New street sign honors mother of Hillsdale murder victim
Joan D'Alessandro was 7 years old when she was killed.
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For years, Rosemarie D'Alessandro fought for stronger child protection laws after her daughter Joan was murdered at age 7 while delivering Girl Scout cookies. This week, Hillsdale honored her efforts and the foundation she started in Joan's memory.
Joan's Joy Legacy Lane was officially unveiled on Monday, more than 50 years after Joan was killed. The sign bears the name of the foundation Rosemarie D'Alessandro started after her daughter's death.
Joan, an energetic Girl Scout who liked dancing, dogs and daffodils, was killed in April 1973 after visiting a neighbor three houses away to deliver cookies. In the wake of the tragedy, her mother channeled her grief into a crusade to strengthen laws protecting children. She started Joan's Joy Legacy Foundation and advocated for the passage of Joan's Law in New Jersey in 1997. A federal version of the law was passed in 1998. The legislation received bipartisan support and ensures that anyone who murders and sexually assaults a child under the age of 14 will never be eligible for parole. New Jersey later updated the law to include any child under 18.
“Joan’s joy is still here. It’s on this street sign. It’s in the law that bears her name. And it’s in every child who is a little safer because you refused to let her story end in silence,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer said during the street sign unveiling Monday.
The street is located at the intersection of Florence Street and Clinton Avenue in Hillsdale. In another part of town near the Hillsdale train station, a monument and "white butterfly" sculpture garden also honor Joan's memory.
