Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy (1935-2002) served as principal of the Blessed Sacrament School from 1967 to 2002. She aided many recent immigrants from South America, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba by providing access to good and affordable education.

Poet, novelist and playwright Langston Hughes (1901-1967) grew up in the Midwest and moved to New York City to attend Columbia University. Hughes is known as a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural mecca for Black intellectuals and artists in the early 20th century. He wrote about African American life between the 1920s and 1960s, including "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Montage of A Dream Deferred," and "Not Without Laughter," which won the Harmon Gold Medal for Literature. His ashes are interred beneath a mosaic in the NYPL's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem.

The Remsen Family Cemetery is on a triangular plot of land that was once part of the Remsen family farm, which was established after the family immigrated from Germany in the 17th century. Among those buried here are members of the family who fought in the Revolutionary War. Rem Jansen Van Der Beek came to America from northern Germany in the mid-1600s. His sons, who adopted the name Remsen, settled around Brooklyn and Queens. His son Abraham Remsen settled in the area that is now Forest Hills, but at the time was known as Hempstead Swamp in the Town of Newtown. Abraham's son Jeromus lived on the family farm, and then had his son, also named Jermous, who was born on November 22, 1735. The younger Jeromus is one of the most notable Remsens, having served in the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars and being active in politics. He was part of a minority in Queens who was outspoken against the king after the colonies declared independence. Active in Whig politics, he was appointed to a committee to see that the measures of the Continental Congress of 1774 were followed within Newtown. His previous army experience and politics made him a clear choice to lead a regiment of militia soldiers as a colonel, which he gathered during the summer of 1776 as British troops were gathering on Staten Island. He commanded the 7th New York Regiment, which were among those who joined the brigade of General Greene in Brooklyn, and who were routed at the Battle of Long Island. After their retreat, Jeromus fled to New Jersey for safety, where he remained until after the war. He returned to his farm, where he later died on June 22, 1790. P.S. 144Q is named in his honor. The Remsens used this cemetery as a family burial ground from what's thought to be the mid-18th through the 19th centuries. Eight Remsen family gravemarkers were found during a survey in 1925, which were dated between 1790 and 1819. The oldest is that of Jeromus. His cousins Abraham, Luke, and Aurt were also Revolutionary War officers. The Remsen farmlands were sold off by 1925. Most of the gravemarkers disappeared over time, some the victims of vandalism. Over the years, several local groups, including the American Legion, helped maintain the cemetery. In 1980 the Veterans Administration put in new marble gravemarkers to honor Jeromus and the other veterans buried there. The cemetery was given New York City Landmark status in 1981.

Helen Marshall (1929-2017) was the first African American Queens Borough President, serving from 2002 to 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. The corner at Northern Boulevard and 103rd Street that is co-named for Marshall is next to the original location of the Langston Hughes Library at 102-09 Northern Boulevard.

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.

John “Jack” Boyle (1941-2019) dedicated 30 years to the FDNY. Born on November 25, 1941, Boyle's commitment to service began before his firefighting career. He served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, Boyle became a New York City Transit Police Officer and was a founding member of the Transit Police Bagpipe Band. Boyle joined the FDNY as a member of Ladder 102/Engine 209 in Brooklyn. His bravery was recognized in 1978 when he received the Holy Name Medal from the mayor's office for rescuing children from a fire. In 1979, he transferred to the elite Rescue 1 unit in Manhattan, where he served until his retirement in 2002. That same year, the FDNY Holy Name Society honored him as "Man of the Year" at St. Patrick's Cathedral. As a first responder at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attack, Boyle's dedication continued. Tragically, he passed away on August 24, 2019, at the age of 77, from severe lung damage resulting from his work at the site. Boyle is survived by his wife, Dawn; his children, Patrick and Caitlin; and his siblings, Charles Boyle, Ruth Burke, and Mary Alice McCrann, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. On September 7, 2024, over 100 people, including members of the FDNY and the U.S. Army, attended the street co-naming ceremony in his honor. At the event, Dawn shared, "He loved his neighborhood. Never wanted to leave it, and that’s why he’s here, buried, and we’re here, and I’ll never leave here.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland, in the Lake District of England. He was one of the founders of English Romanticism and one its most central figures and important intellects. Wordsworth's collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge led to one of the most famous collections of poetry, entitled "Lyrical Ballads." Wordsworth was Britain's poet laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850. He is remembered as a poet of spiritual and epistemological speculation, being deeply concerned with the human relationship to nature and for his fierce advocacy of using the vocabulary and speech patterns of common people in poetry.

Patrolman John J. Madden, Sr. (1923-1968) was a 19-year veteran of the NYPD. He was assigned to the 104th Precinct when, on September 11, 1968, he was pursuing several suspects on foot on Stockholm Street in Brooklyn. When he complained of chest pains, Madden was taken to Wycoff Heights Hospital in Queens, where he died from a heart attack. Prior to the NYPD, Madden had served in World War II in the United States Navy Reserve. He was survived by his wife and three children. In 2023 City Councilmember Robert F. Holden proposed co-naming 70th Street, where Madden had lived, in his honor. A dedication ceremony was held on June 1, 2024. \*also known as Patrolman John Madden, Sr.

