In 2026, Queens Public Library is celebrating its 130-year anniversary! During Women’s History Month, Queens Public Library is partnering with the Queens Name Explorer project to honor the brave and brilliant women, with named places in Queens, who have built, shaped, and sustained us for 130 years! From advocates to volunteers, from librarians to gardeners, these women embody the imagination, leadership, and commitment to public service that has made QPL the vibrant and essential institution it is today.

Highlighting women from across Queens - from Long Island City to Jamaica - whose contributions reshaped their neighborhoods. These educators, activists, and public servants broke barriers to create systems of change. Their names mark more than physical places; they represent legacies of collective action. We invite you to explore these stories and consider how we choose which contributions to celebrate in our public spaces.

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" (1916). He produced many Broadway shows and four films.

Brigadier General Joseph T. Hart (1902-1962) was a distinguished resident of Elmhurst, renowned for his exceptional contributions in both the military and civilian realms. His commendable military career began in 1920 when he joined the National Guard and enlisted in the 69th Regiment, later known as the 165th Infantry. Hart's remarkable leadership skills led to his appointment as brigadier general in 1940. He notably served in crucial World War II battles, including Makin and Saipan in the South Pacific, and commanded the unit during the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945. Recognized for his bravery and commitment, General Hart received prestigious accolades such as the Silver Star with a Cluster, the Purple Heart, the American Defense Force Medal, and the New York State Conspicuous Service Medal. Post-war, he continued his dedicated service in the Queens Borough President's Office, serving under prominent officials Maurice Fitzgerald and John T. Clancy until his passing. In 1964, the New York City Council name the park in his honor.

This park opened to the public in 1932. That same year, the Board of Aldermen named the facility Andrews Playground for one John F. Andrews "to do honor to the memory of one active in the civic affairs of the Borough of Queens during his lifetime." Unfortunately, very little is known about Andrews, save that he was born on December 15, 1896, in Long Island City and died in August 1980. Soon after the playground first opened, it underwent massive reconstruction and reopened in 1936 equipped with a children's play area and comfort station. In the 1950s, Andrews Playground was enlarged twice. The City of New York acquired one of the park's additions by private purchase in 1951, and the other by condemnation in 1955. These two additions brought the park to its current size of 2.542 acres.

Alexander M. Bing (1879-1959), with his brother Leo, founded the real estate firm of Bing and Bing, one of New York City’s most important real estate developers in the early 20th century. He was also a member of the Regional Planning Association of America; president and chief financer of the City Housing Corporation; co-founder of the Friends of Whitney Museum of American Art; and a member of the museum's board. He founded the City Housing Corporation, a limited-dividend construction company whose mission was to develop affordable residences for the middle class. He frequently called on charitable foundations and insurance companies to set aside a small portion of their resources to fund projects in Sunnyside, Queens. In Sunnyside Gardens, he effectively persuaded his fellow investors to set aside nearly three acres to create the largest private park in New York City, a playground for children and adults of the neighborhood. It became Sunnyside Park, which opened on May 18, 1926.

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was the seventh president of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in Waxhaws, near Lancaster, South Carolina. He was orphaned at 14, after his father died shortly after he was born, and his mother and brothers died during the Revolutionary War. He was the first man elected from Tennessee to the House of Representatives, and also served in the Senate. Jackson was a general during the War of 1812, and fought against the British successfully multiple times. He quickly gained renown for his feats during the war, and became one of the most widely respected figures in the military in the United States, especially after his force’s stunning victory at New Orleans against the British in 1815. Jackson was elected president in 1828. As president, Jackson consolidated and frequently used his executive power, which invited critiques from Congress and his political opponents, the Whigs. He was watchful over government expenditures, managing to pay off the national debt in 1835. Jackson also advocated for the removal of Native American tribes to the west of the Mississippi River, claiming that the U.S. policy of trying to assimilate them into white society had failed. Congress authorized the Indian Removal Act in 1831, empowering Jackson to make treaties with the tribes and arrange their removal. More than 15,000 members of the Cherokee nation were forced to migrate to present-day Oklahoma. As many as 4,000 died on the journey known as the “Trail of Tears.” Jackson left office on March 7, 1837. He died on June 8, 1845, after fighting constant infections and pain. He was buried in the garden of his home, the Hermitage, two days later.

Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911) was a newspaper editor and publisher who helped to establish the model for modern journalism. One of the most influential journalists in the United States, he campaigned against corruption and abuse of power in government and business while championing the interests of working people. In the 1890s, fierce rivalry between William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and Pulitzer’s New York World led both newspapers to rely on sensationalized reporting to capture public attention, a practice that became known as yellow journalism. Later in his career and through his will, Pulitzer provided funds for the establishment of Columbia University’s School of Journalism, which opened in 1912, and created the Pulitzer Prizes, awarded annually since 1917 to honor excellence in journalism, literature, and the arts. He was born in Makó, Hungary, to Philip Pulitzer, a grain merchant, and Elize (Berger) Pulitzer. Educated by tutors and in private schools, Pulitzer grew up in Budapest. Philip’s death in 1858 brought financial hardship to the family, and, in 1864, Joseph came to the United States to fight for the Union Army during the Civil War. He moved to St. Louis in 1868, where he began working as a reporter on the Westliche Post, a German-language newspaper. By 1878, he had gained control of two newspapers, the Post and the Dispatch, merging them to form the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That same year, he married Kate Davis; the couple had seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. In 1883, ill health brought Pulitzer to New York City, where he purchased The World newspaper (aka The New York World) from financier Jay Gould. Under Pulitzer’s leadership, the paper achieved the largest circulation in the country. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for New York State in 1884, where he served one year of his term. In 1890, due to failing health, he stepped down from the paper’s editorship but continued to oversee its editorial direction. Pulitzer died on October 29, 1911, while aboard his yacht in Charleston Harbor, SC. Built in 1954 and named in Pulitzer’s honor, I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer Magnet School of Innovation and Applied Learning is located in Jackson Heights at 33-34 80th Street.

Paul W. Schmalzried (1966-2022) served with the FDNY for 24 years. He was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, growing up fishing, hunting, and skiing with his two older brothers. Schmalzried joined the FDNY in February of 1998, where he helped keep his community safe, received a unit citation, and became the engine chauffeur as a regular firefighter in 2003. In 2007, Schmalzried earned a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, then the rank of Captain by May of 2021. After becoming Captain, he served as the head of CTS Chauffeur Training School where he taught others how to operate fire trucks. In 2022, Schmalzried passed away as a result of 9/11 related illness, but is remembered by his family and community as a selfless hero.

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.

Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (1928 - 2020) was a Hall of Fame Yankee pitcher from Queens who grew up playing baseball in the sandlots of Astoria before going pro; he was raised on the block now named after him. Ford made his major league debut pitching for the Yankees in 1950 and spent his entire career with the team. He helped the Yankees win six World Series titles and 11 American League pennants in his 16 seasons. He had a career record of 236-106, setting the Yankees’ record for victories. He was the Cy Young Award winner in 1961 and was a 10-time All-Star. His 10 World Series victories are the most for any pitcher. He pitched thirty-three and two-third consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play, breaking Babe Ruth’s record. He also holds the record for World Series starts with twenty-two, innings pitched with 146 and strikeouts with 94. "Whitey" Ford was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

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

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

Ethel Cuff Black (1890 – 1977) was an American educator and one of the founders of Delta Sigma Theta sorority at Howard University. On the eve of Woodrow Wilson's first inauguration in March 1913, she and the Delta Sigma Theta sisters marched, with thousands of others, in the National Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C. In 1930, she became the first Black teacher at P.S. #108 in Richmond Hill, Queens, and taught in Queens until her retirement in 1957.

