Detective Maureen O’Flaherty (1962-2019) served in the New York Police Department starting in the 1980s, and assisted in the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. She died on November 28, 2019 at 57 years old, following a two-year battle with cancer associated with her 9/11 work. Born in Brooklyn on August 15, 1962, she worked with the NYPD's 67th Precinct there. She was also a part of the joint narcotics task force with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Upon retirement from the force in 2002, she earned a nursing degree from the College of Staten Island, becoming a registered nurse. She helped her community outside of her professional life, as well. She volunteered with the Wounded Warrior Project, among other organizations, helped stray animals, and worked on food drives. Known as someone who helped without taking credit, her husband, former NYPD Captain Vito Spano, spearheaded efforts to rename the street, the corner where she'd lived for many years, after O'Flaherty so others would know who she was.

Joseph J. Lynch (1906-1940) and Ferdinand A. Socha (1904-1940) were detectives in the elite six-man Bomb and Forgery Squad of the New York City Police Department. They were killed in the line of duty while examining a time bomb taken from the British Pavilion of the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park on July 4, 1940. Socha was off duty at the time when his partner, Lynch, called him at home for assistance after a suspicious ticking satchel was discovered at the New York World’s Fair. To help ensure the safety of thousands of daily visitors, the satchel had been brought outside the building to an areaway in the back of the Polish Pavilion. As Lynch cut open the package, he discovered approximately 12 sticks of dynamite, reportedly noting to Socha, “It’s the business,” and the bomb went off immediately after. The incident killed the two detectives instantly, leaving a crater two feet deep and six feet across. Five other officers were injured, two critically. Though the bombers were never caught, one theory suggests the bombing was engineered to push the United States into joining Britain in the war against Germany. The case remains open to this day, along with a $26,000 reward. No other deaths resulted from the explosion, and the two officers were accorded full department honors by the NYPD. Lynch was born in Greenwich Village, one of eight children to John Lynch, an NYPD patrolman, and Mary (Landers) Lynch, originally of Ireland. He attended Manhattan High School and continued his studies at the Graduate School of Pharmacy at Fordham University. Lynch aspired to open an apothecary, but a civil service job offered him more security during the Great Depression, so he followed his father and his brother into the NYPD. He officially entered the force on March 9, 1936, and rose quickly to the role of detective. The father of five children, he and his wife, Easter C. (Hare) Lynch, were living with their family in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx at the time of his death. Socha was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to Polish-immigrant parents Joseph and Franciska (Plachta) Socha. One of five children, he attended P.S. 110 and Eastern District High School and spent three years at Columbia University before transferring to Long Island Medical School. In 1919, he married Genevieve Waskiewicz, and the couple continued to live in Greenpoint. Socha hoped to become a physician, but opted instead to join the NYPD, beginning his service on December 1, 1931. As with his partner Lynch, Socha rose quickly in the ranks to his position as detective. Twenty-four years after the bombing that took their lives, a plaque was dedicated in their honor in 1964 at the second New York World’s Fair. The plaque is located along Avenue of the States near the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It is across the fairgrounds from where the event took place, which is now underneath the Van Wyck Expressway. The inscription reads: “THIS PLAQUE IS DEDICATED TO THE/ MEMORY OF DETECTIVES/ JOSEPH J. LYNCH AND FERDINAND A. SOCHA / BOMB AND FORGERY SQUAD / WHO WERE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY / WHILE EXAMINING A TIME BOMB TAKEN FROM / THE BRITISH PAVILION OF THE WORLD'S FAIR / IN FLUSHING MEADOW PARK AT 4:45 PM ON / JULY 4, 1940.”

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.

Firefighter Christopher J. Pickford (1969 – 2001) was born in Flushing and grew up in Kew Gardens, Queens. He died in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Pickford attended Public School 90, Junior High School 226, Forest Hills High School, and Queens Borough Community College. Beginning in grammar school, Chris was awarded honors in creative writing and music. He was an accomplished guitarist and song writer and used these talents in several bands throughout the years. Chris worked for the Queens District Attorneys as a paralegal before being hired as a New York City Firefighter in January, 2000. He was assigned to Ladder Company 136 in Queens and was on a rotation to Engine Company 201 in Brooklyn. On September 1, 2001, Engine Company 201 was called to the World Trade Center in response to the terrorist attacks. Chris was killed along with 342 other firefighters as he helped to evacuate people who were trapped in the towers.

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.

Michael Brennan (1973-2001), a New York City Firefighter, was a lifelong resident of the Sunnyside section of Queens. From a young age Michael wanted to be a firefighter, and he joined the NYPD are age 21. He was assigned to Ladder Company No. 4 in Manhattan. On September 11th Michael Brennan answered the call to the World Trade Center and perished in the collapse of the twin towers. He was survived by his loving parents‚ stepparents‚ 4 sisters‚ and 4 brothers.

Mary Sarro (1927 – 2012) was a beloved member of the Jackson Heights community, and Former District Manager of Community Board 3 for over 20 years. She served on the board of directors of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group, was a member of the board of the 115th Precinct Community Council, and helped clear the way for the boroughs first Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade in 1993.

Henry Waichitis, undated photo

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.

Police Officer Dennis Guerra (d. 213) was killed in the line of duty, he was 38. Guerra died from injuries he sustained on April 6, 2013, after responding to a fire on the 13th floor of a NYCHA apartment building in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. The fire was later determined to be arson. The 38-year-old father of four had served with the New York City Police Department for eight years. At his funeral, Commissioner Bratton promoted him posthumously to the rank of detective.

