Sir Richard Arkwright was born in 1732 in Lancashire, England. He worked first as a wig-maker before becoming an inventor during the Industrial Revolution. Though he patented some waterpower-based-machinery, his main contribution was through his factory system of production. Arkwright was so successful that by the end of his life he employed over 5,000 workers and was knighted.

Gurū Nānak (1469-1539), born in Punjab, India, was a spiritual leader, the founder of Sikhism, and the first of the ten Sikh gurus. The Richmond Hill neighborhood in which the street named for him is located at the heart of the Punjabi and Sikh community in Queens. Guru Nanak Way intersects with the part of 101st Avenue co-named “Punjabi Avenue.”

Sarah Willets Meyer (1880-1939) (also spelled “Sara”) was a member of the Willets family, a clan that figured prominently in the early history of Queens after making their fortune in the mid-1800s in the whaling industry. In 1850, Robert Willets (1825-1889), Sarah’s grandfather, built a home on a 200-acre estate in what is now Bayside. Adjoined to Willets Point (now Fort Totten), the homestead became known as Shore Acres, and it was there that Sarah was raised and made her home. In 1939, she generously donated a portion of her family estate to New York City to allow for the construction of a segment of the Cross Island Parkway, which was part of the broader Belt Parkway project. Sarah was the last of her family to live at Shore Acres. After her death, the property was sold and, by the early 1960s, demolished. Sarah’s father, Gardiner Howland Leavitt, hailed from an affluent background and served for a period as president of Flushing Gas and Light. Her mother, Amelia Willets Leavitt, was one of two daughters of Robert Willets. When Robert died in 1889, Amelia inherited Shore Acres and the surrounding estate, which then passed to Sarah in 1923. On October 8, 1902, Sarah married Charles Garrison Meyer, the son of real estate developer Cord Meyer. Special cars were attached to the Long Island Rail Road to bring guests to their ceremony and reception, which took place at Shore Acres and included some 600 attendees. The following week, the newlyweds sailed for Gibraltar and Europe for their honeymoon. Together, they had four children: Margaret, Charles Jr., Gardiner, and S. Willets. Shore Acres was considered a high society showplace, and it was the site of many festivities over the course of its heyday in the Gay 90s, when Sarah’s parents hosted a variety of grand balls and masquerades. Sarah and Charles continued this tradition, offering society events and benefits, such as a 400-guest ladies’ card party fundraiser on June 19, 1929, that Sarah held for the North Shore Centre of the Family Welfare Society. On March 31, 1939, Sarah died at her Manhattan residence at 800 Park Avenue, and she and her husband, Charles, are buried in Flushing Cemetery. In recognition of her gift of land to complete the highway construction, the City installed a bronze plaque on a wall under the Cross Island Parkway at Bell Boulevard near Fort Totten. The plaque reads: “In grateful recognition of the gift by Sara Willets Meyer of the land on which this bridge and a portion of the Belt Parkway have been built. — Anno Domini MCMXXXIX”

Maureen Walthers (1934 – 2020) was the owner and publisher of the Ridgewood Times and Times Newsweekly. Walthers was a homemaker in the 1970s when she wrote a letter to the editor of the Ridgewood Times about drug use at a playground a block away. The letter impressed the paper’s then-publisher, and she was offered a job as a writer - it began a five-decade association with the weekly newspaper covering the Greater Ridgewood area (Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, and Middle Village). She was on the front lines covering the civic scene in Ridgewood and neighboring Bushwick, Brooklyn, during the 1970s. She would ride along with police officers and firefighters as they responded to emergencies in both communities and chronicled the rampant urban decay in Bushwick an award-winning seven-part series, “The Agony of Bushwick,” published in the Ridgewood Times in the summer and fall of 1977. The series brought further public awareness of the community’s woes, and action from the city to reverse the decline. Walthers was one of the founding members of the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society and took an active role in helping to preserve and landmark the Onderdonk House, a colonial farmhouse on Flushing Avenue. She was also an active member of Queens Community Board 5 for many years and served for a time as the chair of its Public Safety Committee. She was also involved with the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation, which promotes the preservation of the neighborhood’s housing stock. In 1981, she became the Ridgewood Times’ first female editor, as well as executive vice president and co-owner. She became owner of the paper and expanded it over the next three decades beyond the Greater Ridgewood area. She launched the Times Newsweekly in 1989, a version of the Ridgewood Times distributed in northwestern and southwestern Queens communities, extending out as far north as Astoria and as far south Howard Beach. The Times Newsweekly sponsored Cop of the Month awards at eight precincts covering western Queens and Bushwick.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) was the 34th President of the United States, serving two terms from 1953-1961. Before serving as president he had a long military career including commanding the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November 1942. In addition, he served as Supreme Commander of the troops invading France on D-Day, 1944. After the war, Eisenhower served as the President of Columbia University and in 1951 as the Supreme Commander of the newly assembled NATO forces. He ran for and won the Presidency in 1952, using the slogan “I like Ike”. As President he worked to reduce the strains of the Cold War, signing the Korean Truce in 1953. The death of Stalin in 1953 also allowed him to establish better relations with the Soviet Union. Domestically, Eisenhower was considered a moderate Republican and continued many of the New Deal and Fair Deal programs. He advocated for Civil Rights, sending troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to assure compliance with the orders of a Federal court to desegregate the schools. He also ordered the complete desegregation of the Armed Forces. He Mamie Geneva Doud in 1916.

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Lorena Borjas (1960-2020) was a fierce advocate for the transgender and Latinx communities in Queens. Borjas moved to the U.S. in 1980 and earned a green card through a Reagan-era amnesty program. She was convicted of charges related to prostitution in 1994, but the charges were later vacated, since she was forced into prostitution by human traffickers. However, other convictions remained on her record until 2017, when then-Governor Andrew M. Cuomo pardoned her. She became a U.S. citizen in 2019. Borjas inspired many people through her advocacy for the LGBT community. She co-founded the Lorena Borjas Community Fund in 2012 and was actively involved in many organizations, including the AIDS Center of Queens County, the Hispanic AIDS Forum and the Latino Commission on AIDS. In 2015, she founded El Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo, a non-profit organization that works to defend the rights of transgender and gender non-binary people. The organization provides legal and medical services to trans and non-binary sex workers and undocumented members of the community. Although Borjas had already been taking sex workers to clinics to get tested for HIV and helping to get lawyers for possible deportation cases, El Colectivo was a way for her to officially continue that work. She also became a counselor for the Community Healthcare Network's Transgender Family Program, where she worked to obtain legal aid for victims of human trafficking. Borjas died on March 30, 2020, of complications from COVID-19. On June 26, 2022, a bill was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul establishing the Lorena Borjas transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) wellness and equity fund, which will be used to invest in increasing employment opportunities, providing access to gender-affirming healthcare, and raising awareness about transgender and gender non-binary people in New York.

