John Lionel Golden (1874-1955) was a playwright who, at one time, had a Broadway theater named after him (202 W 58 Street). Golden and his wife opened their huge property in Bayside to the neighborhood for recreational activities. When they died, they donated the property to the city with the stipulation that it remain a park. The land is now Crocheron Park and a portion is designated as Golden Field. According to Wikipedia, as a songwriter, Golden was best-known as lyricist for "Poor Butterfly". He produced many Broadway shows and four films.

Townsend Harris (1804-1878) was a merchant, educational leader, politician, and diplomat who served as the first United States Consul General to Japan. Harris's negotiations with the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan at the time, led to the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (commonly known as the Harris Treaty of 1858) and helped shape the future course of Japanese-Western trade and cultural relations. In 1847, he founded the Free Academy (now City College of New York), the first tuition-free, publicly funded university in the United States. Harris was born in the village of Sandy Hill (now Hudson Falls) in northern New York state. After moving to New York City, he became a successful merchant, importing porcelain and silk from China. From 1846 to 1848, he served as president of the Board of Education. Free education was favored at the time by the City’s progressive leaders, and Harris was an advocate for the founding of a university open to all. In a letter published in The Morning Courier and New York Enquirer on March 15, 1847, Townsend stated, “open the doors to all—let the children of the rich and the poor take their seats together and know of no distinction save that of industry, good conduct and intellect.” On May 7 of that year, the New York Free Academy was awarded its charter by the New York Legislature. In 1849, Townsend Harris Hall, a one-year preparatory school for the Free Academy, was opened, and it became a city high school in 1906. Though closed for budgetary reasons in 1942 under Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, it was re-opened in 1984 as Townsend Harris High School and now serves as a public magnet school for the humanities. In 1856, President Franklin Pierce named Harris as the U.S. General Consul to Japan, and the first consulate was opened in the city of Shimoda on the southeast of the Izu Peninsula. After lengthy negotiations, Harris finalized the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the two countries in 1858, thus opening the ports of Kanagawa and four other Japanese cities to trade with the United States. Harris returned to the U.S. in 1861, and he remained active in politics until his death in New York on February 25, 1878. He is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. To this day, Harris is fondly remembered in Japan for his diplomatic work, with delegations from the city of Shimoda continuing to make yearly visits to his gravesite. The archives of City College house a collection of Harris' letters and papers, as well as other ephemera connected with his legacy. When it opened in 1984, Townsend Harris High School occupied a small building on Parsons Boulevard. In 1995, the school was moved to 149-11 Melbourne Avenue on the campus of Queens College in Flushing.

Firefighter Richie Allen (1970-2001) died during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (1926 - 2023), known commonly as Tony Bennett, was often referred to as the King of the American Songbook. Self-identified “tenor who sings like a baritone,” Bennett was known for his smooth voice and musical crossings between pop and jazz. Over the decades \[from the 1950s to the 2020s], he released more than seventy albums and won nineteen competitive Grammy Awards. He composed, arranged, and sang his music and produced singles including: Because of You, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, and Rags to Riches. He has worked with Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Micheal Bublé and performed for eleven presidents.  Bennett was a storied icon of the Queens community of Astoria, having been born and raised there by his Italian immigrant father, Giovanni, a grocer, and his Italian-American mother, Anna, a seamstress. He grew up in an apartment building off Ditmars Boulevard at 32nd Street.  There are many accounts of Bennett’s association with Astoria businesses and residents throughout the years. In 1936, at ten years old, he performed at the opening of the Tri-Borough Bridge. Following his father’s death, Bennett dropped out of high school, and was often seen singing at Italian restaurants like Ricchardo’s by the Bridge. With the onset of World War II Bennett was drafted into the Army. He fought on the front lines and was involved in the liberation of the Kaufering concentration camp in Germany. Bennett also performed with military bands. After his military discharge in 1946, he performed at the Shangri-La on Ditmars Boulevard and The Red Door on Steinway Street. In 1949, Bob Hope scouted him in Greenwich Village, becoming the catalyst of a fruitful career. In 2001, he and his wife, Susan Crow, helped found the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens.  Bennett's songs and humanitarian work have earned him many accolades. He was recognized as a Citizen of the World by the United Nations and has received several Grammys, but most importantly, he is a role model for the citizens of Queens. In 2024, the New York City Council passed a bill for the intersection of 32nd Street and Ditmar Boulevard to be co-named in honor of Bennett.

Carlos R. Lillo (1963-2001), was a paramedic for the New York City Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division who died while on duty on September 11, 2001.  Raised in Astoria, Queens, Lillo began his career in emergency medicine as a volunteer with the Astoria Volunteer Ambulance Corps. As an emergency medical technician (EMT), Lillo joined the city’s Emergency Medical Services in 1984. He worked on a tactical unit in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the Bronx during one of the most active times in EMS history. Pursuing his dream career, Lillo attained advanced lifesaving skills and became a paramedic in 1990. Lillo demonstrated his dedication and commitment to the citizens of the city, state and country as he performed his duties on September 11, 2001. Carlos Lillo Park serves as a touchstone for the many families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and provides the neighborhood with a place for solace and reflection

Benjamin Wheeler (2006 -2012) was born in New York City and lived in Sunnyside, Queens for the first year of his life before moving to Connecticut. He was just six years old when he was killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Joseph Edward Schaefer (1918-1987) was a lifelong resident of Richmond Hill. He distinguished himself in World War II for having repelled, almost single-handedly, a Nazi attack on American troops positioned near Stolberg, Germany. Staff Sergeant Schaefer received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1945 for his defensive actions. Schaefer later fought in the Korean War, before returning to Richmond Hill.