Rose M. Singer (1896-1991) was a longtime jail reform activist and an original member of the New York City Board of Correction. She volunteered for the Board for more than three decades, beginning with its inception in 1957. In the early 1950s, she was founder and first president of the Friendly Visitors, a service group that helps women in prison. Singer was born in Brooklyn to Russian-immigrant parents Samuel Singer, a presser, and Molly (Cluhock) Singer. After graduating from Brooklyn College, she continued her studies at Columbia University, where she earned a master’s degree in child psychology. In 1956, she received an award for distinguished and exceptional service to New York City from Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr., in recognition of 20 years of volunteer work. A year later, Wagner appointed her as one of nine members to the Board of Corrections, a newly formed volunteer citizen watchdog group formed to assist the Department of Corrections with managing and planning and to serve in a monitorial role on behalf of the public. Singer continued to serve on the Board until her death in 1991, when she was the last of the original nine. Active in civic affairs, Singer fulfilled many roles, serving at various times as chairwoman of the voluntary advisory council to the Department of Correction, chairwoman of the executive committee of the Women's Prison Association, vice chairwoman of the Citizens Union of the City of New York, and trustee of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. At their 50th anniversary celebration in 1977, the National Conference of Christians and Jews named Singer as one of 50 Women of Achievement. On June 20, 1988, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to dedicate a new $100 million jail for women on Rikers Island as the Rose M. Singer Center in Singer’s honor. Singer died of heart failure at her home in Manhattan on March 14, 1991. She was survived at the time by three sons (Ronald, Edward, and Martin), seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Aurora Gareiss founded the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee in 1969. The organization's mission was -- and remains -- the conservation, preservation and restoration of the remaining undeveloped wetlands and wooded uplands in the Udalls Cove watershed. Udalls Cove is the eastern arm of Little Neck Bay, itself part of Long Island Sound. At the time, most of the area that is now preserved as Udalls Cove Park was mapped for residential development. As a result of the efforts of Gareiss and the organization she founded, almost all the undeveloped lands have been protected as part of the park.

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (1919-1972) will forever be remembered and honored as the first Black player in Major League Baseball. Born in Georgia, he was raised by a single mother along with his four siblings. His early success as a student athlete led him to UCLA, where he became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports (baseball, football. basketball and track). After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in 1944 and was selected by Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey as a player who could start the integration of the white major leagues. Robinson was recognized not only for his baseball talents, but because he was thought to have had the right demeanor for the challenges he would ultimately face. Robinson made his National League debut on April 15, 1947, as Brooklyn's first baseman. In spite of the abuse of the crowds and some fellow baseball players, he endured and succeeded in the sport. He won the Rookie of the Year Award that year. Two years later, he was named the National League MVP, when he led the league with a .342 batting average, 37 steals and 124 RBI. A few select players, like Dodgers’ shortstop Pee Wee Reese, were particularly supportive of Robinson in spite of the taunting and jeers and helped him excel. In Robinson’s 10 seasons with the Dodgers, the team won six pennants and ultimately captured the 1955 World Series title. Robinson’s struggles and achievements paved the way for Black players in baseball and other sports. When he retired after the 1956 season, he left the game with a .313 batting average, 972 runs scored, 1,563 hits and 200 stolen bases. After baseball, Robinson operated a chain of restaurants and coffee shops but continued to advocate for social change, serving on the board of the NAACP. He died of a heart attack in 1972. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as its first Black player in 1962. On April 15, 1997, 50 years after his major league debut, his uniform number 42 was retired from all teams of Major League Baseball, a unique honor to this day. Ten years later in 2007, April 15 was declared to be Jackie Robinson Day. In Robinson's honor, all major league players, coaches and managers wear the number 42 on that day.

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."

Sergeant Carl R. Sohncke (1894 – 1918) was born and raised in Woodside Queens and worked as a printer before he enlisted in the United States Army in 1915 to fight in WWI. He served for three years, the last 8 months in France as Sergeant of Company M in the 28th Infantry. He was killed in action in France while reconnoitering with his platoon across "no man's land" under heavy German shell fire on May 28, 1918. He became Woodside's first fallen hero of WWI. His body was returned to New York in December 1921, and after a funeral at his parent's home, Sgt. Sohncke was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, with full military honors provided by members of the Edward J. Lange Post, American Legion of Winfield conducting the burial service. A firing squad from Governor’s Island paid the soldier’s tribute to their comrade-in-arms. Carl wrote a song while stationed in Panama before being transferred to France. It is called "Dear Old New York" - words by Carl R. Sohncke, music by ESS Huntington, copyright 7 Jul 1916 by Carl R Sohncke, Las Casadas, Panama.

The entrance to Hortense Powdermaker Hall on the campus of Queens College.