Officer Disdale Enton, a four-year veteran of the NYPD, was assigned to the 113th Precinct. He collapsed and died on August 28, 2002, after suffering a brain aneurysm while chasing a suspect in Jamaica, Queens.

Paul Raimonda (1922 – 1988) was a community leader and life-long resident in Long Island City and head of the Astoria Heights Homeowners and Tenants Association. Raimonda attended P.S. 126 and William C. Bryant High School and served for four years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.  He was an active member in the Long Island Seneca Club, but his most notable contribution was the creation of the Astoria Heights Homeowners and Tenants Association in 1971. Through the Tenants Association, Raimonda and community members sought to give a unified voice to residents. He was an instrumental leader in a successful campaign to block a state takeover and expansion of Rikers Island in 1980. In addition, Raimonda was a member of Community Board 1 and of the Liberty Regular Democratic Club. In April 1987, the Italian American Regular Democratic Association of Queens named him Man of the Year, and he received the good wishes of Governor Mario Cuomo.

Detective Randolph Holder (d. 2015) came from a family of Guyanese immigrants who all served as police officers and settled in Rockaway, Queens. Holder had served with the New York City Police Department for five years and was assigned to Police Service Area 5. He and his partner were on patrol in East Harlem when they responded to a call of shots fired. The officers canvassed the area for the suspect and located him approximately 18 blocks away, near a footbridge over Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive at 120th Street. A gun battle ensued, and Officer Holder was struck in the exchange of gunfire and was killed in the line of duty on October 20, 2015. He was 33 years old. The suspect, who had been wounded in the exchange of gunfire, was located several blocks away by responding officers and taken into custody.

Halvor A. James (1936-2018) served in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant and later worked 32 years for the City of New York Department of Social Services. He was also very active in the National Association of Social Workers; the Retirees of District 37 AFSCME; served as president of the St. Albans Civic Improvement Association; and was a member of the Friends of St. Albans Library, the United 199th Street Block Association, the Southeast Queens Crime Task Force, Jamaica NAACP, the Douglas/King, Elmer Blackurne and Guy R. Brewer Democratic Clubs, and president of the PTA at P.S. 95 in Queens. He was also first vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Citizen Center and an active member of the Hampton Alumni Association.

James Edward Heath (1926 – 2020) was a jazz legend who raised his family in the historic Dorie Miller co-ops in Corona and taught at Queens College. James “Jimmy” Heath was born in Philadelphia to Percy Heath Sr. and Arlethia Heath. He attended Walter George Smith School in South Philadelphia and graduated from Williston Industrial School in Wilmington, N.C., in 1943. His father was an auto mechanic who played the clarinet, performing on the weekends, and his mother sang in a church choir. His sister Elizabeth played piano; his older brother Percy Jr. played violin and bass; and his younger brother Albert “Tootie” Heath played the drums. As a teenager, Heath took music lessons and played alto saxophone in the high school marching band. He also played in a jazz band called the Melody Barons and toured with the Calvin Todd Band in 1945, before joining a dance band in Omaha, Nebraska led by Nat Towles. Small in stature (standing 5'3"), he was unable to serve during World War II, because he was under the weight limit. In 1946, he formed his own band, which was a fixture on the Philadelphia jazz scene until 1949. Heath's earliest big band (1947-1948) in Philadelphia included John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Ray Bryant, Specs Wright, Cal Massey, Johnny Coles, and Nelson Boyd. Charlie Parker and Max Roach sat in on occasion. In 1959, Heath briefly joined Miles Davis's group, replacing John Coltrane, and also worked with Kenny Dorham and Gil Evans. Heath recorded extensively as leader and sideman. During the 1960s, he frequently worked with Milt Jackson and Art Farmer. The biological father of R\&B songwriter/musician James “Mtume” Forman, Heath met his eventual wife, Mona Brown, whom he married in 1960; they had two children, Roslyn and Jeffrey. In the early 1960s, encouraged by friends Clark Terry and the Adderley brothers, the Heaths purchased an apartment in the Dorie Miller Cooperative Housing in Corona, where the Adderleys and Terry also lived. In 1987, Heath became a professor of music at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. There, he premiered his first symphonic work, "Three Ears," with Maurice Peress conducting. In 2010, his autobiography, "I Walked With Giants," was published; it was voted Best Book of The Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. He recorded three big band records -- "Little Man Big Band," produced by Bill Cosby, "Turn Up The Heath" and "Togetherness Live at the Blue Note." Heath received a Life Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America and the 2003 American Jazz Master Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. He was nominated for three Grammy Awards and has received three honorary doctorate degrees. He was also the first jazz musician to receive an honorary doctorate in music from the Juilliard School.