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was well-known for being ahead of his time in the world of natural science. He sought to find cash crop alternatives to discourage straining labor of cotton picking. In addition, he invented tools and methods to make agriculture more efficient. As a Black man born in the early 1860s, Carver faced significant barriers to obtaining his education and pursuing his research interests. He developed his understanding of agricultural labor for three years on his own plot of land before becoming the first Black student at Iowa State University. After graduating Iowa State in 1896 with a Master of Science Degree, he went on to teach agriculture at Tuskegee Institute. Carver taught for 47 years passing down lessons such as crop rotation and other farmer techniques. Carver was a prodigy in learning, specifically curious as to the different uses of produce like peanuts, and the invention of new products. His many contributions include glue, the Jesup Wagon, a vehicle to carry agricultural exhibits to town, instant coffee, shaving cream, and 325 uses for peanuts. George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences in particular was established after the closing of Springfield High School by the NYC school board in 2007. Springfield High School became an educational campus housing George Washington Carver, as well as Excelsior Preparatory High School, and Queens Preparatory Academy. G.W.C. High School is most known for maintaining Springfield’s veterinary program.

Anthony Suraci (d. 2006) lived with his wife in Sunnyside, Queens, for over 60 years. He served as President of the Thompson Hill Civic Association, district Leader. In addition, he served as a Republican district leader, a cub-master of Cub Scout Pack 221, and held a number of annual charity events for needy families through United Republicans of Western Queens (URWQ), where he was a driving force.

Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a Japanese American artist, sculptor, landscape architect and industrial designer who also designed stage sets for works by the dancer Martha Graham. Noguchi was born in Los Angeles and spent his early years in Japan. After studying in New York City with Onorio Ruotolo in 1923, he won a Guggenheim fellowship and became Constantin Brancusi’s assistant for two years (1927–29) in Paris. He did work for UNESCO and worked on the design and art for institutions all over the world. The first major retrospective of his work was at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in 1968. Noguchi started Nisei Writers and Artists Mobilization for Democracy in 1942 to raise awareness of the patriotism of Japanese Americans during WWII. He received the Edward MacDowell Medal for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to the Arts in 1982, the National Medal of Arts in 1987, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Japanese government in 1988. The U.S. Postal Service issued a 37-cent stamp honoring him in 2004. The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum was founded and designed by Noguchi to display his artworks; it opened in May 1985 in Long Island City. The museum is located in an old photogravure plant and gas station, which Noguchi purchased in 1974, across the street from the studio where he had worked and lived since 1961.

Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel (1890-1975) was a Baseball Hall of Famer and former New York Mets manager. During his playing career, he played outfield for both New York National League teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants, with a career batting average of .284. After retiring, he managed the New York Yankees from 1949 to 1960. This team, featuring the batting power of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, won ten pennants and seven World Series championships. Stengel then went on to become the first manager of the expansion Mets team from 1962 to 1965. He was known for his witty remarks and aphorisms and beloved as a New York baseball icon. After a $55 million renovation, the former Flushing Depot was renamed the Casey Stengel Depot in 1992. The bus depot stands opposite the entrance to the New York Mets' Citi Field stadium.

Horace Harding (1863-1929) was born to an influential publishing family. He entered the banking world and moved up through connections on his wife's side. Harding served as a director for multiple entities including American Express and numerous railway trusts. Harding enjoyed art collecting and spent time cultivating the Frick collection. Harding was extremely influential in Long Island and supported Robert Moses' "Great Parkway Plan" to build a highway from Queens Blvd. to Shelter Rock in Nassau County. He also supported the Northern State Parkway and construction of the Long Island Expressway. His support of new roads happened to coincide with his desire for an easier pathway to his country club. Harding died at 65 from influenza and blood poisoning.

Thurgood Marshall was born in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a railroad porter and steward and his mother a teacher. After graduating from Lincoln University, he was rejected from the all-white University of Maryland Law School, he attended Howard University Law School. He graduated at the top of his class in 1933, he went into private practice and worked on different civil rights suits. One successful suit was against the University of Maryland Law SchooL for denying a Black applicant solely based on race. Marshall worked for the NAACP first as a staff lawyer, then as a lead chair, and a few years later as the chief of the Legal Defense and Education Fund. He won 29 of the 32 cases the NAACP brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, which related to voting rights issues, segregation and more. His most famous case was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in which "separate but equal" as a justification for segregation was struck down. Marshall was later named U.S. solicitor general and nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Here he continued to advocate for change and justice for marginalized peoples throughout the United States. He retired with the nickname "the Great Dissenter," indicative of his continued commitment to advocacy even in the midst of a conservative court.

Seymour “Sy” Seplowe was a community activist and youth advocate. He was born in the Bronx, served in World War II, then settled in northeastern Queens during the early 1950s. Seplowe organized the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade and, in 1953, founded the Little Neck-Douglaston Youth Club, an organization of 1,200 members dedicated to providing community youth with athletic opportunities. Seplowe was also a founding member of Community Board 11 and the president of the Little Neck-Douglaston Community Council. Throughout his life, Seplowe worked to promote baseball, and served as the Little League administrator for School District 26 for 35 years. In 1951, the City of New York acquired the land adjacent to P.S. 94 and constructed a park for the school’s use. The City named the new park in honor of Seplowe. In 1985, Parks renamed the property Admiral Park; however, the playground within the park continues to be known as Sy Seplowe Playground.