Tom Seaver (1944-2020), also known as “The Franchise” and "Tom Terrific," signed with the New York Mets in 1966 and pitched for the team from 1967 to 1977. He won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1967 and Cy Young Award in 1969. During his time with the team, he was selected to ten All-Star teams, led the league in strikeouts five times, and had five one-hitters and five 20-win seasons. He also led the "Miracle Mets” to win the World Series in 1969 and appeared again in the 1973 World Series. Fans were heartbroken when Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in June 1977, where he continued to dominate. He finally pitched a no-hitter in 1978 and recorded his 3,000th strikeout in 1981. He found himself back on the Mets in 1983 and finished his career with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 1984 to 1986. When he retired in 1987, he had a record of 311-205, with a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. Seaver was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1992 and wears the New York Mets cap on his plaque in the Hall. After retiring from playing, Seaver continued with baseball as an announcer, working for both the New York Yankees (1989-1993) and New York Mets (1999-2005) before retiring again to run Seaver Vineyards in California. The Mets retired Seaver's uniform number, 41, in 1988. Shortly before his death in 2020, the New York Mets changed their address to 41 Seaver Way, naming the part of 126th street outside the ballpark in his honor. On April 15, 2022, a statue of Seaver created by sculptor William Behrends was unveiled in front of the stadium. The bronze and stainless steel work, which stands 10 feet high and weighs more than 33,000 pounds, depicts Seaver in his trademark pitching stance.

Roy Wilkins (1901-1981) was a Civil Rights activist and NAACP leader. In his early days, he became the editor of the Kansas City Call in 1923, a weekly newspaper serving the Black community of Kansas City, Missouri. He also helped organize the historic March on Washington in August 1963 and participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965 and the March Against Fear in Mississippi in 1966. Under Wilkins's direction, NAACP played a major role in many civil rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s, including Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act.

Lieutenant Theodore “Teddy” Leoutsakos (ca. 1950 - 2015) was a lifelong Astoria resident and a first responder during the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, where he was trapped when the towers collapsed. He survived the attacks and was credited with helping many survivors that day. Leoutsakos was a United States Air Force Veteran who served during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged when he was wounded in combat. For 24 years, he served as a New York State Court Officer and worked perimeter patrol outside of the New York County Supreme Court at 111 Centre Street in Manhattan. He was a founding member of the Fraternal Organization of Court Officers, a charitable organization that began in 1990 and has held hundreds of fundraisers helping people in need. Shortly after his retirement, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer as a result of his response to the World Trade Center and his time spent at Ground Zero.

Saint Andrew Avellino (1521-1608) was an Italian lawyer, writer, theologian, Catholic priest, and religious leader of the Theatine order. Recognized for his eloquent preaching, care for the sick, and extensive correspondence and other writings, he was canonized as a saint in 1712 by Pope Clement XI. Born in Castronuovo, Sicily, and named Lancelotto, he went to elementary school in his hometown before going on to Venice to study philosophy and humanities. He continued his education in Naples, focusing on ecclesiastical and civil law and receiving a doctorate degree in law. He was ordained as a priest at the age of 26. Avellino worked for a time as a lawyer at an ecclesiastical court in Naples. While arguing a case one day, he lied and felt such remorse that he quit his work to focus on spirituality. After being commissioned in 1556 to reform a local convent, he was attacked by those who opposed the reforms, and he went to recuperate at a monastery of Theatines, an order of clerics founded in 1524 that focused on reforming Catholic morality. While there, he entered the order at the age of 35 and took the name of Andrew, becoming a leader of the movement and helping to form additional Theatine monasteries in Milan, Piacenza, and elsewhere. Avellino’s religious zeal and eloquent preaching attracted many disciples and new adherents to the Catholic Church, and his many letters and other theological works were published over several volumes beginning in 1731. On November 10, 1608, he died of a stroke while celebrating a mass, and his remains are located at the Church of St. Paul in Naples. He is a patron saint of Naples and Sicily and is often invoked against sudden death. Saint Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy is located at 35-50 158th Street in Flushing. The school first opened on September 25, 1925, however, the parish church was founded in 1914. When selecting a patron saint for the parish, the bishop at the time was concerned about the number of priests who had suffered heart attacks and thus chose Saint Andrew Avellino.

The Carnegie Reading Room at Elmhurst Library is named after businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835 – 1919). The name honors the original Elmhurst Library building, which was a “Carnegie Library”, built with money donated by Carnegie. Over 2,500 Carnegie libraries were built across the world, between 1883 and 1929. In 1907, funds totaling $240,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie were used for the construction of seven new libraries in Queens, including the old Elmhurst Library. The one-story structure served the community for 110 years, but more space was needed, and in 2011 the building was demolished. The new four-story library opened in 2016. The only artifact saved was the edifice of the old fireplace, which is now in the 3rd floor room of the children's section. Four Carnegie Library buildings (Astoria, Poppenhusen, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven) are still in use in Queens at this time.

