Staten Island
 |
Staten Island, in yellow, lies to the southwest of the rest of New York City. |
is one of the
five boroughs of
New York City, located on an island of the same name on the west side of
the Narrows at the entrance of
New York Harbor. It is
coterminous with
Richmond County, the southernmost county of the
State of
New York.
The existence of the borough dates from the unification of New York City in 1898. Until 1975, however, the borough was officially known as the
Borough of Richmond.
[New York Public Library Staten Island Timeline, accessed January 16, 2006] [New York Genealogical Socity - Before the Five-Boro City, accessed January 16, 2006]Staten Island is also known for the
Fresh Kills Landfill, the repository of garbage from all of New York City for 53 years. The landfill was closed in 2001, and there is an ongoing attempt to decontaminate the land and rehabilitate it for recreational uses.
Despite having an estimated population of 463,314 in 2004 (as well as being the fastest growing county in New York State), it has often been termed "the forgotten borough," as it is much less well-known than its four sisters,
The Bronx,
Queens,
Manhattan, and
Brooklyn. By far the least populated, most ethnically homogeneous and most remote borough of New York City, it is somewhat suburban. Indeed, much of the central and southern sections of the island were once dominated by farms, primarily dairy and poultry farms, some of which were still in existence as recently as the early 1960s. Some areas have an urban feel comparable to the areas of Eastern Queens and Northern Bronx. The borough's steady rise in population since the opening of the
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge has added to a sharp increase in traffic that plagues the island and is a cause of frequent road repairs and accidents.
 |
Staten Island, shown in an enhanced satellite image. |
|
Railway drawbridge links industrial Elizabeth, NJ with Staten Island (i.e. New York City) |
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough / county has a total area of 265.5
km² (102.5
mi²). 151.5 km² (58.5 mi²) of it is land and 114.0 km² (44.0 mi²) of it (42.95%) is water.
Staten Island is separated from
Long Island by
the Narrows and from mainland
New Jersey by the
Arthur Kill and the
Kill Van Kull. It is connected to New Jersey via the
Bayonne Bridge, the
Outerbridge Crossing, the
Goethals Bridge, and to Brooklyn by the
Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The
Staten Island Ferry connects the island to lower
Manhattan. The
Staten Island Railway traverses the island from its northeastern tip to its southwestern tip.
In addition to the main island, the borough and county also include several small uninhabited islands:
*
The Isle of Meadow (at the mouth of
Fresh Kills)
*
Pralls Island (in the
Arthur Kill)
*
Shooters Island (in
Newark Bay; part of it belongs to
New Jersey)
*
Swinburne Island (in
Lower New York Bay)
*
Hoffman Island (in Lower New York Bay)
The highest point on the island, the summit of
Todt Hill, elevation 410 ft (125 m), is also the highest point in the five boroughs, as well as the highest point on the
Atlantic Coastal Plain south of
Great Blue Hill in
Massachusetts and the highest point on
the coast proper south of
Maine's
Mount Desert Island.
In the late 1960s the island was the site of important battles of open-space preservation, resulting in the largest area of parkland in New York City and an extensive
Greenbelt that laces the island with woodland trails.
See: List of Staten Island neighborhoodsThe bedrock of the island is a
diabase sill formed during the volcanic eruptions that created much of the bedrock of northern
New Jersey, including the
New Jersey Palisades, approximately 200 million years ago. As an island, Staten Island was formed in the wake of the last
ice age. In the late
Pleistocene between 20,000 and 14,000 years ago, the
ice sheet that covered northeastern
North America reached to as far south as present day New York City, to a depth of approximately the same height as the
Empire State Building. At one point, during its maximum reach, the ice sheet precisely ended at the center of present day Staten Island, forming a
terminal moraine on the existing diabase sill. The central moraine of the island is sometimes called the
Serpentine ridge because it contains large amounts of that particular mineral.
At the retreat of the ice sheet, Staten Island and
Long Island were not yet separated by
The Narrows, which had not yet formed.
Geologists reckoning of the course of the
Hudson River have placed it alternatively through the present course of the
Raritan River, south of the island, as well through present-day
Flushing Bay and
Jamaica Bay.
As in much of North America, human habitation appeared in the island fairly rapidly after the retreat of the ice sheet.
