BOONTON — The room was crowded with more than 150 supporters at Sokol Hall in Boonton on Monday, March 4, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon began his campaign for re-election alongside fellow Boonton native, Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco.
Gannon grew up in Boonton Township in an Irish and Polish Catholic family with two brothers and one sister, who were all raised by his father, mother and grandmother. His passion for law enforcement came from his father, who was a New York City Police Detective. Gannon graduated Boonton High School where he played sports and also was a member of the Boonton Township Fire Service.
Gannon earned his Associate’s degree in Law Enforcement from County College of Morris, and then his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from William Paterson University. After graduation, Gannon started out as a Patrolman in his hometown of Boonton Township, and then Boonton, followed by service as Deputy Chief of Investigations at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI’s elite Joint Terrorism Task Force and Morris County-based Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where he retired as the Global Head of Security Risk.
Gannon was married to his wife, Lisa, for 26 years before losing her in 2010 after a courageous battle against Multiple Sclerosis. Jim and Lisa had one daughter, Kate who, along with her husband Matt, are parents to son Luca. Jim is a lifelong resident of Morris County and lives in Boonton.
