4 Rochester

 

If you would like to discuss any people with ties to Rochester, feel free to post about it on our forums or contact us via our form.

This is an ongoing list of famous folks that had ties to the Rochester area. There are varying amounts of information regarding the people on this page. This is due to some research data being readily available, along with what information that has been sent to us. We will be continuously adding to this. As far as we know everything here is truthful, however if anyone sees any discrepancies we would appreciate hearing about it. Also feel free to send us information regarding anyone else that you feel should be added here. Thanks and we hope you enjoy this page and will continue to contribute to it. 

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Bud Abbott
Bud is known as the straight-man half of Abbott and Costello. He managed theater here in the 1920's.

Ebenezer Allen
Ebenezer "Indian" Allen was the first white man to live within the boundaries of Wyoming  county. He might be a little bit more Infamous rather than famous. Unfortunately he was considered a swindler, a polygamist, an adulterer and murderer. At one point he built a saw and gristmill on the site of Rochester, and eventually left for Canada.

Joe Altobelli
A Rochester Red Wing legend. Not only did Joe lead the Wings to a Junior World Series championship, but did the same in the "bigs" with Baltimore. Here's a couple links about Joe:
http://www.redwingsbaseball.com/history/altobellihof.html
http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/altobjo01.shtml

Susan B. Anthony
1820 - 1906 She grew up in Massachusetts and came here in 1850. While attempting to speak at a temperance rally in 1852, she was silenced because of her sex. As a result of this, she devoted her life to gaining social and political equality for women. She was convicted for a violation of federal law for voting in the 1872 presidential election.

Johnny Antonelli
Major league pitcher, for several teams, most notably the New York/San Francisco Giants. During his seven seasons with the Giants from 1954-60, Antonelli was one of baseball's most consistent performers. He averaged 15 wins and just under 230 innings pitched per year. Only once did he allow more hits than innings pitched. Following his playing days, Antonelli managed in the Mets' minor league system for the Double-A Memphis Blues (1969-72) and the Triple-A Tidewater Tides (1973-74). He currently makes his home in Pittsford, N.Y.

John Ashbery
Poet, born in Rochester in 1927. In 1975 he won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1984 he received the Bollingen Prize and in 1985 a MacArthur Prize fellowship.

Benjamin M. Baker
Benjamin M. Baker was the owner of what was called South park in the 1800's. He owned a livery farm on that spot and now called Genesee Valley Park. His daughter Frances A. Baker donated 120 Acers to the city of Rochester  in 1908 for the Genesee Valley Park. Benjamin was a very prominent and rich man and acquired what was called Baker's Block on S.Fitzhugh Street in the heart of Rochester. He owned a hotel and many companies in that area. He was born in 1808 and died in 1897 so he lived a long life and was a service to the Rochester Area. When he died he left the property in Genesee Park to his daughter Frances who died in 1936. Mt.Hope Cemetery is where Benjamin and his wife Angelina is buried.

Andrea Barrett
Andrea Barrett has published five novels: Lucid Stars, Secret Harmonies, The Middle Kingdom, The Forms of Water and The Voyage of the Narwhal and two story collections, Ship Fever (for which she won a National Book Award for Fiction in 1996) and most recently Servants of the Map (Feb. 2002). For the most part, Barrett makes her home in Rochester.

Phillip Barry
Phillip wrote "The Philadelphia Story" for Katherine Hepburn. He did much of it while living in the Rochester area.

Carmen Basilio
Carmen is a current Rochester resident, and former welterweight and middleweight boxing champion. He was the leading vote-getter in World Boxing Hall of Fame balloting for 1982.There has never been a tougher, more tenacious and determined battler in any weight class. He won the welter crown by knocking out Tony DeMarco in one of boxing's all-time thrillers in 1955, and the 160-pound title by besting the great Sugar Ray Robinson two years later.