Archaeologists have recovered tool evidence of
Clovis culture activity dating from approximately 14,000 years ago. The island was probably abandoned later, possibly because of the
extinction of large
mammals on the island. Evidence of the first permanent
aboriginal American settlements and agriculture date from about 5,000 years ago (Jackson, 1995).
In the
Sixteenth Century, the island was part of a larger area known as
Lenapehoking that was inhabited by the
Lenape, an
Algonquian aboriginal American people also called the "Delaware". The band that occupied the southern part of the island was called the
Raritans. To the Lenape, the island was called "Aquehonga Manacknong" and "Eghquaons" (Jackson, 1995). The island was laced with foot trails, one of which followed the south side of the ridge near the course of present day Richmond Road and Amboy Road. The Lenape did not live in fixed encampments, but moved seasonally, using
slash and burn agriculture. The staples of their diet included
shellfish, including the
oysters that are native to both
Upper New York Bay and
Lower New York Bay.
Staaten Eylandt
The first recorded
European contact with the island was in 1524 by
Giovanni da Verrazzano who sailed through the
Narrows. In 1609,
Henry Hudson established
Dutch trade in the area and named the island
Staaten Eylandt after the
Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament.
Although the first Dutch settlement of the
New Netherlands colony was made on
Manhattan in 1620,
Staaten Eylandt remained uncolonized by the Dutch for many decades. From 1639 to 1655, the Dutch made three separate attempts to establish a permanent settlement on the island, but each time the settlement was destroyed in the conflicts between the Dutch and the local tribes.
In 1661, the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at
Oude Dorp (
Dutch for "Old Village"), just south of the
Narrows near
South Beach, by a small group of Dutch
Walloon and
Huguenot families.
Richmond County
|
Historic Richmondtown, museum complex is located in the heart of Staten Island |
At the end of the
Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1667, the
New Netherlands colony was ceded to
England in the
Treaty of Breda, and what was now
anglicized as
Staten Island became part of the new English
colony of New York.
In 1670, the Native Americans ceded all claims to Staten Island to the English in a deed to Gov.
Francis Lovelace. In 1671, in order to encourage an expansion of the Dutch settlements, the English resurveyed Oude Dorp (which became known as
Old Town) and expanded the lots along the shore to the south. These lots were settled primarily by Dutch and became known as
Nieuwe Dorp (meaning "New Village"), which later became anglicized as
New Dorp.
In 1683, the colony of New York was divided into ten counties. As part of this process, Staten Island, as well as several minor neighboring islands, were designated as
Richmond County. The name derives from the title of an illegitimate son of King
Charles II.
In 1687-1688, the English divided the island into four administrative divisions based on natural features, called the North, South, and West divisions, as well as the 5100 acre (21 km²) manorial estate of colonial governor
Thomas Dongan in the central hills known as the "Lordship or Manner of Cassiltown." These divisions would later evolve into the four townships
Northfield,
Southfield,
Westfield and
Castleton.
|
RIchmond town is nature-rich |
Land patents in rectangular blocks of eighty acres (320,000 m²) were granted, with the most desirable lands being along the coastline and inland waterways. By 1708, the entire island had been divided up through this fashion into 166 small farms and two large manorial estates, the Dongan estate as well as a 1600 acre (6.5 km²) parcel on the southwestern tip of the island belonging to
Christopher Billop (Jackson, 1995).
In 1729, a county seat was established at the village of
Richmond Town, located at the headwaters of the
Fresh Kills near the center of the island.
The island played a significant role in the
American Revolutionary War. In the summer of 1776, the British forces under
William Howe evacuated
Boston and prepared to attack
New York City. Howe used the strategic location of Staten Island as a staging ground for the attack. Howe established his headquarters in New Dorp at the
Rose and Crown tavern near the junction of present
New Dorp Lane and
Amboy Road. It is here that the representatives of the British government reportedly received their first notification of the
Declaration of Independence.
The following month, in August 1776, the British forces crossed the
Narrows to
Brooklyn and routed the American forces under
George Washington at the
Battle of Long Island, resulting in the British capture of New York. Three weeks later, on
September 11,
1776, the British received a delegation of Americans consisting of
Benjamin Franklin,
Edward Rutledge, and
John Adams at the
Conference House on the southwestern tip of the island (known today as
Tottenville) on the former estate of
Christopher Billop. The Americans refused the peace offer from the British in exchange for the withdrawal of the
Declaration of Independence, however, and the conference ended without an agreement.