Tommie Lee Agee (1942-2001) helped the New York Mets win the World Series in 1969 and was a resident of Queens for much of his life. Born in Alabama, Agee initially signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1961 but mostly played in the minor leagues for them. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1965 and won the AL Rookie of the Year in his first full year of play. Agee was traded to the Mets in 1968 and played a large role in their successful season of 1969, leading the team in home runs (26), RBIs (76) and runs scored (97). The Mets had 100 winning games in 1969 and won the World Series, thanks in part to two amazing catches by Agee in Game 3 that are remembered to this day. Agee was the first African American player to win a Gold Glove award in both the American League and National League. He is also credited with the longest home run in Shea Stadium at 505 feet on April 10, 1969. Injuries shortened Agee's career, and he retired after the 1973 season in which he played for both the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals. But he would remain in the New York area, living and working in East Elmhurst for more than 30 years. He died of a heart attack in January 2001. Agee was posthumously inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2002, the last Met so honored at Shea Stadium. The naming and location of the Tommie L. Agee Educational Campus (I.S. 419) is particularly significant because it is the former site of The Outfielder's Lounge, a bar that Agee owned with fellow Met Cleon Jones; it was also where he met his wife Maxcine. At the naming ceremony, New York City Mayor Eric Adams concluded his speech by proclaiming Aug. 26, 2022, “Tommie Lee Agee Day.”

David Franklin Bluford (1932-2020) served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and earned an honorable discharge. Upon completing his undergraduate studies at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, he earned a Masters of Arts from CUNY Hunter College, as well as certifications for Advanced Study in Education at Columbia University and St. John’s University. He later served as an Assistant Superintendent and Junior High School Principal in East Harlem’s Community School District 4, and a middle school teacher in Brooklyn’s Community School District 23. His history as an administrator included stints as director of the Upward Bound college preparatory program at CUNY Queens College, and adjunct professor of educational administration at CUNY Brooklyn College and St. John’s University.  Locally, he served on the Board of Directors of the Queens Urban League, and as Chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Center and Community School Board 29 in Southeast Queens. His personal affiliations also include the Jamaica NAACP branch, Freemasons, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He received many awards, such as Outstanding Educator, Jamaica Branch of the NAACP, the Jackie Robinson Junior High School Man of the Year Award, The Distinguished Citizens Service Award and the Community Service Award. Renee Noelyn Bluford (1937-2021) was born in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from PS167 Elementary School and Erasmus Hall High School iand received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Baruch College (CUNY). Renee worked as an Information Technology Senior Purchasing Manager for New York City under the Koch Administration ane eventually closed out her career as the owner of the first successful Allstate Insurance Agency in Southeast Queens. Her career with Allstate spanned 30 years. and she received the “Concerned Citizen Award” for invigorating economic development in Southeast Queens.  Renee has been honored as the recipient the “Concerned Citizen Award” for invigorating economic development in Southeast Queens. We was awarded of numerous other awards from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults, Greater Queens Chapter of the Links, NAACP, New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators and many other local, state, and community organizations. Renee’s philosophy was “If I can help somebody my living would not be in vain.”

Timothy Patrick “TK” Klein (1990-2022), a six-year veteran of the FDNY with Ladder 170, Engine Company 257 in Brooklyn, died at age 31 while battling a fire in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Born September 17, 1990, joining the FDNY had been Klein's dream. His father Patrick was an FDNY firefighter, as were many of his other extended family members. Known as “The Golden Boy,” and the “Canarsie Kid," he grew up on Beach 137th Street and graduated from St. Francis De Sales School on Beach 129th Street. He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in 2008, where he had played on the basketball team, and then attended York College of Pennsylvania for a degree in sports management. Klein joined Ladder 170 FDNY on December 28, 2015. His fellow firefighters remembered him as someone who was constantly learning and always keeping himself busy, including, at the time of his passing, studying to take the lieutenant’s test. Outside of work, Klein volunteered with the nonprofit Fight for Firefighters, where he helped remodel homes to make them more accessible for first responders with disabilities. On April 24, 2022, Klein was critically injured in a Canarsie fire. As conditions worsened, a third alarm was called, and the order to evacuate came. Before exiting, Klein removed window bars, likely saving lives. Eight other firefighters were injured, and one resident died in the blaze. On August 23, 2023, a street renaming ceremony was held to honor John Klein. The initiative, spearheaded by City Councilmember Joann Ariola, renamed a street near Klein's first home on Beach 129th Street. His sister noted that Klein loved the area and spent significant time there. He was remembered as a quiet, yet charismatic individual who enjoyed sports, the beach, music, and spending time with loved ones. Klein continued to play basketball, participating in the annual St. Francis Summer Classic Men's Open Division basketball tournament, now named in his honor. The Timothy P. Klein Memorial Foundation, created in his honor, hosts an annual volleyball tournament and country fest. Klein's name is also inscribed on the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Maryland.

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.

Thomas Rainey (1824-1910) a resident of Ravenswood, Queens, was one of the main contributors to the bridge across the East River between Manhattan and Long Island City. Rainey spent 25 years and much of his fortune on this bridge. The project was initially highly favored by the community, but it lost momentum in the financial Panic of 1873. Due to this, the burden of organizing and refinancing the company fell on him, first as treasurer in 1874, then as president in 1877. However, the project once again lost steam in 1892 . After the consolidation of New York City in 1898, the project gained new momentum and the bridge was finally built at Queens Plaza, a few blocks south of the proposed location. On opening day in 1909, Rainey realized his dream as he crossed the new bridge with Governor Charles Evans Hughes. The new bridge entitled the "The Queensboro Bridge," fulfilled its promise by tying the Borough of Queens into Greater New York. For his efforts, Rainey received a gold medal inscribed “The Father of the Bridge.” In 1904, the City of New York acquired several acres of waterfront property. The concrete “sea wall,” built where the park meets the East River, was completed in 1912, by which time Rainey had passed away. To honor his public spirit, the city named the property Rainey Park.