William D. Modell (1921-2008) was born in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, and attended New York University. He succeeded his father in running Modell’s, the nation’s oldest family-owned sporting goods company, for 60 years. Under his leadership, Modell’s became a popular chain of sporting good stores selling athletic equipment and accessories. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the Panama Canal Treaty negotiating committee and was also co-founder of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation for Immunological Research (his son Michael died of Crohn’s disease) and founder of Gilda’s Club in New York. He was inducted into the National Sporting Goods Hall of Fame by former President George H.W. Bush in 1994 and also became a member of the Discount Retail Hall of Fame.

Benjamin N. Cardozo (1870-1938), former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1932-1938). Justice Cardozo is notable for both his defense of the New Deal’s social programs during his six short years at the Supreme Court and his advocacy for the common-law approach throughout his judicial career.  Born in New York City to a Portuguese Sephardic Jewish family, Justice Cardozo was tutored by Horatio Alger and various home tutors as a youth, before being admitted into Columbia College at age fifteen. Cardozo had ambition to restore his family’s honor, after his father, Judge Albert Cardozo of the Supreme Court of New York, achieved notoriety for his involvement with the corrupt Tweed ring. The elder Cardozo resigned in 1872, just before he could be impeached. After the younger Cardozo’s graduation from Columbia College and a few years at Columbia Law School, he joined his father’s law practice and entered the bar. In 1914, Cardozo was appointed to the Court of Appeals, he would serve eighteen years at the court - five of which at the head. Following Oliver Wendell Holmes’s retirement from the United States Supreme Court in 1932, Justice Cardozo was named to the Supreme Court by President Herbert Hoover. This appointment earned him the distinction of being the second Jewish judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court, after Justice Louis Brandeis. Despite later describing himself as an agnostic, Justice Cardozo volunteered within the Jewish community throughout his life. He was a member of the Judean Club, a board member of the American Jewish Committee, and a member of the Zionist Organization of America at various points. At the point of his appointment to the Supreme Court, he resigned from all offices except for his membership on the Executive Committee of the Jewish Welfare Board and on the Committee on the Advisor to the Jewish students at Columbia University. On the Supreme Court, he was one of the “Three Musketeers” - the nickname given to the three liberal members of the Court that supported the New Deal agenda, including Justice Brandeis and Justice Harlan Fiske Stone. He is noted for his defense of social security and old-age pensions in particular.  The City of New York acquired the land for this playground in April 1955, and it opened in August 1957 as J.H.S. 198 Playground. The playground contains benches and a softball field for the school and the community. Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern changed the name in 1985 to Benjamin Cardozo Playground, physically commemorating the life of a man who left an indelible mark on New York City.

Malcolm X (1925-1965) was a civil rights activist and a prominent leader in the Black nationalist movement. On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated by several gunmen while preparing to deliver a lecture at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. Three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted of his murder, though two were later exonerated. His posthumously published book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written with Alex Haley, is considered a classic of American autobiographical literature. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, he was the fourth of seven children. His father, Earl Little, was a local president for the Black nationalist Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), and his mother, Louise (Norton) Little, was a UNIA division secretary. His father’s activism led to death threats from the Ku Klux Klan, forcing the family to move several times before they settled in East Lansing, Michigan. When Malcolm was six, his father died in what was officially ruled a streetcar accident but was likely an act of white supremacists. In 1939, his mother was committed to a mental institution, and after a period in foster care, Malcolm moved to Boston. In 1946, he was arrested for larceny and served time in prison, where he converted to the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Malcolm X. After his 1952 release, he worked with the movement's leader, Elijah Mohammad, to expand its membership nationwide. He married Betty Sanders in 1958, and they had six daughters. In 1964, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam due to disagreements with its leadership. He traveled extensively throughout North Africa and the Middle East, converting to traditional Islam and changing his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. In 1965, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity as a secular platform to unify Black Americans with Africans and build solidarity in the developing world by shifting the focus from civil rights to human rights. Malcolm X Place was named in his honor and is the block where his family lived from 1960 until his assassination in 1965. Their home on 97th Street between 23rd and 24th Avenues was firebombed a week before his death. The house, which was owned by the Nation of Islam at the time, is now privately owned. In addition to the Malcolm X Place, Malcolm X Garden on 112th Street in East Elmhurst is also named in his honor.

Born in Brooklyn, Maurice A. FitzGerald (1897-1951) was a lifelong public servant. He began his career as a postal clerk at the age of 14. In the 1920s, FitzGerald became the president of the South Side Allied Civic Association and championed the construction of John Adams High School in Ozone Park. He also successfully opposed the displacement of local residents by the widening of streets. In 1929, FitzGerald was elected to the State Assembly where he served for nine years. During his tenure, he actively supported laws that extended the parkways through Queens, earning him the nickname “The Father of Queens Parkways.” FitzGerald also led a successful campaign to regulate utility companies, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. A staunch supporter of civil service and labor, he sponsored many pro-worker bills, including ones that restricted court injunctions and prohibited contracts that prevented workers from joining unions. In 1937, FitzGerald was elected Sheriff of Queens and embarked on a vigorous beautification and enforcement campaign for the 1939-40 World’s Fair. In 1942, he was appointed Borough Public Works Commissioner, a position he held for seven years. FitzGerald was then elected as Queens Borough President on the Democratic ticket with Mayor William O’Dwyer in 1949. Unfortunately, FitzGerald only served as president for two years; he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1951 while vacationing in the Adirondacks, ending a productive career of public service. Later that year, the City Council named a new playground for FitzGerald in Ozone Park where he had been a longtime resident. He had been instrumental in securing this site as a park and had participated in the groundbreaking ceremonies months before his death.