In the course of his 25 years in politics, Joseph Addabbo (1925-1986) won much respect from his colleagues, constituents and community for his ability to be just, compassionate and effective. A lifelong resident of Ozone Park, he was educated at City College and St. John’s University, where he received his law degree in 1946. Addabbo began his career as a lawyer. First elected to represent the 6th District in Queens in 1960, Addabbo, a Democrat, was re-elected to Congress 12 times. He supported legislation to benefit the elderly, education, small businesses, veterans benefits, and appropriation of funds for economically depressed areas. As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (1979-1986), Addabbo played a powerful role in both shaping and challenging national defense policy. He worked to curb defense spending, sponsored legislation to halt the Vietnam War, and advocated a nuclear freeze while at the same time bolstering defense contracts for New York. Addabbo served in Congress until he died on April 10, 1986.

William Prince Jr. (1766-1842) was a horticulturalist, entrepreneur, nursery owner, and author who was instrumental in the growth of his family’s nursery business in Flushing. The Princes were pioneers in American horticulture, and their family-run nursery thrived for 130 years over four generations, introducing plants from around the world to this country. Prince’s grandfather, Robert Prince, owned a fruit farm on eight acres near Flushing Creek. Around 1737, Robert’s son, William Prince Sr. helped expand it into the first commercial nursery in the United States. The Prince nursery was considered of such value that the operation was protected by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was visited by presidents, including George Washington in 1789 and Thomas Jefferson in 1791 (who placed a large order for his home in Monticello). William Jr. greatly expanded the business, running it from around 1793 to his death in 1842, when ownership passed to his son, William R. Prince. The nursery ultimately closed in 1869. William Prince Jr. was one of thirteen children born to William Sr. and Ann (Thorne) Prince. William Jr. married Mary Stratton, and the couple had four children. On William Sr.’s death in 1793, the business passed to William Jr. and his brother, Benjamin. William Jr. expanded his portion of the nursery when he purchased 80 adjacent acres in Flushing, calling it Linnaean Botanic Garden after Carolus Linnaeus, a biologist credited with formalizing the modern system of naming species. A member of prominent horticultural societies in London, Paris, and Florence, William Jr. authored A Treatise on Horticulture (1828), which is the first comprehensive American book on the subject. To further improve the business, William Jr. formed the Flushing Bridge and Road Company and built the first bridge over Flushing Creek, with a toll crossing completed around 1801. Completion of the project reduced the distance to Brooklyn by about four miles, making travel and operational expansion easier for the nursery. The bridge was later transformed into a drawbridge and was subsequently rebuilt several times over its history. The William Prince Bridge (often referred to as the Flushing Bridge or the Flushing Creek Bridge) spans Flushing Creek via Northern Boulevard/25A in northwestern Queens, and its current iteration was constructed in 1980.

Luz Colon (d. 2003) was an advocate for new immigrants in Queens. Born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, she grew up in East Harlem and later moved to Queens. She graduated from John Jay College and served as the executive director of the Community Conciliation Network, a not-for-profit organization in Corona, and as the vice president of the Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Queens. In 1997, she became the director of the mayor’s Queens citizenship and immigration office upon its opening, and served in that role until her sudden death from a brain aneurysm in 2003. Luz Colon Place, at the corner of Baxter Avenue and Layton Street, was co-named in her honor in 2006. The street name marks the spot where Colon set up her “Citizenship Van” in the 1990s, from which she helped thousands of immigrants through the naturalization process.

Arthur Hammerstein (1872 - 1955) was an American producer, songwriter, dramatist, playwright and theater manager. Hammerstein was born in New York City to theater impresario and composer Oscar Hammerstein I. In 1908 Arthur started working on becoming a producer, and in 1910 embarked on his first production, the operetta “Naughty Marietta.”  Arthur's brother Willie Hammerstein died in June 1914, and Arthur took over management of the family's Victoria Theater; however, the theater was not financially viable and closed the next year. Hammerstein went on to produce almost 30 musicals in 40 years in show business including Rudolf Friml operettas, and collaborations with his nephew, Oscar Hammerstein II, who went on to fame as part of the team Rodgers and Hammerstein. Hammerstein built what is today the Ed Sullivan Theater, which he operated from 1927 to 1931. In 1924, Hammerstein built an expansive home for his bride, actress Dorothy Dalton in Beechhurst, a neighborhood in Whitestone, Queens - bordered by the East River and the Cross Island Parkway. During the era of silent movies, Beechurst was a go-to location for famous stars including actress Mary Pickford, nicknamed “America’s Sweetheart” during the silent film era, as well as the Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields. He named the neo-Tudor home, designed by architect Dwight James Baum, “Wildflower Estate,” after his longest-running play. Hammerstein did not enjoy Wildflower long; in 1930 he had to sell it to support his theater operations. It became a yacht club and, and later a restaurant “Ripples on the Water,” which closed in the 1980s. The house was designated a landmark in 1982. The home was nearly destroyed by arson in 1994, then sat abandoned and empty for a number of years. The house was fully restored in 2000, and now is part of the Wildflower Estates condominiums. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Addisleigh Park, a landmarked community in St. Albans, Queens, is celebrated for its rich history as a home to Black musicians, athletes, civic leaders, and families who helped shape the cultural and civic life of New York City. The surrounding neighborhoods of Addisleigh Park, St. Albans, and South Jamaica honor this legacy through co-named streets and community landmarks that recognize individuals whose lives exemplified creativity, leadership, and service. From world-renowned artists to beloved educators, faith leaders, and local advocates, these honorees reflect the diversity, resilience, and spirit of the community. Their names remind us that neighborhood streets carry stories of achievement and care, passed down through generations. More stories and entries can be explored on Queens Public Library’s Name Explorer interactive map.

Frank D. O’Connor (1909-1992) was an American lawyer and politician who grew up in Elmhurst, Queens. O’Connor was born in Manhattan to Irish immigrant parents and raised in Elmhurst, he graduated from Newtown High School and worked his way through Niagara University as a lifeguard. He earned his L.L.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1934. During WW II, he joined the Coast Guard and served as a legal officer in Alaska. O’Connor won a seat in the New York State Senate from Queens in 1949 to 1952, and was elected again in 1954 until 1955 when he was elected Queens DA. From 1955 to 1965, O’Connor presided as the Queens District Attorney, after which he served as President of the City Council for three years. As Council President, he promoted distributing public housing throughout the city and creating a civilian complaint review board for the Police Department. This last position hurt O’Connor during his unsuccessful run for Governor against Nelson Rockefeller in 1966. He was elected to the State Supreme Court in 1968 and served until 1976, when Governor Hugh L. Carey appointed him to the Appellate Division, where he served until 1985. O’Connor was active in numerous civic, professional, and cultural organizations, including the Queens County Bar Association, the Emerald Association of Long Island, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a defense lawyer, he gained national attention in 1953, when he defended Christopher Emanuel Balestrero, a musician who had been wrongfully accused of two holdups in Queens. Three years later, Alfred Hitchcock directed "The Wrong Man," a movie based on the case.