Queens Street Name Stories is an oral history and audio documentary project based in the Corona, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst neighborhoods of Queens, New York. It tells the personal stories behind local place names through interviews with family, friends and colleagues of local residents who were honored with a public space named after them posthumously. Click Here to Listen to Queens Street Name Stories Oral Histories! Queens Street Name Stories is a collaborative project of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY‘s NYCity News Service and the Queens Memory Project at Queens Public Library.

The Chaney-Goodman-Schwerner Clock Tower sits atop the main library on the campus of Queens College.

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

Sal Anzalone (d. 2005) was much loved by his family, friends, neighbors and peers. He was a civic activist dedicated to the improvement of the Hunters Point area. Sal owned and operated the Cassino Restaurant in Long Island City for more than 40 years and was a fixture in the neighborhood. He served on Queens Community Board 2 from 1985 to the time of his death and founded the Hunters Point Community Development Corporation. The street co-named in his honor is adjacent to the former site of his restaurant.

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), known as “Lady Ella,” the “Queen of Jazz,” and the “First Lady of Song,” was the most celebrated jazz singer of her generation. In a career that spanned six decades and more than 50 years, she was widely recognized as a singular vocal talent, known for her wide range, stylish phrasing, clear and pure tone, impeccable diction, heartfelt vocal delivery, and the thrilling virtuosity of her improvisational style of scat singing. She performed with big bands, symphony orchestras, and small jazz groups, and appeared in clubs and concert halls around the world. Her work reflects a mastery of a wide array of styles including swing, bebop, show tunes, jazz songs, soul, novelties, bossa nova, and opera (in a 1959 album of excerpts from "Porgy and Bess" recorded with Louis Armstrong). She earned the respect, accolades, and love of fellow musicians and audiences the world over, as well as dozens of honors for her lifetime of vocal performances and recordings. Of Fitzgerarld, singer and actor Bing Crosby remarked, "man, woman or child, Ella is the greatest." She was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia, to William Ashland Fitzgerald, a wagon driver, and Temperance “Tempie” Henry, a laundress. The couple separated within a year of her birth. In the 1920s, her mother settled with her young daughter in Yonkers, and was joined by her boyfriend, Joseph da Silva. In 1923, Frances da Silva, Fitzgerald’s half-sister, was born. The family struggled financially, and to help out, Fitzgerald took on small jobs such as working as a runner for local gamblers and as a lookout for prostitutes in neighborhood brothels. In 1932, her mother died from injuries sustained in a car accident, and in 1933, Fitzgerald moved in with an aunt in Harlem. In this difficult period, Fitzgerald’s grades suffered, and she started skipping school. She was sent to a state reform school, but escaped and returned to Harlem, where she found herself broke and alone. She began singing and dancing on the streets for tips. On November 21, 1934, she made her debut at an amateur night performance at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Having planned to dance, she panicked in the moment and sang instead. She took first prize. In 1935, she joined drummer and bandleader Chick Webb’s orchestra and began performing across the country, including at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. “A-Tiskit, A-Tasket,” a song she co-wrote and recorded in 1938, became a hit on the radio, and it boosted her and Webb to national fame. Following Webb’s death in 1939, Fitzgerald took over as bandleader, a position she held until the group broke up in 1942. She recorded prolifically for Decca from 1935 to 1955 and toured internationally with an array of jazz and pop stars such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, the Ink Spots, and the Mills Brothers. In 1949, she began to appear in producer Norman Granz’s popular Jazz at the Philharmonic series. Granz eventually became her manager, and Fitzgerald was the first artist signed to his newly created Verve label. From 1956 to 1964, Fitzgerald recorded an eight-album series of the Great American Songbook for Verve. Consisting of Fitzgerald’s now classic interpretations of the works of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, and Ira and George Gershwin, the albums were hugely popular with jazz and non-jazz listeners alike. Lyricist Ira Gershwin said, "I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them." A frequent television guest, Fitzgerald appeared on dozens of programs, including The Frank Sinatra Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Andy Williams Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show. She made her film debut in Abbott and Costello’s Ride 'Em Cowboy in 1942, and went on to appear in several others, including Pete Kelly’s Blues in 1955. In 1941, she married Benny Kornegay, a shipyard worker, but the marriage was annulled after two years. While touring with Dizzy Gillespie’s band, she met bass player Ray Brown, and they married in 1947. The couple adopted a child born to Fitzgerald’s half-sister, Frances, naming him Ray Brown, Jr., and they settled in East Elmhurst. However, touring schedules and the work of their respective careers took their toll, and they divorced in 1953. Fitzgerald eventually settled in the Addisleigh Park historic district in the neighborhood of St. Albans, where she resided until 1967. She continued to record and perform in the 1970s, including a two-week engagement in New York City in 1974 with Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Fitzgerald made her last public performance at Carnegie Hall in 1991. In 1993, she established the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, which focuses on grants for education, basic care for those in need, and medical research. After developing health problems from heart disease and diabetes, she died on June 15, 1996, at her...