Thomas X. Winberry (d. 2011) was born and raised in Forest Hills, where he was an active member of the community. Winberry enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 19 and served in the Korean War. After coming home, he joined the American Legion, eventually becoming commander of the Forest Hills American Legion Continental Post 1424. He served as commander for seven years until becoming Queens County Commander. Under his leadership, the American Legion Continental Post No. 1424 became a focal spot for our community provided a location for “Kidz Care Home Alone Thanksgiving” dinners, a place to distribute new school supplies, or for civic associations to hold meetings. Winberry was also a mounted officer for the NYPD and was awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor for rescuing a drowning swimmer in the East River. This was only one of fifteen times that he was cited for acts of courage in his 20 years on the force. He was an advocate of veterans’ rights and worked to preserve the St. Albans Veterans complex, a healthcare facility for veterans and their families. He was 78 when he passed away on June 29, 2011.

Patrolman Kenneth Nugent (d. 1971) had served with the NYPD for 13 years and was assigned to the 103rd Precinct. On August 21, 1971, while on his way to work, he entered a luncheonette on Hollis Avenue and interrupted three men robbing the manager. Nugent drew his weapon and ordered the men to drop their weapons, but the suspects suddenly turned and opened fire. The officer managed to shoot and kill one suspect before being fatally wounded. Two other suspects escaped but were later apprehended and charged with murder. He was 41 years old when he was killed.

Francis Lewis(1713-1802) was born in Wales. He attended school in England then moved to New York for business. Lewis was later taken prisoner in France before returning back to New York where he made a home in Whitestone. He was a member of the Continental Congress for years before the Revolutionary War and was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence.

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.

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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...

Sister Mary Patrick McCarthy (1935–2002) was a nun, educator, and beloved member of the Jackson Heights community in Queens, New York. As a child, she attended Blessed Sacrament Church and School - the same institution where she would return decades later to serve as principal from 1967 to 2002. During her 35-year tenure, Sister Mary guided the school through significant transitions, advocating for the neighborhood’s growing Hispanic community throughout the 1970s and 1980s. She supported many recent immigrants from South America, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba by ensuring access to quality, affordable education.

Stanislaw Kozikowski (1895-1967) fought in the United States Army during WWII and was awarded the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross. The citation read: “The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Stanislaw Kozikowski, Private, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Binarville, France, October 2–7, 1918. During the time when his company was isolated in the Argonne Forest and cut off from communication with friendly troops, Private Kozikowski, together with another soldier, volunteered to carry a message through the German lines, although he was aware that several unsuccessful attempts had been previously made by patrols and members of which were either killed, wounded or driven back. By his courage and determination, he succeeded in delivering the message and brought relief to his battalion.” After his discharge from the Army, he continued to serve his country working a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for over 30 years, mostly in Shop 31, which is today the home of New Lab.

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.

W. Arthur Cunningham (1894 – May 5, 1934) was Irish American lawyer, war hero, and NYC comptroller. Cunningham was born in Manhattan, grew up in Brooklyn, and received his law degree from Fordham University in 1915. Cunningham served in the United States Army during World War I and rose to the rank of major, he fought the Germans in Lunéville, France, and received the Croix de Guerre with Palm for conspicuous bravery and the Purple Heart decoration for military merit. After the war he went into banking, and was an officer in the Textile Banking Corporation, first as counsel and later as vice president, until 1933. He lived with his wife and two sons in Forest Hills, Queens. Cunningham, an independent Democrat, and successfully ran for the position of New York City Comptroller in 1933 on Mayor LaGuardia's Fusion ticket, he served for four months before suffering a heart attack at age 39 in May 1934.

