Alla Famiglia—to Family!

IN THE SMALL mountain town of Bompietro in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Vincenzo Anello entered the world. In 1956, his father, Salvatore Anello, left Italy to work in the United States with hopes of providing a better life for his loving wife, Giuseppa, and their children.

Two years later, in 1958, more of the family joined Salvatore in Garfield, New Jersey, including Vince, his mother and Vince’s older brother, Joseph.

As a young boy, Vince was put into the American school system speaking only Italian. “I had a classmate who befriended me and taught me how to speak English,” he recalls with a smile.

It didn’t take long for the young Vince’s business instincts to kick in. “I worked at the Herald News as a teenager for two years,” he says. A top carrier for the paper, Vince’s work ethic continued when he began working for the family fence business with his father and older brother. After graduating high school, Vince headed to Washington, D.C., and earned his degrees (Bachelor of Science and business administration) from Strayer University. He enjoyed his time in school in our nation’s capital. “It was a great time in my life,” Vince says. “I remember attending the inauguration of Richard Nixon in 1969. I enjoyed studying in Washington, D.C.”

FATHER OF FIVE

During his summers home, Vince continued to work alongside his dad and brother. At this time, Vince’s sisters, Maria and Pietrina, came to join the family in New Jersey. After his first year of college, Vince also worked at a fence company in Virginia as a salesman to put himself through school. “My parents always taught us to work hard,” he says.

After college, Vince used his degrees to continue working with the fence business, and at that time, he met the love of his life, Catherine Taddeo. The pair met in 1972, were engaged in 1973 and married in 1974!

“I knew she wasn’t just my other half but my better half,” says Vince, a sentiment he repeats often. They

took a trip around the world for their honeymoon and promptly settled in to start a family while the fence business continued to grow.

A year later, the couple welcomed their first child, a son, Salvatore, named after Vince’s father. They went on to have sons Vincenzo Jr., Christopher and Anthony, and a daughter, Angela.

During the time they were having children, they built a house on land in Pompton Plains in 1982, and the now-empty-nesters remain at the same residence.

Through all the hustle and bustle of raising children and running a fence business, family life was important, especially Sunday meals. “Times around the dinner table to talk and enjoy food kept everyone close,” says Catherine. “There’s nothing like gathering for dinner together.”

A household with five children was full of stories, especially when you added a menagerie of animals. From hamster escapes to a rescued baby deer, animals were a constant, and included goats, sheep, rabbits, turkey, ducks and, of course, dogs and cats! “There was always something   happening on the property, never a dull moment,” says Vince.

A FAMILY BUSINESS

Vince’s sons always worked at the fencing business while growing up, and in between working, Vince was very active in kid’s athletics for his children. He was president of Pequannock Soccer, president of Jersey Hills Soccer League and president of Friends of Wrestling, to name a few.

“Being a part of the community is important,” he says. He also funded the Sports Factory Soccer Bubble in Lincoln Park in 2002 and was instrumental in bringing Cedar Crest Senior Living Community to Pompton Plains.

Freedom Fence, owned by Vince’s sons, has many moving parts. Anthony is almost always in-house and handles most walk-ins. “I love working in the town I grew up in and now live in,” Anthony says. “Dad has taught us so much, and we’re grateful.”

Sal explains, “This business is all about family, and we learned that from our father. He also taught us the technical side. We do everything from supply and install [for] commercial and residential fencing [to] manufacturing and wholesale, [and handle] walk-ins as well as appointments, [providing] free estimates servicing Northern New Jersey.”

“Dad taught us everything we know from the bottom up,” says Christopher. “My brothers and I love nothing more than working with our dad.”

Vince Jr. credits his father with all their experience. “We’ve done it all, from sweeping floors to building fences and [doing] estimates,” he says. “It gives us the ability to answer all client questions. We couldn’t have done any of this without Dad teaching us from the start.”

Although Vince’s sons own Freedom Fence, their mother Catherine says, “[Vince] will never truly retire, but the difference is [that] now he can come in [to work] on his own terms, no set schedules. He gave the boys the foundation they needed to run a successful business. There is a lot of glue in this business; the family keeps it together.” The family considers the business Vince’s legacy.

Receptionist and go-to assistant for Freedom Fence is Elmina Zisa. The boys say that the invaluable Zisa helps run the ship. She is usually the face behind the front desk to greet you when you enter the doors of Freedom Fence at 340 NJ-23 in Pompton Plains, or the cheerful voice that answers the phone.

GRANDFATHER OF 19

In his spare time, Vince enjoys tending his vegetable garden in warmer months and traveling with Catherine, whether it be on cruises or a drive to Atlantic City. Of course, he’s had plenty of trips to his homeland of Italy, but as of late, closer destinations work best for the grandparents of 19, and counting!

Vince’s biggest pastime with Catherine is keeping up with the grandchildren and being superfans at events for wrestling, soccer, hockey, baseball, cheerleading, lacrosse, gymnastics, dance and volleyball! The two love spending time with all of the grandkids, who call Vince “Cumba,” a term of endearment. Both Vince and Catherine say their time with the grandchildren brings them much joy.

The Anellos feel very blessed, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the summer of 2024. It’s a special time in their lives, and they don’t take it for granted. “Dad always reminds us that he’s family-rich; it’s the best wealth in the world,” Sal reflects.

“Family comes first; knowing your priorities is important,” says Vince. “When it comes down to it, I owe everything to my dad, Salvatore Sr. He came to America first and made all the sacrifices to give me a better life. I was able to become whatever I wanted to, get my citizenship and live the American dream, all because of Dad.”

In a full-circle moment, Vince’s daughter, Angela Steimel, shares similar sentiments. “I admire my dad so much for coming to this country with nothing and building a better life for himself,” she says. “If it wasn’t for all his hard work and sacrifices, I wouldn’t have had the wonderful upbringing I had.”

Vince is pleased that the family traditions and fence business that his father passed down continues thriving. It’s common in many Italian families to raise a glass and toast “alla famiglia,” or “to family.” Here’s to family and traditions! Happy Father’s Day, Vincenzo!

BY ANTONIETTA HENRY