Clara Barton
Clara founded the nation's first Red Cross chapter, in Livingston county, in 1881. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross at St. Paul's Lutheran Church which still stands at 21 Clara Barton St. in Dansville, NY. There is a New York State historical marker in front of the church commemorating the event

Tyson Beckford
Pittsford Mendon High School 1990 - Male Model for Ralph Lauren (Polo) one of biggest in world.

Francis Bellamy
Francis was the author of "The Pledge of Allegiance" and studied at the University of Rochester and the Rochester Theological Seminary.

Paul Berg
Paul was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1980 "for his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids, with particular regard to recombinant DNA". Paul became Honorary D.Sc. University of Rochester (1978) (contributed by Rich)

Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid, the Swedish born actress, spent 1941 here while her first husband attended medical school. In 1942, she performed with Humphrey Bogart in one of the greatest love stories the movies have ever produced, Casablanca.

Rudy Boesch
Rudy is a retired Navy Seal, who was born in Rochester and attended Edison Tech. Rudy is well known for his participation in the television series "Survivor."

Peter Breck
Peter is another Rochester native with ties to TV and Films. He played Nick Barkley on TV's "The Big Valley" from 1965 to 1969. Some of his film credits include "The Crawling Hand", "Benji", and "Thunder Road".

Nick Bremigan
Nick was a professional umpire in the American League.

Richard Brookhiser
(Irondequoit High '73), writer, author, historian. Currently senior editor of National Review. Author of the following books: "Alexander Hamilton, American"; "America's First Dynasty: The Adamses, 1735-1918"; "Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington"; "Gentleman Revolutionary: Governeur Morris, the Rake Wrote the Constitution"; "Outside Story: How Democrats and Republicans Re-Elected Reagan"; "The Way of the Wasp: How It Made America, and How It Can Save It, So to Speak". You can see a biographical sketch of Rick at http://hudsonrivervalley.net/brookhiser.php

Foster Brooks
Foster is best known as a " lovable lush" comedian. He has lived in Rush for years. A sign that you may have had too much to drink would be that Foster appears sober to you.

Louise Brooks
Louise was born in 1906 in Kansas. She is best known for her career in the silent movies in the 1920's, but was also a dancer and a writer. A couple of her most memorable performances were in Pabst's Pandora's Box {Lulu or Die Buchse Der Pandora} (UFA, 1929) and Diary of a Lost Girl {Tagebush Einer Verloren} (UFA, 1929). She moved to Rochester in 1956 to study film and to write. She remained her until her death in 1985.

Billie Burke
A tireless trouper, Burke appeared in virtually every sort of film, from rugged westerns like Sgt. Rutledge (1960) to a pair of surprisingly good two-reel comedies for Columbia Pictures in the late 1940s. If she had done nothing else worthwhile in her seven-decade career, Burke would forever be remembered for her lighthearted portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch in the matchless "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). Billie was married to Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. best known for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies.

Marty Byrnes
Marty is a Rochester resident who went on to play in the NBA. In 1980 he played for the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Cab Calloway
Cab is a famous jazz man who was born here in 1907.Cab is famous for the words HI-DE-HI-DEHI-DE-HO and HO-DE-HO-DE-HO-DE-HEE. Many of you may remember him in the movie "The Blues Brothers" from 1980.

Wendell Castle
The sculptor who designed and built the 500th Steinway Grand (which was celebrated in Carnegie Hall).

Alfred "Al" Cervi
Al is a former player for the Rochester Royals basketball team. He was elected to The NBA hall of fame in 1984. Al is a current Rochester resident.

Bob Chicarello
Bob grew up in Greece graduating from Greece Athena High School, and was a professional Body Builder. Later he was on the Show "American Gladiators."

Julie Cialini
Actress and Playboy Playmate. (contributed by Rev. Dr. Lazlo Devaint)

Buffalo Bill Cody
Buffalo Bill, a "Wild West" showman, lived here during the 1870's.