Paul Raimonda (1922–1988) was a community leader and lifelong resident of Long Island City. He served as the head of the Astoria Heights Homeowners and Tenants Association, an organization he founded in 1971 to provide residents with a unified voice. A graduate of P.S. 126 and William C. Bryant High School, Raimonda served four years in the Army Air Corps during World War II. While he was an active member of the Long Island Seneca Club, he is best known for his leadership in the 1980 campaign to block a state takeover and expansion of Rikers Island. Raimonda also served on Community Board 1 and the Liberty Regular Democratic Club. In April 1987, the Italian American Regular Democratic Association of Queens named him "Man of the Year," an honor that included recognition from Governor Mario Cuomo.

Christopher Scalone (1958-2023) was a highly respected 43-year veteran of the FDNY. When he retired from New York City Fire Department Battalion 53 on September 20, 2023, he was among the longest-serving Battalion Chiefs in the FDNY’s history. A first responder to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the aftermath, he died on November 13, 2023, of 9/11-related esophageal cancer. Scalone was a native of Port Jefferson Station, New York, and he joined the department on January 10, 1981. He worked in several stations in Brooklyn and Queens over his career, and his service included 21 years as Battalion Chief at fire scenes, with a final assignment at Battalion 53 in Oakland Gardens. An avid boater and fisherman, he met his future wife, Victoria, through mutual friends, and they were married in 1988. In 2008, the couple lost their daughter, Tiffany, who passed away from pulmonary hypertension, which affects the lungs’ blood vessels and the heart. A street co-naming ceremony took place on November 1, 2024, dedicating the intersection of 64th Avenue and Springfield Boulevard, located in front of the Battalion 53 firehouse, as Battalion Chief Christopher Scalone Way.

Leonard P. Stavisky (1925–1999) was a history and political science professor, a politician in New York City and State, and a civic leader in his neighborhood in Flushing. Stavisky was born in the Bronx and attended New York City public schools. He earned three university degrees: a Bachelor of Science from City College of New York in 1945, and both master’s and PhD degrees from the Graduate Faculty of Political Science of Columbia University, in 1946 and 1958, respectively. A university professor by background, Leonard Stavisky had more than 25 years of experience teaching and in administration at Columbia University, the State University of New York, the City University of New York, Colgate University, Long Island University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He began his career in politics in 1954 by serving as a member of the New York City Council. Between 1972 and 1977, he served as a member of the State Charter Revision Commission for the City of New York, and in 1965, Stavisky was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he represented Flushing and served as the Chairman of the Education Committee for eight years. He was elected to the New York State Senate in 1983 in a special election. He was reelected several times and remained in the State Senate until his death in 1999 due to complications from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was survived at the time by his wife, New York State Senator Toby Ann (Goldhaar) Stavisky, and a son, Evan. Senator Stavisky served as National Vice-Chairman of the Commission on Organization of the American Jewish Congress, Trustee of the Municipal Lodge of B’nai B’rith, the New York League of Histradrut, and the Settlement Housing Fund, Honorary Trustee of the National Amputation Foundation, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement, Inc. On a more local level, Stavisky served as the Chairman of the Whitestone Library Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Bay Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Latimer Gardens Community Center, the Bland Houses Community Center, the Flushing Boys Club, and the North Flushing Senior Center. He also served on the Advisory Boards of the Queens Council On The Arts, the Iris Hill Nursery School, and Save The Theatres, Inc. On a citywide level, he served on the Board of Trustees of the New York Public Library, the Board of the New York City Employees Retirement System, the New York City Health Insurance Board, the Mayor’s Committee on Scholastic Achievement, and the Mayor’s Committee on Coordination of Services to Families and Children. On May 19, 2002, a street sign was hung at a co-naming ceremony to designate the corner of 29th Road at 137th Street in Flushing in the Senator’s honor. P.S. 242 Leonard P. Stavisky Early Childhood School in Flushing is also named for the Senator, and both locations are a short walk from where he and his family lived.

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.

