List of Italian Americans
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable Italian American
s, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. The list also includes fictional characters.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Italian American or must have references showing they are Italian American and are notable.
Thomas Menino, Boston, MA
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
s, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. The list also includes fictional characters.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Italian American or must have references showing they are Italian American and are notable.
Anarchists
- Arturo GiovannittiArturo GiovannittiArturo M. Giovannitti was an Italian-American union leader, socialist political activist, and poet. He is best remembered as one of the principal organizers of the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike and as a defendant in a celebrated trial ensuing from that event.-Early years:Arturo Giovannitti was born...
(1884–1959) union leader and poet - Sacco and VanzettiSacco and VanzettiFerdinando Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were anarchists who were convicted of murdering two men during a 1920 armed robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts, United States...
(1891–1927; 1888–1927) - Carlo TrescaCarlo TrescaCarlo Tresca was an Italian-born American newspaper editor, orator, and labor organizer who was a leader of the Industrial Workers of the World during the decade of the 1910s. Tresca is remembered as a leading public opponent of fascism, stalinism, and Mafia infiltration of the trade union movement...
(1879–1943) - Luigi GalleaniLuigi GalleaniLuigi Galleani was an Italian anarchist active in the United States from 1901 to 1919, viewed by historians as an anarchist communist and an insurrectionary anarchist. He is best known for his enthusiastic advocacy of "propaganda of the deed", i.e...
(1861–1931)
Architects
- Vito AcconciVito AcconciVito Hannibal Acconci is a Bronx, New York-born, Brooklyn-based designer, landscape architect, performance and installation artist.-Education:...
- Pietro BelluschiPietro BelluschiPietro Belluschi was an American architect, a leader of the Modern Movement in architecture, and was responsible for the design of over one thousand buildings....
- Giorgio CavaglieriGiorgio CavaglieriGiorgio Cavaglieri was an Italian American architectural preservationist and painter of gouaches. His best-known work is his 1960s restoration of the Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village....
- Mario J. CiampiMario J. CiampiMario Joseph Ciampi was an American architect and urban planner best known for his modern design influence on public spaces and buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Biography:...
- Neil DenariNeil DenariNeil Denari is an American architect, professor, and author. Based since 1988 in Los Angeles, Denari emerged in New York during the 1980s with a series of theoretical projects and texts based on the collapse of the machine aesthetic of Modernism. His office, Neil M...
- Romaldo GiurgolaRomaldo GiurgolaRomaldo Giurgola AO is an Italian-American-Australian academic architect, professor, and author. Giurgola was born in Galatina, in the south of Italy in 1920. After service in the Italian armed forces during World War II, he was educated at the Sapienza University of Rome...
- Michael ManfrediWeiss/ManfrediWeiss/Manfredi is an architectural firm headquartered in New York City, founded by Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi. Weiss currently teaches at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design...
- Giovanni Pasanella
- Rosaria PiomelliM.
- George Ranalli
- Michael Rotondi, Morphosis
- Mario SalvadoriMario SalvadoriMario G. Salvadori was a structural engineer and professor of both civil engineering and architecture at Columbia University.-Early life:...
- Lawrence ScarpaLawrence ScarpaLawrence Scarpa is an architect based in Los Angeles, California.He is known for the creative use of conventional materials in unique and unexpected ways...
- Ricardo ScofidioDiller Scofidio + RenfroDiller Scofidio + Renfro is a New York City-based interdisciplinary design studio that integrates architecture, the visual arts, and the performing arts. Originally founded by Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio in 1979, the firm is particularly well known for its interdisciplinary approach to...
- Paolo SoleriPaolo SoleriPaolo Soleri is an Italian-American architect. He established Arcosanti and the educational Cosanti Foundation. Soleri is a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006.-Early life:Soleri was born in Turin, Italy...
- Robert VenturiRobert VenturiRobert Charles Venturi, Jr. is an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major figures in the architecture of the twentieth century...
- Ferruccio Vitale
Comic artists, cartoonists, illustrators
- Brian AzzarelloBrian AzzarelloBrian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
– comic book wbuttriter - Joseph BarberaJoseph BarberaJoseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
(1911–2006) animator, cartoon artist, storyboard artist, director, producer, and co-founder, together with William Hanna, of Hanna-Barbera - Ivan BrunettiIvan BrunettiIvan Brunetti is an American cartoonist and comics scholar based in Chicago, Illinois.Noted for combining blackly humorous taboo-laden subject matter with simplified and exaggerated cartoon drawing styles, Brunetti's best known comic work is collected in his largely autobiographical series Schizo,...
(born 1967) cartoonist and comics-author - John BuscemaJohn BuscemaJohn Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
(1927–2002) comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate - Greg CapulloGreg CapulloGregory “Greg” Capullo is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Quasar , X-Force , Angela and Spawn ....
(born 1962) comic book artist - Anthony FlaminiAnthony FlaminiAnthony Flamini is an American freelance comic book writer.-Comics Work:Writer*All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #1-12...
(born 1978) comic book writer - Frank FrazettaFrank FrazettaFrank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
(born 1928) one of the world's most influential fantasy and science fiction artists - Bill GalloBill GalloBill Gallo was a cartoonist and newspaper columnist for the New York Daily News.-Biography:Gallo was born in Manhattan, the son of a journalist father who died when Gallo was 11 years old. Gallo's mother and father were natives of Spain. When Gallo graduated from high school in 1941, he landed a...
(born 1922) famed cartoonist and newspaperman - Dick GiordanoDick GiordanoRichard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
(born 1932) comic book artist and editor - Frank GiacoiaFrank GiacoiaFrank Giacoia was an American comic book artist known primarily as an inker. He sometimes worked under the name Frank Ray, and to a lesser extent Phil Zupa, and the single moniker Espoia .-Early life and career:Frank Giacoia studied at Manhattan's School of...
(1925–1989) comic book artist - Carmine InfantinoCarmine InfantinoCarmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
(born 1925) comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books - Walter LantzWalter LantzWalter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
(1900–1994) cartoonist and animator, known for founding the Walter Lantz Studio and creating Woody Woodpecker - Bob Montana (1920–1975) comic strip artist who created the characters that launched Archie Comics
- Joe OrlandoJoe OrlandoJoseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades...
(1927–1998) illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist - Jimmy PalmiottiJimmy PalmiottiJames "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.-Early life:Palmiotti is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design in New York City.-Career:...
– writer and artist of various comics, games and film - Leo PolitiLeo PolitiLeo Politi was an Italian-American artist and author who wrote and illustrated some 20 children's books, as well as Bunker Hill, Los Angeles , intended for adults...
(1908–1996) artist and author who wrote and illustrated some 20 children's books - John Romita, Sr.John Romita, Sr.John V. Romita, Sr. is an Italian-American comic-book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man...
(born 1930) comic book artist known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man - Don RosaDon RosaKeno Don Hugo Rosa, known simply as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other characters created by Carl Barks for Disney comics, such as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.-Early life:Don Rosa's grandfather,...
(born 1951) comic book artist for Disney ComicsDisney ComicsDisney Comics was a comic book publishing company operated by The Walt Disney Company which ran from 1990 to 1993. In the USA, Disney only licensed their comic books to other publishers prior to 1990...
. - Eric StefaniEric StefaniEric Matthew Stefani is an American musician, composer, writer and animator, best known as a former member of the pop rock band No Doubt. He is the older brother of Gwen Stefani and is also a former animator on the animated sitcom The Simpsons.-Biography:Stefani attended Loara High School in...
(born 1967) pop musician, former Simpsons animator, and Grammy-nominated composer and writer - Jim ValentinoJim ValentinoJim Valentino is an American writer, penciler, editor and publisher of comic books.-1970s - 1992:Valentino began his career in the late 1970s creating small press and mostly autobiographical comics. The early-mid 1980s saw normalman which first appeared as a back-up story in Aardvark-Vanaheim's...
(born 1952) writer, penciler and editor of comic books - Gerard WayGerard WayGerard Arthur Way is an American musician and comic book writer who has served as lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance since its formation in 2001...
(born 1977) comic book writer, also notable for being the frontman of the American rock band My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
.
Digital artists/illustrators
- Rich DiSilvioRich DiSilvioRich DiSilvio is a new media developer, artist, author, and architectural designer. He is noted in the print editions of Decor magazine as well as online by Guitar 9 and several art galleries for his surreal fantasy illustrations and he creates works in the role of photographer, fine artist and...
(born 1957) illustrator, photographer, fine artist, digital artist, web designer, new media developer, architectural designer and writer - Fred Marcellino (1939–2001) illustrator
Painters
- Ettore DeGraziaEttore DeGraziaEttore "Ted" DeGrazia was an American impressionist, western-pop painter, sculptor, and lithographer. Self-described as "the world's most reproduced artist", DeGrazia is known for his pastel images of Native American children of the American Southwest and other Western scenes.Born to an Italian...
