List of people from Union City, New Jersey
The following is a list of notable people from Union City, New Jersey. (B) denotes that the person was born there, though births prior to 1925 would have been in West Hoboken or Union Hill which merged in 1925 to form Union City, as noted in some of these entries.
- Akon (born 1973), rapper and R&B singer.[1]
- Andy Bakjian (1914–1986), Hall of Fame Track and Field official and author.(B)[2]
- Fred Barakat (1939-2010), college basketball coach.[3]
- Jose Miguel Battle, Sr. (c. 1930–2007), former Bay of Pigs Invasion operative who became known as "Godfather of the Cuban mafia".[4][5]
- Harold Bell (1919–2009), creator of Woodsy Owl.(B)[6]
- Ben Blank (c. 1921–2009), television graphics innovator.[7]
- Steve Bula, first-season cast member on the MTV reality television series From G's to Gents.[8]
- James E. Buttersworth (1817–1894), British maritime painter.[9]
- Bobby Cannavale (born 1971), actor known for his roles on Ally McBeal, Third Watch, and Will & Grace.[10]
- Helen Castillo, fashion designer known as one of the cast members on season 12 of the reality television series Project Runway. Castillo was born and raised in Weehawken before later moving to Union City.[11]
- Rene Paul Chambellan (1893–1955), architectural sculptor, known for his work in the Art Deco and Greco Deco styles.[12]
- Gordon Chiesa, basketball coach, who was assistant coach for the Utah Jazz for 16 seasons from 1989–90 to 2004–05.[13][14]
- Norman Cousins (1915–1990), author and peace advocate.(B)[15]
- Dominick V. Daniels (1908–1987), represented New Jersey's 14th congressional district from 1959–1977.[16]
- Otis Davis (born 1932), Olympic track and field athlete who won two gold medals in the 400-metre dash and the 4 × 400 metres relay at 1960 Summer Olympics, setting a world record in the former event.[17][18]
- Louis Del Grande (born 1943), television writer and actor, best known for starring in the Canadian mystery/comedy series Seeing Things.[19]
- Vincent John Dellay (1907–1999), represented New Jersey's 14th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1957–1959.(B)[20]
- Pietro Di Donato (1911–1992), Italian American novelist, and author of Christ in Concrete.(B)[21]
- Harvey B. Dodworth (1822–1891), bandmaster.[22]
- Harry Donovan (born 1926), professional basketball player who played for the New York Knicks.[23]
- Henry Escalante, pop musician, and one of the 15 finalists from the 2007 season of the MTV reality show Making Menudo.[24]
- Hank Finkel (born 1942), retired NBA basketball player.(B)[25]
- Marshall Flaum (1925–2010), documentary filmmaker.[26]
- Rafael Fraguela (born 1955), member of the New Jersey General Assembly who also served on the Union City Board of Commissioners.[27]
- Nick Galis (born 1957), retired Greek basketball player and member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.[28]
- Rudy Garcia (born 1964), former Assemblyman and Mayor of Union City.[29]
- Anthony Vincent Genovese (born 1932), architect who practiced in the mid to late-twentieth-century New York and New Jersey as a partner in the architectural firm name Genovese & Maddalene.[30]
- Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam (1905–1994), Rebbe of the Klausenberg Hasidic dynasty.[31]
- Frank Haubold (1906–1985), Olympic gymnast who won a Silver and Gold medal in the 1928 Summer Olympics,[32] and who, with his wife, Irma, were the first married couple to compete in the Olympics.[33]
- Irma Haubold (1908–1996), Olympic gymnast who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics,[34] and who, with and her husband, Frank, were the first married couple to compete in the Olympics.[33](B)
- Alexis Hernandez, contestant on season 6 of the Food Network's Next Food Network Star.[35]
- Antonio Jacobsen (1850–1921), maritime artist known as the "Audubon of Steam Vessels".[9]
- Paul Jappe (1898–1989), NFL player born in Union Hill who played for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Lions.(B)[36]
- Joe Jeanette (1879–1958), considered one of the best African American heavyweight boxers of the early 20th Century.(B)[37]
- Vicki Johnson, woman believed to have perpetrated a hoax in which she fabricated a boy afflicted with AIDS, whose autobiography, A Rock and a Hard Place, fooled people such Armistead Maupin, Mr. Rogers and Oprah Winfrey, and became the basis of Maupin's fictionalized novel, The Night Listener, and the feature film of the same name starring Robin Williams.[38]
- Eugene Jolas (1894–1952), writer, translator and literary critic born in Union Hill.(B)[39]
- AJ Lee (born 1987), female professional wrestler, best known for her time in WWE.(B)[40][41]
- Dennis Locorriere (born 1949), singer, and one of the two frontpersons for the Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.(B)[42]