Lewis Howard Latimer was an African American inventor and humanist. Born free in Massachusetts, Latimer was the son of fugitive slaves George Latimer and Rebecca Smith, who escaped from Virginia to Boston in 1842. Upon arrival, George Latimer was captured and imprisoned, which became a pivotal case for the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts. His arrest and the ensuing court hearings spurred multiple meetings and a publication, “The Latimer Journal and the North Star,” involving abolitionists like Frederick Douglass. The large collective effort eventually gained George his freedom by November 1842. Against this backdrop, Lewis Latimer was born in 1848. Latimer’s young life was full of upheaval as his family moved from town to town while tensions in the country continued to mount before the Civil War broke out in 1861. In 1864, Latimer joined the Union Navy at age 16. After the conclusion of the war, Latimer was determined to overcome his lack of formal education; he taught himself mechanical drawing and became an expert draftsman while working at a patent law office. He went on to work with three of the greatest scientific inventors in American history: Alexander Graham Bell, Hiram S. Maxim and Thomas Alva Edison. Latimer played a critical role in the development of the telephone and, as Edison’s chief draftsman, he invented and patented the carbon filament, a significant improvement in the production of the incandescent light bulb. As an expert, Latimer was also called to testify on a number of patent infringement cases. Outside of his professional life, Latimer wrote and published poems, painted and played the violin. He was one of the founders of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens and was among the first Civil War veterans to join the Grand Army of the Republic fraternal organization. He also taught English to immigrants at the Henry Street Settlement. Latimer Gardens is a public housing development administered by the New York City Housing Authority. Constructed in 1970, it consists of four 10-story buildings with a total of 423 apartments.

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. The Louis Armstrong Playground is adjacent to P.S. 143 Louis Armstrong, a public school serving grades Pre-K through 5.

William H. Pease, Jr. (1921-2004) was a professor, a former engineer, and an advocate of the study of African American history. He served in the United States Army Air Corps as a weather observer during WWII and was stationed for a period in Tuskegee, Alabama as part of the Tuskegee Airmen. He won accolades as the Tuskegee Airmen welterweight champion in 1945. Born in Harlem, Pease graduated from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and Fordham University, and he and his wife, Louise, raised their daughter, Denise, in Corona. He went on to work as a senior instructor at RCA Institute, a microwave engineer at Tung-Sol Electronics, and for more than two decades, as an educator at Suffolk County Community College, where he was a professor of electrical engineering and assistant dean of instruction. He was the first full-time African American administrator at the college, and the first African American president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Pease gave back to his community in many ways, including sponsoring a scholarship awarded through the Central Brooklyn Martin Luther King Commission to student winners of essay and art contests. In the 1970s, Pease also served on the board of the Langston Hughes Branch of the Queens Public Library. Through his career, he received awards from the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, the New York University Weekend Tutorial Project, the Professional Achievement Award of the Brownsville Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the Teacher of the Year Award from the New York University Outreach Program for Mathematics and Science, the Mary McLeod Bethune Award for the motivation of black youth, and a proclamation from the Suffolk County Executive for outstanding service and leadership. His daughter, Denise Pease, a longtime government leader, went on to serve under President Obama as Regional Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration Northeast and Caribbean Region, as well as on President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. In honor of his dedicated community service, the intersection of 104th Street and 35th Avenue in North Corona is co-named Professor William H. Pease, Jr. Way.

Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904 - 1950) was a pioneer in the development of blood plasma preservation, as well as a surgeon and teacher. He also created the first “Blood Banks” to store large quantities of blood for medical use. Charles R. Drew was born in Washington, D.C. the eldest of five children in an African American family. He excelled in school and was awarded a scholarship to Amherst College where he earned his B.A. in 1926, he received his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal in 1933, and his Med.D.Sc. from Columbia University in 1940. In 1935 he began his association with the College of Medicine of Howard University where he later returned to become professor and head of the Department of Surgery. Drew’s research changed the world of medicine. Most notably, he demonstrated how to separate whole blood into red cells and plasma, and how they could be stored for longer periods of time. Drew’s development of a national blood bank was a great contribution to humankind and modern medicine. The early work toward this began in 1940, during World War II. when he was asked by Great Britain, which desperately needed blood and plasma to treat military and civilian injuries, to direct the Blood for Britain project. In doing so, he supervised the collection of an estimated 14,500 pints of plasma for the British.  In 1941, the American Red Cross appointed Drew as the director of the first Red Cross blood bank, which put him in charge of providing blood to the U.S. Army and Navy. He established organizational standards, regulated production techniques, and ensured that safety protocols were followed. One of his key innovations was mobile blood donation stations, later called “bloodmobiles.”  Drew tragically died in a car accident in 1950 at the age of 46. He is remembered for being outspoken against racial discrimination and segregation.

Dr. Dolores Beckham (1954-2016) was an educator for 40 years and served as the principal of Joseph Pulitzer Middle School since 1999. She was an alumna of Queens College, Columbia University, and St. John’s University, where she received her Ph.D. Under her leadership, Joseph Pulitzer Middle School in Jackson Heights introduced a dual language program. It was one of 15 recognized as Chancellor’s Citywide Model Dual Language Programs. She was a Fulbright Award-winning principal in 2008 and traveled around the world for conferences on education and leadership.