- Robert De Niro, Sr.Robert De Niro, Sr.Robert Henry De Niro, Sr. was an American abstract expressionist painter and the father of actor Robert De Niro.-Life and career:...
(1922–1993) abstract expressionist, father of actor Robert De Niro, Jr. - Robert LongoRobert LongoRobert Longo is an American painter and sculptor. Longo became famous in the 1980s for his "Men in the Cities" series, which depicted sharply dressed businessmen writhing in contorted emotion.-Early life and education:...
- Frank StellaFrank StellaFrank Stella is an American painter and printmaker, significant within the art movements of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction.-Biography:...
(born 1936) painter and printmaker - Joseph StellaJoseph StellaJoseph Stella was an Italian-born, American Futurist painter best known for his depictions of industrial America. He is associated with the American Precisionism movement of the 1910s-1940s....
(1877–1946) futurist painter known for his depictions of industrial America
Photographers
- Severo AntonelliSevero AntonelliSevero Antonelli was an Italian-American photographer born in Fara Filiorum Petri, Chieti, Italy.-Early years:...
(1907–1995) legendary figure in Philadelphia Italian American history and the subject of one of the largest ever one-man shows at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines... - Justin GuarigliaJustin GuarigliaJustin Guariglia is a photographer and contributing editor to National Geographic Traveler Magazine, and a regular contributor to Smithsonian Magazine, specializing in Asia....
(1974–) photographer and contributing editor to National Geographic TravelerNational Geographic TravelerNational Geographic Traveler is a magazine published by the National Geographic Society in the United States. It was launched in 1984. Local-language editions of National Geographic Traveler are published in Armenia, Belgium/the Netherlands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Latin America,...
, and a regular contributor to Smithsonian Magazine - Luis MardenLuis MardenLuis Marden was an American photographer, explorer, writer, filmmaker, diver, navigator, and linguist who worked for National Geographic Magazine. He worked as a photographer and reporter before serving as chief of the National Geographic foreign editorial staff...
(1913–2003) photographer, explorer, writer, filmmaker, diver, navigator, and linguist who worked for National Geographic Magazine - Francesco ScavulloFrancesco ScavulloFrancesco Scavullo was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity portraits.-Biography:...
(1921–2004) fashion photographer known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan Magazine and his celebrity portraits - Mario SorrentiMario SorrentiMario Sorrenti is a photographer and director best known for his spreads of nude models in the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar....
(born 1971) fashion photographer
Sculptors
- Vincent CavallaroVincent CavallaroVincent Cavallaro was a painter, sculptor and abstract artist. He was a United States citizen, raised and educated in Italy ....
- Jasper D'AmbrosiJasper D'AmbrosiJasper D'Ambrosi, son of Italian immigrants, was born and raised in Wilmington, California. He attended University of Southern California on a football scholarship where he studied painting and graduated cum laude...
- John DeAndreaJohn DeAndreaJohn De Andrea was born in Denver, Colorado on November 24, 1941 and is an American sculptor, known for realistic sculptures of human figures, dressed and nude in true-to-life postures.- Classification :...
- Mark di SuveroMark di SuveroMarco Polo "Mark" di Suvero is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born Marco Polo Levi in Shanghai, China in 1933 to Italian expatriates. He immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1942 with his family. From 1953 to 1957, he attended the University of California, Berkeley to study...
- Virginio FerrariVirginio Ferrari (artist)Virginio Ferrari is an Italian sculptor, born in Verona and based in Chicago from the middle of the 1960s. He has had more than 50 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 150 group shows. Ferrari Studios, a site for both Virinio and his son Marco, is at 412 S. Wells, 3rd Floor, Chicago,...
- Corrado ParducciCorrado ParducciCorrado Giuseppe Parducci was an Italian-American architectural sculptor who was a celebrated artist for his numerous early 20th Century works.-Early life and education:...
- Piccirilli BrothersPiccirilli BrothersThe Piccirilli Brothers were a family of renowned marble carvers who carved a large number of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.-History:In 1888, Giuseppe Piccirilli , a...
- Italo ScangaItalo ScangaItalo Scanga Italian-born American artist.-Biography:Born in Lago, Calabria to Giuseppe and Serafina Ziccarelli, youngest of four children: Carolina, Mafalda and Nicolino.-About his work:...
, Neo-Dadaist
Inventors
- Giuseppe Mario BellancaGiuseppe Mario BellancaGiuseppe Mario Bellanca was an Italian-American airplane designer and builder who created the first enclosed cabin monoplane in the United States in 1922. This aircraft is now on display at the National Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.-Biography:He was born on March 19, 1886 in...
- Enea BossiEnea Bossi, Sr.Enea Bossi, Sr. was an Italian-American aerospace engineer and aviation pioneer. He is best-known for designing the Budd BB-1 Pioneer, the first stainless steel aircraft; and also the Pedaliante airplane, disputably credited with the first fully human-powered flight.-Personal life:Enea Bossi was...
- Gerard J. FoschiniGerard J. FoschiniGerard Joseph Foschini , is an American telecommunications engineer who has worked for Bell Laboratories since 1961. His research has covered many kinds of data communications, particularly wireless communications and optical communications. Foschini has also worked on point-to-point systems and...
- Domingo GhirardelliDomingo GhirardelliDomenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli, Sr. was born in Rapallo, Italy, the son and apprentice of a chocolatier. In 1837, Ghirardelli moved to Uruguay, then in 1838 to Lima, Peru, and established a confectionery, and began using the Spanish equivalent of his Italian name, Domingo.In 1849 he moved to...
- The JacuzziJacuzziJacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
family developed the deep well water pump that led to the famous whirlpoolWhirlpoolA whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft...
bath. - Antonio MeucciAntonio MeucciAntonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci was an Italian inventor, a compatriot of revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was best known for developing a voice communication apparatus which several sources credit as the first telephone....
(born 1808) credited by the Congress of the United States with the invention of the telephone. - Lorenzo PonzaLorenzo PonzaLorenzo "Larry" J. Ponza Jr. was the inventor of the modern baseball pitching machine.He grew up in the Santa Cruz area of California near a sawmill which was operated by his parents. He graduated from high school in 1934 and, according to him, continued his education in the "School of Hard Knocks...
- Francis RogalloFrancis RogalloFrancis Melvin Rogallo was an American aeronautical engineer inventor born in Sanger, California, U.S.A.; he is credited with the invention of the Rogallo wing, or "flexible wing", a precursor to the modern hang glider and paraglider...
, engineer at NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, designed the Rogallo wingRogallo wingThe Rogallo wing is a flexible type of airfoil. In 1948, Gertrude Rogallo, and her husband Francis Rogallo, a NASA engineer, invented a self-inflating flexible wing they called the Parawing, also known after them as the "Rogallo Wing" and flexible wing...
, which found its greatest success in hang gliders and kites. - Andrew TotiAndrew TotiAndrew J. Toti was a world-renowned American inventor. Toti was born in Visalia, California, and died in Modesto, California. He held more than 500 U.S. patents at the time of his death...
- Dr. Andrew ViterbiAndrew ViterbiAndrew James Viterbi, Ph.D. is an Italian-American electrical engineer and businessman who co-founded Qualcomm Inc....
(born 1935), billionaire, cofounder of QualcommQualcommQualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
, inventor of the Viterbi algorithmViterbi algorithmThe Viterbi algorithm is a dynamic programming algorithm for finding the most likely sequence of hidden states – called the Viterbi path – that results in a sequence of observed events, especially in the context of Markov information sources, and more generally, hidden Markov models... - Frank ZamboniFrank ZamboniFrank Joseph Zamboni, Jr. was a U.S. inventor whose most famous invention is the modern ice resurfacer, with his surname becoming a generic colloquialism and trademark for these resurfacers.-Biography:...
Jurists
- Samuel AlitoSamuel AlitoSamuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
(born 1950), Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Associate JusticeAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
. - Vincent BugliosiVincent BugliosiVincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
(born 1934), successfully prosecuted Charles MansonCharles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
and is also an expert on the John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Robert F. KennedyRobert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
assassinations. - Ann Marie CalabriaAnn Marie CalabriaAnn Marie Calabria is an American jurist, currently a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Calabria studied at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she earned a B.A., then at Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where she earned a...
, judge on the North Carolina Court of AppealsNorth Carolina Court of AppealsThe North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating groups of three...
. - Frank CaprioFrank Caprio (judge)Judge Frank Caprio is the television judge on ABC's Caught in Providence. He is also the chief municipal judge in Providence, Rhode Island and a member of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Board of Rejents.Judge Frank Caprio is the son of Antonio Caprio, an...
, Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court. - William J. CastagnaWilliam J. CastagnaWilliam John Castagna is an American lawyer and judge.Castagna was born in Philadelphia. He served in the United States Air Force from 1943 to 1945. He received his LL.B. from the University of Florida in 1949. He was in private practice in Miami, Florida from 1949 to 1950 and in Clearwater from...
, Judge on the United States District Court. - Antonin ScaliaAntonin ScaliaAntonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
(born 1936), Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Associate JusticeAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
. - John SiricaJohn SiricaJohn Joseph Sirica was the Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, where he became famous for his role in the Watergate scandal...
, judge most famous for presiding over the Watergate hearings.
Law enforcement figures
- Joseph Arpaio (born 1932 in Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
) is a law enforcement officer, most notably as the Sheriff of Maricopa County, ArizonaMaricopa County, Arizona-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Arpaio was the child of immigrants from Naples, Italy. - Joseph D. PistoneJoseph D. PistoneJoseph Dominick Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, , is a former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City...
, undercover FBI agent who went undercover as Donnie Brasco and infiltrated the Bonanno crime familyBonanno crime familyThe Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
. - Louis FreehLouis FreehLouis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....
(born 1950 in Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
), Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) from 1993 to 2001. - Rudolph Giuliani Early career was a US Attorney in S.D.N.Y., prosecuting high-profile cases, including Cosa Nostra cases
- Frank RizzoFrank RizzoFrancis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...
- Frank SerpicoFrank SerpicoFrancesco Vincent Serpico is a retired American New York City Police Department officer who is most famous for testifying against police corruption in 1971...
- Joe PetrosinoJoe PetrosinoGiuseppe "Joe" Petrosino was a New York City police officer who was a pioneer in the fight against organized crime...
, NYCPD Lieutenant in charge of the Italian Squad, an elite corps of Italian-American detectives formed to fight the MafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
. - Charles Joseph BonaparteCharles Joseph BonaparteCharles Joseph Bonaparte was an American lawyer and political activist from Maryland who served in the Cabinet of President Theodore Roosevelt. Bonaparte was Secretary of the Navy and then Attorney General. While Attorney General, he created the Bureau of Investigation...
, member of Theodore Roosevelt's CabinetUnited States CabinetThe Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
and founder of the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI).
Journalism (print and multimedia)
- Melissa AnelliMelissa AnelliMelissa Anelli is an American author. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Harry, A History, which chronicles the Harry Potter phenomenon with exclusive interview material and a foreword written by Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling...
, resident of Staten IslandStaten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
at Staten Island AdvanceStaten Island AdvanceThe Staten Island Advance is a daily newspaper published in the borough of Staten Island in New York City. The only daily newspaper published in the borough, and the only borough to have its own major daily paper, it covers news of local and community interest, including borough politics. As of...
and webmasterWebmasterA webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...
of The Leaky CauldronThe Leaky Cauldron (website)The Leaky Cauldron, also called Leaky, TLC, or Leaky News, is a Harry Potter fansite and blog. The site features news, image and video galleries, downloadable widgets, a chat room and discussion forum, and an essay project called Scribbulus, among other offerings...
. - Maria BartiromoMaria BartiromoMaria Bartiromo is an American television journalist, magazine columnist and author of three books. Bartiromo is a native of New York and attended New York University. She worked at CNN for five years before joining CNBC television...
, financial reporter. - Joe BenignoJoe BenignoJoseph S. Benigno is an American sports radio personality. He co-hosts the 10am-1pm weekday show on WFAN in New York City.-Early Years:...
, WFAN sports radio personality - David BrancaccioDavid BrancaccioDavid A. Brancaccio is an American radio and television journalist. He has been the host of the public radio business program Marketplace and the PBS newsmagazine NOW.-Early years:...
, journalist. - Harry CarayHarry CarayHarry Caray, born Harry Christopher Carabina, was an American baseball broadcaster on radio and television. He covered four Major League Baseball teams, beginning with a long tenure calling the games of the St...
(1914–1998), born Harry Christopher Carabina, sports broadcaster, did play-by-play for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and (most famously) the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Cubs win! Cubs win! - Matt CasamassinaMatt CasamassinaMatt Casamassina is a video game journalist who worked for IGN until April 23, 2010. In his time at the site, he was the author of many reviews and previews of Nintendo games. He resides in Los Angeles, California, is married and has two daughters, Zoe and Fiona Jade, and a son named Rocco Archer...
, video game journalist working for IGN. - Danny CasolaroDanny CasolaroJoseph Daniel Casolaro was an American freelance writer who came to public attention in 1991 when he was found dead in a bathtub in room 517 of the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, his wrists slashed 10–12 times...
, freelance journalist - Igor CassiniIgor CassiniIgor Cassini was an American syndicated gossip columnist for the Hearst newspaper chain. He was the second journalist to write the Cholly Knickerbocker column.-Career:...
, journalist. - Anthony Cumia, Anthony of the Opie and Anthony show.
- Rick FranconaRick FranconaLieutenant Colonel Rick Francona is a commentator and media military analyst. He is a retired United States Air Force intelligence officer with extensive operational experience in the Middle East, including tours of duty with the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the...
, NBC military analyst. - Ann NocentiAnn NocentiAnn "Annie" Nocenti is an American journalist, writer, editor, and filmmaker best known for her work on comic books and magazines. As an editor for Marvel Comics, she edited New Mutants and The Uncanny X-Men...
is a journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and editorEditingEditing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
known for her work on comic books and magazineMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s. - Generoso Pope Jr.Generoso Pope Jr.For Generoso Pope Jr.'s father, the political powerbroker, see Generoso PopeGeneroso Paul "Gene" Pope, Jr. was an American Media mogul, best known for creating The National Enquirer....
(1927–1988) was the founder of The National Enquirer. - Tony RizzoTony RizzoTony Rizzo is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995....
, sports anchor WJW-TV, the Fox affiliate in Cleveland - Elaine SciolinoElaine SciolinoElaine Sciolino is a Paris correspondent and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, writing from France since 2002.-Biography:...
, Paris bureau chief of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Military
- Sgt. John BasiloneJohn BasiloneJohn Basilone was a United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II...
, USMCUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, a Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Major John BelliJohn BelliMajor John Belli was the Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army from 1792 to 1794. The first settler in Scioto County, Ohio, he lived there until his death in 1809....
, the Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army from 1792 to 1794 - Servant of GodServant of GodServant of God is a title given to individuals by various religions, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a...
Lieutenant Vincent Robert Capodanno, Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy Reserve, a Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient of the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. - Corporal Anthony CasamentoAnthony CasamentoCorporal Anthony Casamento, was presented the Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter on September 12, 1980 in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, 38 years after Cpl Casamento's heroism on Guadalcanal in 1942....
, USMCUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, a Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Peter W. ChiarelliPeter W. ChiarelliPeter W. Chiarelli is a United States Army General who is serving as the 32nd and current Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He previously served as commander, Multi-National Corps—Iraq under General George W. Casey, Jr. He assumed his current assignment on August 4, 2008... - Lt Col Rick FranconaRick FranconaLieutenant Colonel Rick Francona is a commentator and media military analyst. He is a retired United States Air Force intelligence officer with extensive operational experience in the Middle East, including tours of duty with the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the...
, U S Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
officer - MajorMajor (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
Don Gentile, Dominic Salvatore Gentile (1920–1951) was a U S Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
officer. - Edmund P. Giambastiani, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffVice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffThe Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the second highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces ranking just below the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
- Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Raymond T. OdiernoRaymond T. OdiernoRaymond T. Odierno is a United States Army general and the 38th and current Chief of Staff of the Army. Odierno most recently commanded United States Joint Forces Command from October 2010 until its disestablishment in August 2011. He served as Commanding General, United States Forces – Iraq and...
-responsible for capturing Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
13 December 2003. - Peter PacePeter PacePeter Pace is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on...
, USMCUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffChairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffThe Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense... - Antonio PierroAntonio PierroAntonio "Tony" Pierro was, at age 110, recognized as the oldest living man in the U.S. and the world's oldest living WWI veteran . He was one of the last surviving veterans of World War I...
, who lived to be one of the oldest surviving veterans of World War ISurviving veterans of World War IThe last living verified veteran of World War I is Florence Green, a British woman who served in the Allied armed forces. The last combat veteran was Claude Choules who served in the British Royal Navy , and died 5 May 2011, aged 110...
. - Joseph L. RomanoJoseph L. RomanoColonel Joseph L. Romano is an officer in the United States Air Force and one of 26 American nationals charged by Italian authorities with the 2003 kidnapping of Italian resident cleric Hassan Nasr as part of an alleged covert CIA operation, and Romano was subsequently convicted in...
- Humbert Roque VersaceHumbert Roque VersaceCaptain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican-Italian descent who was awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of...