British forces remained on Staten Island throughout the war. Although local sentiment was predominantly
Loyalist, the islanders found the demands of supporting the troops to be onerous. Many buildings and churches were destroyed, and the military demand for resources resulted in an extensive
deforestation of the island by the end of the war. The British again used the island as a staging ground for their final evacuation of
New York City on
December 5,
1783. After the war, the largest Loyalist landowners fled to
Canada and their estates were subdivided and sold.
On
July 4,
1827, the end of slavery in New York state was celebrated at Swan Hotel, West Brighton. Rooms at the hotel were reserved months in advance as local abolitionists and prominent free blacks prepared for the festivities. Speeches, pageants, picnics, and fireworks marked the celebration, which lasted for two days.
In 1860, parts of Castleton and Southfield were made into a new town,
Middletown. The
Village of New Brighton in the town of Castleton was incorporated in 1866, and in 1872 the Village of New Brighton annexed all the remainder of the Town of Castleton and became coterminous with the town.
In New York City
All these towns and the villages within them were abolished in 1898 when the City of Greater New York was consolidated, with Richmond as one of its five boroughs.
Except for the areas along the harbor, however, the borough remained relatively underdeveloped until the building of the
Verrazano Narrows Bridge in 1964, which is considered the watershed event in the history of the borough, since it opened up the island to explosive suburban development by giving it direct road access to Brooklyn. The Verrazano, along with the other three major Staten Island bridges, created a new way for commuters and travelers to reach
Brooklyn, Manhatten and areas further east on Long Island, by car from New Jersey, and the network of highways running between the bridges has effectively carved up many of the borough's old neighborhoods. This road expansion was planned initially by
Robert Moses.
Some of the island's open space and historic areas were incorporated in 1972 into
Gateway National Recreation Area, part of the
National Park System. The Staten Island Unit of Gateway NRA is joined by the Jamaica Bay Unit in Brooklyn and Queens and the Sandy Hook Unit in New Jersey. The Staten Island Unit is comprised of Great Kills Park,
Miller Field,
Fort Wadsworth, as well as
Hoffman Island and
Swinburne Island.
For the last half of the 20th Century, Staten Island was arguably best known as the site of the
Fresh Kills Landfill, the primary destination for garbage from the five boroughs of New York City and the largest single source of
methane pollution in the world. The landfill was closed in early 2001 but was temporarily reopened later that year to receive the ruins of the
World Trade Center after the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
September 11, 2001 attacks Staten Island bears much of the loss of life, nearly 300 residents, with a large numbers of firemen and
World Trade Center workers living on Staten Island. The
Fresh Kills landfill is chosen to hold the debris from the towers and serves as a crime lab for police investigators searching for human remains.
Throughout the 1980s, a movement which had as its goal the
secession of Staten Island from the city steadily grew in popularity, reaching its peak during the mayoral term of
David Dinkins. The movement largely evaporated with
Rudolph Giuliani's election as mayor in 1993, although some pro-secession sentiment remains.
In the 1980s, the
United States Navy had a base on Staten Island, Naval Station New York. Composed of two sections, a home port in Stapleton, and a larger section around Ft. Wadsworth, where the Verrazano Narrows Bridge enters the island. A few
frigates,
destroyers, and at least one
cruiser were based there. It was closed in 1994 through the
BRAC process. A hostile political climate and the expense of basing personnel there led to closure.
Like the other counties which are contained within New York City, there is no county government; there is no County
Court as in non-New York City counties. Richmond County is part of a state Supreme Court (general jurisdiction) district shared with Brooklyn, but has its own Surrogate's Court and judges of the Criminal Court, Family Court and the New York City Civil Court, the last having a similar jurisdiction to New York State County Courts for disputes under $25,000, small claims and housing cases. Criminal and Family Court judges are appointed; the others are elected. Others state agencies such as the
district attorney (public
prosecutor), which is held by Republican Daniel Donovan, have offices as well as other government agencies.
