Our Story
The Otterstedt Insurance Agency was founded in 1919 by Fred H. Otterstedt. Upon the retirement of Fred Otterstedt in 1955, Joseph C. Parisi Sr. acquired the agency, and the rest is history. Otterstedt Insurance Agency has been owned, operated, and grown under the experience and excellence of the Parisi family.
Our agency’s legacy of success was begun by Joseph Parisi Sr. and his wife, Lucille. Through hard work, they successfully grew the agency from a three-employee shop in Guttenberg to a 100+ employee agency with six locations throughout North Jersey.
Aside from being exceedingly business-minded, Parisi Sr. was equally civic-minded. He was a veteran of WWII, and he served as the Mayor of Englewood Cliffs for 30 years until his passing in 2005. It is his model of outstanding service to the community and the underpinning of exceptional business practices that make Otterstedt Agency such a special company with which to do business.
In 1976, Robert J. Casazza was hired to assist Parisi Sr. Casazza’s history is also one of service to his country and community, for he served two years in the US Army as a NATO advisor. He also serves as a director on the executive board of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of NJ. In 2010 Casazza was named President of Otterstedt, a testament to his 40 years of service to the agency, and continues to lead the Agency in growth and acquisitions.
In 1979, Joseph C. Parisi Jr. joined the Agency and, through his guidance, moved the office into the 21st Century as well as expanded the office footprint to our present 6 locations. Joe Jr. served as CEO and Chairman until his passing in 2022. Joe Jr. also served the community as councilman for the Borough of Englewood Cliffs for five years and as Mayor of Englewood Cliffs, a role he served for ten years.
The team approach to solving problems for our clients is a major factor in what sets Otterstedt apart from others. Our experience as risk managers in both the public-private sectors helps to ensure that our clients receive the top-notch service they need and deserve. In addition, Otterstedt’s professional and experienced claims staff assist in reporting, analyzing, and servicing our clients’ claims. Our claims department lives by the motto, “we are always here to help.”
“We still think of individuals by name and not as an account number,” states Bob Casazza. It is that mindset, coupled with a long-standing presence in the community and more than 100 years in the insurance industry, that makes us proud to say that Otterstedt is: Leading With Experience.