Ivan Lafayette (1930-2016) was a longtime champion of the Jackson Heights community who served for 32 years in the New York State Assembly. Throughout his career, he advocated for schools, passed legislation that made it illegal to drive without insurance, and was also one of the first elected officials to support same-sex marriage in New York. He was a founding member of the Jackson Heights/Elmhurst Kehillah, or Jewish Community Council, a member of the Jewish War Veterans Post 209, president of the Jackson Heights Community Federation, and a trustee of the North Queens Homeowner and Civic Association. Born in Monticello, New York, Lafayette grew up in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. He graduated from high school in 1947 and attended Brooklyn College. After serving in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954, he and his wife, Bertine, née Rabin, moved to Jackson Heights where they raised their family. Lafayette worked as a car mechanic and repair person, and then as a general manager of his father’s automotive franchises. He first sought the state assembly seat in 1970, ultimately winning a seat in his fourth race in 1976. Lafayette's career as an assemblyman spanned from 1977 to 2008, and in that time he sponsored hundreds of bills that became law and took on many roles in the Assembly, including leader of the Queens delegation, speaker pro tempore, and deputy speaker, among others. The Uninsured Motorist's Law he sponsored created penalties for driving without insurance coverage, and he took particular pride in helping to establish a statewide pre-K education program in the 1980s. Rather than seek re-election in 2008, Lafayette opted for a spot in Governor Paterson’s administration when he was named the state Insurance Department’s deputy superintendent for community affairs. On his passing in 2013, he was survived by his wife, three sons, and nine grandchildren. On July 29, 2018, on what would have been Lafayette’s 88th birthday, a ceremony was held co-naming the northwest corner of 92nd Street and 34th Avenue in his honor as NYS Assemblyman Ivan Lafayette Way. The site is just two blocks from PS 228Q The Ivan Lafayette Early Childhood School Of The Arts (93rd Street and Northern Boulevard) which was named in Lafayette’s honor in 2019, and one block from the intersection of 92nd Street and Northern Boulevard, co-named in 2024 as Maureen Allen Way in honor of Lafayette’s longtime chief of staff.

Christopher Racaniello (b. 1971) a Little Neck native, worked for Cantor Fitzegerald at the World Trade Center. He was killed in the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.

Doris “Dorie” Miller (1919 – 1943), was a World War II hero who shot down several enemy planes during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was the first African American recipient of the Navy Cross for valor. Miller joined the US Navy on September 19, 1939, at age 19 and was assigned to the Messman Branch. At the time, African Americans were limited to positions on supply ships. The easy-going serviceman was described as an impressive 200 lbs., and over 6 feet tall. On December 7, 1941, he was assigned as a Mess Attendant aboard the ammunition supply ship Pyro anchored in Pearl Harbor. In the Japanese attack that day, the Pyro was struck by at least six torpedoes and two bombs. Miller, leaving his post, raced to his ship commander Captain Mervyn Bennion, who was mortally wounded. After helping move the captain to a safer place, Miller, in the midst of bombing and a flame-swept deck, proceeded to help pass ammunition to two machine gun positions. When one of the gunners was killed, Miller took over his position and he downed at least two Japanese planes and as many as six. Shortly after, he was ordered to leave the bridge as bombing and danger increased. Dorie Miler was awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral Chester W. Nmitz to become the first US Hero of WW II and the first African American to receive the Navy's highest award. Two years later, on November 24, 1943, Miller was among more than seven hundred crew members who died in the sinking of the USS Liscombe Bay, torpedoed by an enemy submarine. In his honor, the Navy named a Knox class frigate ship the USS Miller. In December 1953, the first of three hundred families moved into the six buildings of the Dorie Miller Housing Cooperative. 34th Avenue between 112th and 114th is known as Dorie Miller Place.