Mitzie Collins
Mitzie specializes in traditional folk music from a variety of countries. She sings and plays hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, pump organ, banjo, guitar, piano, and other acoustic instruments. Mitzie and her husband, Tom Bohrer, run  their family business here, Sampler Records. Mitzie is also a graduate of the Eastman School of Music.

Chuck Connors
The TV star of the television series "The Rifleman", played professional basketball here in the late 1940's.

Gene Cornish
Born in Ottawa but moved to the US when he was a child after his mother (vocalist for Woody Herman and Ozzie Nelson) married an American. They relocated to Rochester, New York and Gene attended Ben Franklin High School. Cornish made his way through several area garage acts. Following a solo stint in the early '60's, he became guitarist with Joey Dee And The Starlighters who were regulars at the Peppermint Lounge in New York. With his time spent in Manhattan he was eventually approached by Felix Cavaliere in 1965 to join a new group with Dino Danelli and Eddie Brigati called the Young Rascals. The band would go on to rack up hit after hit as the Young Rascals and later as The Rascals including "Groovin'", "How Can I Be Sure", "A Beautiful Morning", and "People Got To Be Free".

Gladys Cory
A native Rochesterian, Gladys was the first woman to be inducted into the Bowling Hall of Fame. (contributed by Family)
 

Midge Costanza
Midge was once active on the local political scene. Eventually she moved on to the National level as a campaign manager for former President Jimmy Carter. Currently she is active in San Diego area politics.

Tom Coughlin
Born in Waterloo, Tom at one time coached RIT football. He is currently the head coach for the NFL New York Giants, and formerly the Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

William J. Cox
Besides being a teacher, and lifeguard supervisor for 60 years, he was an Olympian in track and field. William J. Cox from Rochester, New York, joined American teamrnates for bronze medals in the 3,000 meter team race during the 1924 Olympics held in Paris.

Richard Ben Cramer
Ben is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter/author. Acclaimed for: his influential best-seller, What it Takes: The Way to the White House, for Joe DiMaggio, The Hero's Life, afor his writing about Ted Williams, Mr. Cramer is a journalist whose dispatches from the Middle East for The Philadelphia Inquirer won the Pulitzer for International Reporting in 1979. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine,Time and Newsweek. (Brighton High School class of 1967)

Irving Crane
Irving was born in Livonia, New York. His love for the game of billiards started as a child, when he was given a toy billiard table. Although he played steadily as a teenager, he did not enter tournament play until the age of 23. He won his first world title in 1942. Since then, he has won almost two dozen major championships, including the world crown in 1946, 1955, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, plus the International Roundrobin championship in 1968. Crane was the victor in the 1978 World Series of Billiards (a combination of 14.1 and 9-ball) against a strong field of outstanding competitors. His greatest triumph, however, was his victory in the 1966 U.S. Open, when he won the championship in a never-to-be-excelled record run of 150 and out.

Andrea Del Conte
Andrea Del Conte is an internationally recognized performer, choreographer and teacher. Born in Rochester, New York, she began studying classical ballet at the age of four. English choreographer, Anton Dolin, “discovered” her at a performance of the Nutcracker (Eastman School of Music Theater) where she danced the Spanish Chocolate variation. He strongly encouraged her to pursue Spanish dance. Ms. Del Conte began her studies in Spain soon after in Madrid. Her early training was with Paco Fernandez and Carmen Mora in Madrid and Mariquita Flores and Estrella Morena in New York City. MORE

Peter Deuel
An actor from Penfield. He appeared in many of the "Gidget" episodes among other things. Unfortunately committed suicide in the 1970's.

Terry Diehl
Terry represents another of the fine PGA golfers to have come from our area.

Eleanor Foa Dienstag
Authored the book, Whither Thou Goest (1976), while living in Rochester. It's the story of an uprooted housewife following her husband as he gets lured from one corporate job to another. Her husband, an attorney, was working for Sterling Homex, a modular home manufacturer with government contracts, at the time (mid-70s) they were discovered to be fraudulently reporting sales and ultimately folded. (contributed by Rich)

Taye Diggs
Taye was born in New Jersey and grew up in Rochester, New York, where he attended High School of the Arts. Taye Diggs made his feature film debut in How Stella Got her Groove Back. Taye made his show business debut in the ensemble cast of the five-time Tony Award winning play "Carousel."

