BELLEVILLE, N.J. (1010 WINS) — A historic New Jersey funeral home which was featured frequently featured on the HBO mob drama “The Sopranos” is in danger of being torn down.
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The Irvine-Cozzarelli Memorial Home, which was constructed in 1887, was recently redesignated as an "Area in Need of Redevelopment" (ANOR). An ANOR classification possibly leaves the building vulnerable to demolition from developers, according to the Belleville Historical Society.
Considered Belleville’s first funeral home, the Irvine-Cozzarelli Memorial Home is one of the last surviving historic homes in the town, the historical society said, after a wave of construction in the 1960s wiped out most of the area’s treasured historic houses.
The building is most well-known for being featured in several Sopranos episodes. Its lush interior is an artistic and architectural beauty designed by James Cozzarelli who died in 2021.
After Cozzarelli’s death, surviving family has little interest in maintaining it as an operational funeral home.
“There’s nobody in the family who is a licensed funeral director that would be interested in buying [the business],” Frank Cozzarelli told NJ.com, citing limited on-site parking and high cost of upgrades which have discouraged purchases from other funeral homes of the building.
Earlier this month, the Belleville Historical Society put out a press release to express their dissatisfaction with the decision.
“The building is in immaculate condition and located in a prime location,” the historical society said. “It would be difficult to understand how it could possibly meet the statutory requirements to be declared ANOR. With the construction of new residential and mixed-use buildings nearby and the construction of a new parking deck directly across the street of the Cozzarelli building, there are ample opportunities for this beautiful building to thrive and continue to exist as a town jewel.”
The funeral home was previously listed in 2014 for $1.8 million. It is now under contract with Premier Developers LLC and may be demolished for apartments as early as 2023 after the results of the planning board’s evaluation.
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