Lawrence Virgilio (1962-2001) was a New York City Firefighter who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Virgilio, a firefighter with the Greenwich Village-based Squad 18, used the playground as a youth growing up in this neighborhood. Virgilio served 12 years with the Fire Department, receiving two unit citations for bravery.

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.

Johann Paul Friedrich Richter (1763-1825) was born in Germany. He was a novelist and essayist who went by the pseudonym Jean Paul. His early works were satirical but largely unsuccessful and his fame came after publishing a novel titled the Invisible Lodge in the early Romantic style.

Robert Tilitz (1909-1996) moved to Elmhurst in 1917. He served in World War II, and rose to the rank of Captain. After the war he attended the New School and went on to a career at the Veterans Administration - he taught social services at Columbia University after he retired. Tilitz was often referred to as the "Mayor of Elmhurst," where he was very active in the community. He volunteered at a mental health clinic, was president of the Newtown Civic Association and was the associate editor of The Newtown Crier. He also served on Community Board 4 and was a trustee of Queens Borough Public Library for 13 years. In addition, Olga Conway, Bob's sister, was a tireless advocate for gardens and green spaces. She and her crew could be found at the oasis which was the Elmhurst Library Garden, taking care of the wide, spacious, and diverse groups of flowers.

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) was an American singer and actor. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey to Italian immigrant parents, Sinatra would go on to become one of the most popular performers of the twentieth century, with a career in music and film spanning over fifty years. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and multiple Grammy awards, among other honors. In 1999, Sinatra’s close friend and fellow singer Tony Bennett conceived the idea of a public high school dedicated to the arts where young artists would be able to dedicate themselves to their craft in a rigorous academic environment. The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts opened in 2001 in a temporary home in Long Island City and moved to a new building in Bennett's native Astoria in 2009. Bennett named the school in honor of his beloved Sinatra; in a 2009 spotlight on Sinatra for Vanity Fair, Bennett described Sinatra as his “best friend” and extolled his emotional honesty in performance. Sinatra had spoken of Bennett in similar terms, stating in a 1965 profile in Life magazine that “Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business, the best exponent of a song. He excites me when I watch him – he moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind and probably a little more.”

Robert A. Van Wyck (1847-1918) was an influential political figure in New York during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in New York City, he was the son of Attorney William Van Wyck. Van Wyck began his academic pursuits at the University of North Carolina before completing his education at Columbia Law School, graduating in 1872. Initially a businessman, he transitioned to law and eventually became a city court judge in 1880. After serving as Chief Justice of New York, Van Wyck entered Democratic Party politics. Elected Mayor of New York in 1897 with the backing of Tammany Hall's Richard Croker, he oversaw the unification of the five boroughs into modern-day New York City. During his tenure, Van Wyck worked to improve the city's fragmented administrative system. Following his term, he retired to Paris, France, where he resided until his death in 1918.

Nancy Lucia Cataldi (1953- 2008) was a life-long Richmond Hill resident, co-founder and president of the Richmond Hill Historical Society, and the historian for Maple Grove Cemetery. She was an active preservationist for the Victorian-era homes in Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and Kew Gardens, and succeeded in securing the special designation of the Queens Historical Society’s “Queensmarks” for twelve local homes, thereby preserving their architectural and historic value. Cataldi was a graduate of Richmond Hill High School and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied photography, and worked as a photographer for the New York Rangers, Rolling Stone Magazine, the New York Times, and People Magazine.

The Hell Gate Lighthouse stood on the seawall of this site from 1907 to 1982.