Steve Donner
Steve is a part owner of the Rochester Amerks, Rhino's and other pro sports teams in Rochester. He was born and raised in Rochester's 19th ward.

Kirk Douglas
The famous father actor of the Douglas family. Kirk worked in a steel mill here in the 1930's.

Frederick Douglass
1817 - 1895 Certainly one of our more renowned citizens. He was one of the best known black antislavery spokesmen in the world. Douglass was an escaped slave himself who chose Rochester as the site to publish the antislavery newspaper "North Star". He was a tireless lecturer in the abolitionist cause. Frederick Douglass is laid to rest in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Walter F. Dukes
Born June 23, 1930 in Rochester, New York) and attended East High School, Walter was a center for the New York Knickerbockers (1955-56), Minneapolis Lakers (1956-57) and Detroit Pistons (1957-63). Dukes helped the Lakers win the 1956-57 NBA Western Division in his second season. While with the Pistons, he was named to the 1960 and 1961 NBA All-Star West Teams. Dukes averaged double figures in rebounds in six of his eight seasons in the NBA, and had career averages of 11.3 rebounds per game and 10.4 points per game. (As seen in Wikipedia)

George Eastman
1854 - 1932 Most people are probably aware that he was the founder of Eastman Kodak. What might not be so apparent was his generosity. The success of Kodak made him extremely wealthy. He spent very little on himself. He contributed, in money and land, to such institutions as the University of Rochester, Chamber of Commerce, Community Chest, Eastman School of Music and Theatre, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra among others. He was fond of saying "Rochester is well on its way to becoming the best place in which to live and raise children"     

Joe English
Joe is another Rochester resident with ties to the Rock Music World. Joe was the drummer for Paul McCartney's band "Wings" formed after the Beatles.

Garth Fagan
Garth has been called "a true original," "a genuine leader," and "one of the great reformers of American dance." As another critic put it, "in the genealogy of modern dance, he's started a whole new branch of the family tree." Fagan formed his company here in 1970. He drew on many sources to forge his own dance language. He liked the sense of weight in modern dance, the torso-centered movement and energy of Afro-Caribbean, the speed and precision of ballet, and the rule breaking experimentation of the post-moderns. Simultaneously, he developed his own movement style and his own technique. From that beginning an internationally acclaimed dance company has developed. Garth won a Tony award for "Lion King" in 1998.

Rory Fitzpatrick
An Irondequoit native, Rory is a 6' 2" 210 lb. Defenseman playing in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres.

Renée Fleming
Soprano Renée Fleming was born February 14, 1959 in Indiana, PA and raised in Rochester, NY. Renee Fleming is among the most widely admired American singers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. She has a wide variety of roles in her repertoire, and works to maintain a balance between Mozart roles, such as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, with heavier ones such as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, in order to preserve both nuance and power in her voice. She is an especially noted Ellen Orford, Rusalka, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, and Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. She created the role of the Countess in Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles in 1991, that of Madame Tourvel in Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons in 1994, and Blanche in Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire in 1998, and won both the George London and the Richard Tucker Prizes.

Kate Forster
Daughter of Robert, actress/producer (contributed by Rev. Dr. Lazlo Devaint)

Robert Forster
Robert was born here in July 1941. He also attended the University of Rochester and majored in psychology. Robert has gone on to be a prominent actor, producer, and director in many Hollywood productions.

Norm Frank
Norm Frank, age 74, lives on Vick Park B. He  has run over  900 marathons. This Rochester grandfather ran his first 26.2-mile race in Boston back in 1967. He currently is the world record holder for number of marathons run. He is quoted as saying his goal is to hit 1000 and then do a commercial with the energizer bunny. (contributed by Rich)

Mary Therese Friel
Mary Therese won the Miss USA Pageant in 1979. She was a student at St. John Fisher.

Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd was born in Rochester, New York, April 9, 1945. He is another wonderful musician from our area. As a drummer, Steve has recorded with artists of all styles and genres, among them Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Phoebe Snow, Steely Dan, Ashford and Simpson, Aretha Franklin, Judy Collins, Bette Midler, James Brown, Joe Cocker, Nancy Wilson, Bob James, and Chick Corea.

Frank and Caroline Gannett
Frank came here from Elmira at the end of World War I. He acquired the city's oldest daily newspaper, the "Union and Advertiser" and combined it with the "Evening Times", resulting in the "Times Union". This became the flagship for the still-growing Gannett newspaper chain. His wife Caroline Gannett served as the only woman on the State Board of Regents, 1947 - 1964. Caroline was also a director of the Gannett Company and the Gannett Newspaper foundation. Her generous gifts to such areas as educational, health, and cultural totaled several million dollars.

Harold "Shifty" Gears
1907 - 1974 "Shifty" was the best softball pitcher in the world. Two times in the 1930's he led the Kodak Park team to world championships. Most people attribute his name "Shifty" to his ability to pitch a softball equally well with either arm. Some of his statistics are 866 wins out of 981 games pitched, including 373 shutouts and 61 no-hitters. He was also the first man elected to the Softball Association Hall of Fame in 1957.

Teddy Geiger
(born John Theodore "Teddy" Geiger II on September 16, 1988 in Buffalo, New York) is an American singer and songwriter. Geiger, who lives in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford, New York, began playing piano at 6 years old and guitar at 8

Brian Gionta
Born Jan 18, 1979 in Rochester, Brian  is a right winger of the 2003 Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.

The Glazer Family
Another Rochester connection is  The Glazer family. The family has a long track record of profitable investments. They have at various times owned parts of Harley-Davidson, Tonka Toys, Houlihan's Restaurants, several television stations, and the company that supplies McDonald's with its grills and shake machines. The family, headed by patriarch Malcolm Glazer, also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team.

Tom Golisano
An Irondequoit High School graduate, Tom is a very successful entrepreneur. Being the founder of the local company Paychex is one thing Tom is noted for. Additionally he has been a gubernatorial candidate and recently became the owner of the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League.

Lou Gramm
A graduate of Gates-Chili high school, Lou Gramm (Grammatico) had local routes in the band Black Sheep. After that he went on to be the lead singer for the world famous band called Foreigner. The song Foreigner did called "Rev On the Red Line" refers to drag racing on Lake Ave.

Horace Greeley
Horace is the famous 19th Century newspaperman who worked for a while for Rochester papers.

Diana Gregory
Another actress with ties to the Rochester area is Diana Gregory. Diana was in a film entitled Visas and Virtue, which won an Academy Award in 1997 for Best Short Film (Live Action).

Peter Gruber
1858 - 1932 Best known as "Rattlesnake Pete", he is another of Rochester's colorful characters. Pete owned a saloon on Mill Street, behind the Reynolds Arcade. Actually it was as much a museum as a watering hole. He used to keep it crammed with all sorts of caged reptiles, mostly snakes. Pete was bitten at least 25 times but only once seriously. He would extract quantities of snake venom and promote it as a versatile medicine.

Mick Guzauski
Multi-Platinum engineer/mixer Mick Guzauski's love for both music and technology called him when he was in high school. Growing up in Rochester, NY where there were no commercial studios, Mick put together his own studio in parents' basement with equipment that he had begged, borrowed, built, repaired and modified. You could say Mick had one of the first home or project studios! "I met Chuck Mangione, an up and coming composer in Rochester and engineered his recordings as well as mixed his live sound. When Chuck signed with A&M records in 1975, he asked me if I'd like to go to Los Angeles with him to engineer his new album," says Mick. 

