Exhibit 31.1


                                  CERTIFICATION
                                  -------------


I, John A. Celentano, Jr., certify that:

        1.        I have  reviewed  this Form 10-Q of Clifton  Savings  Bancorp,
                  Inc.;

        2.        Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
                  statement of a material  fact or omit to state a material fact
                  necessary  to  make  the  statements  made,  in  light  of the
                  circumstances  under  which such  statements  were  made,  not
                  misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

        3.        Based on my  knowledge,  the financial  statements,  and other
                  financial  information included in this report, fairly present
                  in all material respects the financial  condition,  results of
                  operations  and cash flows of the  registrant  as of, and for,
                  the periods presented in this report;

        4.        The  registrant's  other  certifying   officer(s)  and  I  are
                  responsible  for  establishing   and  maintaining   disclosure
                  controls  and  procedures  (as defined in  Exchange  Act Rules
                  13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

                        a.   Designed such disclosure  controls and  procedures,
                             or caused such  disclosure  controls and procedures
                             to be  designed  under our  supervision,  to ensure
                             that   material   information   relating   to   the
                             registrant,      including     its     consolidated
                             subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within
                             those entities,  particularly  during the period in
                             which this report is being prepared;

                        b.   Designed   such  internal  control  over  financial
                             reporting,  or caused such  internal  control  over
                             financial   reporting  to  be  designed  under  our
                             supervision,   to  provide   reasonable   assurance
                             regarding the  reliability  of financial  reporting
                             and the  preparation  of financial  statements  for
                             external  purposes  in  accordance  with  generally
                             accepted accounting principles; and

                        c.   Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of the  registrant's
                             disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
                             this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
                             of the disclosure  controls and  procedures,  as of
                             the end of the period  covered by this report based
                             on such evaluation; and

        5.        The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s)  and  I  have
                  disclosed,  based on our most  recent  evaluation  of internal
                  control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
                  and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors
                  (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

                       a.   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses
                            in the design or operation of internal  control over
                            financial  reporting which are reasonably  likely to
                            adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
                            process, summarize and report financial information;
                            and

                       b.   Any fraud,  whether  or not material,  that involves
                            management or other employees who have a significant
                            role  in  the  registrant's  internal  control  over
                            financial reporting.


/s/ John A. Celentano, Jr.                             November 1, 2004
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Chief Executive Officer                                         Date