Adelaide Connaughton (1958-2018) was an intern for then Assistant Queens District Attorney, Geraldine Ferraro when she was just 15. She went on to work for several elected officials, including the first lesbian Latina member of the New York City Council, Margarita Lopez. Prior to joining the staff of Council Member Lopez, she was a Lieutenant in the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Service and retired after 20 years of service. She was a Senior Entitlement Specialist for the Fortune Society, a non-profit providing formerly incarcerated individuals with the supportive services needed to thrive as contributing members of society. She also worked at the non-profit Safe Space, helping homeless LGBT youth to obtain supportive care. She fought for progressive causes important to the LGBT community and all New Yorkers and served on the Board of Governors of the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC and the Executive Board of AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC). She was also a founding Vice-President of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club. From 2012 to 2018, Adelaide and her West Highland Terrier, Elvis, participated in a therapy dog program at two hospitals in the North Bronx. Elvis and Adelaide were the first dog/human team to receive an Auxiliary Award from NYC Health and Hospitals.

Terri Mona Adams (ca. 1942-2017) was a lifelong Hunters Point resident and civic leader. She retired from the United States Navy in the 1980s as an operations supervisor. She served as president of the Hunters Point Community Development Corp. (HPCDC), a merchant group established in 1952. She was also a member of Community Board 2. Under her leadership, HPCDC initiated an Easter Parade on Vernon Boulevard and an egg hunt and Easter Bonnet contest in John Andrews Playground. Halloween and Stop the Violence events were also held there under her leadership. She started the annual Hunters Point Community Unity event in 1995 and also worked with the 108th Precinct to combine Community Unity with National Night Out Against Crime. She organized the first Hunters Point Farmers Market and Hunters Point Eco-Friendly Flea Market on 48th Avenue in 2005. In addition, under her leadership, HPCDC started sponsoring Holiday Lights on Vernon Boulevard, and the annual Breakfast with Santa for Children at the Riverview Restaurant. She also served as president of St. Mary’s Seniors.

Text courtesy of Walter Mugdan, president of the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee. The name “Udalls Cove” is a bit of a misnomer. In 1833 Richard Udall bought from the Allen family a grist mill, located about a mile north of the Douglaston peninsula in a much smaller cove on the eastern shore of Little Neck Bay where a stream enters. The stream had been dammed up at its mouth to create a mill pond. When the tide was low, Udall let water flow from the pond to the bay to turn his mill wheel. When the pond was drained empty he would close the dam gate and wait for the tide to rise. When the tide was high he would open the gate and let the sea water from the bay flow into the pond. This would turn his mill wheel again, but in the opposite direction. Gears and belts inside enabled the mill machinery to run in the correct direction regardless of which way the mill wheel was turning. Udall’s mill, now a museum, still stands on the little cove in front of the mill pond. But his name was eventually assigned to the larger cove a mile south that lies between the Douglaston peninsula and the Village of Great Neck Estates. Strangely, the correct name of the cove is Udalls – without an apostrophe.

Archie Spigner (1928 - 2020) was a local politician who served for 27 years as a City Councilman for District 27 in southeast Queens, from 1974 to 2001, serving his last 15 years as deputy to the majority leader. He also served as the head of the United Democratic Club of Queens from 1970 until his death in 2020, a role in which he helped shape the borough’s Democratic Party leadership. During his tenure, he advocated for education, infrastructure, and the underserved community. Archie Hugo Spigner was born on Aug. 27, 1928, in Orangeburg, S.C., his family moved to New York when Archie was 7, and he grew up in Harlem. As a young bus driver engaged in union activism, Mr. Spigner drew the attention of the labor leader A. Philip Randolph, who charged him with forming a Queens branch of Mr. Randolph’s Negro American Labor Council. While looking for a meeting place for his group, Mr. Spigner met Mr. Kenneth N. Browne, who was running for the State Assembly, and who became the borough’s first Black member of the New York State Assembly and its first Black State Supreme Court justice. Mr. Browne took Mr. Spigner to the local Democratic club and introduced him to the district leader Guy R. Brewer, and Spigner’s career in Queens politics began. Mr. Spigner went on to attend college, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Queens College in 1972. Spigner went on to become a major power house in an area that reliably voted Democratic, a nod from Mr. Spigner all but assured election. He was known as “The Dean,” and considered “The Godfather of Politics” in southeastern Queens.  As a local-minded city councilman, Mr. Spigner helped shepherd the sale of the oft-criticized Jamaica Water Supply Company, New York City’s last privately owned waterworks, to the city government in 1997, bringing down costs for residents of southeast Queens. To spur local business, he successfully pushed for the construction of a permanent building for York College, part of the City University of New York, in the Jamaica section; a subway extension to downtown Jamaica; and a regional headquarters of the Social Security Administration.

Rory Staunton (1999-2012) was a young resident of Sunnyside Gardens and a student at the Garden School in Jackson Heights who was known for his civic responsibility, inspiring leadership and kind heart. A member of the Garden School's student council, he led the "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign to discourage the use of the term “retarded.” Staunton tragically died of sepsis after a minor sports injury at the age of 12. Following his death, the Staunton family founded the End Sepsis organization to increase sepsis awareness and advocate for mandatory sepsis protocols in hospitals.

James Alan Bland (1854-1911) was an African American musician and composer of popular songs, including "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," formerly the official state song of Virginia. Bland was born in Flushing to educated, free African American parents. While attending Howard University he became enthralled with the banjo and learned to play it. In the late 1870s, Bland began his professional career as a member of the first successful all-Black minstrel company, the Georgia Minstrels. Later he worked in minstrel shows throughout Europe and the United States, becoming the highest-paid minstrel singer in the country. He performed for Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace and President Grover Cleveland and Gen. Robert E. Lee in Washington. After living for 20 years in Europe, Bland returned to the U.S. in 1901. His fortunes declined as minstrel shows were replaced by vaudeville, and he died alone of tuberculosis in Philadelphia in 1911. Though Bland was buried there in an unmarked grave, a memorial was later erected by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. This playground is located adjacent to the James A. Bland public housing complex.