Patricia Brackley (1940-1999) was an activist who focused her efforts on beautifying Rockaway. She was president of the Shore Garden Club of Belle Harbor and Neponsit and served as vice president of the Second District of the Garden Clubs of New York State. Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Brackley graduated from Indiana’s Purdue University in 1961 and moved to New York to work as a schoolteacher. An expert florist in her own right, she became an accredited flower show judge and wrote a gardening column for her local newspaper, The Wave. Dedicated to the beautification of her Rockaway community, Brackley took it upon herself to renovate the neighborhood’s Cronston Triangle. With particular care, she designed plantings, seats and a sprinkler system for the park. Spending $10,000 from her own funds to make those designs become a reality, Brackley also helped beautify the nearby Beach Channel Drive median and worked with neighborhood storeowners along Beach 129 Street to plant trees and flowers in front of their establishments. After fighting cancer for several years, Brackley died in January 1999.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was born in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau attended Harvard University where he met Ralph Waldo Emerson, with whom he would have a complicated but impactful friendship. After graduating, he became a teacher but resigned after just two weeks. Following a brief stint helping at the family business, pencil-making, Thoreau started a small school with his brother that survived for three years before closing. Thoreau then began dedicating his life to writing, and submitted poetry to a magazine. This magazine was made by Emerson and others in the Transcendentalist movement, which celebrated individualism, emotionality over rationality, and intuition. In 1845, after little success and a return to his family's business, Thoreau moved to a piece of land on Walden Pond, on Emerson's land and built his own home. He largely lived off the land, spent his time in nature, and writing about his observations and thoughts. The latter made up the famous book "Walden" which is composed of a series of essays. Partway through his time at Walden, Thoreau refused to pay his poll taxes and spent the night in jail. Though his aunt paid it and got him out the next day, these events were impactful and led to his essay "Civil Disobedience" in which he wrote about resisting an unjust government that promoted imperialism and slavery. He continued writing about abolition until his death in 1862.

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.

Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero (1909–1998) was a bass fiddle player who worked as a musician at the famous Stork Club, a New York City nightclub. However, he is most well-known for the harrowing experience he endured in 1953 when he was arrested in a case of mistaken identity outside his Jackson Heights home and charged with the armed robbery of an insurance office. Balestrero, a family man with a wife, Rose, and two young sons, struggled to prove his innocence. A key point of suspicion against him was the argument that he needed money for his wife's $300 dental work. During his trial, a juror's outburst resulted in a mistrial. Shortly afterward, the real thief, Charles J. Daniell, was caught before Balestrero's second trial began. Daniell confessed to forty robberies, including the two for which Balestrero was accused. Balestrero sued the city for false arrest, asking for $500,000 but accepting a settlement of just $7,000. He earned $22,000 from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Wrong Man, which was based on his story and starred Henry Fonda. The film, which Balestrero reportedly liked, was shot at the actual locations where the events occurred. The money from the film went to repaying loans for Rose's care, though she never fully recovered and died in 1982. Manny died in 1998. A street sign reading "Manny 'The Wrong Man' Balestrero Way" is located at 73rd Street and 41st Avenue, not far from his former Jackson Heights home.

William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878) was a poet and editor born in Cummington, Massachusettes. He is known as one of the most celebrated figures of 19th-century America, as well as being the editor of the New York Evening Post for 50 years. Bryant's most notable work "Thanatopsis" was one of the most well known poems at the time. Bryant's childhood was a little unstable as his family fell into financial troubles not long after his birth. This forced the entire family to stay with his grandparents. His childhood was also a period of strict discipline and hard labor. Even though Bryant was bright and eager to learn, the school imposed a strict regimen and lessons were taught under threat of being hit by a long piece of wood called the "switch." However, Bryant was an inquisitive child who learned to stimulate his thoughts through nature. Bryant drew inspiration from his father, Dr. Peter Bryant, an educated man with high ambitions and a desire to be a productive member of society beyond Cummington. Another major point of influence for Bryant was the development of the United States as a nation. Elite colleges began popping up within the United States, and Bryant's dad was determined to get his son the humanistic education he himself was denied. Bryant's first work commented on the Embargo Act of 1807 and his later works discussed the mortality of the Civil War. While writing his poems, Bryant studied and practiced law. However, in 1828, he left the law and to become a New York editor. As an American poet respected in Europe and an editor at the center of New York City’s cultural renaissance, Bryant's thoughts and opinions were highly sought after. He became one of the first American writers able to make enough profit from his writing to support himself and his family. Although in later years he lost much of his power as editor, Bryant was still a beloved and highly influential figure. No one could challenge his place as First Citizen of New York. Over the decades, he had been the prime advocate for a unified and uniformed police department, for the paving of the city streets, and led the way for creation of Central Park. He also fought for the establishment of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an attribute of a great world city, and supported the right of labor to unionize. Bryant lived a long and prosperous life, contributing to greatly to American culture. He died in his 80s after suffering from a stroke.

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.

James B. Colgate (1818-1904) was the son of multimillionaire William Colgate, founder of Colgate Soap Company – now known as Colgate-Palmolive. James started a New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm in 1852. During his lifetime, Colgate donated over a million dollars to Madison University in Hamilton, NY., which was later renamed Colgate University in his honor. With this he supported the construction of various buildings and the university’s endowment fund. Upon his death, he left money to the Baptist Educational Society in New York.

Walter G. Hynes (b. 1954) died on September 11, 2001 during fire and rescue operations following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Edwin Hoyt (1804-1874) was a businessman who lived in Astoria in the 1800s. he was the millionaire senior partner in Hoyt, Sprague, and Co., a dry goods business, with Governor William Sprague of Rhode Island. Hoyt’s son, Edwin Chase Hoyt, and Governor Sprague’s son both married daughters of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln, and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. When Hoyt died on May 15, 1874, at the age of 70, all prominent dry goods businessmen kept their doors closed on the morning of his funeral out of respect for the deceased.

Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941) was a prominent Progressive-era reformer, outdoor enthusiast, illustrator, and author, and is considered one of the founders of American Scouting. His series of articles for St. Nicholas Magazine formed the basis for The American Boy's Handy Book (1882), a manual of outdoor sports, activities, and games that he wrote and illustrated. In addition, he authored more than 20 other books on various aspects of scouting. His work with author and wildlife artist Ernest Thompson Seton became the basis of the Traditional Scouting movement and led to the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. Beard was born on June 21, 1850, in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was 11, his family moved across the Ohio River to Covington, Kentucky. The fourth of six children, he was the son of Mary Caroline (Carter) Beard and James Henry Beard, a celebrated portrait artist. In 1869, Beard earned a degree in civil engineering from Worrall's Academy in Covington and then worked as an engineer and surveyor in the Cincinnati area. In 1874, Beard was hired by the Sanborn Map and Publishing Company, and his surveying work led him to travel extensively over the eastern half of the United States. His family joined him in moving to New York City in 1878, and they settled in Flushing. From 1880 to 1884, Beard studied at the Art Students League, where he befriended fellow student Ernest Thompson Seton. Beard’s time there inspired him to work in illustration. His drawings appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, such as Harper's Weekly and The New York Herald, and he illustrated a number of well-known books, including Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) and Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894). In 1894, he met and married Beatrice Alice Jackson, and together they had two children, Barbara and Daniel. His career led him into the magazine industry, and he became editor of the wildlife periodical Recreation in 1902. While at Recreation, he wrote a monthly column geared at youth, and in 1905, he founded the Sons of Daniel Boone to promote outdoor recreation for boys. By 1906, he had moved on to Women’s Home Companion and then to Pictorial Review three years later. In 1909, he founded Boy Pioneers of America, which merged together a year later with similar scouting groups, including Seton’s Woodcraft Indians, to become the Boy Scouts of America. In 1910, Beard founded Troop 1 in Flushing, one of the oldest continuously chartered Boy Scout Troops in the United States. Beard was one of the Boy Scouts’ first National Commissioners, holding the position for more than 30 years until his death. Affectionately known to millions of Boy Scouts as “Uncle Dan,” he served as editor of Boys’ Life, the organization’s monthly magazine, and he became an Eagle Scout at age 64. In 1922, he received the gold Eagle Scout badge for distinguished service, the only time the badge was awarded. Through his work with his sisters, Lina and Adelia Beard, who together wrote The American Girls Handy Book (1887), Beard also encouraged girls to take up scouting. He helped in the organization of Camp Fire Girls and served as president of Camp Fire Club of America. His autobiography, Hardly a Man Is Now Alive, was published in 1939, and Beard died at his home in Suffern, New York, on June 11, 1941. In 1965, his childhood home in Covington, Kentucky, became a National Historic Landmark. J.H.S. 189 Douglas Carter Beard is located at 144-80 Barclay Avenue in Beard’s former neighborhood of Flushing. Other sites in Flushing named for Beard include Daniel Carter Beard Mall and Daniel Carter Beard Memorial Square.

Héctor Figueroa (1962-2019) was president of 32BJ SEIU, a New York local of the Service Employees International Union representing more than 170,000 building cleaners, security guards, doormen and airport workers. Mr. Figueroa was also a leader in the Fight for 15, the grass-roots effort by fast-food workers in New York that grew into a nationwide campaign for a higher minimum wage. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Héctor J. Figueroa understood the importance of hope. As the visionary president of Service Employees International Union 32BJ from 2012 until his death in 2019, he empowered workers who toil in grueling service jobs – from fast-food workers to office cleaners – to demand respect, a living wage and better working conditions. Hector used his position as a union leader to fight not just for his members, but for all low-wage workers. He was ready to organize wherever working people were hurting. He had a profound sense of how all of us are connected and depend on one another, and he had a style of leadership that empowered those he led. Héctor inspired a whole generation of young leaders in the immigrant justice movement to come out of the shadows and take a stand. He fought to make sure immigrant families could drive safely in New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and Maryland. He helped win the passage of TRUST acts up and down the east coast so undocumented immigrants need not fear local police.

Lillian “Lily” Gavin (1931 – 2016) was the owner of Dazies Restaurant and a longtime community leader and advocate for Sunnyside. Gavin, was very active in several community groups, and served as president of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, where her accomplishments included helping to raise $450,000 for a much-needed revamp of the Sunnyside Arch. Gavin was also heavily involved in neighborhood organizations, including the local YMCA, the Sunnyside Drum Corps, the Boys and Girls Club, the Queens Council of Tourism, the Sunnyside Senior Center, and was one of the first women to join the Sunnyside Kiwanis Club. Gavin also served as an honorary director of the LaGuardia Community College Foundation. She was a founding member of the Sunnyside Shines business improvement district and sponsored many events either financially or by providing food.

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist, best known for his invention of the pasteurization process. He attended the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, earning a master's degree in science and an advanced degree in physical sciences before going on to earn his doctorate. He later married Marie Laurent and they had five children together, but only two survived until adulthood. Throughout his career, Pasteur was an important figure in researching molecular asymmetry, and his works in fermentation supported the germ theory of disease. By 1863, Pasteur had developed the process which bears his name, reducing the amount of microorganisms in milk and other liquids. He also contributed to the principle of vaccination and successfully immunized a patient from rabies in 1885. In 1888, the Pasteur Institute was named for him in Paris.

