Prior to his Senate service, Mr. Sarlo served one term in the Assembly. The senator has been mayor of Wood-Ridge since January, 2000, and served on the borough's council from 1995 to 2000.

Mr. Sarlo has been prime sponsor of more than 250 laws including those reforming the state's school funding formula, lowering income taxes, strengthening the fiscal health of the state pension fund, and providing dedicated funding for vital infrastructure projects throughout the state. He also sponsored bills reforming the workers compensation system, criminalizing the illegal trafficking and distribution of prescriptions drugs, requiring schools to adopt bullying prevention policies, and upgrading penalties for identity theft.

Senator Sarlo was born in Passaic, and attended Wood-Ridge public schools. He received bachelor and master of science degrees in civil engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology, in 1991 and 1993, respectively.

Mr. Sarlo is a licensed professional engineer and planner, and a certified municipal engineer. He and his wife, Concetta, have two sons, Anthony Joseph, born in 2000, and Michael Paul, born in 2004.