- Luigi Lucioni (1900–1988), painter known for his realistic and precisely-drawn still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. Lucioni's family emigrated from Malnate, Italy in 1911 to New York City, and after moving several more times, settled in 1929 at 403 New York Avenue in Union City.[43]
- Herb Maack (born 1917), head coach of the Rhode Island Rams from 1956 through 1960.(B)[44]
- Alicia Menendez (born 1983), TV commentator, radio host, and writer, and daughter of Senator Bob Menendez.[45]
- Bob Menendez (born 1954), Mayor of Union City from 1986 to 1992, and later a United States Senator.[46]
- W. S. Merwin (born 1927), Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.[47] and United States Poet Laureate.[48][49] In 2006 the city renamed a street near his former home W.S. Merwin Way.[35]
- Otto Messmer (1892–1983), creator of Felix the Cat.(B)[50][51][52]
- Erick Morillo (born 1971), DJ and music producer, known for producing the 1993 hit "I Like to Move It", which was features in the Madagascar film franchise.[53]
- Luis Moro (born 1964), actor, filmmaker and writer, best known for his history making-film Love and Suicide, which made him the first American to break the embargo on Cuba to film a feature there.[54]
- William Musto (1917–2006), Mayor of Union City from 1962–1970 and from 1974–1982.[55]
- Oscar Nunez (born 1958), Cuban American actor and comedian who stars in the American TV series The Office.[56]
- Mitchell Olson, songwriter and contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback, the second season of the reality television show Survivor.[57][58]
- Joe Oriolo (1913–1985), writer and cartoon animator who co-created Casper the Friendly Ghost and animated Felix the Cat.[59]
- Cliff Osmond (1937–2012), character actor and television screenwriter best known for appearing in films directed by Billy Wilder.[60]
- Togo Palazzi (born 1932), retired NBA basketball player.[61]
- Carol-Lynn Parente, executive producer of Sesame Street and winner of seven Emmy Awards for her work on the program.[62]
- Nick Piantanida (1932–1966), amateur skydiver who died four months after barely surviving a fall from 57,000 feet, in an unsuccessful attempt to break the world parachute jump record.[63][64]
- Arthur Pinajian (1914–1999), Armenian-American artist and comic book creator, known as the creator of the characters Madame Fatal and Invisible Hood.[65]
- William Ranney (1813–1857), 19th Century Western painter.[66]
- Dan Resin (1931–2010), actor known as Dr. Beeper in the film Caddyshack, and as the Ty-D-Bol man in toilet cleaner commercials.[67]
- Dwayne Sabb (born 1969), football player for the New England Patriots.[68]
- Esther Salas, the first Hispanic woman to serve as a United States magistrate judge in the District of New Jersey, and the first Hispanic woman to be appointed a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey.[69]
- Renoly Santiago (born 1974) Puerto Rican actor, singer and writer known for his appearances in films such as Dangerous Minds, Hackers and Con Air.[70]
- Pedro Sosa (born 1984) former American football offensive tackle for the Hartford Colonials of the defunct United Football League, and later a member of the Miami Dolphins.[71][72]
- Brian P. Stack (born 1966), Assemblyman, New Jersey state senator, and mayor of Union City since 2000.[73]
- Aaron Stanford (born 1976), actor known for his role as Pyro in the films X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand.[74]
- Allison Strong, actress/singer known for her Broadway work in the musicals Bye Bye Birdie[75] and Mamma Mia![76]
- Alexandria Suarez, child actor who performs the voice of Backpack on Dora the Explorer, beginning with that show's fifth season.[77]
- Janine Pommy Vega (1942–2010), poet associated with the Beats.[78]
- Walter Walsh (born 1907), FBI agent and Olympic sharpshooter who participated in the capture of outlaw Arthur Barker.(B)[79]
- Gene Wettstone (1913–2013), gymnastics coach, known as the "Dean of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches", for leading Pennsylvania State University to a record nine N.C.A.A. championships in the sport, and for coaching the United States men's teams in the 1948 and 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in West Hoboken.(B)[80]
- Frank Winters (born 1964), National Football League player (1987–2002) for the Green Bay Packers.[81]
- Jules Witcover (born 1927), author and political journalist for The Baltimore Sun, the now-defunct Washington Star, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and Tribune Media Services.[82]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Deep Grooves". Billboard magazine. November 4, 2006. Page 36, via Google Books. Accessed November 3, 2011.
