North Bergen Man Celebrates 100 Years

North Bergen, NJ – When Manuel Corrales was born in 1925, Hudson County was a different place. The waterfront was packed with factories, immigrants arrived daily in search of work, and trolleys even ran through North Bergen. The Holland Tunnel was still two years away from opening, and life moved at a slower pace.

Fast forward a century, and Corrales is now a proud North Bergen resident celebrating a remarkable milestone—his 100th birthday. On March 13, family, friends, and local officials gathered at Cullum Tower in North Bergen to honor his long and inspiring life.

North Bergen Commissioners Hugo Cabrera and Claudia Rodriguez presented Corrales with a special certificate from Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Township Commissioners. Assemblyman Julio Marenco, who also leads the North Bergen Housing Authority, awarded him a commendation from the State of New Jersey General Assembly, recognizing his “exemplary and inspiring long life.”

“Manuel Corrales has led a life exhibiting strength, resilience, and unwavering dedication,” the state document read, acknowledging his contributions to the community and his firsthand experience of a century’s worth of change.