| Party | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997!1996 |
|---|
| Democratic (%) | 44.70 | 44.76 | 45.19 | 45.39 | 45.63 | 45.47 | 45.51 | 45.60 | 46.38 | 46.15 |
| Republican (%) | 30.64 | 30.47 | 30.77 | 30.55 | 30.68 | 30.76 | 31.17 | 31.60 | 30.80 | 31.28 |
| No affiliation (%) | 19.00 | 19.10 | 18.46 | 18.54 | 18.67 | 18.84 | 18.67 | 18.25 | 18.43 | 18.48 |
| Other (%) | 5.66 | 5.67 | 5.58 | 5.52 | 5.02 | 4.93 | 4.65 | 4.55 | 4.39 | 4.09 |
|
A mainly white, Catholic borough, with much suburban-style housing, Staten Island politics differ considerably from the rest of the city, being far friendlier to the
Republicans than other boroughs, although
Democrats have a substantial majority in registration. According to the New York State Board of Elections, as of
April 1,
2005, there are 119,601 registered Democrats in Staten Island versus only 82,193 registered Republicans. The main political divide in the borough is between the areas located north of the
Staten Island Expressway, who tend to be more liberal, and the south, who tend to be somewhat conservative.
Local politics
|
The Staten Island Ferry runs between Staten Island and Manhattan. |
In city elections, Staten Island has been the base of the city's Republican Party for some time. Borough voters overwhemingly backed
Michael Bloomberg in the
mayoral election of 2001, with 75.87% (84,891 votes) to only 21.15% (23,664) for Democrat
Mark Green. Since Green only lost narrowly citywide, Staten Island provided the margin of Bloomberg's victory.
Moreover, two of the only three Republicans of the 51 member
New York City Council are from Staten Island, namely
James Oddo and
Andrew Lanza. The other city council member for the island is a Democrat,
Michael McMahon, who represents the
North Shore. The
borough president is currently
James Molinaro, a member of the
Conservative Party elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005, with the endorsement of the Republicans. He is the only Republican-supported borough president elected in the city.
In state-level elections, borough voters also tend to vote Republican, but in lesser numbers. The borough was the only one to vote for Republican
George Pataki over his Democratic opponent in both his 1998 and 2002 gubernatorial elections, by margins of 65.23% to 28.38% in 1998 and 68.42% to 20.92% in 2002. Staten Island representation in the
state assembly is equally split between Republicans and Democrats. Hence, the 60th district [
1] is represented by Republican Matthew Mirones, and the 62nd [
2], which encompasses most of the south shore of the island, by Vincent Ignizio. But both the 61st [
3] and 63rd [
4] districts have elected Democrats, John W. Lavelle and Michael J. Cusick. Staten Island is split between two
State Senate District. Most of the island is represented by Republican
John J. Marchi [
5], the longest-serving legislator in state history, while the North Shore belongs to the Brooklyn-based district of Democrat
Diane Savino [
6].
In order to explain the trend of Staten Island to vote Republican in local elections, most local political scientists cite
law and order as the issue that resonates most strongly with island voters.
New York's various minor parties also have some impact upon Staten Island politics, most obviously with the election of Conservative Party member James Molinaro as Staten Island Borough President in 2001, and re-election in 2005, even though most of his votes came on the Republican line. The Conservative and Independence lines have provided the margin of victory for major party candidates in several races. As of 2006, the Independence Party had 6700 enrolled members on Staten Island, while the Working Families Party had about 600.
National politics
Presidential election results| Year | GOP! Dems |
|---|
| 2004 | 56.4% 90,325 | 42.7% 68,448 |
| 2000 | 45.0% 63,903 | 51.9% 73,828 |
| 1996 | 40.8% 52,207 | 50.5% 64,684 |
| 1992 | 47.9% 70,707 | 38.5% 56,901 |
| 1988 | 61.5% 77,427 | 38.0% 47,812 |
| 1984 | 65.1% 83,187 | 34.7% 44,345 |
| 1980 | 58.6% 64,885 | 33.7% 37,306 |
| 1976 | 54.1% 56,995 | 45.4% 47,867 |
| 1972 | 74.2% 84,686 | 25.6% 29,241 |
| 1968 | 55.3% 54,631 | 35.2% 34,770 |
| 1964 | 45.5% 42,330 | 54.4% 50,524 |
| 1960 | 56.5% 38,673 | 43.4% 50,356 |
|
In the national elections, Staten Island is not the Republican stronghold it is in local elections. However, it is not a Democratic stronghold like the rest of the city. It can be considered as a swing county with a slight Republican lean, though it seemed to become increasingly Democratic in the 1990s, like
Long Island and
Westchester County.