- ↑ USATF Hall of Fame bio Accessed October 26, 2010.
- ↑ Dell, John. "Fred Barakat retires from ACC position" Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, Winston-Salem Journal, March 3, 2007. Accessed August 20, 2015. "Barakat grew up in Union City, N.J., and said he had no clue about the ACC until he enrolled at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass."
- ↑ Buder, Leonard. "11 Are Accused in Fatal Blazes at Betting Sites". The New York Times. October 8, 1985. Accessed January 5, 2008. "A former resident of Union City, N.J., Mr. Battle now lives in Miami."
- ↑ Rosero, Jessica (August 12, 2007). "Death of a legend: North Hudson's Cuban Godfather dead at 77". Union City Reporter. Pages 3 and 6.
- ↑ Hevesi, Dennis. "Harold Bell, a Creator of Woodsy Owl, Is Dead at 90", The New York Times, December 12, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2015. "Born in Union City, N.J., on Oct. 5, 1919, Mr. Bell was one of three sons of David and Hilda Rosenthal Belsky."
- ↑ Heller, Steven. Heller, Steven. "Ben Blank, Innovator of Graphics for TV News, Dies at 87", The New York Times, February 18, 2009. Accessed June 7, 2015. "Mr. Blank was born in San Francisco and as a child moved with his family to Union City, N.J."
- ↑ Staab, Amanda (February 15, 2009). "Losing the baggy pants". The Union City Reporter. pp. 1 and 7
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Halasz, Piri. "Art: Maritime Theme at Exhibitions; Appeal of Nostalgia History and Humor Portraits of Vessels", The New York Times, January 21, 1973. "James Butterworth (1817–1894), whose work is on view in Trenton, was an Englishman born on the Isle of Wight. By the time he emigrated and settles in West Hoboken (now Union City), America was in the heyday of its gallant clipper ships."
- ↑ Hernandez, Ernio; "Upcoming Hurlyburly Star Inks Deal for New NBC "French Connection" Drama"; Playbill, December 23, 2004.
- ↑ Wenik, Ian (August 16, 2013). "Reality TV". The Union City Reporter. pp. 1 and 9.
- ↑ Shockley, Jay. "Russell Sage Foundation Building and Annex Designation Report" Archived 2012-06-07 at the Wayback Machine. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. (June 20, 2000), p.5
- ↑ "Gordon Chiesa". NBA.com. Accessed August 30, 2013.
- ↑ Garcia, Julian (November 1, 2005). "PLANINIC WILL STAY EXTRA YEAR IN N.J." Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Daily News (New York).
- ↑ Rosero, Jessica. "Native sons and daughters Prominent author, peace advocate Norman Cousins lived here" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Hudson Reporter; January 29, 2006
- ↑ Dominick Vincent Daniels, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed June 18, 2007.
- ↑ Hague, Jim (May 14, 2006). "Truant officer was Olympic hero Emerson High has gold medalist in midst". The Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
- ↑ Pope, Gennarose (March 18, 2012). "A truant officer…and an Olympian Two-time gold medalist inspires students to achieve". The Union City Reporter. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ↑ Kaufman, Michael T. (May 21, 1984). "AMERICAN MYSTERY SERIES FOR CANADIAN TV A HIT". The New York Times.
- ↑ "DELLAY, Vincent John, (1907–1999)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 30, 2013.
- ↑ Severo, Richard. "Pietro di Donato Is Dead at 80; Wrote of Immigrants' Experience", The New York Times, January 21, 1992. Accessed December 10, 2007. "Mr. di Donato was born on April 3, 1911, in West Hoboken, N.J. His family had immigrated to the United States from Vasto, in the Abruzzi region of Italy."
- ↑ "Template:Cws". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 26, 1891.
- ↑ Benson, Michael (2007). Everything You Wanted to Know About the New York Knicks: A Who's Who of Everyone Who Ever Played On or Coached the NBA's Most Celebrated Team. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 474. ISBN 978-1-4617-3478-9.
- ↑ Hague, Jim; "A teen Latin pop star" Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine Union City Reporter, November 11, 2007.
- ↑ Hank Finkel Archived 2011-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, Basketball-Reference.com. Accessed December 10, 2007.
- ↑ Martin, Douglas. "Marshall Flaum, Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 85", The New York Times, October 8, 2010. Accessed October 9, 2010.