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

NYPD Patrolman Benjamin M. Bruno (1928 - 1956) of Woodhaven was 28 years old when he was killed in a car accident in the line of duty. In the early hours of January 30, 1956, Patrolman Bruno was in pursuit of a speeding car headed east on Northern Boulevard, when a collision with a westbound car took place on a wet patch of pavement near 230th Street, on the border of Alley Pond Park and Douglaston-Little Neck. The collision killed both Bruno and Alexander Johnson, 19, of Corona. Johnson was a passenger in the car driven by his brother, Lindbergh Johnson. Bruno spent four years in the marines, before joining the NYPD in 1951, as part of Highway Unit 3. He was survived at the time by his parents Sylvia and Cono Bruno, along with three sisters and three brothers. A mass, attended by 300 police officers, was held for Patrolman Bruno at St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Woodhaven. He was buried at St. John Cemetery, in Middle Village. The stretch of Northern Boulevard between 234th Street and the Cross Island Parkway, the vicinity where Patrolman Bruno died while on duty, was named in his honor.

Firefighter William “Billy” Tolley (1974-2017) was a 14-year veteran of the FDNY who was assigned to Ladder 135. Before he was able to join the FDNY, Billy was a volunteer firefighter with the Hicksville Fire Department, Rescue 8, attaining the rank of lieutenant. In 2011, he joined the Bethpage Fire Department and was assigned to Ladder Company 3. He was killed in the line of duty while helping contain an apartment fire in Queens, falling to his death from the roof of a five-story building. In addition to being a firefighter, he was also a talented drummer whose passion for percussion led him to become a influential drummer in the heavy metal scene. With his band, Internal Bleeding, he helped write and release five very successful albums that made strong impressions on drummers across the world. He is survived by his wife, Marie, and daughter, Isabella. This street renaming near Billy’s firehouse, Ladder 135, occurred on September 26, 2018.

Joseph Jockel served with the NYPD Motorcycle Squad 1. He was killed in the line of duty while attempting to arrest four robbery suspects. He was posthumously awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor for his actions.

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

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

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

John J. Florio (1967 – 2001) was killed during fire and rescue operations at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Florio grew up in Middle Village, Queens and graduated from St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows in 1985. He attended Nassau Community College before joining the FDNY and worked at a fire company in Queens before he was transferred permanently to Engine 214, Ladder 111 in Brooklyn. An athletic person‚ Florio pumped iron and he played halfback on the FDNY football team. The father of two coached his son’s Little League team and his football team in Oceanside where he had moved with his wife. Florio was huge fan of the band Metallica‚ Florio corresponded with the group’s lead singer‚ James Hetfield, and an emotional letter from the rocker was read at Florio’s funeral.

Charles J. Steinmann (d. 1918), died in World War I. Steinmann grew up at 109 Greenpoint Avenue, in Woodside, and served in Company F of the 321st Infantry Division. He died of pneumonia on November 1, 1918, just ten days before the Armistice.

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.

Geraldine Anne Ferraro (1935–2011) was the first woman nominated for vice president by a major U.S. political party and the first Italian American to run on a national ticket. She served as Walter Mondale’s Democratic running mate in the 1984 presidential election, though they ultimately lost the race. Earlier in her career, she taught in Astoria, Queens, while attending Fordham University Law School at night. She passed the bar in 1960, the same year she married John Zaccaro. In 1978, the mother of three was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she represented New York’s 9th District in Queens from 1979 to 1985.

Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746-1817) was a war hero from Poland. He fought to obtain freedom for all, whether that be in his home country or abroad. Kościuszko went to a Military Academy for his developmental years and went on to pursue art and engineering education in Paris, France. After receiving his education, he migrated to Philadelphia in 1776. Heavily moved by the Declaration of Independence, he joined the Engineers of the Continental Congress, connecting him with Thomas Jefferson. In 1776, he decided to travel with the Continental Army as a military engineer. During the American Revolution, he assumed leadership and defended Saratoga during the Battle of Saratoga and fortified West Point, NY. When odds were stacked against the U.S., these feats became some of the turning points putting the war on his side. West Point grew to become home of West Point Military Academy in 1802 to train more soldiers for the expanding U.S. army. In 1784 Kościuszko moved back to Poland to help fight for its independence against European Powers. He assisted in the Battle of Raclawice which led to Warsaw and Wilno being liberated. Upon fighting in a revolt, Kościuszko was imprisoned by the Russian Government. After being released in 1796, he returned to America. Old Penny/ Meeker Avenue Bridge was renamed Kościuszko to commemorate the work he put into defending the United States in its early stages.