Mary "Mae" Foley (1886-1967) shattered gender barriers within the NYPD, becoming one of its first female plainclothes detectives. Her pioneering work inspired over 2,000 women to join the force. She served from 1923 to 1945. Born in Manhattan's Lower East Side Gas House District to Irish and French immigrant parents, Mary Foley always aspired to a police career, even after marrying young and having children. As an adult, she resided at 30-16 82nd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens. Foley began her NYPD training in 1923 and joined the "Masher Squad," a unit dedicated to protecting women from predatory men. She was later assigned to detective work under Chief Inspector William Leahy, actively participating in raids with the Volstead Act enforcement squad (also known as the Bureau of Prohibition or Prohibition Unit). From 1925 to 1930, she was assigned to the 19th Precinct in Manhattan. In 1930, she transferred to the 108th Precinct in Queens, where she became a detective in the homicide division. During her career, Foley worked with Manhattan District Attorney Thomas Dewey, playing a crucial role in the successful conviction of Italian-born gangster Charles "Lucky" Luciano and exposing the pro-Nazi organization, the German American Bund. Foley also contributed to the war effort by helping to organize the Women's Volunteer Police Reserves during World War I, serving as its captain. Her legacy is documented in the book The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country's First Female Investigator and Her Crime Fighting Squad by Mari Eder. In 2024, a street was named "Det. Mary "Mae" Foley Way" in her honor, due to its proximity to the former site of the NYPD's 108th Precinct.

Paul Ferrara (1969-2014) joined the New York City Police Department in June 1992, and began his career on patrol in the 81st Precinct located in Brooklyn. Immediately after the tragedy on September 11, 2001, he was assigned to Ground Zero for the recovery efforts and spent many weeks thereafter assisting with public safety. After serving the Bedford Stuyvesant /Stuyvesant Heights communities for 14 years, he was promoted to Sergeant in February 2006, and was subsequently assigned to the 110th Precinct. On his days off, he would often be assigned to the elite Patrol Borough Queens North Counterterrorism Unit. This unit is responsible for patrolling “sensitive locations” such as stadiums, malls and other terrorist target locations. During his career he was recognized twice for Excellent Police Duty. Ferrara died on August 28, 2014, as a result of 9/11-related illness.

Joseph Lisa Sr. (1898-1977) was a Democratic leader in Queens. His 26 years of community and political service included seven years as a New York State Assemblyman, representing the 31st and 34th districts. Born on October 16, 1898, Lisa and his wife, Marion, lived in Corona and raised three children: James, Charles, and Joseph Jr. For a time, he worked as the proprietor of a bar and grill in Queens Village. Lisa served in the New York State Assembly from 1969 to 1976, retiring in 1977. His son, Joseph Lisa Jr., succeeded him as a district leader and was later appointed to the New York State Supreme Court. On August 31, 1981, a New York State blue spruce was planted in Lisa's memory during a dedication ceremony at William F. Moore Park in Corona. A commemorative stone tablet at the site reads: "THIS TREE PLANTED IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH LISA SR. DEMOCRATIC LEADER FROM 1950-1976."

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz, known for both his trumpet improvisations and his distinctive singing voice. He also broke down numerous racial divides in the music and entertainment worlds, becoming the first Black performer to get featured billing in a major Hollywood film ("Pennies From Heaven," 1936) and the first Black host of a national radio show (Fleischmann's Yeast Show, 1937). Born in New Orleans in 1901, Armstrong grew up impoverished in a racially segregated city. He dropped out of school in fifth grade to work, and developed a close relationship with a local Jewish family that gave him odd jobs and nurtured his love of music. By the age of 11, Armstrong wound up in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, where he joined the band and studied the cornet in earnest. Upon his release from the home in 1914, he began working as a musician on Mississippi riverboats and other local venues. His reputation skyrocketed, and by the early 1920s he moved north, performing and recording with jazz bands in Chicago and New York. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Armstrong made dozens of records with his own and many other ensembles, toured extensively, and began performing in Broadway productions and movies. After some business and health setbacks, and in response to changing musical tastes, Armstrong scaled his group down to a six-piece combo in the 1940s and resumed touring internationally, recording albums and appearing in movies. Some of his biggest popular hits came in the later years of his career, including "Hello Dolly" (1964) and "What A Wonderful World" (1967). His grueling schedule took its toll on his heart and kidneys and in 1968 he was forced to take time off to recuperate, but he began performing again in 1970. Armstrong died in his sleep in July 1971, just a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. This honorary street naming identifies this block of 107th Street as the location of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, formerly the home of Armstrong and his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson. After Lucille’s passing in 1983, she willed the home and its contents to the city of New York, which designated the City University of New York, Queens College to administer it. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and a New York City Landmark in 1988. The archives became accessible in the 1990s, and the historic house opened for public tours in 2003. It also now serves as a venue for concerts and educational programs.

Detective Keith L. Williams (1954 - 1989) Williams was killed on November 13, 1989, while transporting a prisoner from court to back to Riker’s Island. Williams was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens. He attended Jamaica High School, where he played varsity basketball for four years, and Long Island University in Brooklyn. He began his career in the Department of Corrections where he worked until his appointment to the Police Academy in 1981, serving in both Bushwick and South Brooklyn before becoming a detective for the Queens District Attorney’s Squad in 1987. Williams was a dedicated officer and citizen who coached teen-agers in a neighborhood basketball league and started the Keith Roundball Classics, a basketball tournament in Liberty Park. He also sponsored an after-school program at P.S. 116. He received two Excellent Police Duty citations and was honored posthumously with the Medal of Honor in 1990.

William D. Modell Way at Queens Plaza.