- ↑ Fraguela, Rafael, OurCampaigns.com, December 18, 2003. Accessed June 6, 2010.
- ↑ Yannis Psarakis. "Nikos Galis – Europe's Greatest-Ever Scorer", FIBA Europe. Accessed November 24, 2007. "Her horror at seeing her son come home every day with a new facial injury led to Galis taking up basketball and in 1970 began to play at Union Hill High School."
- ↑ Strunsky, Steve. "IN PERSON; A Former Sports Star Finds Politics A Rougher Field", The New York Times, October 22, 2000. Accessed June 4, 2010.
- ↑ "Anthony Vincent Genovese" Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine. American Architects Directory. Third Edition (New York City: R.R. Bowker LLC, 1970), p. 317.
- ↑ Tannenbaum, Rabbi Gershon. "My Machberes"[permanent dead link], The Jewish Press, January 3, 2008. Accessed July 1, 2008. "The current Zvhiler Rebbe is a son-in-law of Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, zt"l (1904–1994), Klausenberg Rebbe and founder of the Union City community."
- ↑ "Olympics". sports-reference. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Frank, Dan (Director); Deneau, Jeremy (Writer, narrator) (August 10, 2012). Frank & Chip: The Olympic Experience (Film). United States: Upward Rising Development. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Irma Haubold" Archived 2020-04-18 at the Wayback Machine. Sports-Reference.com: Olympic Sports. Accessed August 27, 2013.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Diaz, Lana Rose. "Bringing the flavorUC native competes to be ‘Next Food Network Star’" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Hudson Reporter, May 30, 2010. Accessed August 20, 2015. "view slideshow (2 images)Though he now spends his days on a 65-acre farm in Indiana pulling beets and sweet potatoes from the land, Alexis Hernandez grew up in Union City surrounded by the Latin flavors of his Cuban family."
- ↑ Paul Jappe Archived 2015-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, The Pro Football Archives. Accessed May 31, 2015.
- ↑ Rosero, Jessica; "Native Sons and Daughters: North Hudson Native and 20th Century Boxing Sensation Joe Jeanette" Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine; Union City Reporter February 19, 2006
- ↑ 20/20. July 21, 2006. January 12, 2007
- ↑ "Guide to the Eugène and Maria Jolas Papers" Archived 2012-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Yale University Library. Accessed August 30, 2013.
- ↑ "A.J. Lee". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Miss April". G.L.O.R.Y. Wrestling. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Hook'd On Hits". BBC. January 10, 2007. Accessed July 1, 2008."Dennis Locorriere was born on June 13, 1949 in Union City, New Jersey."
- ↑ Embury, Stuart P. (2006). "Chapter One: The Early Years". The Art and Life of Luigi Lucioni. Embury Publishing Company. pp. 1 -4.
- ↑ Herb Baack profile at Database Football; Accessed October 26, 2010.
- ↑ Pena, Stacy. "Alicia Menendez". Girls Leadership Institute. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
- ↑ Senator Bob Menendez biography, accessed April 5, 2007.
- ↑ O'Driscoll, Bill. "Legendary poet W.S. Merwin returns to Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh City Paper. November 9, 2006. Accessed April 11, 2007.
- ↑ Kennicott, Philip (July 1, 2010). "W.S. Merwin, Hawaii-based poet, will serve as 17th U.S. laureate". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ↑ Cohen, Patricia. "W. S. Merwin to Be Named Poet Laureate", The New York Times, June 30, 2010. Accessed June 7, 2015. "The son of a Presbyterian minister, Mr. Merwin grew up in Scranton, Pa., and Union City, N.J."
- ↑ Rosero, Jessica (May 14, 2006). "Felix the Cat, created in Hudson County". The Union City Reporter. pp. 1 and 11
- ↑ Mavromatis, Kally; "Felix the Cat – Silent Star of April 1999", accessed April 5, 2007.
- ↑ Gordon, Ian. Felix the Cat Archived 2012-07-14 at Archive.today at St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, accessed April 5, 2007.
- ↑ Machcinski, Anthony J. "House music superstar Erick Morillo returns to Union City for emotional street naming ceremony", The Jersey Journal, October 12, 2012. Accessed June 7, 2015. "Union City honored one of its own success stories yesterday when it renamed a section of Bergenline Avenue for music producer Erick Morillo."
- ↑ Rosero, Jessica. "The revolution begins within: Hudson County native brings his Cuban people back home" Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine, Union City Reporter, May 28, 2006. Accessed June 10, 2010.