General George J. Lawrence, Sr. (1881-1949) was an athlete, soldier, doctor, and civic leader whose extraordinary military service and 40-year medical career made him a leader in the Flushing community. Along with his father and a son, he was a part of three generations of doctors from the same family who all practiced at Flushing Hospital. Born on June 25, 1881, to Mary Margaret (Fuller) Lawrence and Dr. Enoch Pink Lawrence, he grew up in Flushing. He attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1902. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania where he excelled as an athlete, serving as captain of the basketball team and a star quarterback on the football team. In 1907, he graduated with a medical degree, and the same year, he married Olivia Josephine Blaber. The couple settled in Flushing, and together they had 10 children. Lawrence spent his medical career working at Flushing Hospital where he headed the obstetrics and gynecology departments. He served as the first president of the Queens Surgical Society and as president of the board at Flushing Hospital. For a period, he worked with his son, George J. Lawrence, Jr., who was himself an attending ob-gyn physician of Flushing Hospital from 1940 to 1974. In addition to his medical career, Lawrence served for many years in the military, beginning in 1908 when he joined the Flushing National Guard. By 1911, he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant in the 12th Regiment Medical Corps. He received two silver stars for his valor in combat in World War I, having been stationed in France as part of the 69th Infantry Regiment, also known as the “Fighting 69th.” At the end of the war, he earned the title of Lieutenant Colonel, and by the end of World War II, he had received the highest promotion to General. He continued to serve veterans as a State Commander of the American Legion and as First Commander of the Leonard Legion Post in Flushing, and he also served as a vice president of the Flushing Savings Bank. Lawrence died on November 9, 1949, at his home in Flushing. The Brooklyn Eagle noted that approximately 2,000 people attended a requiem mass in his honor at St. Andrew Avellino Roman Catholic Church. A local law named the park in his honor in 1950. Lawrence Triangle is located in Flushing at the intersection of Parsons Boulevard and 147th Street, between Elm Avenue and 45th Avenue. It is across the street from Flushing Hospital and a short walk from the home where Lawrence lived at the time of his death.

James Alan Bland (1854-1911) was an African American musician and composer of popular songs, including "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," formerly the official state song of Virginia. Bland was born in Flushing to educated, free African American parents. While attending Howard University he became enthralled with the banjo and learned to play it. In the late 1870s, Bland began his professional career as a member of the first successful all-Black minstrel company, the Georgia Minstrels. Later he worked in minstrel shows throughout Europe and the United States, becoming the highest-paid minstrel singer in the country. He performed for Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace and President Grover Cleveland and Gen. Robert E. Lee in Washington. After living for 20 years in Europe, Bland returned to the U.S. in 1901. His fortunes declined as minstrel shows were replaced by vaudeville, and he died alone of tuberculosis in Philadelphia in 1911. Though Bland was buried there in an unmarked grave, a memorial was later erected by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. The James A. Bland Houses comprise a 6.19-acre development with five, 10-story buildings featuring 400 apartments. The public housing complex, which was completed April 30, 1952, is home to approximately 878 residents.

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.

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.

This obelisk also honors those who died in World War I. It was erected by the members of the Oxford Civic Association, Inc. and friends of the “Boys who made the Supreme Sacrifice” in The Great War 1917 – 1918, erected in 1929. The names on the Plaques: George J. Wellbrock Thomas Hurley James G. Gaffney Lawrence F. Condon Herman Selner Valentine E. Gross