Jersey City corner renamed for Frank Roman, longtime community activist

by Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal
Monday March 30, 2009


Dozens of persons, including Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Fire Director Armando Roman gathered yesterday to rename the corner of Academy Street and Baldwin Avenue "Frank Roman Way" in honor of Director Roman's brother who was a longtime community activist.

Dozens of persons gathered yesterday at the corner of Academy Street and Baldwin Avenue in Jersey City to rename the intersection "Frank Roman Way" in honor of the lifelong Jersey City resident and community organizer who lived nearby.

Forty-seven years old when he passed away 10 years ago, Roman was a former two-term president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 2306, which represents around 600 Hudson County welfare employees and served as president of the steering committee of Hogar CREA, a Jersey City drug rehabilitation center, officials said.

He was also a vice president of the Jersey City Puerto Rican Heritage Parade for four years.
His brother, Armando Roman, is the city's fire director.

Several elected officials attended the dedication ceremony, including Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez, Hudson County Freeholder Eliu Rivera, Council President Mariano Vega, Councilman Peter Brennan, and Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari.

Armando Roman remembered his brother, who died March 24, 1999, as "a defender of his people."

Frank Roman had six brothers and five sisters and left behind his fiancee, Linda Mangan. Roman graduated from St. Peter's College after attending public schools including Ferris High School.