Captain William Chrysostom Dermody was a dedicated and outspoken abolitionist who was killed in the Civil War. He was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1830 but came to New York with his family as a young child. He volunteered with the 67th New York Infantry and served in Company K, the first regiment of Long Island volunteers. The backbone of the regiment was formed by members of Henry Ward Beecher’s Abolitionist Plymouth Church Congregation in Brooklyn Heights. It was organized in Brooklyn on June 24, 1861, and the soldiers left for Washington, D.C., on August 21, 1861. The regiment fought in many battles throughout the war, including the Battle of Spotsylvania. The Battle of Spotsylvania took place in Fredricksburg, Virginia, from May 8 to 21 in 1864. A numerically superior Union force met with a smaller but vigorous Confederate force anxious to avenge their previous losses at Gettysburg. During the two weeks of the battle, a total of 152,000 men fought (100,000 Union soldiers and 52,000 Confederate) and 30,000 lives were lost. During May 12 and 13 in particular, Gen. Ulysses Grant managed to capture nearly an entire division of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army and came close to cutting the Confederate army in half. It was at this point that Dermody lost his life, being mortally wounded on May 12 and dying the following day. His remains were buried on the battlefield at the time. In 1865, the Fredericksburg National Cemetery was established to reinter and memorialize the almost 20,000 soldiers who died there. A marker for Dermody can be found in the cemetery. His parents, Patrick and Lavinia Boyd Dermody, are buried in Flushing's Mount St. Mary Cemetery. The plot of land located on 216th Street and 48th Avenue had been the site of the local two-room schoolhouse. In 1866, the site was dedicated to the memory of Captain Dermody by a ceremonial meeting of a Union and Confederate veteran, each planting a special tree: a maple to represent the North and a sycamore to represent the South. The trees were to grow together as a symbol of the communal hope for a better union. A monument was placed in the square with the inscription, “For a Better Union 1861-1865”; it remains there today. Every Memorial Day, the Bayside Historical Society lays a wreath at the park to commemorate Captain Dermody and those who fought in the Civil War. The Board of Aldermen (predecessor of the City Council) officially named this property for Captain William C. Dermody on March 15, 1937. The name was changed simply to Captain Dermody Triangle on July 29, 1997, by an executive decree from Commissioner Henry J. Stern. A low stone wall bounds the triangle.

Police Officer Edward Byrne (1966-1988) was a rookie officer who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Byrne was shot several times in the head and died instantly as he sat in his police car while on assignment protecting a drug case witness at 107th Avenue and Inwood Street in South Jamaica, Queens. The cold-blooded killing, which was apparently a plot to intimidate witnesses from testifying against drug dealers, shocked the consciousness of the city. A year after the murder, four men were convicted and sentenced to the maximum sentences of 25 years to life for the crime. Byrne was single, 22, and living in Massapequa, Long Island, at the time he was murdered. He had joined the police force the previous July, and worked at the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, Queens.

Lance Corporal Thomas P. Noonan Jr. (1943-1969) was a Vietnam War Veteran born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1961 he attended Hunter College in the Bronx, graduating with a B.A. degree in Physical Education in 1966. Noonan enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in Brooklyn at the end of 1967 and was discharged to enlist in the regular Marine Corps early 1968. Noonan completed recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, and was promoted to private first class in spring 1968. Summer of 1968 Noonan was ordered to the Republic of Vietnam. He was first assigned duty as a mortar man with H\&S Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Later Noonan was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division as a rifleman, where he saw combat with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. Noonan was promoted to Lance Corporal January 1st, 1969. Lance Corporal Noonan was killed in action February 5th, 1969 while participating in action against the enemy during Operation Dewey Canyon south of Vandegrift Combat Base in Quang Tri Province. Noonan was awarded the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was also awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously by President Richard Nixon. As described in the citation, Noonan was awarded this medal for his indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty. Noonan died attempting to bring wounded men away from enemy fire and back to safety. Noonan dashed across the hazardous terrain of the area and commenced dragging the most seriously wounded man. Although wounded and knocked to the ground by an enemy round, Lance Corporal Noonan recovered rapidly and resumed dragging the man toward the marginal security of a rock. He was however, mortally wounded before he could reach his destination. His actions inspired his fellow Marines to such passion that they initiated a spirited assault which forced the enemy soldiers to withdraw. In December 2004, Jack Lincks wrote: "You are gone from our presence, but never forgotten. You would be amazed that so many remember you, and that our childhood playground is now named for you. Till we meet again - Semper Fi !" The L/CPL Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground holds Noonan's memory, as well as those who knew him.

Patrolman Arthur Howarth (d. 1938) had served with the NYPD for 11 years when he was killed in a car crash with another police car while both were responding to an alarm. Howarth was with the 85th Precinct when he and Patrolman Angelo Favata responded to a report of a stabbing at 7:30pm on July 9, 1938. They collided with the other police car, which was also responding to the call, at the corner of Bushwick and Johnson Avenues in Brooklyn. The impact led the two cars to collide with a third car, which was parked. Howarth suffered a fractured skull, and died in the hospital an hour later. Favata, also suffering from a fractured skull, died later. The two officers in the other car, Patrolman Philip Faber and Patrolman Paul Storll, suffered injuries but survived. A man in the parked car was also injured. Howarth was 33 years old at the time of his passing. He left behind his wife, Rose, who had been in critical condition at the time following a leg amputation after the birth of their daughter a few weeks earlier. Family and police officials held a funeral procession on July 13, 1938, from the home of Howarth's mother-in-law in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to St. Columbkille Church (now Ss. Cyril & Methodius Church), after which Howarth was buried at St. John's Cemetery. Council Member Robert Holden proposed this street co-naming in June 2024, and a commemoration ceremony took place on November 16, 2024. The intersection is near where Howarth had lived, at 72-21 Calmus Avenue.

Abigail Adams (1744-1818), was the wife of John Adams, patriot leader, lawyer and second president of the United States. She was a patriot in her own right and a supporter of education for women. She married John Adams in 1764. From 17874 to 1784, she raised four children alone and ran the family farm. Her son, John Quincy Adams, was the sixth President of the United States.