The island has only voted for the Democratic presidential nominee three times since 1952 â€" in 1964, 1996 and 2000. In the
2004 presidential election,
George W. Bush received 57% of the island's votes to 42% for
John Kerry; by contrast, Kerry outpolled Bush in the city's other four boroughs cumulatively by a margin of 77% to 22%.
Staten Island is currently in the 13th Congressional District, which also includes part of Brooklyn. It has been held by the GOP since 1981 and is now held by
Vito Fossella, an outspoken conservative. It is the only New York city congressional seat held by the GOP. He has held the seat since winning a special election in 1997. Fossella's seat has always been targeted by Democrats, but he always won with little trouble until 2004, when he lost the Brooklyn portion of the district by seven points. However, he won Staten Island by 26 points, undoubtedly helped by Bush's win in the borough. Before Fossella, Staten Island was represented by
Susan Molinari, a moderate Republican who made the keynote speech at the
1996 Republican National Convention. Her father,
Guy, held the seat from 1981 to 1990, when he was elected
borough president.
The difference between the clear domination of the Democratic Party in registration and the slight domination of the Republican Party at the polls can be attributed to the massive incoming of mostly middle-class Italian American families from the overwhelmingly Democratic inner boroughs, mainly Brooklyn. Those people, although mainly registered Democrats, become the archetype of the
Reagan Democrat once they settle in the borough: suburban, white and middle-income, quite religious and married with children. However, given the near-total Democratic domination of city politics, they do not bother to change their registration, becoming
Democrats in Name Only (DINOs). One interesting thing to note is that Staten Island tends to vote more Republican than nearby suburban counties of
Nassau and
Suffolk on
Long Island. This is interesting due to the fact that Staten island and Long Island have similar demographics (both have large middle class Italian Catholic populations, though Staten Island's Italian percentage is slightly higher, and Long Island is a little wealthier) and the fact that both Nassau and Suffolk have Republican registration advantages (though the gap is closing fast) while Staten Island has a Democratic registration advantage.
Staten island
Population by year | 1900 - 67,021
1910 - 85,969
1920 - 116,531
1930 - 158,346
1940 - 174,441
1950 - 191,555
1960 - 221,991
1970 - 295,443
1980 - 352,029
1990 - 378,977
2000 - 443,728
2005 - 464,573 (est.) |
As of the
2000 census, there were 443,728 people, 156,341 households, and 114,128 families residing in the borough / county. The
population density was 2,929.6/km² (7,587.9/mi²). There were 163,993 housing units at an average density of 1,082.7/km² (2,804.3/mi²). The racial makeup is 77.60%
White, 9.67%
Black or African American, 0.25%
Native American, 5.65%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 4.14% from
other races, and 2.65% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 12.07% of the population. 71.3% of the population were Whites not of Hispanic origins.
Some main European ancestries of Staten Island, 2000:
*
Italian: 44.55 (largest percentage for any U.S. county.)
*
Irish : 14.54
*
German : 7.61
*
English : 3.37Since the 2000 census, a rather large Russian community has been growing on Staten Island, particularily in the South Beach and Great Kills area.
The vast majority of the island's African American and Hispanic residents live north of the
Staten Island Expressway, or
Interstate 278. In terms of religion, the population is largely
Roman Catholic, and the Catholic Church exerts strong influence on many aspects of the island's social and cultural life. The
Jewish community is large enough that it would be significant in most other parts of the country, but it is relatively small compared to other parts of the
New York Metropolitan Area.
There were 156,341 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% are
married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.31.
The population is spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household is $55,039, and the median income for a family was $64,333. Males had a median income of $50,081 versus $35,914 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $23,905. About 7.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Staten Island's schools are operated by the
New York City Department of Education.
Staten Island is home to three institutions of higher education:
College of Staten Island, a campus of
St. John's University, and
Wagner College.
*
Daniel D. Tompkins, was the sixth
Vice President of the United States, an entrepreneur, jurist, Congressman,
Governor of New York, and established
Tompkinsville in Staten Island and the
Staten Island Ferry.