Laura Almeida Egas (d. 2017) a native of Ecuador, moved to Queens with her young children in 1975. She began work as a seamstress and soon organized coworkers and learned labor laws to demand they be paid the appropriate wage and have better working conditions - a fight she won. When Almeida became involved as a parishioner at the Most Precious Blood church, her work to support fellow congregants who were unable to attend mass showed her that many needed more than prayers. She recruited other members to help get them, and members of the greater community, to their doctors, get them food and clean their homes. Almeida was well known for her extensive community service, particularly amazing as she was a single parent of three daughters, including Queens Supreme Court Justice Carmen Velasquez.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz, known for both his trumpet improvisations and his distinctive singing voice. He also broke down numerous racial divides in the music and entertainment worlds, becoming the first Black performer to get featured billing in a major Hollywood film ("Pennies From Heaven," 1936) and the first Black host of a national radio show (Fleischmann's Yeast Show, 1937). Born in New Orleans in 1901, Armstrong grew up impoverished in a racially segregated city. He dropped out of school in fifth grade to work, and developed a close relationship with a local Jewish family that gave him odd jobs and nurtured his love of music. By the age of 11, Armstrong wound up in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, where he joined the band and studied the cornet in earnest. Upon his release from the home in 1914, he began working as a musician on Mississippi riverboats and other local venues. His reputation skyrocketed, and by the early 1920s he moved north, performing and recording with jazz bands in Chicago and New York. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Armstrong made dozens of records with his own and many other ensembles, toured extensively, and began performing in Broadway productions and movies. After some business and health setbacks, and in response to changing musical tastes, Armstrong scaled his group down to a six-piece combo in the 1940s and resumed touring internationally, recording albums and appearing in movies. Some of his biggest popular hits came in the later years of his career, including "Hello Dolly" (1964) and "What A Wonderful World" (1967). His grueling schedule took its toll on his heart and kidneys and in 1968 he was forced to take time off to recuperate, but he began performing again in 1970. Armstrong died in his sleep in July 1971, just a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Armstrong and his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson, purchased their home in Corona in 1943, shortly after they were married, and lived there for the remainder of their lives. I.S. 227, a public middle school serving grades 5 through 8, is located approximately one mile from their home, which is now the Louis Armstrong House Museum, offering public tours, concerts and educational programs.

On May 29, 1919, Nancy Leo, the oldest of five children, was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her parents, Francesco Leo and Irene Fiore, emigrated from Bari, Italy, in 1917. After working on the railroad and then in the ice and coal business for some time, Francesco went into the food business, opening his first store in Brooklyn, on Lorimer and Skillman Avenues. Nancy and her sisters, Mary, Lily and Grace, and their brother, Al, attended P.S. 132 in Brooklyn. They often came to Corona, Queens, for "vacation" since Corona at that time was still mainly farms and countryside. In the early 1930s, the family moved to Corona where Nancy's parents set down roots and opened Leo's Latticini, later to become known as "Mama's," an affectionate nickname given to Nancy when she was raising her daughters. Nancy Leo worked at Leo's Latticini alongside her parents for some time. Then, during World War II, she became one of the first pioneer women to help in the war effort. In November 1942, Nancy completed the airplane assembly course at Delehanty Institute. She then joined the ranks of women riveters working for American Export Airlines on some of the first non-stop transatlantic flight planes carrying passengers, cargo and mail overseas. A few years later, Nancy took a vacation to visit her aunts in Italy and met her future husband, Frank DeBenedittis, who was born in Corato, Bari, Italy. They were married on August 29, 1948, in Rome's St. Peter's Basillica. Years later, when Nancy's parents retired, she and Frank took over the family store and continued in the food business. They worked very hard serving the community while raising their loving family. They had three daughters, Carmela, Irene and Marie, all of whom attended St. Leo's Elementary School in Corona. Carmela, the oldest, married Oronzo Lamorgese and owns Leo's Ravioli and Pasta Shop in Corona. Their daughter, Marie Geiorgina, who is married to Fiore DiFelo, is a teacher at P.S. 16 in Corona. They have one child, Mama's first great-grandchild. Irene, a former New York City public school teacher, joined the family business in order to keep the family traditions alive. Marie, though the youngest, has been in the store the longest. She, like her mother and grandmother, is very business-minded and also an excellent cook who strives for quality in all she does. In 1985, Frank, who was a major part of the family business, passed away at the age of 73. He was sorely missed by everyone. After Frank's passing, Nancy, with her daughters, decided to continue on with the family business and for years Nancy became known as "Mama" to everyone. After so many years of dedication to family and community, Mama passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. Upon her passing, there was a true expression of love and appreciation by all her patrons, neighbors and friends for all she had done for the community. When many of the original Corona residents moved away to "better neighborhoods," Mama stayed and lived and worked with the community's people. She instilled in all her family a sense of discipline, respect for each other and good character. She was truly a wonderful role model for all. Throughout her lifetime, Nancy saw immense change. From ice and coal to refrigeration and gas heat, from radio and television all the way to today's world of computers. She made everyone around her appreciate all the little things in life that are special and "Mama," Nancy DeBenedittis, was truly a special person.

Nicolas A. Nowillo (?-2008) died trying to protect a neighbor from getting robbed on the street. The youngest of four children, Mr. Nowillo moved to New York City from Riobamba, a city in central Ecuador, his family said. After graduating from George Washington High School in Manhattan, he attended Bible study classes and worked as a jewelry appraiser. He enlisted in the Army in the 1960s, but was never sent to Vietnam, his family said. He volunteered at the East River Development Alliance and helped organize a seminar to teach new immigrants how to start businesses. Nowillo, who lived on Crescent Street for more than 34 years, was known as a neighborhood “good guy”, area residents said. The father of two spent countless hours volunteering at the Evangel Christian Church and School, where he was a member for more than 19 years. The street renaming was spearheaded by Nowillo’s daughter, Doris Nowillo-Suda, and backed by Community Board 1, the Dutch Kills community, the Dutch Kills Civic Association and then City Councilmember Eric Gioia.

Russell Risley Sage (1816 – 1906) Was a financier and President of the Chicago, St. Paul & Milwaukee Railroad, he played a large part in organizing the railroad and telegraph systems in the United States. He also served as a delegate to the Whig Convention of 1848, where he supported Henry Clay. Sage served two consecutive terms in the U.S. Congress (1853–57). Sage was born in Oneida County New York, his first job was as an errand boy in his brother's Troy, NY grocery store, very motivated he soon opened his own wholesale grocery business. He was elected as an alderman in Troy, while also serving as a treasurer in Rensselaer County from 1844 to 1851, 1852 he was elected to Congress on the Whig ticket and served for five years until he took over as vice president of the La Crosse Railroad in Wisconsin, a company he had invested in. He also had money invested in Western Union Telegraph. He relocated to New York City in 1863 where he engaged in the business of selling puts and calls, as well as short-term options known as privileges. He has been credited with developing the market for stock options in the United States and inventing the "spread" and "straddle" option strategies, for which he was dubbed "Old Straddle" and the "Father of Puts and Calls."  In 1891, a man entered Sage’s office and demanded $1.2 million, threatening Sage with dynamite. When Sage refused, the man unleashed an explosion that left him dead, but Sage was mostly unharmed. The event was in all the newspapers. By the time of Sage’s death in 1906, he had amassed a large amount of money which he left to his wife Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage (1828 - 1918), and it is largely due to her efforts that so many institutions in New York benefitted from his fortune. Olivia donated large sums to the YMCA, the YWCA, the Women’s Hospital, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a memorial to her husband, she had built the First Presbyterian Church of Far Rockaway, at 1324 Beach 12th Street, where they used to vacation. Olivia also founded the Russell Sage Foundation in 1907 for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States,” and helped to sponsor the Regional Plan Association’s (‘RPA’) project to develop a regional plan for New York City in 1929, which would provide Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) with many of the basic ideas that shaped his career.

Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. (1932-1983), a public servant dedicated to his homeland, the Philippines, served as a senator and was a candidate in the country's 1973 presidential election. However, when Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, the election was cancelled. Aquino was imprisoned and eventually sentenced to death in 1977. His sentence was commuted to exile in 1980, allowing him to leave for the United States for medical treatment. He remained there until his assassination on August 21, 1983, as he disembarked from his plane at Manila Airport. Political pressure stemming from the incident forced Marcos to hold new elections, in which Corazon Aquino, Benigno's widow, was elected president.

Adrian Onderdonk (1795-1831) and Ann Wyckoff (1798-1863) Onderdonk were the heads of the last family line to own this house, which is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City, and which served as a benchmark in litigation to determine the border between Queens and Kings counties. Adrian was born on June 20, 1795 in Cow Neck, now Manhasset on Long Island, as the sixth generation of Onderdonks, with his family originally from Brabant, Holland. Adrian purchased a farm on April 27, 1821 from the estate of George Ryerson for $600, and in the first years of his ownership, Adrian added a small frame addition to the stone house, whose features are like Dutch homes of the time. The 50-acre farm would have been bounded roughly from Flushing Avenue to Catalpa Avenue, and from Woodward Avenue to Seneca Avenue. Settler ownership of the land dates back to 1662, and includes a who's who of early New York families. It was first granted to Hendrick Barentz Smidt in the Town of Bushwick, which had been founded in 1661 by Peter Stuyvesant. Paulus Vander Ende bought the farm in 1709 and built the vernacular stone house with a wooden Dutch gambrel roof, a combination of Dutch and English styles. Vander Ende's daughter Jane and her husband Moses Beadel inherited the farm in 1796. Their son, Moses Jr., inherited the farm next. When he married Jane Remsen, whose family owned a large farm in what would later be Glendale, he sold the Ridgewood farm to the Van Nuys family. Around 1810, they sold it to John Cozine, who resold it on November 7, 1812, to George Ryerson. From 1661 to 1796, the site was part of land known as "The Disputed Territory," claimed by both Bushwick in Kings County and Newtown in Queens County. An arbitration committee finally decided the exact boundary in 1769. Arbitration Rock, a literal boulder, served to mark the boundary between the two towns. It was found buried on the property in the 1990s and excavated from the ground in 2001, and now sits on the property as a reminder of the long dispute between the boroughs. Adrian and his wife Ann, who was from the Wykoff family, had daughters Dorothy Ann in 1820 and Gertrude in 1825. Adrian died at the age of 36 on July 2, 1831. Ann and the children continued to live on the farm, with Dorothy Ann leaving for marriage in 1838, and Gertrude doing the same seven years later. Ann lived there until around 1849. She passed away at age 70 on November 16, 1863. Adrian and Ann Onderdonk are interred at Cypress Hills Cemetery. By the time Gertrude sold the property in 1912, she and her sister had sold off much of the land in lots, so it was only the house and a large yard around it. With changes to the area, what had once been farmland soon became industrial. The farm became home to a stable and a glassworks, and eventually even a manufacturer that created components for the Apollo Space Program. However, by the 1970s, the house was abandoned. When it nearly burned down in 1975, locals came together to form the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society to restore and preserve the home. The house and the property were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and then to the ew York State Register in 1978. The house became a New York City landmark in 1995. It is now a museum with a permanent exhibit on the archaeology of the Onderdonk site, plus more about the history and culture of the area. The Historical Society is housed on the site, and provides a historical and genealogical research library, and events throughout the year.

Helen Marshall (1929-2017) was the first African American Queens Borough President from 2002 – 2013. Marshall was born in Manhattan to immigrant parents of African descent from Guyana. The family moved to Queens in 1949, settling first in Corona and then in East Elmhurst. Marshall graduated with a B.A. in education from Queens College. After teaching for eight years, she left to help found the Langston Hughes Library in 1969, where she was the first Director. She served in the State Assembly for 8 years and then served on the City Council for 10 years, before becoming the first African American and the second woman to serve as the Queens Borough President. She supported job training programs and economic development and was a devoted supporter of the Queens Public Library. In 2020 as part of an NYC Parks initiative to expand the representation of African Americans honored in parks, East Elmhurst Park was renamed for Helen Marshall.

Edgar Garzon (1966 – 2001), better known as "Eddie," was a young openly gay man and member of the Jackson Heights based organization Colombian Lesbian and Gay Association (COLEGA). Garzon was a creative talent who worked as a set designer and was known for his designs of floats for pride parades. Garzon was walking home from Friends Tavern, a local gay bar, in August 2001 when he was beaten in a hate attack. He died Sept. 4, 2001, after nearly a month in a coma.

The legendary punk rock group The Ramones formed in 1974. The original lineup consisted of John Cummings (Johnny Ramone), Jeffrey Hyman (Joey Ramone), Douglas Colvin (Dee Dee Ramone) and Thomas Erdelyi (Tommy Ramone) all attended and met at Forest Hills High School. The Ramones are often cited as one of the original pioneers of the punk rock sound and was a major influence on the 1970’s punk movement in the United States and United Kingdom. The band was recognized in Rolling Stone’s, 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and was ranked the second-greatest band of all time by Spin magazine. In 2002, the original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Horace Greeley (1811–1872), the founder and editor of the New York Tribune, was born in New Hampshire and apprenticed to a printer. When his master closed his business in 1831, Greeley set off, with $25 and his possessions in a handkerchief, for New York City. He worked a succession of jobs there, edited several publications, and in 1841, founded the New York Tribune, which he edited for the rest of his life. Widely known for his ideals and moral fervor, Greeley advocated many causes, including workers’ rights, women’s rights (though not woman suffrage), scientific farming, free distribution of government lands, and the abolition of slavery and capital punishment. By the late 1850’s, the Tribune had a national influence as great as any other newspaper in the country, particularly in the rural North. Greeley always wanted very much to be a statesman. He served in Congress as a Whig for three months from 1848 to 1849, but ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives in 1850, 1868, and 1870, and for the U.S. Senate in 1861 and 1863. \[His] political career ended tragically with his campaign for President as the Democratic and Liberal Republican candidate in 1872. In that campaign, Greeley urged leniency for the South, equal rights for white and blacks, and thrift and honesty in government. For these positions, he was attacked as a traitor, fool, and crank, and was derisively referred to by noted cartoonist Thomas Nast as “Horrors Greeley.” Greeley’s wife of thirty-six years died two weeks before the election, he was soundly defeated by Grant at the polls, and he returned to his beloved Tribune only to discover that its control had passed to Whitelaw Reid. Greeley’s funeral, held on December 4, 1872, was attended by President Grant, cabinet members, governors of three States, and an outpouring of mourners who remembered him as a beloved public figure.