, United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer and POW, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. - Gen. Anthony ZinniAnthony ZinniAnthony Charles Zinni is a retired four-star General in the United States Marine Corps and a former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command...
, USMCUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central CommandUnited States Central CommandThe United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
(CENTCOM) - Col. Luigi Palma di CesnolaLuigi Palma di CesnolaLuigi Palma di Cesnola , an Italian-American soldier and amateur archaeologist, was born in Rivarolo Canavese, near Turin...
, Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Union CavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer, and Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient. - Trumpeter Giovanni Martini, only member of Custer's forces to leave the site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn alive.
Diplomats
- Richard F. CelesteDick CelesteRichard Frank "Dick" Celeste is an American politician from Ohio, and a member of the Democratic Party. He served as the 64th Governor of Ohio from 1983-1991.-Early life and career:...
, U.S. Ambassador to India, 1997–2001. - Paul CellucciPaul CellucciArgeo Paul Cellucci is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts and US Ambassador to Canada.-Early life and career:...
, U.S. Ambassador to CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, 2001–2005. - Peter CianchettePeter CianchettePeter Cianchette is a Maine businessman, politician and former United States Ambassador to Costa Rica.-Early life and education:Cianchette was born and raised in Pittsfield...
, U.S. Ambassador to Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, 2008–. - Luigi R. EinaudiLuigi R. EinaudiLuigi R. Einaudi is an Italian-American U.S. career diplomat. He assumed the post of Acting Secretary General of the Organization of American States in October 2004 upon the resignation of Secretary General Miguel Ángel Rodríguez....
, Acting Secretary General of the Organization of American StatesOrganization of American StatesThe Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
(OAS), 2004–2005 - Thomas M. FogliettaThomas M. FogliettaThomas Michael "Tom" Foglietta was United States Ambassador to Italy and anAmerican politician from the state of Pennsylvania, most notable for his time in the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1997....
, U.S. Ambassador to Italy, 1997–2001. - John J. Muccio , U.S. Vice ConsulVice ConsulA vice consul is a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consulate....
, 1926 and then in ConsulConsul (representative)The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
, 1927–29 in Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
; Consul in ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, 1932; Consul in La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, 1938; U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, 1949–1952; Minister, 1954, then Ambassador, 1955, to IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
; and Ambassador to GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, 1959–1961. - Joseph A. MussomeliJoseph A. MussomeliAmbassador Joseph Adamo Mussomeli is an employee of the U.S. Department of State and is currently the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia.-Early life:...
, U.S. Ambassador to The Philippines; Ambassador to CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, 2005–2008; and Assistant Chief of Mission to AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, 2008?-. - Lawrence Pezzulo, U.S. Ambassador to UruguayUruguayUruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, 1977–1979 and to NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, 1979–81; Special Envoy to HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. - Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr.Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr.Francis J. Ricciardone is the United States ambassador to Turkey. Previously he was Deputy Ambassador at the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was also on leave from the U.S. Department of State as a guest scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He has served as U.S...
, U.S. Ambassador to The Philippines and Republic of Palau, 2002–2005; Ambassador to EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, 2005–2008; and Deputy Ambassador to AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, 2008–. - Peter F. SecchiaPeter F. SecchiaPeter F. Secchia, is an Italian-American diplomat and businessman. Secchia served as the United States Ambassador to Italy from 1989 to 1993.-Career:...
, U.S. Ambassador to ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 1989–1993. - Ronald P. SpogliRonald P. SpogliRonald P. Spogli is the former United States Ambassador to Italy and to San Marino. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 30, 2005, after being nominated by President George W. Bush on June 9. He was preceded by Mel Sembler as Ambassador to Italy and is the first American ambassador to San...
, U.S. Ambassador to Italy and first U.S. Ambassador to San MarinoSan MarinoSan Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
, 2005–2009 - Ernest V. Siracusa , U.S. Ambassador to BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, 1969–1973, and to Uruguay, 1973–1977.
Governors and former governors
- John BaldacciJohn BaldacciJohn Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003....
, governor of MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... - Donald CarcieriDonald CarcieriDonald L. "Don" Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.-Personal background:...
, governor of Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... - Argeo Paul CellucciPaul CellucciArgeo Paul Cellucci is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts and US Ambassador to Canada.-Early life and career:...
(born 1948), former governor of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... - Mario CuomoMario CuomoMario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
, former governor of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - Edward D. DiPreteEdward D. DiPreteEdward Daniel DiPrete is an American Republican Party politician from Rhode Island.DiPrete served as the 70th Governor of Rhode Island from 1985 to 1991, and was defeated for reelection in a landslide by former federal attorney and millionaire businessman Bruce Sundlun in 1990, who had twice lost...
, former governor of Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... - James FlorioJames FlorioJames Joseph "Jim" Florio is a Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position...
, former governor of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(1990–1994) - Foster FurcoloFoster FurcoloJohn Foster Furcolo was a member of the Democratic Party who served as the 60th Governor of Massachusetts, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and in other government offices in Massachusetts. He was the first Italian-American governor of Massachusetts.-Life and career:Furcolo...
, former governor of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(1957–1961) - Ella T. GrassoElla T. GrassoElla Grasso , born Ella Giovanna Oliva Tambussi, was an American politician, and first woman elected governor of Connecticut.-Biography:...
(1919–1981) first woman to be elected governor without following a husband - Andrew H. LonginoAndrew H. LonginoAndrew Houston Longino was a Mississippi politician who served as a Democrat in the State Senate , the U.S. District Attorney's , and Governor's offices .-Biography:...
, former governor of MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... - Janet NapolitanoJanet NapolitanoJanet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
, governor of ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... - John Orlando Pastore, former governor of Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
- William PacaWilliam PacaWilliam Paca was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland, and later Governor of Maryland and a United States federal judge.-Early life:...
, signer of the American Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, governor of MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Federal District Judge - George PatakiGeorge PatakiGeorge Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, former governor of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Italy
- Al SmithAl SmithAlfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
, former governor of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1919–1921; 1923–1929), born Alfred Emanuele Ferrara - John A. VolpeJohn A. VolpeJohn Anthony Volpe was the 61st and 63rd Governor of Massachusetts and a U.S. Secretary of Transportation.-Early life and education:Volpe was born in 1908 in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He was the son of Italian immigrants Vito and Filomena , who had come from Abruzzo to Boston's North End in 1905;...
, governor of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(1961–1963; 1965–1969)
Mayors and former mayors
- Hugh Addonizio (1914–1981), mayor of Newark, New JerseyNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, 1962–1970. - Joseph AliotoJoseph AliotoJoseph Lawrence Alioto was the 36th mayor of San Francisco, California, from 1968 to 1976.-Biography:...
(1916–1998), mayor of San Francisco, 1968–1976. - Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro, Jr. (1903–1987), mayor of BaltimoreBaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, 1947–1959. - Richard CaliguiriRichard CaliguiriRichard S. Caliguiri was an American politician who served as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1977 until his death in 1988....
(1931–1988), mayor of Pittsburgh, 1978–1988. - Anthony Celebrezze (1910–1998), mayor of Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, 1953–1962. - Vincent Cianci, Jr (1941 – ), mayor of Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, 1975–1984 and 1991–2002. - David CicillineDavid CicillineDavid Nicola Cicilline is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is formerly the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and was the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.-Early life, education, and career:...
(1961–),(Jewish mother), mayor of Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, 2003– - John DeStefano, Jr.John DeStefano, Jr.John DeStefano, Jr. is the current mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. He was the Democratic candidate in 2006 for Governor of Connecticut, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell. He was also the named defendant in the landmark 2009 U.S. Supreme Court case of Ricci v...
(1955 – ), mayor of New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, since 1993. - Frank FasiFrank FasiFrank Francis Fasi was a United States politician having the distinction as the longest serving Mayor of Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also served as a territorial senator and member of the Honolulu City Council...
(1920 – ), Mayor of HonoluluMayor of HonoluluThe Mayor of Honolulu is the chief executive officer of the City and County of Honolulu and considered the third most powerful official in the U.S. state of Hawaii, behind the Governor of Hawaii and the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii...
, 1969–1981 and 1984–1994. - Rudolph Giuliani (1944 – ), Mayor of New York, 1994–2001.
- Dick A. GrecoDick A. GrecoDick A. Greco is a politician, businessman, and civic activist from Tampa, Florida.-Early life:Dick Greco was born in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa, where his Italian-American father owned a hardware store. He graduated from Hillsborough High School and the University of Tampa where he...
(1933 – ), mayor of TampaTâmpaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, 1967–1974 and 1995–2003. - Pam IorioPam IorioPam Iorio is an American politician and author, who served as mayor of Tampa, Florida from 2003 to 2011.Her first book, Straightforward, is expected to be released in November 2011...