Sammy Hagar
A onetime Rochester resident, Sammy is a member of the Rock Music scene. He is probably best known as the former lead singer of the band Van Halen.

Walter Hagen
1892 - 1969 Walter learned to play golf at the Country Club of Rochester. He also worked there as a professional. He became one of the world's best-known golfers in the 1920's. He won the British Open 4 times and the PGA 5 times. He even once went to spring training with the Red Wings as a shortstop.

Les Harrison
Hall of Famer Les Harrison, served as owner, general manager and coach of the Rochester Royals. In 1951 he led them to the NBA championship.  In addition to the NBA championship in 1951, Les guided the Royals to consecutive National Basketball League championships in 1946 and 1947.

Davey Havok (David Marchand) 
(born November 20, 1975, in Rochester, New York) more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the band AFI. 

Jim Hvalack
Jim Hvalack managed the famous Chesterfield Kings from 1980-1985. The Chesterfield Kings have ties to Rochester and more information about them is located here: Chesterfield Kings Official Web Site

Anthony Hecht
A famous poet,  who won a Pultizer Prize for book, The Hard Hours (1968), taught English at U of R in 1970s.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Philip was born in Fairport, NY in July of 1967 and is an  internationally known star of stage and screen. Considered by many to be the best character actor of our generation. Has starred with the likes of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Meg Ryan. On television he has appeared in Law and Order and The Yearling.

Lauren Holly
Lauren Holly was raised in Geneva, New York by her parents who are both professors. She has starred and played many  roles in both films and television. Formerly married to actor Jim Carrey.

Red Holzman
Red Holzman played for 8 seasons for the Rochester Royals. In 1951 he helped to lead that great Royals team  to the NBA championship over the New York Knicks. Later he went on to coach the Knicks to both of their two championships in 1970 and 1973. Red passed away on Friday, Nov. 13, 1998.

Eddie "Son" House
Eddie Son House lived just north of Downtown for years until his death in the 1980s.  He was one of the most influential early blues musicians. He recorded at least one album here in the 1960s and has a song "Rochester Blues"

Shirley Jackson
The late Shirley Jackson is the author of the classic short story, "The Lottery," a dark, unforgettable tale of the unthinking and murderous customs of a small New England town. She is also the author of several American Gothic novels, such as We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House. Her atmospheric stories explore themes of psychological turmoil, isolation, and the inequity of fate. Shirley graduated from Brighton High School.

Trenton Jackson
Trenton Jackson in 1961while attending Franklin High School set the high school and world record for the 100 yd. sprint. He was on US Olympic track team in 1964 in Tokyo. His best 100m was 10.2 seconds.

Dr. Anthony L. Jordan
1896 - 1971 In the words of Dr. Jordan "The doors of doctors' offices should be open to all, whether they have money or not". Dr. Jordan came here from Guyana in 1932, and lived by these words. For nearly 40 years, Dr. Jordan treated our residents of the inner city, regardless of their ability to pay. The health facility in his name, carries on his spirit for all. Additional Bio Information

Ken Kaiser
Ken is a professional umpire in the American League.

Brian Kamm
Brian is another great golfer from our area who played on the PGA tour for a number of years. He is a graduate of Spencerport High School.

Garson Kanin
Garson was born in Rochester and wrote the screenplays for many popular movies, such as Adam's Rib and Pat and Mike, starring Tracy and Hepburn.

Phillip Kapleau
Phillip is a noted author and former roshi of the Rochester Zen Center.

Bob Keegan
Bob "Smiley" Keegan was a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox from 1953 - 1958.

Mimi Kennedy
A Rochester native, Mimi Kennedy has an acting career that includes roles in theatre, television and film. Some of her work has included roles on "Dharma and Gregg", "3 Girls 3." , " She has guest starred on "Homicide," "St. Elsewhere," "Night Court" "The Twilight Zone," "Knots Landing, among others. Some of her film credits include roles in "Buddy," "Death Becomes Her," "Immediate Family,"  "Chances Are" and "Pump Up the Volume."