Julian “Julie” Wager (1929-2010) was founder of the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition and its president for over 30 years. He was also president of the Steinway Astoria partnership and the Steinway Street Merchants Association, and served on Community Board 1 for 30 years. Wager died in January 2010 at the age of 80; he had been sick for the previous 10 years after being left paraplegic after a spinal cord injury. He had six daughters.

Jason Mizell (1965-2002) who went by the stage name Jam Master Jay, was born in Brooklyn, NY, on January 21, 1965. As a child, he was musically inclined, picking up the drumsticks and learning to play bass. As a teen Mizell’s family moved to Hollis, Queens. From this neighborhood he began to change the music industry. He teamed with Joseph Simmons (stage name Run) and Darryl McDaniels (stage name DMC) to form the group Run-DMC in the early 1980s. Known as pioneers of rap, the group helped bring hip hop to the mainstream and were the first rap artists to broadcast on MTV. Run-DMC were the first rappers to have a gold album (Run-D.M.C., 1984), as well as the first to go platinum (Raising Hell, 1986) and multiplatinum (Raising Hell, 1987). Aside from Run-DMC, in 1989, Mizell launched JMJ Records, a successful record label that signed famous artists like 50 Cent and Onyx. Additionally, he starred in films such as Die Hard (1988), The Bounty Hunter (2010), and Friday Night Lights (2004). Mizell was murdered in his recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, on October 30, 2002. Although the case lay unsolved for many years, in February 2024, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were convicted of his murder. The sign at the corner of 205th Street and Hollis Avenue honors Jam Master Jay in his former neighborhood of Hollis. A nearby mural created by Art1airbrush reinforces Run-DMC’s ties to the neighborhood.

George Upton Harvey (1881-1946) was Queens Borough President from 1928 to 1941. Born in County Galway, Ireland, the Harveys moved to Chicago when George was five years old. His father founded The International Confectioner, a trade paper, and after working there Harvey served as a correspondent and photographer for the Army and Navy journal. A captain during World War I, he commanded Company A of the 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division. In 1920, Harvey was appointed Assistant Director of the State Income Tax Bureau in Jamaica, New York.  Harvey began his career in electoral politics when he successfully ran for election to the Board of Aldermen in 1921 as a Republican from Queens and was re-elected in 1923. Though Harvey lost the 1925 election for President of the Board of Aldermen, a sewer scandal resulting in the ouster of Borough President Maurice Connolly vaulted Harvey into the Borough Presidency in a special election to complete Connolly’s term. Harvey was Queens’ first Republican Borough President since the 1898 consolidation of New York City. He was re-elected to this office in 1929, 1933, and 1937, serving until 1941.  Harvey was a bitter foe of the Tammany political machine at home and Communism abroad. In 1928, he initiated a major expansion of arterial highway and parkway improvements in Queens. He also played an active role in the World’s Fair at Flushing Meadow in 1939-40. In 1932 and again in 1938, he considered running for Governor but ultimately declined to do so. On April 6, 1946, Harvey died of a heart attack while helping to battle a brush fire near his home in New Milford, Connecticut. The park also contains George U. Harvey Memorial Playground.

Abigail Adams (1744-1818) had the distinction of being the first Second Lady of the United States and the second First Lady. She was also the mother of the sixth President, John Quincy Adams. A political influencer, she is remembered for the many letters of advice she exchanged with her husband, John Adams, during the Continental Congresses and throughout his political career. In 1776, Abigail wrote her most famous letter, exhorting the Founding Fathers to “remember the ladies.” She added, “Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.”

Nathaniel Woodhull (1722-1776) was born on Long Island in 1722 and became a distinguished soldier after fighting in the French and Indian War. He served as a representative for Suffolk County in the Province of New Yok Assembly before becoming the president of the New York Provincial Congress in 1775. Woodhull was an American General during the Revolutionary War, and was captured along with 1,000 others during the Battle of Brooklyn which the British won summarily. He was injured sometime during this fraught time and succumbed to his wounds on September 20, 1776.

Lorraine Hansberry (1930 – 1965) was a playwright, writer, and activist. Her play, “A Raisin in the Sun” (1959), was the first drama by an African American woman produced on Broadway. Hansberry was born in Chicago in 1930, the youngest of four children to a real estate entrepreneur and a schoolteacher. Her parents were members of the NAACP and the Urban League. She was the niece of Pan-Africanist scholar and college professor Leo Hansberry. In 1938 her family moved to a white neighborhood where they were attacked by neighbors. The Hansberry’s refused to move until a court ordered them to do so, and the case made it to the Supreme Court as Hansberry v. Lee, ruling restrictive covenants illegal. The case was the inspiration for her Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun, which also became a movie starring Sidney Poitier. Hansberry attended the University of Wisconsin but left after two years and moved to New York to work as a writer and editor of Paul Robeson’s newspaper Freedom. She was a Communist and committed civil rights activist. She met her husband and closest friend, Robert Nemiroff, at a civil rights demonstration. Despite her marriage to a man, Hansberry identified as a lesbian, but she was not “out,” though it seems like she was on the path to a more open life before her death, having built a circle of gay and lesbian friends. In 1964, Hansberry and Nemiroff divorced but continued to work together, and he was the executor of her estate when she died of cancer in 1965. Nemiroff donated all of Hansberry's personal and professional effects to the New York Public Library but blocked access to all materials related to Hansberry's lesbianism for 50 years. Nemiroff passed away in 1991, and in 2013, Nemiroff's daughter released the restricted materials for research.

Lt. Col. Haldane King (1921-2013) was a Tuskegee Airman who served in WWII. Born in Brooklyn, he was the sixth of seven children of Charles and Estelle (Stansberry) King. King earned a basketball scholarship to Long Island University, where he played on championship teams under Coach Clair Bee. In early 1942, he volunteered for military service in World War II and entered pilot training in Tuskegee, Alabama. He became part of the first class (43J) of African-American bomber pilots in the Army Air Corps. Trained at Tuskegee in 1943, King flew U.S. planes over Europe and North Africa. He recalled that military service presented significant obstacles for Black men. "The whole idea at the time was that you weren’t qualified to be an officer of the United States Air Force," King stated. "You were a Tuskegee Airman, which didn’t mean anything to them. You couldn’t get into the officers’ club." While white officers enjoyed refreshments between flights, King had to remain in his plane or bring his own food. After the war, King returned to New York and became one of the first African Americans to join the New York Fire Department. In 1950, he was recalled into the newly integrated Air Force and served in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation following WWII. His military career then took him and his family to Maine, Germany, California, and eventually the Pentagon, where he retired from active service. He later moved to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and frequently shared his military experiences at local schools and community events.