(1959 – ), Mayor of Tampa, Florida, since 2003. - Vincent R. ImpellitteriVincent R. ImpellitteriVincent Richard Impellitteri was an American politician, who served as the 101st Mayor of New York City.-Biography:He was born in Isnello, Sicily, and moved with his family to the United States as an infant in 1901...
(1900–1987), Mayor of New York, 1950–1953. - Fiorello La Guardia (1882–1947), Mayor of New York , 1934–1945. (Both parents Italian-born – father lapsed Catholic; mother Jewish.)
- Anthony M. Masiello (1947 – ), mayor of Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, 1994–2005. - Thomas MeninoThomas MeninoThomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
(1942 – ), mayor of BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, since 1993. - Robert MaestriRobert MaestriRobert Sidney Maestri was mayor of New Orleans from 1936 to 1946 and a key ally of Huey P. Long, Jr., and Earl Kemp Long.- Early life :...
(1899–1974), mayor of New Orleans, 1936–1946. - George MosconeGeorge MosconeGeorge Richard Moscone was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California, US from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. Moscone served in the California State Senate from 1967 until becoming Mayor. In the Senate, he served as...
(1929–1978), mayor of San Francisco, 1976–1978. - Frank RizzoFrank RizzoFrancis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...
(1920–1991), mayor of Philadelphia, 1972–1980. - Angelo Rossi (1878–1948), mayor of San Francisco, 1931–1944.
- Victor Schiro (1904–1992), mayor of New Orleans, 1961–1970.
Thomas Menino, Boston, MA
Prelates
- Msgr. Geno Baroni (1930–1984), the Catholic Coordinator for the March on Washington for Jobs and FreedomMarch on Washington for Jobs and FreedomThe March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the largest political rally for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr...
- Francis X. DiLorenzoFrancis X. DiLorenzoFrancis Xavier DiLorenzo is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu in Hawaii, and is currently the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia.-Early life and career:...
(born 1942) the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of RichmondRoman Catholic Diocese of RichmondThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond is an ecclesiastical and episcopal see or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory was created by Pope Paul VI and encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the eastern shore...
in VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... - John Clement Favalora – Archbishop of the Latin Rite Archdiocese of Miami
- Fr. Stan Fortuna, Roman Catholic priest
- James GroppiJames GroppiFather James Edmund Groppi was a Roman Catholic priest and noted civil rights activist.-Early years, education, ordination as priest:...
Roman Catholic priest and noted civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist - Francis MugaveroFrancis MugaveroFrancis John Mugavero was the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn...
, first Italian-American Bishop of Brooklyn (1968–1990) - Anthony M. Pilla, bishop of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese 1979–2006.
- Joseph RosatiJoseph RosatiJoseph Rosati was a U.S. Catholic bishop. He served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Louis between 1826 and 1843....
the first BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Diocese of Saint Louis
Cardinals
- Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua served as Bishop of PittsburghRoman Catholic Diocese of PittsburghThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
and Archbishop of Philadelphia - Justin Francis Rigali Archbishop of Philadelphia
Scientists
- Eugenio CalabiEugenio CalabiEugenio Calabi is a Italian American mathematician and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in differential geometry, partial differential equations and their applications....
, mathematician - Charles DeLisiCharles DeLisiCharles DeLisi is the Metcalf Professor of Science and Engineering at Boston University, and also served as Dean of the College of Engineering from 1990 to 2000...
- Renato DulbeccoRenato DulbeccoRenato Dulbecco is an Italian virologist who won a 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on reverse transcriptase. In 1973 he was awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University together with Theodore Puck and Harry Eagle. Dulbecco was the recipient of the Selman A...
- Federico FagginFederico FagginFederico Faggin , who received in 2010 the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by Barack Obama, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers, and inventors, at the White House in Washington, is an Italian-born and naturalized U.S...
- Robert FanoRobert FanoRobert Mario Fano is an Italian-American computer scientist, currently professor emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Fano is known principally for his work on information theory, inventing Shannon-Fano coding...
(born 1917), computer scientist - Ugo FanoUgo FanoUgo Fano was an Italian American physicist, a leader in theoretical physics in the 20th century.- Biography :Ugo Fano was born into a wealthy Jewish family in Turin, Italy...
(1912–2001), physicist - Anthony FauciAnthony FauciAnthony S. Fauci is an immunologist who has made substantial contributions to research in the areas of AIDS and other immunodeficiencies, both as a scientist and as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .-Education and career:Anthony Stephen Fauci was born on...
, immunologistImmunologyImmunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
contributing to research in the areas of AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and other immunodeficiencies - Enrico FermiEnrico FermiEnrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
(1901–1954), physicist - Robert GalloRobert GalloRobert Charles Gallo is an American biomedical researcher. He is best known for his role in the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus , the infectious agent responsible for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome , and he has been a major contributor to subsequent HIV research.Gallo is the...
- Albert GhiorsoAlbert GhiorsoAlbert Ghiorso was an American nuclear scientist and co-discoverer of a record 12 chemical elements on the periodic table. His research career spanned five decades, from the early 1940s to the late 1990s.-Early life:...
nuclear scientist who helped discover several chemical elements on the periodic table - Riccardo GiacconiRiccardo GiacconiRiccardo Giacconi is an Italian/American Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who laid the foundations of X-ray astronomy. He is currently a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.- Biography :...
- Louis IgnarroLouis IgnarroLouis J. Ignarro is an American pharmacologist. He was corecipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Robert F...
- Robert LanzaRobert LanzaRobert Paul Lanza is an American Doctor of Medicine, scientist, Chief Scientific Officer of Advanced Cell Technology and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine....
- Paul J. LioyPaul J. LioyPaul J. Lioy, Ph. D. is an American working in the field of Environmental Health and specializing in Exposure Science. He is one of the world’s leading experts in personal exposure to toxins....
, exposure science - Salvador Luria
- Fulvio MeliaFulvio MeliaFulvio Melia is an Italian-American astrophysicist and author. He is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona and Associate Editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters...
physicist, astrophysicist, and author - Antonio MeucciAntonio MeucciAntonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci was an Italian inventor, a compatriot of revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was best known for developing a voice communication apparatus which several sources credit as the first telephone....
telephone inventor - Rita Levi-MontalciniRita Levi-MontalciniRita Levi-Montalcini , Knight Grand Cross is an Italian neurologist who, together with colleague Stanley Cohen, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of nerve growth factor...
- Franco ModiglianiFranco ModiglianiFranco Modigliani was an Italian economist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and MIT Department of Economics, and winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1985.-Life and career:...
- Lisa Marie Nowak Born Lisa Marie Caputo Astronaut
- William Daniel PhillipsWilliam Daniel PhillipsWilliam Daniel Phillips is an American physicist and shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1997 with Steven Chu and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji. He is of Italian and Welsh descent.-Biography:...
- Gian-Carlo RotaGian-Carlo RotaGian-Carlo Rota was an Italian-born American mathematician and philosopher.-Life:Rota was born in Vigevano, Italy...
- Jack SarfattiJack SarfattiJack Sarfatti is an American theoretical physicist specializing in the relationship between quantum physics and consciousness...
- Piero ScaruffiPiero ScaruffiPiero Scaruffi received a degree in Mathematics in 1982 from University of Turin, where he did work on the General Theory of Relativity. For a number of years he was the head of the Artificial Intelligence Center at Olivetti, based in Cupertino, California. He has been a visiting scholar at...
(born 1955) cognitive scientist - Emilio Segrè Nobel-winning physicist and academic
- Luigi Luca Cavalli-SforzaLuigi Luca Cavalli-SforzaLuigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza is an Italian population geneticist born in Genoa, who has been a professor at Stanford University since 1970 .-Books:...
(born 1922) geneticist - Andrew ViterbiAndrew ViterbiAndrew James Viterbi, Ph.D. is an Italian-American electrical engineer and businessman who co-founded Qualcomm Inc....
- Philip ZimbardoPhilip ZimbardoPhilip George Zimbardo is an American psychologist and a professor emeritus at Stanford University. He is president of the Heroic Imagination Project...
Academics
- Mario CapecchiMario CapecchiMario Renato Capecchi is an Italian-born American molecular geneticist and a co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering a method for introducing homologous recombination in mice employing embryonic stem cells, with Martin Evans and Oliver Smithies...
at the University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest... - Frank A. CiprianiFrank A. CiprianiFrank A. Cipriani was the fifth president of SUNY Farmingdale. He served as president from 1978 to 2000 during the school's shift in focus to higher education in biotechnology.-References:...
- Thomas A. DeFantiThomas A. DeFantiTom DeFanti is a computer graphics researcher and pioneer. His work has ranged from early computer animation, to scientific visualization, virtual reality, and grid computing...