Mike Kircher
Mike "Wolfgang" Kircher was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1919 and the St. Louis Cardinals 1920 - 1921.

Bill Klem
Bill was a National League baseball umpire who is considered by many the greatest umpire of all time. Bill worked as an umpire from 1905 to 1940, was known as the "Old Arbitrator" and worked exclusively behind the plate for 16 years due to his ability of calling balls and strikes

Arthur Kornberg
One of the most important people of the 20th century lived here - Arthur graduated from U of R Med School (1941) - He was a Nobel Prize winner, as a research scientist at Stanford University, for his early work with DNA.

Dick Kraft
West High School, Rochester ‘56 High school All-American SUNY College at Brockport ’61
Major: Health, Physical Education and Science First team All-American basketball player at Brockport; still holds the school record for points in a game (50), average in a season (28.8 ppg), and free throws made in a season (144); led team in scoring as a sophomore (20.9), junior (28.8) and senior (28.3); fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1,434 points in three seasons. Drafted and signed contract with the Detroit Pistons of the NBA; general manager of the Rochester Lancers and Rochester Flash soccer teams and Rochester Zeniths basketball team.

Lawrence Kudlow
Lawrence Kudlow is CEO of Kudlow & Co., LLC, an independent economic research and consulting firm in New York City. Mr. Kudlow is a nationally syndicated columnist. He is a Brain Trust columnist for Investor's Business Daily. He is also the author of "American Abundance: The New Economic and Moral Prosperity," published by Forbes in January 1998. He is economics commentator for CNBC and a regular guest on "Market Wrap", "Street Signs", "Squawk Box" and "Business Center." He is a contributing editor of National Review magazine, as well as a columnist and economics editor for National Review Online. Mr. Kudlow was educated at the University of Rochester and Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Scott LaFaro
Scott was born in Geneva and was a legendary Bassist who performed on an international circuit. Tragically died in an automobile accident between Canadaigua and Geneva.

Frank LaLoggia
Director - The Lady in White, Lost Highway, Fear No Evil, and Mother.Frank is a horror/thriller director/producer/writer.

Andrew A. Langston
Andrew A. Langston is the founder, owner and general manager of 104 WDKX FM.
WDKX commenced broadcasting on April 6, 1974 at 5:30 AM and has been broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week ever since. The station has the distinction of being under the same ownership since its inception. Keeping with its Urban Contemporary format, WDKX chose its call letters to honor Black heroes. ("W" stands for radio stations that are located east of the Mississippi River; "D" stands for Frederick Douglass; "K" stands for Martin Luther King, Jr.; and "X" stands for Malcom X.)

Al Lewis
Al is probably best known from his role as "Grandpa" on the 1960's television series "The Munsters". He is currently active in politics and was born in Wayne county.

Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis, son of Jerry Lewis, formally of Gary Lewis and the Playboys currently lives in Henrietta.

Paul Lidel
Born in Rochester, and now living in Austin Texas, Paul was a member of 2 major 1980's hair bands "Dirty Looks" and "Dangerous Toys". Today he still gigs with Dangerous Toys and also has his own line of guitar instructional videos.

John Lithgow
John was born into a theatrical family here in Rochester. Many of you know him from his role as Dick Solomon (a.k.a. the High Commander) on the television series "3rd Rock from the Sun". Some of his film credits include: Memphis Belle, Footloose, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Blow Out, Twilight Zone: The Movie, All That Jazz, Raising Cain, The Manhattan Project, Harry and the Hendersons, Distant Thunder, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Cliffhanger, A Good Man in Africa, and The Pelican Brief. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Keith Lyle
Pittsford Mendon High School till 1987 then moved to VA, Started for World Champion St. Louis Rams football team.

