Queens Name Explorer logo
Queens Name Explorer
Post
Joseph Austin Playground
Joseph Austin Playground

Joseph Austin (1904-1998) was a longtime youth league coach and active member of the Jamaica, Queens community. Austin worked after school at the Boyce MotoMeter Company in Long Island City to support his family. He played on the company baseball team and would later play semi-professional baseball on various teams. After losing his job during the Great Depression, Austin coached co-ed youth sports teams in baseball, basketball, and football. He continued coaching after he found a job at the Piels Brewery in Brooklyn once the 21st Amendment ended prohibition in 1933. One of Austin’s most famous players was Governor Mario M. Cuomo (1932-2015), a fellow dedicated public servant and accomplished baseball player.

Sources:

"Joseph Austin Playground," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, accessed September 30, 2022, https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/joseph-austin-playground

Wikidata contributors, "Q34839093”, Wikidata, accessed December 7, 2023, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34839093

Wikidata contributors, "Q116033999”, Wikidata, accessed December 7, 2023, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116033999

“1133149686,” OpenStreetMap, accessed December 7, 2023, https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1133149686

Privacy PolicyTerms of Service