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.

NYPD Captain Richard McHale (1877-1935) was a member of the New York 69th Volunteer Infantry, Company A and a veteran of the Spanish-American War. He was a recipient of the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor and the Commanding Officer of the 109th Precinct in Flushing, Queens. Captain McHale was shot and killed by one of his own officers, Patrolman Walter Miller. Miller had previously been suspended by Captain McHale for being drunk on duty and had just been given his gun back. As the captain signed the police blotter for night duty, Miller loaded his service revolver nearby. He followed Captain McHale into his office, reportedly saying, "Captain, you've caused me an awful lot of trouble!" before fatally shooting him in the chest. Another patrolman immediately shot and killed Miller. Captain McHale died before the ambulance arrived. On October 28, crowds of citizens, civic groups, and police officers attended Captain McHale's funeral services in Whitestone. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens

Shri Guru Ravidass was a great Indian thinker, reformist, traveler, spiritual leader, and mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement in Hinduism, which emphasized love and devotion to god and preached against the caste system. Active during the 15th or 16th century CE, he attained recognition as a most learned Guru and was venerated as a teacher in the regions of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The devotional songs of Ravidass have had a lasting impact on the Bhakti movement, and 41 poems attributed to him were included in the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of Sikhism. A great social reformer, he fought the caste system in India with great courage when the system was at its peak, and upper caste kings became his followers. He was born in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh in the Chamar caste. The Chamars are a Dalit (formerly "untouchable") caste group numerically prevalent across North India, and traditionally associated with leatherwork and animal carcass disposal, connoting ritual impurity according to the Hindu religious system of caste hierarchy. In the face of enduring discrimination by wider Indian society, a sense of collective identity and solidarity remains strong amongst Chamars. The Ravidassi movement promised a collective religious identity for Chamars outside the existing socio-religious order, and Ravidas’s teachings focused on equality, social justice, and the unity of all humanity. Centered around the Punjabi city of Jalandhar, this movement has seen temples constructed across North India, including in the sacred Hindu city of Varanasi. Through these temples, religious leaders and reformers have promoted a separatist religious identity for Ravidassia, or those who follow the spiritual teachings of Guru Ravidas, one that rejects the ritually impure status afforded to Chamars as leatherworkers by Hindu cosmology. The Shri Guru Ravidass Temple was established in Woodside in 1987. It is the only known Ravidassia temple in New York City and the East Coast as a whole. On September 15, 2024, in a dedication ceremony held just outside the Temple, the intersection of 61st Street and Broadway was officially co-named Shri Guru Ravidass Marg in honor of the great poet and social reformer. The event was presided over by New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, the first Indian-American ever elected to the New York City Council.

Pianist, band leader and composer Edward K. "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) was one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. Born in Washington, D.C., he studied piano as a child and began playing professionally at age 17. He moved to New York during the Jazz Age of the 1920s and, with his band, was a fixture at Harlem's Cotton Club. After gaining much wider popularity through radio broadcasts and recordings, Ellington and his band began touring the world in 1931, a model he followed for the rest of his life. After the popularity of big-band and swing music waned in the later 1940s and 1950s, Ellington began working with the younger generation of jazz musicians, including John Coltrane, Max Roach and Charles Mingus. He died in New York City in 1974. Ellington wrote more than 2,000 works throughout his career, and often worked closely with composer/arranger Billy Strayhorn. Among the jazz standards he composed are "Sophisticated Lady," "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." During his lifetime, Ellington won 11 Grammy awards, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and an honorary doctorate of music from Yale University, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, among many other honors.

Peter G. Van Alst (1828 – 1900) was a surveyor who helped to build the roads and infrastructure of western Queens. Van Alst was born in Dutch Kills on May 28, 1828, and was a member of the large extended Van Alst family, a prominent Dutch farming family who moved to the area in the early 1700s and resided there until the 1870s, when they spread out and moved elsewhere. Van Alst received his education at the District School and the Astoria Institute. He apprenticed as a surveyor for a few years, and worked independently until 1872, when the city legislature appointed him to serve as a commissioner, surveying and supervising the construction of several roads in Long Island City, Queens. In 1874, Van Alst and three fellow Long Island City citizens comprised the First Ward Improvement Commission, which was in charge of raising the grades of Jackson Avenue from Vernon Avenue to the courthouse from three to eight feet, which profoundly affected the daily life of the city. Van Alst’s job consisted primarily of constructing maps, which revealed detailed organizations of street lines, grades, and sewage lines of the Long Island City area.

Officer Anthony Abruzzo Jr. (1947-1981) lived in Flushing and served with the New York City Police Department for 13 years, assigned to the 109th Precinct. He died trying to rescue his father-in-law who was being attacked by three men in front of his home. Office Abruzzo was shot in the chest and died from his wounds. He was survived by his wife and one child.

