Young Army Officer, Former Rodino Appointee to West Point, Dies in Skidding Crash

(Jan. 30, 1957) – Friday, Jan. 25, on Route 1, near North Brunswick, Lt. Salvatore Pillitteri, 23, of Brown Street, was one of three killed in a collision of skidding cars as the Nutley youth, a one-time student a the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was returning home from Fort Dix.

Sal Pillitteri

(April 27, 1951) – Salvatore Pillitteri, 18-year-old high school senior and honor student, was accepted yesterday for admission to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as the appointee of Congressman Pete W. Rodino.

The 10^th district representative informed The Nutley Sun by telephone last night that he had been informed that the Nutley youth had successfully passed both the physical and mental examinations and would enter the academy with the Class of 1955 on July 3.

In a letter written from Washington last night, informing Pillitteri of his admission to the Army school, Representative Rodino told him he hoped to be able to attend the boy’s graduation from West Point in four years.

Pillitteri had been the principal appointee of Rep. Rodino who, last year, appointed Harvey Taffet of Nutley to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.

Pillitteri, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore Pillitteri of Brown Street, has been on the staff of The Nutley Sun throughout his high school career. Although working out of school hours, he led an active school life and is editor of the 1951 Yearbook as well as president of the Latin Club and vice president of the Spanish Club.

Ranking fifth in a class of 216 at the end of the junior year, and fourth among the top honor students in the class to graduate in June, the youth was elected to the National Honor Society.

Congressman Rodino became interested in Pillitteri’s ambitions to enter the academy about a year ago, when he learned that the youth had worked out of school hours throughout his high school life.

Nutley has been without an officer candidate at West Point since the graduation of Lt. DeMuro in 1949. Lt. Col. John Jannarone of Nutley, who graduated from West Point, is now on the academy’s faculty.

(June 10, 1954) – Salvatore Pillitteri was named editor in chief of the 1955 Maroon, the class yearbook at Fordham College.

Pillitteri spent his freshman year at the U.S. Army Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where he was on the dean’s list.

He has spent his sophomore and junior years on the dean’s list at Fordham, where he is majoring in American Civilization and expects to graduate next year. Upon graduation, he will be commissioned as a 2^nd lieutenant in Military Intelligence, in which branch he will receive training at Ft. Riley, Kan.

(Nov. 11, 1954) – Sal Pillitteri was named Distinguished Military Student in the senior ROTC class at Fordham College.

The award entitles him to a commission in the regular Army upon his graduation in June 1955, rather than the usual reserve status tendered cadets in the program.

Pillitteri received intensive training during the summer in military intelligence at Ft. Riley, Kan. While there he served as the commander of the cadet battalion an received the outstanding cadet award.

At Fordham he has maintained Dean’s list averaged in the American Civilization concentration and served as editor in chief of the college annual, The Maroon.

(June 1955) – Salvatore Pillitteri was graduated from Fordham College on June 8. In his freshman year, he was assistant editor of Bugle Notes, an annual publication of the cadet corps of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He will be commissioned as a 2^nd lieutenant in the regular Army.

Pillitteri will report to Fort Benning, Ga., in August to begin 16 weeks of training in infantry officer school, after which he will receive airborne training.

He has been assigned as a platoon leader with the 69^th Basic Training Regiment at Fort Dix, for the remainder of his three-year tour.

Source: The Nutley Sun

Nutley Sons Honor Roll

Peacetime Casualties