*
Christina Aguilera - Pop singer. Born on Staten Island, although she was raised in
Pittsburgh, PA*
Teddy Atlas - Boxing trainer
*
Kevin Rooney former manager of
Mike Tyson lived on Staten Island
*
Alice Austen - Photographer, lived all of her life on Staten Island. A
Staten Island Ferry is named for her
*
Joan Baez - folk singer
*
Renaldo Balkman- New York Knicks 2006 First Round Draft Pick, Born on Staten Island
*
Paul Castellano- Gambino Crime Boss, lived in the Todt Hill section
*
Eric Close - Actor who plays "Martin Fitzgerald" on the
CBS drama
Without a Trace*
Ichabod Crane, a Colonel in the US Army during the War of 1812 and the nominal inspiration for the protagonist in Washington Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow", who is buried in Staten Island, New York
*
Gene Simmons - Bass player and rock star from the legend rock band
KISS received his BA in Teaching from Richmond College (now the
College of Staten Island).
*
Gianni Russo - Actor was born and raised on Staten Island. Gianni played Carlo Rizzi in
The Godfather*
Marcia Clark - Famed Prosecuter, was involved in the famous
O.J. Simpson trial, graduated from
Wagner High School*
Earl Slick - famous guitarist
*
Kasim Sultan - musician
*
Thommy Price - former
Patty Smyth and
Scandal and
Billy Idol drummer
*
Clem Caserta - actor-
Eltingville, Staten Island resident. Jimmy Whispers in
A Bronx Tale, also was in
GoodFellas,
The Untouchables.
*
Roy Clark - Country singer,
Hee Haw star, and guitarist, actually grew up in
Great Kills, Staten Island*
Evan Dorkin - Cartoonist and creator of
Milk & Cheese is a long time resident of Staten Island
*
Raymond Serra - Actor,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies,
Gotti*
Steven Duren - Better known as
Blackie Lawless, lead singer of the 1980s heavy metal band
W.A.S.P. Lawless, who is a friend of fellow Staten Islander David Johansen, replaced
Johnny Thunders in the
New York Dolls when he was 18.
*
A.J. Pero - drummer for
Twisted Sister *
John Franco - Former
New York Mets pitcher
*
Emilio Estevez - Actor, born on Staten Island (New York City)
*
Armand Assante - Actor, currently resides in Staten Island.
*
Allen Jenkins - famed Hollywood character actor, voice of cartoon
Top Cats Officer Dibble was born on Staten Island.
*Eamon - Eamon Doyle rapper, born and raised on Staten Island
*Vito Bratta - guitarist for White Lion lives on Staten Island
*Paul Newman - lived on Staten Island in St. George, Staten Island
*Martin Sheen - lived on Staten Island in St. George, Staten Island
*Giuseppe Garibaldi - 19th century Italian revolutionary and statesman, lived for a time on Staten Island, and worked as a candle-maker
*Buddy Giovinazzo - Actor/Director/Writer who directed the cult films Combat Shock and No Way Home
*Carmine Giovinazzo - Actor who plays "Detective Danny Messer" on the CBS drama '. He is a cousin of director Buddy Giovinazzo
*David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter) of the New York Dolls
*Antonio Meucci - disputed inventor of the telephone, immigrated to Staten Island, settling in the Clifton area in 1850, where he would live for the remainder of his life
*Alyssa Milano - Actress. Although born in Brooklyn, she was raised on Staten Island
*Jonathan M. Parisen - Filmmaker, was born and raised on Staten Island
*Joe Causi - Disc Jockey, raised in Brooklyn, currently lives on Staten Island
*Robin Quivers- radio personality from the Howard Stern show lives on Staten Island
*Vito Picone - Vito and The Elegants, had a #1 song in the 50's "Little Star". The song was actually recorded in a South Beach, Staten Island studio.
*Edward Platt - Actor who played "The Chief" on the 1960s TV show Get Smart
*Randy Savage - Former Professional wrestler known as "Macho Man" now resides in Staten Island
*Rick Schroder - Actor who played "Ricky Stratton" on the 1980s NBC sitcom Silver Spoons and "Detective Danny Sorenson" on the ABC drama NYPD Blue. Currently appearing as "Dr. Dylan West" on the Lifetime drama Strong Medicine
*Clifford Smith - Rapper/Wu-Tang Clan member (aka Method Man) was born on Staten Island
*Peter Steele - Lead singer and bassist for the gothic-doom band Type O Negative
*Theodore Sturgeon - Science fiction author
*Henry David Thoreau spent his longest time away from Concord, Massachusetts on Staten Island in the 1840s. He penned several letters to Ralph Waldo Emerson while on the island, and Emerson himself spent a significant amount of time on the island as well
*Cornelius Vanderbilt - 19th century shipping and railroad magnate and patriarch of the Vanderbilt family, was born, and lived most of his life on, Staten Island. He is buried in the family vault in the Moravian Cemetery at New Dorp on Staten Island
* Wu Tang Clan - Hip-hop group
*Paul Zindel - Novelist
*Robert Loggia - Actor (Scarface, The Sopranos, Big, etc.)
