Carmen A. Orechio of Nutley, the former Senate President and former Nutley Commissioner and Nutley Mayor, has died.

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. issued a statement.

“Carmen Orechio was a devoted public servant for his hometown of Nutley and Essex County as a Commissioner, Mayor and State Senator,” said the county executive. “As an elected official, he was a staunch advocate for public safety, health care and services to benefit children and senior citizens, and the legislation he sponsored has enhanced the quality of life for generations of residents.

“Carmen personified what it meant to give back to the community, and it was an honor for us to recognize his numerous contributions by naming the Carmen A. Orechio Recreation Complex in Essex County Yanticaw Park in 2009. He was a legend and a friend, and will be missed.”

A veteran of WWII, who was first elected to the state senate in 1973, Mr. Orechio, a Democrat, served as Senate President from 1982-1985. In 1991, he announced that he would not pursue reelection. He served on the Nutley Board of Commissioners, where he was an expert on public safety, from 1968 to 2008.

He was 91 at the time of his death.