James F. "Jimmy" Young (1963-1994) was a firefighter from Woodhaven who, along with two other firefighters, tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Born January 11, 1963, Young was baptized, confirmed, and went to school at St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church. He had dreamed of becoming a firefighter like his father. On March 28, 1994, Young was serving with Engine Company 24/Hook & Ladder 5 when they were called to a two-alarm fire at 62 Watts Street in Manhattan. Young, Captain John J. Drennan, and Firefighter Christopher J. Siedenburg were trapped in a stairwell engulfed by flames. Young and Siedenburg died in the inferno, and Drennan was hospitalized for more than a month before succumbing to his injuries. More than 10,000 firefighters from all over the region came to honor Young at his funeral at St. Thomas the Apostle. His mother, Virginia, told the Leader Observer that her son had gotten along with everyone. "I can’t tell you how many of my friends wanted him to marry their daughters," she said. His sister Maureen noted that "he must have had 500 close personal friends." The community gathered in March 2010 for a memorial at 87th Street, which had been renamed in Young's honor. The corner had been the site of a car accident that had nearly claimed Young's life, almost exactly 10 years before the fire. In addition to this street, three plaques honor the fallen firefighters inside of the Engine Company 24 building in Manhattan.

The following text was contributed by Det. Abear's widow, Catherine Abear: Ray Abear \[1976-2020] was a Queens native and spent his entire life in this community – he was raised on this block and this is where he would start a family and raise his children as well. He attended St. Nicholas of Tolentine church, P.S. 131 and St. John’s University. His first job was at Mark’s Aquarium on Parsons Boulevard, which gave him his passion for sea life, something he shared with many communities he came into contact with. He even helped businesses, community members and members of the NYPD set up their own aquariums. There’s even a fish tank in his memory at the Queens Special Victims office.   Ray’s passion and commitment to the community was professional as well. His entire 20-year career in the NYPD was spent making the Queens community a better place – first in the 112th Precinct and then in the Queens Special Victims Squad. Local business owners, restaurants, community members – everyone knew Ray and his giant smile.   There are few more challenging tasks in law enforcement than Special Victims, and Ray was passionate about his work with the Queens Squad. Each of the letters from colleagues supporting this honor of a street co-naming highlighted the compassion, patience, sensitivity and skill Ray brought to this most difficult work and the commitment he brought to finding justice for these individuals. One letter even said, “No one performed this difficult work better than Detective Raymond Abear.”   This honor – having their dad’s name permanently affixed to this street corner – is a reminder to his children that their dad was a hero not only to his family but the entire community and he will never be forgotten. Ray’s legacy will live on forever thanks to everyone who helps keep his memory alive.

Barbara Jackson (1942 – 2020) was a veteran Queens’s Democratic district leader and union official who dedicated her life to the LeFrak City community. Jackson served as a district leader for East Elmhurst and Corona in Assembly District 35 Part B from 1992 until her death. She represented LeFrak City, the complex she called home for decades. She began working with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts, known as the IATSE, in 1988, where she served as the Executive Assistant to the General Secretary-Treasurer for almost three decades. In 2008, she was one of four delegates elected to represent New York’s 5th Congressional District at the Democratic National Convention. She was also a member of the Elmhurst Hospital Community Advisory Board and regularly attended Queens Community Board 4 meetings for years, and was awarded the Marjorie Matthews Community Advocate Award from the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation for outstanding leadership and work on behalf of Elmhurst Hospital Center and the Community. Barbara was also awarded the Harry T. Stewart Award (the highest Branch Award) from the Corona-East Elmhurst Branch NAACP, of which she was a lifetime member. Barbara was a member of Key Women of America Inc., Concourse Village Branch, (second vice president), a member of the Corona-East Elmhurst Kiwanis Club, and attended monthly meetings of the 110th Pct. Community Council and served as the Community Liaison to Community Boards 3Q and 4Q for former U. S. Representative Joseph Crowley.

Walentyna Janta-Połczyńska (1913-2020) and Aleksander Janta-Połczyński (1908-1974) were heroes in the fight against Nazism. Walentyna was one of the last surviving members of the Polish government in exile, formed after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939. She became a personal secretary to General Władysław Sikorski, the prime minister of the Polish government in exile and commander of the Free Polish Armed Forces. She translated and prepared reports by Jan Karski, the underground courier who delivered eyewitness accounts of atrocities against Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, and helped organize Dawn, a clandestine radio station that broadcast to Poland from an intelligence complex in England. Aleksander Janta-Połczyński was a second lieutenant of the Polish Army cavalry.   They later moved to New York and opened an antiquarian bookstore. They also opened their home to Polish artists and writers who escaped the postwar Communist dictatorship. Walentyna was known as the first lady of American Polonia, active in Polish-American cultural institutions such as the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America and the Kościuszko Foundation. Jan was president of the American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs and a board member of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America. The street co-naming is actually for the couple's accomplishments, and the sign is in error, as it should read Polczyński, which denotes the couple, rather than just for Walentyna. After Walentyna passed away at the age of 107, the community rallied to save their 1911 home, which was on a plot of land owned by Cord Meyer's brother and partner, Christian Meyer. In the process, they documented the home, filming top to bottom as well as the garages—the very place where their manuscript business was conducted. They also held rallies, a heart bombing, a vigil, and submitted a landmarking application with support letters from Polish groups, organizations, elected officials, etc., making a strong case on many levels. Despite these efforts, the Landmarks Preservation Commission did not calendar the home. Subsequently, Councilman Shekar Krishnan wrote a scathing letter to the Commission, stating the agency must reevaluate its decision-making process and be more transparent in the future.

Bruce Sapienza (d. 2007) served as a senior vice president at Maspeth Federal Savings. He was also a civic leader, serving as president, director and treasurer of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, chairman and division marshal of the Maspeth Memorial Day Parade and was responsible for the Maspeth Street Fair.

Dayananda Saraswati (1824 - 1883) was an Indian philosopher, social leader, and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of Hinduism. He was an advocate of returning to the Vedas, the earliest scriptures of India, as the sole source of religious authority. Dayananda was born into a wealthy Brahmin family in Tankara, Gujarat. As a young man, he left home to searching for religious truth. He spent the next 15 years traveling throughout India, studying the Vedas and engaging in religious debates. In 1860, Dayananda founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay (now Mumbai). The Arya Samaj's mission was to reform Hinduism and to promote social progress. Dayananda's teachings are based on the principal that the Vedas are the authoritative source of religious and moral truth. He was a proponent of abandoning idolatry and superstition, the equality of all people regardless of caste or gender in the eyes of God, education as essential for both men and women, and the eradication of “untouchability” (caste) & child marriage. Dayananda traveled extensively throughout India, giving lectures and spreading his teachings. He also wrote several books, including the Satyarth Prakash, which is a comprehensive exposition of his religious and social views. He also practiced Hatha Yoga. Dayananda's teachings had a profound impact on Indian society. The Arya Samaj played a major role in the social and religious reform movements of the 19th century. Dayananda's ideas also inspired many of the leaders of the Indian independence movement. Many unsuccessful assassination attempts were made on Dayananda’s life, and he died under circumstances suggesting that he may have been poisoned. The street named in Dayananda’s honor is in front of Arya Samaj Gurukul, a gurukul is an education center where students study with their guru (teacher).