- John J. DeGioiaJohn J. DeGioiaJohn J. "Jack" DeGioia became the 48th and current President of Georgetown University on July 1, 2001. Since graduating from the university in 1979, he has served both as a senior administrator and as a faculty member...
President of Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States... - A. Bartlett GiamattiA. Bartlett GiamattiAngelo Bartlett "Bart" Giamatti was the president of Yale University and later the seventh Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Giamatti negotiated the agreement that terminated the Pete Rose betting scandal by permitting Rose to voluntarily withdraw from the sport, avoiding further...
(1938–1989), President of Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, later Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
commissioner (Italian father) - Robert GallucciRobert GallucciRobert L. Gallucci is an Italian American academic and diplomat, who currently works as President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He previously served as Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University from 1996 to June 2009...
Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign ServiceEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign ServiceThe Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service is a school within Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. Jesuit priest Edmund A...
at Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States... - Lino GragliaLino GragliaLino A. Graglia , Italian American, is the Dalton Cross Professor of Law at the University of Texas specializing in antitrust litigation. He earned a BA from the City College of New York in 1952, and an LLB from Columbia University in 1954, before working in the Eisenhower administration's United...
at the University of Texas in Austin - Paul J. LioyPaul J. LioyPaul J. Lioy, Ph. D. is an American working in the field of Environmental Health and specializing in Exposure Science. He is one of the world’s leading experts in personal exposure to toxins....
, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New JerseyUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of New JerseyThe University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is the state-run health sciences institution of New Jersey, United States. It has eight distinct academic units...
– Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolRobert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolRobert Wood Johnson Medical School is a public medical school located in Piscataway and New Brunswick, New Jersey, and one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey . In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school’s principal... - Robert MagliolaRobert MagliolaRoberto Rino Magliola is an Italian-American academic specializing in European hermeneutics and deconstruction, in comparative philosophy, and in inter-religious dialogue...
Academic specialist in hermeneutics, philosophy, and religious studies; was full professor at Purdue U., then Distinguished chair professor at National Taiwan U. and professor of philosophy and religion at Abac Assumption U. of Thailand; pioneered, in postmodern philosophy and in Buddhist Studies, the mutual relevance of Derridean thought and Madhyamikan Buddhism - Fulvio MeliaFulvio MeliaFulvio Melia is an Italian-American astrophysicist and author. He is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona and Associate Editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters...
Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson - Franco ModiglianiFranco ModiglianiFranco Modigliani was an Italian economist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and MIT Department of Economics, and winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1985.-Life and career:...
MIT economics professor and winner of the 1985 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics - L. Jay OlivaL. Jay OlivaL. Jay Oliva , Italian American, was the 14th President of New York University. Dr. Oliva has a B.A. from Manhattan College , and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University. He was a University Fellow at Syracuse, a Fribourg Fellow at the University of Paris, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa...
former President of New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU) and author of many books on European and Russian history - P. M. PasinettiP. M. PasinettiPier Maria Pasinetti was a novelist, professor and journalist.P. M. Pasinetti went to the U.S. in 1935 to study literature and writing...
professor of comparative literature and Italian UCLA - Camille PagliaCamille PagliaCamille Anna Paglia , is an American author, teacher, and social critic. Paglia, a self-described dissident feminist, has been a Professor at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1984...
- Vincent Mosco formerly Canada Research Chair in Communication and Society and Professor of Sociology. Dr. Mosco graduated from Georgetown University (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in 1970 and received the Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University in 1975. Dr. Mosco is the author of numerous books on communication, technology, and society. Born and raised on Mulberry St., New York, NY.
Writers
- Ken AulettaKen AulettaKen Auletta is an American writer, journalist and media critic for The New Yorker.-Early life and education:Auletta grew up in Brooklyn, the son of an Italian-American father and a Jewish-American mother...
, writer/journalist and media critic for The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... - David BaldacciDavid BaldacciDavid Baldacci is a bestselling American novelist.-Biography:Baldacci received a B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. As a student, Baldacci wrote short stories in his spare time, and later practiced law for nine years near Washington, D.C....
(1960–), best selling novelist; a distant cousin of John BaldacciJohn BaldacciJohn Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003....
, current governor of MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... - Andrew BerardiniAndrew BerardiniAndrew Berardini is an American art critic, writer, and curator of contemporary art. He has published articles and essays in publications such as frieze, Mousse, Fillip, Artforum, X-TRA, Artnet, La Stampa, Paper Monument, Angeleno, Art Review, Style and the Family Tunes , Rolling Stone , Art Lies,...
, art critic and fiction writer - Greg BerlantiGreg BerlantiGreg Berlanti is an American television writer and producer.- Personal life :Berlanti was born in Rye, New York. His parents are Barbara Moller Berlanti and Eugene Berlanti. Greg has one sister, Dina and is the uncle of two nieces...
, television writer and producer - Giannina BraschiGiannina BraschiGiannina Braschi is a Puerto Rican writer. She is credited with writing the first Spanglish novel YO-YO BOING! and the poetry trilogy Empire of Dreams , which chronicles the Latin American immigrant's experiences in the United States...
, poet and novelist - Leo BuscagliaLeo BuscagliaFelice Leonardo "Leo" Buscaglia Ph.D. , also known as "Dr Love," was an author and motivational speaker, and a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Southern California.-Biography:...
(1924–1998), Author and motivational speaker - Duane CapizziDuane CapizziDuane Capizzi is an American writer and television producer. He is best known for his extensive work on animated series and movies for DC Comics. He was the co-showrunner of the animated series, The Batman and writer of the first DC Universe animated feature, Superman: Doomsday...
, screenwriter - Lorenzo CarcaterraLorenzo CarcaterraLorenzo Carcaterra is an American writer. Hell's Kitchen is the setting for his most famous book, Sleepers, which was adapted into the Sleepers...
, novelist and screenwriter - John CiardiJohn CiardiJohn Anthony Ciardi was an American poet, translator, and etymologist. While primarily known as a poet, he also translated Dante's Divine Comedy, wrote several volumes of children's poetry, pursued etymology, contributed to the Saturday Review as a columnist and long-time poetry editor, and...
, poet and etymologist - Gregory CorsoGregory CorsoGregory Nunzio Corso was an American poet, youngest of the inner circle of Beat Generation writers...
, poet - John CorvinoJohn CorvinoJohn Corvino is an American author, lecturer, and professor of philosophy at Wayne State University.-Early life and education:Corvino attended St. John's University in New York City, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in 1990. He earned his PhD in philosophy at University of Texas at Austin...
, philosopher - William L. DeAndreaWilliam L. DeAndreaWilliam L. DeAndrea was an American mystery writer and columnist. He won three Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, the first for his first novel, Killed in the Ratings. The majority of his novels made up several series. The Matt Cobb mysteries drew on DeAndrea's experience working...
, mystery writer - Keith R. A. DeCandidoKeith R. A. DeCandidoKeith Robert Andreassi DeCandido is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and musician, who works on comic books, novels, role-playing games and video games, including numerous media tie-in books for properties such as Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Supernatural,...
- Don DeLilloDon DeLilloDon DeLillo is an American author, playwright, and occasional essayist whose work paints a detailed portrait of American life in the late 20th and early 21st centuries...
(1936–), author - Pietro Di DonatoPietro Di DonatoPietro Di Donato was an American writer and bricklayer best known for his novel, Christ in Concrete, which recounts of the life and times of his bricklayer father, Geremio, who was killed in 1923 in a building collapse...
, writer - Rich DiSilvioRich DiSilvioRich DiSilvio is a new media developer, artist, author, and architectural designer. He is noted in the print editions of Decor magazine as well as online by Guitar 9 and several art galleries for his surreal fantasy illustrations and he creates works in the role of photographer, fine artist and...
, writer, author of The Winds of Time - John FanteJohn FanteJohn Fante was an American novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Italian descent. He is perhaps best known for his work, Ask the Dust, a semi-autobiograpical novel about life in and around Los Angeles, California, which was the third in a series of four novels, published between 1938...
, novelist and screenwriter - Lawrence FerlinghettiLawrence FerlinghettiLawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
, poet, essayist and painter - David FranzoniDavid FranzoniDavid Harold Franzoni is an American screenwriter. His best known screenplays include King Arthur, Gladiator, Amistad, and Jumpin' Jack Flash....
, screenwriter of GladiatorGladiator (2000 film)Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
and King ArthurKing Arthur (film)King Arthur is a 2004 film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as Guinevere....
. - Paul GallicoPaul GallicoPaul William Gallico was a successful American novelist, short story and sports writer. Many of his works were adapted for motion pictures...
