Fortunato was born in
Orange, New Jersey in 1946. He graduated from
Montclair High School where he received all-state high school honors in baseball and football. He then attended
Rider College where he graduated in 1968. Since 1971, he has been executive of
The Italian Tribune, a
Newark-based publication focused primarily on
Italian American culture. In 1977, Fortunato, a resident of
Glen Ridge, was elected to the General Assembly from the
27th district encompassing the northern suburbs of
Essex County. He came in second place behind incumbent
Republican Carl Orechio. In the next election in 1979, Fortunato placed first in the election ahead of Orechio. After redistricting in 1981, the northern Essex district was slightly reconfigured and renumbered the
30th district. Fortunato came in first in the 1981 election ahead of Republican
John V. Kelly. He again was reelected in 1983 but for the first time his Democratic running mate,
Steve Adubato Jr., was also elected. During the 1984–1985 Assembly session, he was chairman of the Committee on Independent Authorities and Commissions and vice chair of the Transportation and Communications Committee. The indictment plus the strong coattails of Republican
Thomas Kean in the
gubernatorial election led to the defeat of Fortunato and Adubato by Republicans Kelly and
Marion Crecco. Fortunato was later acquitted of the bribery charges in 1987 and attempted to stage a comeback to the Assembly in 1989. ==References==