William Spyropoulos was a Greek-American philanthropist who supported the opening of a Greek-American Day School for the children of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Shrine Church in Flushing. The William Spyropoulos Greek-American Day School opened on September 12, 1977, initially serving 50 students from nursery school to second grade. The school now serves around 400 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. If you have information about William Spyropolous or any place currently missing from our map, please click on "Add/Edit" and fill out the form. This will help us fill in the blanks and complete the map.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935) was an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court originally appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902. Holmes was born in Boston and served with the Massachusetts Twentieth Volunteers during the Civil War. He received his law degree from Harvard in 1866 and both practiced law and taught at Harvard for the next 15 years. In 1882, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, where he served until being nominated and confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court in December 1902. He retired in 1932 at the age of 90. Throughout his 29 years on the Supreme Court, Holmes ruled on a number of highly influential cases protecting American civil liberties and helped build the legal framework for the New Deal. I.S. 204 is a public middle school (grades 6-8) that offers a dual-language program for students. It serves a largely immigrant and first-generation American student population, including the local Bangladeshi community, as well as children from the Ravenswood and Queensbridge NYCHA communities. Across the street is a large public recreation area called Dutch Kills playground that the school shares with P.S. 112.

Alfred J. Kennedy (1877 - 1944) was an American politician from Whitestone, New York, who served in New York State Government and as Postmaster of Flushing, Queens. Kennedy was a member of the New York State Assembly for Community Board 2 in 1911, 1912 and 1913; and was Chairman of the Committee on Privileges and Elections in 1913. He resigned his seat on May 12, 1913, to accept an appointment as Postmaster of Flushing, Queens. On December 22, 1922, Alfred J. Kennedy, his half-brother Robert R. Clancy, and his son Francis Kennedy, were indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the postal laws, where they were accused of having leaked the questions (which had been sent by mail) for a civil service test. He ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 1920, as the Democratic candidate for New York's 1st congressional district. He was again a member of the NY State Assembly Community Board 3 from 1923 to 1926. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1927 to 1930, and then was appointed Public Administrator of Queens in May 1930. Kennedy fought as a corporal of the 22nd New York Infantry (U.S. Army) in the Spanish American War. In August 1937, he was elected Commander-in-Chief of the United Spanish War Veterans. He died on July 28, 1944 and was buried at the Long Island National Cemetery. In 1950, an Alfred J. Kennedy Memorial was erected on the corner of Main and Northern streets in Queens. In 1952, Public School No. 193 in Queens was named for him, Alfred J. Kennedy School.

Jacob August Riis (1849-1914), best known as a groundbreaking journalist and photographer, was also an advocate for parks and playgrounds and a resident of nearby Richmond Hill. 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 began documenting poverty, especially in Manhattan's Lower East Side and Five Points areas. Starting around 1887, Riis brought along a camera, and in 1890, his book How the Other Half Lives was released. It contained dramatic photos illustrating the challenging lives of immigrants in the Lower East Side, alongside his written essays. The book had a significant impact across the country, especially in New York, where Theodore Roosevelt was the Police Commissioner at the time. Riis's work inspired Roosevelt to support legislation aimed at improving living conditions in the slums before he became president. While reporting on the struggles of New Yorkers, Riis came to believe that play had a therapeutic effect on people. As a result, he became a champion for small parks and playgrounds, particularly where little greenspace existed, and he served as secretary of the Small Parks Committee. Riis was also a leader in the fight against tuberculosis. In 1904, he helped create Christmas seal stamps, using the funds raised to develop a children’s tuberculosis hospital in Coney Island, Brooklyn. As a leader of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, this hospital provided a model he hoped to replicate in Queens. After some campaigning, the city approved the acquisition of the Rockaway property in 1911. While on a speaking tour in 1914, Riis fell ill at a stop in New Orleans and returned to his summer home in Massachusetts to attempt recovery. Not long before his death on May 26, 1914, Riis published an article that described the area—which would be named for him after his passing—as "a country of tumbled sand-hills overgrown with beach grass and fragrant bayweed that may easily be transformed into attractive parkland." Two other locations in Queens are also named for Riis: Jacob Riis Triangle in Richmond Hill and a community center (settlement house) in Queensbridge.

Walter A. Garlinge (1887-1918), was the first resident of Maspeth who died in the World War I. Private Garlinge was killed in action on September 2, 1918, just nine weeks before the end of the War. The memorial in the park commemorates all the soldiers from the Maspeth area of Queens who gave their lives in World War I.