The following was written by Christopher's sister, Patricia Cardona: Christopher grew up always wanting to follow in his father's footsteps. He wanted to be a firefighter. While in school, he learned that to be a firefighter, you would need to take the test and then wait to be called. He was attending Queens College, and decided as a backup plan, he would get an education degree so he could teach. He had a passion for history and social studies. He favored the older kids. He graduated from Queens College with a teaching certificate in middle school social studies. He got his foot in the door as a substitute teacher in the middle schools of District 30. He worked at PS 2, IS 10 and IS 141. He was offered a permanent position teaching middle school social studies at IS 10, and he turned it down because he had gotten called to the academy of the FDNY. He was on his way to becoming a firefighter. He was technically on the job for eight months as a trainee.("probie"). He was then asked where he wanted to be stationed and was given a choice since his father had just retired as a Deputy Chief of the FDNY. He was well-respected and so they wanted to grant his son a choice. Christopher chose midtown Manhattan. He wanted action. This house \[Engine 54] is known as one of the busiest firehouses in all the five boroughs. He had never been to a fire prior to 9/11. He was at that firehouse for only a couple of months. The morning of 9/11, he was expected to be off duty at 8:30 a.m. The bell rang, and he jumped on board, eager to go to his first big fire. He was excited (as told to us by his housemates). He re-suited up and jumped on board along with 14 other guys (between the two trucks). He never came home. Meanwhile my parents, who were at home in Long Island City (you could see the Twin Towers from their high rise), got a call from his fire station lieutenant, asking him to come to work. My father reported that he never came home. It was then that they realized that he had gone down to the site. My father, with all his experience, had looked out the window and knew that the towers would fall by the way that they were burning. My parents watched the burning buildings from their window, not knowing that their son was there and had perished. Meanwhile, I was teaching at a Jackson Heights school that morning (PS 149) and was watching the events on the TV. It was only that evening when he didn’t come home that we realized he was there. We called hospitals, put up signs and held out hope that he was trapped and would be found. Fifteen guys never came home from his house -- the biggest loss out of any firehouse in the five boroughs. My parents attended many funerals and memorials from his firehouse, as well as all the people my dad knew. A few days after 9/11, they recovered the body of a member of his firehouse, Jose Guadalupe. Jose was a 6-foot, dark-skinned Hispanic male. My parents attended his funeral. The next few months, they attended every funeral and memorial service. We still had not recovered Christopher. In December, a few weeks before Christmas, my parents were visited by the Coroner of the City of New York. They admitted to making a huge mistake. Jose was misidentified. The body that was buried as Jose Guadalupe was in fact Christopher Santora. (Christopher was 5’8", Caucasian with blue eyes.) According to them, they were unrecognizable. They were identifying them based only on a rare neck bone anomaly that coincidentally both had. The body had to be exhumed, and we finally had Christopher’s remains. We had a funeral for him, and he is buried at St. Michael's Cemetery in Queens. Jose was never found. A few months later, Dr. Angelo Gimondo (former District 30 superintendent) reached out to my parents. D30 wanted to build a school and name it for a fallen firefighter of 9/11. When they learned that Christopher taught in D30, they knew they wanted to name it for him. My parents agreed. They began building the school, and it was scheduled to open in September of 2002. I put in an application to transfer. I was interviewed and released from my school, and I have been there ever since. The father of one of the newly hired teachers, Rani Skopelitis, was a carpenter for trade. He built the case in the lobby of the school which has Christopher’s firefighter uniform. They had a big dedication and opening ceremony, and we are still here today at the FF Christopher A. Santora School, PS 222 \[in Jackson Heights]. Editor's note: Christopher Santora Place is located near the neighborhood basketball courts where Santora played as a child.

This school, built in 1916, was named for Admiral David Dixon Porter. Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, Porter followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the United States Navy. During the Civil War, he served under Admiral Farragut during the capture of New Orleans. Later, as the commander of the Mississippi River Squadron, he joined General Ulysses S. Grant in the historic Vicksburg Campaign and was promoted to rear admiral, one rank below full admiral. In January 1865, Porter directed the bombardment of Fort Fisher in Wilmington, North Carolina. Porter was promoted to full admiral after Farragut’s death in 1870, and he remained the most senior officer in the Navy for the next 21 years.

Harry Suna (1924-1992) was born in the Bronx. He worked for Todd Shipyard at age 17. After completing his apprenticeship, Suna joined the Central Sheet Metal Company and in 1946, at 22, became the company's secretary and treasurer. The next year, Suna established A. Suna & Company, which became a multimillion-dollar construction and sheet metal fabrication firm. He successfully developed more than 1,000 units of affordable housing throughout New York City. Suna visited the Silvercup building in December 1979 and purchased it for $2 million in 1980. His sons Stuart and Alan, who were architects, saw the potential for movie sound stages. Suna was chairman of Silvercup Studios, which he turned into New York City's leading film and TV production facility. He passed away suddenly just before his 68th birthday.

Rufus King (1755-1827) was a distinguished lawyer, statesman and gentleman farmer. The son of a wealthy lumber merchant from Maine, King graduated from Harvard in 1777, served in the Revolutionary War in 1778, and was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts in 1780. He was a member of the Confederation Congress from 1784 to 1787, where he introduced a plan that prevented the spread of slavery into the Northwest Territories. King was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and made his most famous contribution to American history as a framer and signer of the U.S. Constitution. After his marriage to Mary Alsop in 1786, King relocated to New York and was appointed to the first U.S. Senate, serving from 1789 to 1796 and again from 1813 to 1825. An outspoken opponent of slavery, he led the Senate debates in 1819 and 1820 against the admission of Missouri as a slave state. King served as Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain from 1796 to 1803 and again from 1825 to 1826. In 1816 he was the last Federalist to run for the presidency, losing the election to James Monroe. In 1805, King purchased land and a farmhouse in Jamaica; this house is now the King Manor Museum, a New York City landmark. It is located approximately 4.5 miles from P.S. 26, a public elementary school serving grades pre-K through 5.

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

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.”