According to his obituary on the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home website, visitation will be held Thursday, Sept. 12 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the funeral home in Fairfield. The funeral will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13 at the funeral home, with a Funeral Mass set for 10 a.m., at the St. Thomas More R.C. Church.
Ciampi graduated from West Essex High School before earning his bachelor's from Rutgers University and had been pursuing his master's at Seton Hall University. While an officer with the Fairfield Police Department, Ciampi earned four lifesaving citations, three unit citations, and one meritorious service citation. He also received a gallantry star from department and valor awards from the 200 Club of Essex County.
Ciampi was awarded the PT Award in his class at the police academy and later became an instructor at the academy, according to his obituary. He also competed in two bodybuilding competitions, having won both in his weight class.
A procession made its way through Lyndhurst and Rutherford, along Routes 3 and 21, and in other North Jersey towns Monday evening, Sept. 9, presumably transporting Ciampi's body. Daily Voice has reached out to Chief Manna for details.
Ciampi began his career with FPD as a Class II Special Officer in October 2016. A year later, he became a full-time officer. In 2022, Ciampi was assigned to the Essex County Auto Theft Task Force for six months "where he excelled at helping to arrest many criminals throughout Essex County," Manna previously said.
A physical fitness instructor, Ciampi was an integral part of running the department’s junior police academy and Special Olympics Snow Bowl flag football team.
In addition to earning four lifesaving citations, three unit citations, and a meritorious service citation, Ciampi was honored in 2018 by Mothers Against Drunken Driving for his work in the area.
In April 2020, he was among three Fairfield police officers who helped neutralize a suspect who had pointed a loaded handgun at officers following a pursuit, Manna said.
The officer's death comes just more than a month after his chief, Anthony Manna, announced he was sick and had been unable to work due to cancer.
Click here for James Ciampi's complete obituary.
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