Guillermo Vasquez (1953-1996) was a leading gay rights, AIDS, and Latino community activist in Queens who emigrated from Colombia in 1972. A member of Queens Gays and Lesbians United, Vasquez would go on to serve on the board of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a statewide organization that advocated for LGBT rights. In 1993, he helped organize the first Queens Pride Parade as a member of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee and served as a translator for Spanish-speaking participants. Vasquez passed away due to AIDS-related complications in 1996. The corner of 77th Street and Broadway was co-named “Guillermo Vasquez Corner” next to the site of the Love Boat, a former gay Latino bar where he educated the community about HIV/AIDS.

Denis J. Butler (1927-2010) was a lifelong resident of Astoria who represented his district in the New York State Assembly for 24 years. He served on the Rules, Aging, Economic Development, Labor and Oversight, Analysis and Investigations Committees and on the Joint Budget Conference Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education, which helped to maintain and increase funding for higher education. As Chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on the Special Problems of the Aging, he was responsible for the MTA putting the rough paint on the edge of the subway platform to alert the visually impaired that the platform was ending. Assemblyman Butler volunteered with the Lighthouse for the Blind for 20 years. He also served as president of the St. Joseph’s Home School Association, and was a member of the Holy Name Society Parish Council. In 1988, he received the Brooklyn Diocese’s Pro Vita Award, presented by Bishop Francis J. Mugavero in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the unborn and in support of life. In 1992, he received the New York State Catholic Conference Public Policy Award, presented by John Cardinal O’Connor and the Bishops of New York State for his work in support of the Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation. In 2009, he was made a knight of the Papal Order of Saint Gregory the Great in Brooklyn’s St. James Cathedral Basilica by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzo.

In 1970, Iccey Elvalina Gibbs Newton (1939-1993) and her husband moved to Woodside where they raised four children. She helped form the Woodside Tenants Association and then worked for NYCHA for 20 years. She started tenant patrols in Woodside Houses and served as District Coordinator for the Girl Scouts of America. She served on Community Board 1 from 1991 until her death.

Cathay Williams (1844-1893) was born in Independence, Missouri. Her mother was a slave and her father was free. She worked as a house slave on the Johnson plantation on the outskirts of Jefferson City, Missouri. In 1861, Union forces occupied Jefferson City during the early stages of the Civil War. Like other captured slaves, she was designated as contraband and served as an Army cook and washerwoman. In this role, she accompanied the infantry all over the country. Williams served under the service of General Philip Sheridan and witnessed the Red River Campaign and the Battle of Pea Ridge. She enlisted voluntarily when she was 17 in 1866. Because of the prohibition against women serving in the military, she enlisted as a man, under the name of "William Cathay". Williams was assigned to the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment for three years. Due to health issues, a surgeon finally discovered she was a woman and informed the post commander. She was honorably discharged by her commanding officer, Captain Charles E. Clarke, on October 14, 1868. She then signed up with an emerging all-black regiment that would eventually become part of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers. Following her discharge, Williams worked as a cook and seamstress. She had a troubled marriage and had her husband arrested after he stole her money and a team of horses. It was during this time that her story first became public. A reporter from St. Louis heard rumors of a female African-American who had served in the army and came to interview her. Her life and military service narrative was published in the St. Louis Daily Times on January 2, 1876. Suffering from neuralgia and diabetes, she was denied a military pension in 1893. The exact date of her death is unknown, but it is believed she died shortly after she was denied.

Jacob August Riis (1849-1914), best known as a groundbreaking journalist and photographer, spent many of his working years in Richmond Hill, moving into his home nearby this triangle at 84-41 120th Street in 1886. Riis was born on May 3, 1849, in Ribe, Denmark, and immigrated to New York in 1870. After working various jobs, he was hired by the New York Tribune as a police reporter in 1877. He soon began documenting poverty, especially in the Lower East Side and Five Points areas of Manhattan. Starting around 1887, Riis brought along a camera, and in 1890, his book How the Other Half Lives was released. It contained dramatic photos and essays illustrating the challenging lives of immigrants on the Lower East Side. The book profoundly impacted the country, particularly New York, where the Police Commissioner at the time was Theodore Roosevelt. Riis's work inspired Roosevelt to support legislation aimed at improving living conditions in the slums. While Governor, Roosevelt attended Riis's daughter's wedding on June 1, 1900, at the Church of the Resurrection, the oldest church in Richmond Hill, located just a few blocks from this triangle. A plaque outside the church commemorates Roosevelt's appearance, while a memorial to the Riis family is located inside. Through his reporting on the struggles of New Yorkers, Riis developed a belief that play had a therapeutic effect on people. As a result, he championed small parks and playgrounds, especially in areas with little green space, and served as secretary of the Small Parks Committee. While on a speaking tour in 1914, Riis fell ill at a stop in New Orleans. His family brought him to their summer home in Barre, Massachusetts, to recuperate, but he passed away on May 26, 1914. Originally acquired by the City of New York in 1945, this park was officially named for Riis on May 8, 1990. The renaming was proposed by Council Member Arthur Katzman at the request of Felix Cuervo and Robert P. Mangieri of the Native New Yorker’s Historical Association. A dedication ceremony was held on September 15, 1990. Two other locations in Queens are also named for Riis: a park in Rockaway and a community center (settlement house) in Queensbridge.