Virgil I. Grissom (1926-1967), also known as Gus, had an experienced life as a combat flier, jet instructor, and NASA astronaut. Grissom knew his passion for aircraft from his young adult years and pursued it as an aviation cadet and through studying mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Shortly after graduating, he obtained his pilot wings and went straight to work with the United States Air Force. During his time in the Air Force, the US was involved in the Korean War; as a result, Grissom flew over 100 combat missions with the 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. He left Korea in 1952 but was distinguished for his work with the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal Award. In 1959, Grissom was accepted to the original NASA Mercury Class of astronauts; only seven were let in. With his crew, Grissom worked tirelessly to make Mercury’s final test flights successful. He became the second American in outer space. From there, he served as Commander Pilot of the spacecraft Gemini III. After trials and tribulations, the Gemini crew was the first to accomplish orbital maneuvers around the world. Grissom was the backup pilot for Gemini 6 and commander for Apollo/Saturn 204, a three-man mission. During a launch pad test, Grissom and his team were killed in a flash fire. The mission was renamed Apollo 1 to honor those who were caught in the accident. His legacy lies with his family and the leadership he provided to everyone he worked with.

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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.

Nicholas DeMutiis (1962-1994), was a dedicated police officer who worked in Ozone Park and died in the line of duty. On January 25, 1994, at about 11 pm, Officer DeMutiis was making his way to the 106th Precinct, where he was scheduled to work the midnight to 8 am shift. On the way, DeMutiis spotted a group of police cars involved in a high-speed pursuit of a stolen car and, following procedure, joined the chase. DeMutiis placed his 1977 Plymouth at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 102nd Street to block the suspect, who rammed DeMutiis’ car broadside, pinning the car to a pillar. The officer was taken to Jamaica Hospital and died a few hours later. Friends and fellow officers remembered DeMutiis, a 10-year veteran cop, as a devoted family man who was involved in charities, including the precinct’s Christmas party for neighborhood children. The City Council enacted a local law to dedicate this playground in DeMutiis’ honor a few months after he died. Police Officer Nicholas DeMutiis Playground lies near the spot of the crash that ended the officer’s life, at the north side of Liberty Avenue, bounded by 101st and 102nd Streets.

Ann and two gentlemen (probably members of the board) at Annual Dinner, some time in the 1960's, taken at Waldorf-Astoria.     Library Dedication at then Boys Club of Queens, Ann is the woman in a dark dress standing in doorway facing camera, Taken in the 1960-70's.   Mary Demarkos Ann Buehler and Lucille Hartmann posting before bleachers in gym at Variety Boys and Girls Club, taken some time in the early 2000s Ann working on a crafts project with kids, Taken sometime in the early 2000.

Alfio “Alfie” Muto (1941-2017) was an Italian immigrant and restaurateur who opened Alfie’s Pizzeria in Richmond Hill in 1974. His establishment has gone on to serve the community for more than 50 years. Recognized as an outstanding eatery, Alfie’s Pizzeria has won the hearts, accolades, and loyalty of Queens residents for more than four generations. Muto was born in Catania, Sicily, on an orange farm owned by the Muto family. He immigrated to the United States in 1969 at the age of 28, arriving in New York City with his wife, Nicole, and their two children, Rossella and Luigi. Before opening his pizzeria, Muto worked for a period at a factory job. The recipe for the pizza dough came from his hometown in Sicily, and it is still largely the same one used by the restaurant today. When Muto retired in 2004, his children took over the family business. On September 15, 2024, Alfie’s celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the enduring local institution was inducted into the New York State Historic Business Registry. In honor of Muto’s longtime service to the community, a co-naming ceremony was held on June 8, 2025, to name the intersection of 117th Street and Myrtle Avenue, about 60 feet from the pizzeria’s entrance, as Alfie’s Way.

Thomas Anthony Casoria (1972 – 2001), grew up in Whitestone, Queens and went to Holy Cross High School in Flushing, Queens, where he played second base and was captain of his baseball team and an all-city football player. Once in the Fire Department, he switched to softball and played second based on the department team. Serving in Engine Co. 22 in Manhattan, Casoria died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. In a radio contact minutes before the towers’ collapse, he was heard carrying down the body of a paraplegic along with other firefighters. He died one month before his wedding, scheduled for October 13, 2001.

Mamie Fay (1872-1949) was the first principal of P.S. 122 in Astoria, now named in her honor as P.S. 122 The Mamie Fay School, where she served from 1925 until her retirement in 1942. Following the consolidation of Queens into New York City in 1898, she became the first teacher in the borough to be designated as a principal. As a member of the Queensborough Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, she also worked to protect children’s rights. Born in Brooklyn to John and Mary Archer Fay, Mamie graduated from Flushing High School and Columbia University before beginning her career in education as a teacher in 1898. In 1905, she earned her principal’s license. Five years later, she became principal of what was then P.S. 7 in Astoria, moving on to serve at P.S. 122 when it first opened in 1925. She was active in her community, serving as a member of the Teachers’ Council of the City of New York, the New York Principals Association, the Teachers’ Organization for Women’s Suffrage, and the League of Women Voters. In addition, she was the first woman to become a member of the Queensborough Chamber of Commerce. Fay died at her home in Flushing on March 19, 1949. On September 20, 2024, the section of Ditmars Boulevard between 21st and 23rd Streets in Astoria was co-named Mamie Fay Way in her honor. The street is located directly in front of P.S. 122 Mamie Fay School where she served for 17 years.