- ↑ Gettleman, Jeffrey. "William Musto, 88, a Mayor Re-elected on His Way to Jail, Is Dead", The New York Times, March 1, 2006. Accessed March 6, 2008.
- ↑ "'Office' worker Nunez has a second 'Home'"[permanent dead link]. Daily News (New York). May 9, 2007. Accessed July 23, 2008.
- ↑ People Weekly Extra:All About Survivor Spring 2001, Page 29
- ↑ Preston, Rohan. "PEOPLE; Outback `Survivor' cast includes songwriter." Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, January 5, 2001. Accessed July 23, 2008. "Mitchell Olson, 23, a South Dakotan now living in Union City, N.J., is among the 16 contestants in the Australian edition of CBS' "Survivor" game."
- ↑ Kelly, Chris. "Cartoon Creator Dies at 72: Palm City Resident Developed Casper". The Palm Beach Post. December 28, 1985. Accessed March 25, 2011. "Born in Union City, N.J., Oriolo graduated from high school in 1931 then went to work for the Max Fleischer Studios in New York and Miami."
- ↑ Slotnik, Daniel E. (December 27, 2012). "Cliff Osmond, Prolific Character Actor, Dies at 75". The New York Times.
- ↑ Goode, Jon. "No stopping Togo; Catching up with Togo Palazzi", he Boston Globe, May 10, 2005. Accessed August 20, 2015. "WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: Union Hill, NJ"
- ↑ Production bios page Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine at Sesame Archives, Accessed June 10, 2010.
- ↑ Sherman, Ted. "A deadly fall: 46 years ago, a Jersey daredevil died while trying to set record", NJ.com, October 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Smithsonian Books". Smithsonian Books. 2003. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ↑ "'Lost & Found: Pinajian Discovery' debuts in NYC Feb. 13" Archived 2013-01-10 at the Wayback Machine. Auction Central News. January 8, 2013
- ↑ Millan, Nicholas (March 16, 2008). "Famed American 19th century painter called North Hudson home" Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine. The Union City Reporter.
- ↑ Maurer, Mark. "Dan Resin, at 79; 'Caddyshack' actor did TV commercials" Archived 2016-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. The Jersey Journal. August 3, 2010; Page 24
- ↑ "Dwayne Sabb" Archived 2010-02-18 at the Wayback Machine. databaseFootball.com. Accessed August 27, 2013.
- ↑ Sanabria, Santo (July 24, 2011). "Local roots". The Union City Reporter. pp. 1 and 12
- ↑ "Biography". Renoly Santiago – Official Website. Accessed February 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Pedro Sosa Stats". ESPN. Accessed August 30, 2013.
- ↑ "Pedro Sosa, G". CBS Sports. Accessed August 30, 2013.
- ↑ Senator Brian P. Stack Archived 2015-10-23 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed March 25, 2011.
- ↑ Gorov, Lynda. "Catching fire", aaronstanford.com, reprinted from the Boston Globe, May 8, 2003. Accessed April 15, 2007.
- ↑ Moses, Claire (October 15, 2009). "Hudson teen in Broadway cast of 'Bye Bye Birdie'. NJ.com. October 15, 2009
- ↑ Hortillosa, Summer Dawn (August 12, 2011). "Union City actress lands a role in Broadway's 'Mamma Mia'". NJ.com
- ↑ Amanda Staab. "Local girl is voice of cartoon" Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine The Union City Reporter. September 14, 2008
- ↑ Grimes, William. "Janine Pommy Vega, Restless Poet, Dies at 68". The New York Times, January 2, 2011.
- ↑ Gjerde, Arild; Jeroen Heijmans; Bill Mallon; Hilary Evans (2009). "Walter Walsh Biography and Statistics". Olympics. Sports Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
- ↑ Eugene Wettstone papers, 1920-1997 Archived 2015-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, Pennsylvania State University. Accessed June 7, 2015. "Eugene Wettstone was born in 1913 of Swiss immigrant parents and grew up in Union City, New Jersey."
- ↑ Staff. "SPORTS PEOPLE: FOOTBALL; Giants Sign Center And Backup Safety", The New York Times, March 17, 1989. Accessed June 7, 2015. "The 6-3, 282-pound Winters comes from Union City, N.J., and played for Western Illinois."
- ↑ Horner, Shirley. "ABOUT BOOKS", The New York Times, October 29, 1989. Accessed June 7, 2015. "Although Mr. Witcover is a native of Union City and the explosion occurred just six miles away from where he was raised, he said in an interview that he had never heard the incident mentioned in elementary school or high school."
Other websites[change | change source]
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