Patrolman Arthur J. Kenny (d. 1926) served the NYPD for three years with the 60th Precinct (the present-day 110th Precinct) before he was killed in the line of duty by a notorious burglar. In the spring of 1926, residents of Woodhaven were fearful of the "Radio Burglar." Targeting the relatively new and expensive home technology, the Radio Burglar was suspected in between 50 and 100 home break-ins where the radio had been stolen. In early March, the Radio Burglar shot and injured an officer who had stopped to question him about the large item he was carrying down the street after midnight. On March 25th, when police responded to a woman's call about suspicious activity at her neighbor's home, the suspect shot another officer. Kenney and another policeman took off in chase after the suspect. With officers all over the area, when Kenney ran into the suspect, he thought he was another cop. The suspect told him, "I think the man you’re looking for jumped over that fence." In this brief pause, the suspect shot Kenney in the neck before disappearing into the night. After two weeks, Kenney succumbed to his injuries on April 6, 1926 at the age of 28. He left behind a wife and daughter. The hunt for the suspect intensified. Police questioned a man whose name was on a pawn shop receipt for one of the stolen radios, and that man suggested it had been forged by his acquaintance Paul Emmanuel Hilton, a known criminal. Cops around the city were alerted and had Hilton's mugshot. Two detectives on their day off decided to look for Hilton at one place he might be—Hilton was a baseball fan, so they staked out the entrance to the Polo Grounds on the Giants’ opening day, April 13, 1926. When they spotted him, they asked for identification and grabbed Hilton before he could reach the gun in his pocket. Hilton was charged with Kenney's murder and later found guilty. He died by electric chair on February 18, 1927. The Newtown Historical Society, Council Member Joann Ariola, and the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society worked to honor Kenney with a street co-naming, and the community held a ceremony to commemorate its installation on April 6, 2024, 98 years after his death.

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Joseph Imparato (1944-2005), a longtime resident of Long Island City, was a community leader dedicated to assisting the elderly, keeping his neighborhood clean and serving St. Mary’s Church. He owned and operated Joe Imp’s Restaurant in Long Island City for many years and was a fixture in the neighborhood. Prior to the opening of his restaurant, Imparato also served as a City sanitation worker and as a soldier in the U.S. Army. He passed unexpectedly following knee surgery at the age of 60.

Fiorello H. LaGuardia (1882–1947) was born in New York City to immigrant parents, attended public schools and graduated from New York University Law School in 1910. After practicing law for several years, he was elected as the nation’s first Italian American member of Congress in 1916. He served as a U.S. Representative until 1919, when he resigned to join the Army Air Service and serve in World War I. Upon his return, he was president of the New York City Board of Aldermen in 1920 and 1921, and was re-elected to Congress from 1923 to 1933. LaGuardia then served as mayor of New York City from 1934 to 1945. Among LaGuardia's many achievements as mayor, he is credited with unifying and modernizing New York City's public transit system, consolidating much of the city government, cracking down on illegal gambling, and beginning transportation projects that created many of the city’s bridges, tunnels, parkways and airports. He was also instrumental in the establishment of Queens College. In September 1937, Mayor LaGuardia broke ground on this airport's site. Its construction was funded through a $45 million Federal Works Progress Administration grant. More than half of the 558 acres on which the airport was built was man-made, filled in with more than 17 million cubic yards of cinders, ashes and trash. The new airport opened in 1939 as New York City Municipal Airport. In August 1940, the Board of Estimates renamed the facility for LaGuardia, who considered the project one of his greatest achievements. Today it is the third largest airport in the New York metropolitan area.

James Nicholas Pappageorge (1972 – 2001) grew up on 95th Street in Jackson Heights. he attended day school at the Transfiguration of Christ Elementary and went on to Newtown High School. Having been deeply involved in a variety of sports since childhood that included volleyball‚ softball and football‚ Jimmy went on to pursue a career in physical therapy at Hunter College. After graduation he became an emergency medical technician, working at the scene of traumatic accidents and fires. He then became a paramedic and later, a firefighter. He graduated in July 23‚ 2001 from the Fire Department’s academy and was assigned to Engine 23 in Manhattan. He died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001.

Captain Vincent F. Giammona (1961 - 2001), of Ladder Co. 5 in Manhattan, was killed at the World Trade Center during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Giammona, a married father of four children, turned 40 that day. Originally from Bayside, Queens, he attended St. Francis Preparatory high school in Fresh Meadows, where he served as co-captain of the track and cross country teams, graduating in 1979. He earned a college degree from SUNY Binghamton, and joined the FDNY in 1984. A 17-year veteran of the fire department, he was initially stationed at Ladder Co. 136 in Corona, Ladder Co. 103 in East New York, Brooklyn, and finally at Ladder Co. 5 in Greenwich Village. At his firehouse, Giammona was known as “Lieutenant Fun” for his good sense of humor, comedic antics, and pranks. In 2001, he was in training for the New York City marathon in the fall. It was to be his first attempt. After finishing his shift on September 11, he remained at the station, planning to go for a training run. When word came of the attacks at the World Trade Center, he responded to the call for assistance and was one of 343 members of the FDNY killed in the line of duty that day. In honor of his service, Giammona was posthumously promoted to Fire Captain. He is survived by his wife, Theresa, and his children, Francesca, Toni-Ann, Nicolette, and Daniella. The street sign honoring Giammona, reading “Captain Vincent F. Giammona Way,” is located in front of his childhood home in Auburndale, at the corner of 42nd Avenue and 202nd Street, and renames the section of 42nd Avenue between 201st Street and 202nd Street.

Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) was an Austrian Jewish journalist and playwright best known for role as founder of the political form of Zionism, a movement to establish an independent Jewish State. He was born in 1860 in Budapest, Hungary to Jakob and Jeanette Herzl, who were both wealthy German-speaking Jews. Though Herzl received his degree in law at the University of Vienna, he later focused on literature and was a successful journalist and playwright. He published a Zionist manifesto called “Der Judenstaat” in 1896. Subsequently, he put together the first Zionist Congress to take the steps to establish the Jewish State. He was the leader of the organization until his death at the age of forty-four in 1904. He was the only person mentioned by name in Israel’s Declaration of Independence and was known as the founder of the vision for the Jewish State. The Herzl’s monument was built a hundred years after his birth. It was designed by Joseph DiLorenzi and funded by the Kew Garden Zionist District. The Herzl monument is across the street from a Jewish high school and is regarded as a symbol of Jewish community strength.

Kingsland Homestead is the former home of Captain Joseph King (1757-1843), a British sea merchant and commercial farmer who settled in Queens. Located in Flushing, the two-story home with attic was dubbed “Kingsland” by Captain King when he purchased the property in 1801 from his father-in-law. The Dutch Colonial style farmhouse consists of twelve rooms, and it is considered one of the earliest examples of the residential style of construction common in Long Island in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kingsland Homestead was designated as a historic landmark in 1965. The home was originally built around 1785 for Charles Doughty, himself the son of Benjamin Doughty, a wealthy Quaker who purchased the land in Flushing. King married Charles Doughty’s daughter and bought the farmhouse from him, settling there to raise livestock and to grow corn and wheat for sale. Together with his wife, the couple had two children, Mary Ann and Joseph. King’s family and his descendants continued to live in the farmhouse until the 1930s when hardships of the Great Depression forced them to sell. In 1965, the home was declared a New York City historic landmark, the first structure in Queens to receive this honor. Three years later, when plans for a shopping center put the home at risk of demolition, it was moved from its original site (at 40-25 155th Street near Northern Boulevard) to its current location about one mile west at Weeping Beech Park in Flushing (at 143-35 37th Avenue). The structure now serves as the home of the Queens Historical Society.

The following text was written by Paul Russo's brother George: Paul was a humble and devout Christian young man. Passing at the age of 33, his life was short but meaningful. He was a person of integrity who devoted his later life to the ministry of the less fortunate. Tending to the homeless, building shelter for the poor in Third World countries and bringing the spiritually disenfranchised to the Lord became his mission. He was also entrepreneurial and business-savvy, always giving back to others whatever success he earned through his hard work. The last months of his life were an inspiration to those who witnessed the selfless acceptance of his medical diagnosis offered for the healing of others. Paul was a heroic saint to those who knew him best.

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.

Don McCallian (1934-2019) was a Sunnyside civic leader. He was a member of Community Board 2, vice president of the NYPD 108th Precinct Community Council and former president of the United Forties Civic Association. He was also a member of numerous clubs such as the Sunnyside-Woodside Lions Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and the Sunnyside Community Services. He was a long-time parishioner at St. Raphael’s Church and was a very active volunteer at the church’s food pantry.

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.

Kurt Richard Schmeller (1937-2022) was a historian, professor, and executive-level college administrator. He served as president of Queensborough Community College in Bayside from 1966 to 1999 and is among the longest-serving college presidents in the United States. Schmeller presided over a period of historic growth and change at Queensborough. Over his 32-year tenure, he established a strong business and technical curriculum, created programs in electrical and computer engineering, attracted new funders, and doubled enrollment to more than 10,000 students. Schmeller was born in Johnson City, New York, to parents Rudolph F. Schmeller, a civilian employee of the U.S. Army who later worked for a shoe manufacturer, and his German-born mother, Liska L. Schmeller, who worked for a department store. The second of three siblings, he moved with his family to Munich in 1947, where the Schmellers made their home before returning to upstate New York in 1953. He graduated from Binghamton Central High School in Binghamton, New York, going on to receive an undergraduate degree in European history from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 1959, and a Ph.D. in modern European history from Princeton University in 1962. While working as an assistant to the president and as a history professor at Wisconsin State University, he met his future wife, Beata (Sowka) Schmeller, a native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. In 1967, at the age of 29, Schmeller was named as Queensborough Community College’s third president. He and Beata moved to Glen Cove, New York, where they made their home. During his presidency, Schmeller upheld academic standards while advocating for giving students who did not meet typical admission standards a chance to attend college. In response, Queensborough’s College Discovery Program launched strong support efforts, including counseling, remedial courses, tutoring, and other academic assistance. In 1969, Schmeller blocked the reappointment of English professor Dr. Ronald Silberman, an openly Marxist scholar, citing budget cuts. Some critics argued Schmeller’s decision was politically motivated, and the act resulted in a period of student protests around this issue and other pressing societal and cultural tensions. Despite these early challenges, Schmeller oversaw many changes at the College, including the construction of nine new buildings, and the founding of the Queensborough Community College Art Gallery, the Holocaust Center (now the Kupferberg Holocaust Center), and the Port of Entry program. The first of its kind in the U.S., this program was designed to enhance cultural orientation for international students at Queensborough, particularly those from China. In addition to his work for the College, Schmeller was active in local community affairs, serving as chairman of the board of The Flushing Cemetery Association, as well as chairman of the City of Glen Cove School Board, and as president of Queens Council of the Boy Scouts of America. At the time of his death in 2022, he was survived by his wife, Beata, their three children, Rudolph, Sylvie, and Jesse, and four grandchildren. The main campus library at Queensborough Community College, located at 22-05 56th Avenue, was named in his honor as the Kurt R. Schmeller Library.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson may be best known as a rap icon, but he's also helped spark a love of nature in kids growing up in his old neighborhood through this community garden. Born July 6, 1975, Jackson grew up in South Jamaica, Queens. After his mother passed away when he was eight, his father left him to his grandmother's care. Though boxing and school took up his time, he also began dealing drugs around the age of 12. While attending the now-defunct Andrew Jackson High School, he was arrested for drug and gun possession, but served time in a boot camp rather than prison. With a GED in hand, it was around this time he decided to pursue hip hop. Attempting to break through with his music—and suffering some near-death experiences that included being shot several times outside of his grandmother's old house - Jackson's career took off when Eminem and Dr. Dre signed him for a record deal that resulted in the release of his debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', in 2003. The album's single "In da Club" hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Jackson has since made several more albums, appeared in films and television, and developed business ventures from apparel to real estate. And in 2007, he worked to give back to the community where he grew up with an investment into the former Baisley Park Community Garden. Working with the New York Restoration Project and Bette Midler, the new Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden is underwritten by 50 Cent’s G-Unity Foundation and reopened in 2008 following several renovations. The space now features a rainwater harvesting system for regular irrigation, a solar-powered water pump, and new garden beds. The garden has also provided new opportunities for youth encountering the criminal justice system. According to a 2016 article, teens in an alternative-to-detention program volunteered at the garden, where they built connections to both people and nature.

