Tom’s River is one of the most well known towns in all of New Jersey. It was made famous for appearances in TV shows like Boardwalk Empire and Jersey Shore, and of course the 1998 Little League World Series Team. For those who don’t know the story, Tom’s River is home to the 1998 Little League World Series championship team that garnered international attention after upsetting Japan and bringing the world championship back to the United States. Beyond the town’s notoriety, there are a few famous people that call Tom’s River and the immediate surrounding area home.  

Sam Porcello

This is likely a name that you don’t know, but Sam’s work is something we have all enjoyed. The man nicknamed “Mr. Oreo” is credited with creating the modern day Oreo, specifically the cream filling. Sam worked as a food scientist at Nabisco for 34 years, but none of his work is more influential than the creation of the modern day Oreo cream filling. Sam was born in nearby Newark, but moved to Tom’s River in 1974 and spent the rest of his life there until he passed away on 2012.

Todd Frazier

Maybe Tom’s River’s most well known resident, certainly the most well known currently, is Todd Frazier. Todd was the lifeblood of the 1998 Little World Series team that won the world championship and has developed into one of the best young players in the Major Leagues. Todd currently plays 3rd base for the Chicago White Sox and spent his first 5 season with the Cincinnati Reds. He was an MLB All Star in 2014 and 2015, and even won the 2015 Home Run derby with one of the most impressive performances in recent history. Todd’s brothers, Charlie and Jeff Frazier, also from Tom’s River, played in the major leagues for a period as well.

Al Leiter

Sticking with the theme of baseball, the next famous resident from tom’s river is former MLB pitcher Al Leiter. Al was born in Tom’s river in 1965 and pitched 19 seasons in the Major Leagues before retiring in 2005. He played for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets. He was twice an all star in 1996 and 2000 and even completed one of the rarest feats in sports by throwing a no-hitter in 1996. Al won 3 world series championships in his time in the league. By no means is Al Leiter a hall of famer, but he had a very good professional career and was one of the more popular players in the league during his time.

Demetri Martin

Demetri Martin, originally from New York but grew up in Tom’s River, is a stand up comedian that has appeared on all kinds of different TV and movie productions. Most notably, Martin was a writer for Conan O’brien and appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Demetri has had his own Comedy Central Presents 3-part stand-up special. He frequently does comedy tours and often makes stops close to home near Tom’s River. You can check Demtri’s website (http://live.demetrimartin.com ) to see his tour dates and upcoming things he will be appearing in.

Tom’s River is home to much more than just these handful of celebrities, these are just some of the headliners. As you can probably tell, athletics are the main source of fame in Tom’s River. The rich history of sports in the town, specifically baseball, has put Tom’s River on the map. For such a small town, Tom’s river is flooded with famous residents, which makes you wonder…which one of your neighbors could be the next to make it big?