*Steven Seagal - Actor, lived on Staten Island
*Glenn Scarpelli - child actor from One Day at a Time born and raised in Staten Island
*Joe Pistone - FBI agent aka Donnie Brasco was from Staten Island.
*Sammy "The Bull" Gravano - mob turncoat lived on Staten Island
*Francesco Scavullo - Famous Photographer
*Jennifer Esposito - actress Spin City, Summer of Sam
*Larry Romano - actor The King of Queens, NYPD Blue
*Patti Hansen - Famous model and wife to The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards
*Vito LoGrasso - WWE wrestler hails from Staten Island
*Bobby Darin - singer, his family had a summer home as a child in South Beach, Staten Island.
*Madonna - singer, lived in Stapleton, Staten Island very early in her career where she also shot the video for her song "Papa Don't Preach"
*Jason Marquis - Current pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, grew up on Staten Island
*Lenny Venito - actor from The Sopranos, Gigli, War of the Worlds''
*
Force MD's born and raised on Staten Island had a top ten song Tender Love in 1986, produced by longtime
Janet Jackson producers
Jimmy Jam and
Terry Lewis*
Beatles George Harrison lived in Staten Island briefly near
Staten Island University Hospital while being treated for cancer there.
Movies filmed partially or wholly on Staten Island include
The Godfather;
Working Girl;
War of the Worlds;
Sorry, Wrong Number;
Sisters;
Splendor in the Grass;
GoodFellas;
Donnie Brasco;
Shamus;
School of Rock;
Two Family House;
He Knows You're Alone;
Analyze This;
Big Daddy;
The Astronaut's Wife;
Scent of a Woman;
Toxic Avenger; and
Easy Money. Also independent films
The Atomic Space Bug (1999),
Stairwell: Trapped In The World Trade Center (2002) and
A Conversation With Norman (2005) were filmed on Staten Island and directed by
Jonathan M. Parisen as well as
Combat Shock (1986) and
No Way Home (1996) by Staten Island director
Buddy Giovinazzo.
The movie
School of Rock starring
Jack Black was filmed all over Staten Island, including
Wagner College, St.George Theater, Cargo Cafe,etc.
The music video for the song
"You Get What You Give" by the
New Radicals was partially filmed at the Staten Island Mall.
Television series shot partially or wholly on Staten Island include
The Education of Max Bickford and
The Book of Daniel.
Fox and
WB sitcom
Grounded for Life is about a family living in Staten Island.
Banishment to Staten Island was once a common threat in the New York City uniformed services, and is reflected in both film and television. In
Arsenic and Old Lace an officer is threatened with walking a beat on Staten Island. On
Law & Order, Chris Noth is sent to Staten Island for punching a councilman. The title character in
Barney Miller dreaded the thought of being transferred to Staten Island. On
The Honeymooners Ralph resists being reassigned to a Staten Island bus route. And
Denis Leary's character, Tommy Gavin, on
Rescue Me also does time working in a firehouse on Staten Island. This theme was also used on other TV shows such as
The Odd Couple,
Car 54 Where Are You?,
Welcome Back Kotter,
Sex in the City,
Seinfeld,
All in the Family and even the
Andy Griffith Show.Staten Island is home to a surprising variety of museums: the
Alice Austen House Museum, the
Conference House, the
Garibaldi-Meucci Museum,
Historic Richmond Town,
Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, the
John Noble Collection,
Sandy Ground Historical Museum,
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the
Staten Island Children's Museum, and the
Staten Island Museum. It has also been selected to become the future site of the
National Lighthouse Museum.
*
Staten Island Yankees,
New York-Penn League baseball, Class A Minor League affliate to the
New York Yankees*
Staten Island Yankees who made it to the big leagues.