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.

Harry Lefrak (1885-1963) was a prominent builder of middle-income apartments around New York City, and, with his wife Sarah Lefrak (1888-1962), dedicated time and money to charitable causes. Harry was born in Russia (Belarus) on March 31, 1885. He spent his early years in Palestine before moving to New York in the winter of 1900 with just some spare change to his name. He immediately found himself work, doing errands and carpentry in the Lower East Side. By 1905 he'd saved enough money to buy a carpentry shop in Manhattan when his employer there moved to a larger space. By the end of World War I, he sold that business for $250,000 and became a full-time homebuilder. He first built single-family homes in Brooklyn, and his construction enterprise grew steadily. He soon recognized a need for higher-density homes, and began building apartments for middle-income families. As it grew, the Lefrak Organization built 400 such buildings across the city. His work is said to have influenced the face of several neighborhoods. In Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, the Lefrak Organization built the 500-apartment Kings Bay Houses, along with a giant shopping area nearby. He also saw the construction of the first part of the sprawling Lefrak City, which was built to house 25,000 people. By 1948, Henry had left his business in the hands of his son, Samuel J. Lefrak. Henry then spent more time on charitable activities, including the Lefrak Foundation, which he and Sarah had founded, which helped build several hospitals and medical centers in Israel. He also tried to avoid the stereotype of the evil landlord. In 1956, he heard about a producer of an off-Broadway production—which was about a tenant who murders his merciless landlord-—who owed the theater nearly $300 in rent. Henry, noting the irony of the play's subject, paid the bill. Sarah was also born in Russia, on November 15, 1888, but moved to Long Beach on Long Island. She and Henry had Samuel, their first child, in 1918 when they lived at 246 E. 52st Street in Manhattan. They moved to Forest Hills in 1953. In addition to the Lefrak Foundation, she worked with charitable organizations such as the Women's Zionist Organization of American and State of Israel Bonds. Sarah passed away on November 19, 1962 at the age of 74, with Henry following a few months later, on July 1, 1963 at the age of 78. In addition to his son Samuel, Henry was survived by his daughters, Sophie Menowitz and Fagel Lipschutz, his sister, Molly Alpert, and seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. At the time of their death, Sarah and Henry lived at 103-25 68th Avenue. They are buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery. In 1965, the City Council approved Councilmember Arthur J. Katzman's bill to rename the triangle at Queens Boulevard and 65th Avenue as Lefrak Memorial Square. Mayor Robert F. Wagner soon approved the bill, which was made to honor the roles they played in community and philanthropic activities in Queens.

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.

James J. Lanza (1945-2017) served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War and later became a member of FDNY’s Engine 53, Ladder 43, known as ‘El Barrio’s Bravest.’ On September 11th, he and other firefighters pulled 16 people out of the rubble alive. During his 30 years with FDNY, he assisted in the search-and-recovery mission in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina; served on the board of the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation; and volunteered at the Red Cross. He died as a result of 9/11-related cancer.

Nepalese mountaineer Tenzing Norgay Sherpa (1914-1986) and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. In 1999, they were among TIME’s 100 most influential people of the 20th century. The neighborhood in which Norgay's honorary street is located is currently home to a large Nepali community.

William H. Latham (1903-1987) was a Consulting Park Engineer under Robert Moses, and one of the few aides with whom Moses would directly interact. Born in 1903, Latham graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in civil engineering. Hired by Moses in 1927, Latham, along with several other associates hired during that period known as the “Moses Men,” became legendary throughout state and city government for his ability, loyalty and determination. In 1954, Moses selected Latham to oversee construction of the Niagara Project, a hydroelectric dam on the St. Lawrence River in Lewiston, N.Y.; it was the world's largest such project at the time. Latham remained as the dam's resident engineer until his retirement in 1971.