(Italian father) - Daniela GioseffiDaniela GioseffiDaniela Gioseffi is a poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and performer who won the American Book Award in 1990 for Women on War; International Writings from Antiquity to the Present...
poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, performer, social justice activist [1941- ] - Arturo GiovannittiArturo GiovannittiArturo M. Giovannitti was an Italian-American union leader, socialist political activist, and poet. He is best remembered as one of the principal organizers of the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike and as a defendant in a celebrated trial ensuing from that event.-Early years:Arturo Giovannitti was born...
poet, political activist - Barbara Grizzuti HarrisonBarbara Grizzuti HarrisonBarbara Grizzuti Harrison was an American journalist, essayist and memoirist. She is best known for her autobiographical work, particularly her account of growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and for her travel writing.- Early life :Barbara Grizzuti was born in Queens, New York City, on 14...
(1934–2002), writer - Evan HunterEvan HunterEvan Hunter was an American author and screenwriter. Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952...
aka Ed MacBain born Salvatore Lombino - Philip LamantiaPhilip LamantiaPhilip Lamantia was an American poet and lecturer. Lamantia's visionary poems were ecstatic, terror-filled, and erotic which explored the subconscious world of dreams and linked it to the experience of daily life.-Biography:...
- Teresa de LauretisTeresa de LauretisTeresa de Lauretis is an Italian-born author and Professor Emerita of the History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received her doctorate in Modern Languages and Literatures from Bocconi University in Milan before coming to the United States...
- Luis MardenLuis MardenLuis Marden was an American photographer, explorer, writer, filmmaker, diver, navigator, and linguist who worked for National Geographic Magazine. He worked as a photographer and reporter before serving as chief of the National Geographic foreign editorial staff...
, born Annibale Luis Paragallo, writer for National Geographic - Fulvio MeliaFulvio MeliaFulvio Melia is an Italian-American astrophysicist and author. He is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona and Associate Editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters...
, author of several popular science books, including The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy - Charles MessinaCharles MessinaCharles Messina is an American playwright, screenwriter and director.Messina was born in Greenwich Village, of Italian-American descent...
, writer/director of the play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock GodMercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock GodMercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God is a monodrama written by Charles Messina about the life and death of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury...
, the film Merging, and co-author the book My Father, My Don - Diana OssanaDiana OssanaDiana Lynn Ossana is an American writer who has collaborated on writing screenplays, teleplays, and novels with author Larry McMurtry since they first worked together in 1992, on the semi-fictionalized biography Pretty Boy Floyd...
, Academy Award-winning screenwriter - Camille PagliaCamille PagliaCamille Anna Paglia , is an American author, teacher, and social critic. Paglia, a self-described dissident feminist, has been a Professor at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1984...
, post-feminist literary and cultural critic - Christopher PaoliniChristopher PaoliniChristopher Paolini is an American author. He is best known as the author of the Inheritance Cycle, which consists of the books Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance...
- Michael ParentiMichael ParentiMichael Parenti is an award-winning, internationally known American political scientist, historian, and culture critic who has been writing on a wide range of both scholarly and popular subjects for over forty years. He has taught at several universities and colleges and has been a frequent guest...
- P.M. Pasinetti, novelist, playwright, journalist, professor
- Mario PeiMario PeiMario Andrew Pei was an Italian-American linguist and polyglot, who wrote a number of popular books known for their accessibility to readers who lack a professional background in linguistics.-Life:...
- Joseph D. PistoneJoseph D. PistoneJoseph Dominick Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, , is a former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City...
- Diane di PrimaDiane di PrimaDiane Di Prima is an American poet.-Early life:Di Prima was born in Brooklyn. She attended Hunter College High School and Swarthmore College before dropping out to be a poet in Manhattan...
, poet of the Beat generation - Mario PuzoMario PuzoMario Gianluigi Puzo was an American author and screenwriter, known for his novels about the Mafia, including The Godfather , which he later co-adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola...
(1920–1999), The GodfatherThe Godfather (novel)The Godfather is a crime novel written by Italian American author Mario Puzo, originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It details the story of a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family based in New York City and headed by Don Vito Corleone, who became synonymous with the Italian Mafia...
author - Terry RossioTerry RossioTerry Rossio is an American screenwriter.Rossio was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating from Saddleback High School in Santa Ana, California, he went on to study at California State University, Fullerton where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with an emphasis in radio,...
, screenwriter - Shane SalernoShane SalernoShane Salerno is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He has written or co-written several blockbuster films including Armageddon and Shaft and is also one of the writer-producers of the successful CBS drama series Hawaii Five-0...
, screenwriter - R.A. Salvatore (born 1959), born Robert Anthony Salvatore science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
author, best known for his Forgotten RealmsForgotten RealmsThe Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
and Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
novels - Leslie ScalapinoLeslie ScalapinoLeslie Scalapino was a United States poet, experimental prose writer, playwright, essayist, and editor, sometimes grouped in with the Language poets, though she felt closely tied to the Beat poets. A longtime resident of California's Bay Area, she earned an M.A. in English from the University of...
, poet - Piero ScaruffiPiero ScaruffiPiero Scaruffi received a degree in Mathematics in 1982 from University of Turin, where he did work on the General Theory of Relativity. For a number of years he was the head of the Artificial Intelligence Center at Olivetti, based in Cupertino, California. He has been a visiting scholar at...
, poet, historian, scientist - Dom (Domenico) SerafiniDom (Domenico) SerafiniDom Serafini is an Italian journalist and author, currently based in New York. He is currently the editor-in-chief of VideoAge International, a premier television trade publication.-Early life and move to New York:...
, T.V. trade magazine editor - Michelangelo SignorileMichelangelo SignorileMichelangelo Signorile is a gay American writer, a national talk radio host whose program is aired each weekday across the United States and Canada. He is a political liberal, and covers a wide variety of political and cultural issues...
, journalist, columnist, talk radioTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and gay activist - Gay TaleseGay TaleseGay Talese is an American author. He wrote for The New York Times in the early 1960s and helped to define literary journalism...
- Tom VerducciTom VerducciTom Verducci is an American sportswriter who is currently writing for Sports Illustrated and its online magazine SI.com. He writes primarily about baseball. He is also a field reporter for the MLB postseason on TBS...
, sportswriter - Richard VetereRichard VetereRichard Vetere is an American playwright, screenwriter, television writer, poet and an actor.Vetere's plays have been produced Off Broadway, regionally and internationally, such as The Engagement, Coupla Bimbos Sittin' Around Talkin, Gangster Apperal,Caravaiggo, Machiavelli, and One Shot, One Kill...
Richard Vetere; writer, producer, and actor. Author of The Third Miracle (Simon & Schuster), fifteen published plays and his current novel Baroque now on Amazon.
Italian Americans who were first in their field of achievement
- Giuseppe Mario BellancaGiuseppe Mario BellancaGiuseppe Mario Bellanca was an Italian-American airplane designer and builder who created the first enclosed cabin monoplane in the United States in 1922. This aircraft is now on display at the National Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.-Biography:He was born on March 19, 1886 in...
, designer of the first monoplaneMonoplaneA monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
in the United States with an enclosed cabin - Frank BorzageFrank BorzageFrank Borzage was an American film director and actor.-Biography:Frank Borzage's father, Luigi Borzaga, was born in Ronzone, in 1859. As a stonemason, he sometimes worked in Switzerland; he met his future wife, Maria Ruegg , where she worked in a silk factory...
, first person to win the Academy Award for DirectingAcademy Award for DirectingThe Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
, for Seventh Heaven - Enea BossiEnea Bossi, Sr.Enea Bossi, Sr. was an Italian-American aerospace engineer and aviation pioneer. He is best-known for designing the Budd BB-1 Pioneer, the first stainless steel aircraft; and also the Pedaliante airplane, disputably credited with the first fully human-powered flight.-Personal life:Enea Bossi was...
, designer of the first stainless steel aircraft and designer of the disputed first fully human-powered plane - Anthony Celebrezze (1910–1998), the first non-native to be appointed to the U.S. Cabinet
- Geraldine FerraroGeraldine FerraroGeraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
, (born August 26, 1935), the first woman in U.S. history to be nominated for the Vice-Presidency of the United States from a major political party - Ella T. GrassoElla T. GrassoElla Grasso , born Ella Giovanna Oliva Tambussi, was an American politician, and first woman elected governor of Connecticut.-Biography:...
(1919–1981), born Ella Rose Tambussi Grasso, first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state without succeeding her husband - Giuseppina MorlacchiGiuseppina MorlacchiGiuseppina Morlacchi was an Italian American ballerina and dancer, who introduced the can-can to the American stage, and married the scout and actor Texas Jack Omohundro. She was born in Milan, and attended dance school at La Scala. She debuted on the stage in 1856 at Genoa. In short time she...