Spotlighting LGBTQ+ activists and organizers honored in the borough of Queens with place names. 🌈🏳️‍🌈

Staff Sgt. Alex R. Jimenez (1982-2007) dedicated his life to public service in the U.S. Army. On May 12, 2007, his unit was attacked and captured by enemy forces in Jurf al-Sakhar, Iraq. His body was recovered 14 months later, on July 8, 2008, confirming his death. Jimenez was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Drum, New York. On June 20, 2009, the corner of 104th Street and 37th Drive in Corona, Queens, was named in his honor. The street sign is just a few feet from the home where Jimenez grew up.

Walter Bowne (1770-1846), served as a State Senator and as New York City Mayor. As Mayor (1828-1832), Bowne is remembered for his strict policies aimed at preventing cholera epidemics. Following reports of an outbreak in a neighboring town during the summer of 1832, Bowne established a stringent quarantine policy regulating travel in and out of the metropolitan area. Bowne, like others of his time period, believed that cholera was spread through direct human contact. He required that all ships maintain a distance of at least 300 yards from municipal ports and that carriages remain at least 1.5 miles from the city limits. Bowne's well-meaning attempts to prevent a cholera outbreak failed, and hundreds of New Yorkers died of the disease. It was not until 1883 that the German physician Robert Koch discovered that cholera spreads through contaminated water or food. By that time, cholera epidemics had been largely contained by the construction of the Croton Aqueduct and the provision of clean water for consumption and bathing.

In honor of Black History Month 2025, this collection spotlights individuals featured in the Queens Name Explorer whose names carry historical significance. From outspoken ministers to pioneering musicians to female leaders in public service, this small sampling provides a glimpse into the histories of Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing, St. Albans, Jamaica, Hollis, and Kew Garden Hills. This collection coincides with an exhibit running from January 30 to April 20, 2025 at Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Avenue, Queens, NY 11101.

Police Officer Anthony F. Mosomillo (1962-1998) served the NYPD for more than 14 years, and was killed in the line of duty while attempting to serve a bench warrant on a parolee who had failed to appear in court. Born in Brooklyn on January 30, 1962, Mosomillo graduated from Lafayette High School in 1981, then joined the NYPD in 1984. He met his second wife, Margaret, on a blind date in 1988, and the couple married four years later. Their family moved to Glendale in 1996, though he continued to work for precincts in Brooklyn, and is said to have returned to Bensonhurst for haircuts and bagels. Mosomillo was a warrants officer at Brooklyn's 67th Precinct on May 26, 1998, when he and his partner, Officer Miriam Sanchez-Torres, went to arrest Jose Serrano at his East Flatbush apartment, because Serrano had missed a court date following an arrest on a minor drug charge, violating the terms of his parole. When the officers arrived and found Serrano, a gunfight ensued, Serrano having reportedly gotten a hold of Sanchez-Torres' gun, and Mosomillo and Serrano fatally shot one another. Officer Sanchez-Torres carried Officer Mosomillo out of the apartment and drove him to the hospital. More than 14,000 police officers and state troopers attended Mosomillo's funeral, which was held at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Ridgewood—the same church where he had married Margaret six years before. In addition to his wife, Mosomillo left behind two daughters, Marie and Francesca, and his brother, Salvatore. Francesca followed in her father's footsteps, joining the NYPD in 2019, gaining the rank of detective in 2024. She was issued her father’s old police officer’s shield number, 20316, on her badge. An area of basketball and handball courts in Dyker Beach Park in Brooklyn are also named for Mosomillo. Then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani dedicated the Anthony Mosomillo Memorial Courts on Bay Eighth Street and Cropsey Avenue in 1999, not long after the Mayor and the Police Commissioner honored Mosomillo by presenting his family with the Medal of Honor, the highest honor bestowed by the Police Department. City Councilmember Joann Ariola proposed this street co-naming in 2024. It was dedicated on November 22, 2024.

Aristotle (384 BCE-322 BCE) lived in ancient Greece, and is known as one of the most highly regarded philosophers and scientists in human history. Though he was prolific in many fields, some of his most famous contributions include creating a discipline of formal logic, zoology, and his ethical and political theories. He studied under and with Plato in Athens, which is reflected in many of his writings. In his later years, Aristotle founded his own school called the Lyceum where he taught students and lectured to the larger public for free.

Adrien (Adriaen) Block (1567-1627) was a Dutch explorer, trader, and ship’s captain best known for his early exploration of the northeast coastal regions of North America. He was among the first to establish trade with various North American Indigenous peoples, and the map of his 1614 voyage was the first to note Long Island and Manhattan as separate islands. This served as an important step in the establishment of the Dutch New Netherland settlement in 1624. Block was born in Amsterdam. Though little is known about his early life, he was married in 1603 to Neeltje Hendricks van Gelder, and they settled in his hometown where they raised their family. He became active in the shipping trade in the 1590s and made four voyages to North America between 1611 and 1613. While there, he helped to establish the fur trade and to chart coastal areas that were first explored by Henry Hudson for the Dutch in 1609. In 1613, he sailed on the Tyger for what would be his last voyage to the New World. While moored off of Lower Manhattan, the ship caught fire and was destroyed. With the help of the local Lenape, the crew built a new ship that they called the Onrust (Dutch for “Restless”), and they continued to explore up the East River. They entered Long Island Sound through a passage Block called “Hellegat” (Hell Gate), a narrow and dangerous waterway separating modern day Randall’s Island and Astoria. The first known European to sail from the Hudson into Long Island Sound, Block went on to explore the Housatonic River and the Connecticut River, sailing as far as Hartford and also through Narragansett Bay. The crew later rendezvoused with another ship near Cape Cod and returned to Europe. Block compiled a map of his travels that showed for the first time many details of the northeastern coast from present day New Jersey to Massachusetts and was the first to describe the region as New Netherland. The “figurative map of Adriaen Block” also identified several Indigenous communities, including the Pequot and Narragansett, who were future trading partners with the Dutch. Block died in 1627, and he is buried in Amsterdam’s Oude Kirk. Named in his honor, I.S. 025 Adrien Block is located at 34-65 192nd Street in Flushing and construction for the school was completed in 1970.