Jason Anderson,
Andy Phillips,
Melky Cabrera,
Brandon Claussen,
Wily Mo Pena,
Robinson Cano,
Chien-Ming Wang,
Brad Halsey,
John-Ford Griffin *The
New York Metropolitans of the
American Association played baseball on Staten Island from April 1886 through 1887.
Erastus Wiman, the developer of St. George, brought the team to Staten Island where they played in a stadium near the site of the current-day Staten Island Yankees stadium and the Staten Island Ferry terminal.
*
Wagner College participates in
Division I athletics.
*Former
NBA Basketball coach
P.J. Carlesimo coached the Wagner College Basketball team the "Seahawks".
*
Terry Crowley baseball player, member of the 1970 World Champs
Baltimore Orioles*
Matt Galante - former baseball coach for
New York Mets and
Houston Astros lives in
Annadale, Staten Island* Staten Island formerly had a professional football team which was a member of the
NFL called the
Staten Island Stapes. They were based in
Stapleton. Their stadium was called Thompson's Stadium which was located on the site of present
Berta A. Dreyfus Intermediate School 49 and the
Stapleton Houses. They faced many other teams that still exist today. Football Hall of Famer
Ken Strong played for the Stapes.
*
George Bamberger, a baseball player and manager. He spent most of his playing career pitching in the
Minor Leagues. He spent only three seasons in the
Major Leagues with the
New York Giants (1951-1952), and with the 1959
Baltimore Orioles. He had a record of 458â€"478 as manager of the
Milwaukee Brewers (1978-1980, 1985-1986) and the
New York Mets (1982-1983). Bamberger as a pitching coach for the
Baltimore Orioles would teach his famed pitch "The Staten Island Sinker".
*
Bobby Thomson, the Flying Scot, hit a home run (which has become known as the
"Shot Heard 'Round the World") to win the
1951 National League pennant for the
New York Giants. He was a native of
Scotland, and resident of Staten Island. His nickname was the the "Staten Island Scot"
*
Bill Britton, Pro golfer was born and raised on Staten Island.
*
Johnny "The Heat" Verderosa former pro boxer
*
Silvia Fontana, Italian figure skater in the
2002 and
2006 Winter Olympic Games, was born on Staten Island
December 3,
1976.
*
Gary Stark Jr. Pro Boxer
*
Rich Kotite - former
Philadelphia Eagles and
New York Jets head coach,and
New York Giants player lives in West Brighton, Staten Island.
*
Hank Majeski -
MLB outfielder. Born and raised in Staten Island
*
Pete Mikklesen-
New York Yankee and
Los Angeles Dodgers relief specialist.
* There is a controversial plan to build an international speedway on the island, by 2010, which would host
NASCAR races.
*
St Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Jason Marquis went to
Tottenville High School in Staten Island.
*
New York Rangers Nick Fotiu was the first player ever from New York City ( Staten Island) to play hockey for the Rangers
*Pro Bowlers
Johnny Petraglia and
Mark Roth both resided in Staten Island.
* In 1964 Staten Island's Mid Island Little League won the
Little League World Series in
Williamsport, Pennsylvania*
Mookie Wilson -
New York Mets outfielder lived on Staten Island
*
Joe Andruzzi -
New England Patriots Offensive Lineman. Has 3
Super Bowl rings.
*
Mike Siani - standout wide receiver for
Villanova and number 1 draft choice for the
Oakland Raiders was born and raised on Staten Island.
*Kenneth T. Jackson (editor);
The Encyclopedia of New York City; Yale University Press; ISBN 0-300-05536-6 (1995).
*John Waldman;
Heartbeats in the Muck; ISBN 1-55821-720-7 The Lyons Press; (2000)
*www.imdb.com
*Famous Staten Islanders page at the New York Public Library site: http://www.nypl.org/branch/staten/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=1391
*
Association of Hispanic Arts (AHA)*
NYC MTA Transit Bus Map of Staten Island (
pdf file)
*
Timeline of Staten Island History on the New York Public Library site
*
Gallery of photographs (aerial photos)*
Visit Staten Island in photographs *
Prodigal Borough Cultural and arts information for Staten Island
*
Staten Island Live Everything Staten Island
*
Staten Island Live's message forums*
Staten Island Chat Local Guide with events calendar, links section, classified ads and message forums
*
Staten Island Talk Local Guide with events calendar, discussion forums for current and former residents