(1846–1886), ballerinaBallerinaA ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
and dancer, who introduced the can-canCan-canThe can-can is a high-energy and physically demanding music hall dance, traditionally performed by a chorus line of female dancers who wear costumes with long skirts, petticoats, and black stockings...
to the American stage - Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
, the first woman in U.S. historyHistory of the United StatesThe history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
to hold the office of Speaker of the United States House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives... - Dennis TitoDennis TitoDennis Anthony Tito is an Italian American engineer and multimillionaire, most widely known as the first space tourist to fund his own trip into space. In mid-2001, he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station...
, the world's first space tourist - Joe ValachiJoe ValachiJoseph "Joe Cargo" Valachi , Italian American, also known as "Charles Chanbano" and "Anthony Sorge" was the first Mafia member to publicly acknowledge the existence of the Mafia. He is also the person who made Cosa Nostra a household name.-Career:Joseph Valachi was born in East Harlem, New York...
(1904–1971), the first member of the MafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
to testify to the senate about organized crime - Frank Mosco Civic and social justice activist, and Community Board Leader from NY's Lower East Side (mainly, Little Italy) and decorated U.S. Marine, ((First Division) serving in WWII). First Italian American to have a street named after him in New York City (Mosco Street - formerly known as Park St/Cross St(between Mott & Mulberry Streets).
Italian Americans not otherwise categorized
- Marella AgnelliMarella AgnelliMarella Agnelli, born Princess Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto is an Italian socialite, style icon and wife of Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli...
, furniture designer - Luigi AntoniniLuigi AntoniniLuigi Antonini was a United States labor leader. Antonini was the first VP of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and organizer of the Italian-American Labor Council...
, labor leader - Caesar CardiniCaesar CardiniCesare Cardini was an Italian American restaurateur, chef, and hotel owner, who is credited with creating the Caesar salad....
, creator of the Caesar saladCaesar saladA Caesar salad is a salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper. It may be prepared tableside.-History:... - Oleg CassiniOleg CassiniOleg Cassini was a French-born American fashion designer noted for being chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy to design her state wardrobe in the 1960s....
, Russian-Italian-American fashion designer - Michael ChiarelloMichael ChiarelloMichael Chiarello is an American celebrity chef specializing in Italian-influenced California cuisine. He hosts the cooking show, Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, on the Food Network and hosts NapaStyle on the Fine Living Network...
, American celebrity chef specializing in Italian-influenced California cuisineCuisine of CaliforniaThe cuisine of California is the local cuisine of the U.S. state of California.- Local ingredients :A highly varied range of micro-climates, dominated by a mild Mediterranean climate, and popular health-conscious diets and lifestyles in California promote the production, use and consumption of... - Andrew CunananAndrew CunananAndrew Phillip Cunanan was an American serial killer who murdered at least five people, including fashion designer Gianni Versace, during a three-month period in 1997, ending with Cunanan's suicide, at age 27...
, spree killer, mother was Italian-American. - Giada De LaurentiisGiada De LaurentiisGiada Pamela De Laurentiis is an Italian American chef, writer, television personality, and the host of the current Food Network program Giada at Home. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's Today...
, host of the Food Network program Everyday ItalianEveryday ItalianEveryday Italian is a Food Network show hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. In the show, De Laurentiis focuses for her viewers on traditional Italian cuisine with an American flair, such as herb-crusted lamb and chocolate-ricotta pie.-Popularity:... - Angelo DundeeAngelo DundeeAngelo Dundee is an American boxing cornerman. He is best known for his work with Muhammad Ali , and has worked with 15 world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, José Nápoles, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Rodriguez and Willie Pastrano.-Professional career:Born in...
, trainer of several boxing champions - Elizabeth EdwardsElizabeth EdwardsElizabeth Anania Edwards was an American attorney, a best-selling author and a health care activist. She was married to John Edwards, the former U.S...
, née Anania, wife of John Edwards, a former U.S. Senator from North Carolina - Kitty GenoveseKitty GenoveseCatherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese , was a New York City woman who was stabbed to death near her home in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York on March 13, 1964....
, stalked and stabbed to death near her home in Queens, New York. The apparent inaction of her neighbors prompted investigation into the psychologicalPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
phenomenon that became known as the bystander effectBystander effectThe bystander effect or Genovese syndrome is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present...
or "Genovese syndrome". - Stacy LondonStacy LondonStacy London is an American fashion consultant and media personality known primarily for her role as co-host on What Not to Wear, a reality program that features makeovers. After graduating from Vassar College, London started her career as a fashion editor at Vogue and transitioned into being a...
, entertainer (Sicilian mother, Jewish father ) - Charles PonziCharles PonziCarlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi, , commonly known as Charles Ponzi, was a businessman and con artist in the U.S. and Canada. Born in Italy, he became known as a swindler in North America for his money making scheme. His aliases include Charles Ponei, Charles P. Bianchi, Carl and Carlo...
(1882–1949), one of the greatest swindlers in American history. Inventor of the Ponzi schemePonzi schemeA Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
technique. - Rachael RayRachael RayRachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...
, Food NetworkFood NetworkFood Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
chef and Emmy-winning television personality - John ScarneJohn ScarneJohn Scarne was an American magician and book author who was particularly adept at playing card manipulation. He became known as an expert on cards and other games, and authored a number of popular books on cards, gambling, and related topics.-Early life:...
, born Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia, gambling expert and sleight-of-hand card performer - Mary SchiavoMary SchiavoMary Fackler Schiavo, JD, is the outspoken former Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation , where for six years she withstood pressure from within DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration as she sought to expose and correct problems at the agencies...
, former Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation - Michael Schiavo, ex-husband of Terri SchiavoTerri SchiavoThe Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
, the woman whose comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose state and subsequent court case garnered much media attention - Milton Sirotta, at age nine coined the term googolGoogolA googol is the large number 10100, that is, the digit 1 followed by 100 zeros:The term was coined in 1938 by 9-year-old Milton Sirotta , nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner...
- Jack ValentiJack ValentiJack Joseph Valenti was a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38-year tenure in the MPAA, he created the MPAA film rating system, and he was generally regarded as one of the most influential pro-copyright lobbyists in the world...
, of Sicilian heritage, president of the Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of AmericaThe Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
from 1966 to 2007 - Michael ViscardiMichael ViscardiMichael Anthony Viscardi of San Diego, California is a young mathematician who won the 2005 Siemens Westinghouse Competition and Davidson Fellowship with a mathematical project on the Dirichlet problem, whose applications include describing the flow of heat across a metal surface, winning $100,000...
, mathematician
Fictional Italian Americans
- Danny Amatullo (on FameFame (1982 TV series)Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
) - Charles "Chachi" Arcola
- Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr.
- Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino
- Detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" BarettaBarettaBaretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
- Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
- Frank Castle (born Francis Castiglione), Marvel Comics vigilante/superhero The Punisher
- Lieutenant Frank Columbo
- Vito Andolini CorleoneVito CorleoneVito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character and the main character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Premiere Magazine listed Vito...
- Michael CorleoneMichael CorleoneMichael Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novels, The Godfather and The Sicilian. He is also the main character of the Godfather film trilogy that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, who was twice nominated for an Academy Award for his...
- Anthony "Fat Tony" D'AmicoFat TonyMarion Anthony "Fat Tony" D'Amico is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Joe Mantegna and first appeared in the third season episode "Bart the Murderer"...
- Silvio DanteSilvio DanteSilvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is the consigliere to Tony Soprano in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure...
- Laverne De Fazio
- Alfred "Al" DelvecchioAl DelvecchioAl Delvecchio is a character on the U.S. sitcom Happy Days. He was played by Al Molinaro. Molinaro joined the cast in Season 4 after Pat Morita, who played Arnold, left after the end of the Third Season . Subsequently Molinaro also played Al's twin brother priest Father Delvecchio...
- Arthur Fonzarelli (also Fonzie, The Fonz, or Fonz)
- Paulie GualtieriPaulie GualtieriPeter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
- LuigiLuigiis a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
- MarioMariois a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
(according to the TV series) - Tony ManeroSaturday Night FeverSaturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
- Bruno Martelli (on FameFame (1982 TV series)Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
) - Christopher MoltisantiChristopher MoltisantiChristopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
- Milhouse Van HoutenMilhouse Van HoutenMilhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
- Ernie "Coach" PantussoCoach Ernie PantussoErnie "Coach" Pantusso is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Nicholas Colasanto for the first three seasons.Coach appeared in 70 episodes of Cheers between 1982-1985.-Character overview:...
- Luigi Risotto
- Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr.Tony SopranoAnthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
- Carla TortelliCarla TortelliCarla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec, known as Carla Tortelli, is a waitress on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Rhea Perlman. Outwardly, at least, Carla is a mean-spirited woman who expresses disdain for many people...
- Joey TribbianiJoey TribbianiJoseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends and the title character in the spin-off, Joey , portrayed by Matt LeBlanc....
- Joe Garelli