Mark Manetta
Mark is a Rochester native, and his musical experience covers a period of over twenty-five years in the music business as a teacher, performer, and studio musician. He has toured internationally and recorded with Chuck Mangione, Ben Vereen, the Rochester and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestras, and many others. Mark has also performed on hundreds of records as well as many national themes for HBO, NBC, ABC, and local commercials. Mark Manetta  passed away on June 7th, 2005 from complications of diabetes. Its very very sad. He was too young (48)

Chuck Mangione
Chuck Mangione is a famous jazz  musician born here on November 29th 1940. He is famous for his gifted ability to play the the fluglehorn and trumpet. Also he is often recognized by the wearing of his "signature" hat. Having grown up in a very musically oriented family, Chuck still resides in Rochester today.

Gerlando "Jerre" Mangione
Famous Educator/Author "Mount Allegro" and many others. Uncle of Chuck and Gap.

Harry Mangurian
A Rochester native, Harry was the owner of the Boston Celtics during two of their National Basketball Association championship seasons. Currently residing in Florida, Harry has been involved in horse racing for more than 30 years, during which time he has bred more than 40 stakes winners

Masasa
Voice actress, raised in Rochester (contributed by Rev. Dr. Lazlo Devaint)

Eddie Meath
"Uncle Eddie" as he was affectionately known was a local television and radio personality. He worked tirelessly for many important local charities including "Toys for Tots" and "The Muscular Dystrophy". Children were always his first priority.

Metallica
The band, came here in 1983 and stayed long enough to record their first album, Kill 'em All!, in a studio on East Ave. Their album cover was photographed d by Gary Heard on the fourth floor of Village Gate Square on Goodman Street. Their recording engineer, was the late Gary Zefting who many of us knew as the long-time piano and keyboard salesman at Music Lovers. Metallica members who were here and are still alive: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett. The guitarist that actually came here with them to record, but was fired and replaced (while they were still here) was another famous soul, Dave Mustaine, who now fronts the heavy metal band Megadeth. Metallica has sold 100 million albums. (contributed by Rich)

Mitch Miller
Mitch could be described as the "bouncing ball maestro". He was born here in 1911 and studied at the Eastman School to become an oboist.  He hosted his own television show named " Sing Along with Mitch", which was a popular participation form of music.

Willie "The Worm" Monroe
One of the greatest fighters out of Rochester, Willie began watching his idols battle in the Friday night fights during his aunt's weekly fish fry in Crestview, Fla. He began his boxing career as an amateur in Rochester, N.Y., where he relocated after finishing high school in Florida. Not a puncher like Philadelphians Eugene "Cyclone" Hart and Bennie Briscoe, his fighting style, which combined head movement with swift hands and nimble feet, was perfected in Philadelphia.

John Mooney
A great student of Eddie "Son" House is Rochester native John Mooney - who is currently one of the great Blues players of our day, living the last decade in New Orleans.

Eddie Murphy
The famous actor/comedian Eddie Murphy, grew up in the New York City and Long Island area. He did spend a number of summers in our area though as a member of the "Fresh Air Kids" program.

Charles Murray
Charles "The Natural" Murray is a hometown boxer. Here are some of his statistics:
Height: 5' 11"
Reach: 74"
Record: 40-4 (23 KOs)
Division: Junior Welterweight
Ranking: WBU - 8
Titles: Former NABF Junior Welterweight Champion Former IBF Junior Welterweight Champion

Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian,  was best known from his  role on ABC-TV's "Wyatt Earp" from 1955-1961. As played by the chisel-jawed O'Brian, this marshal of Dodge City, KS, was, according to the show's droning theme song, "brave, courageous and bold." He was born Hugh Krampe, Jr. in Rochester, NY, in 1925.

Ken O'Dea
Born in Lima, NY Ken was a Major league catcher for the Cubs, Giants, Cardinals, & Braves. He earned several World Series championships with his teams. His Debut was April 21, 1935 His final Game was August 6, 1946 He was born March 16, 1913 in Lima, NY and died December 17, 1985 in Lima, NY

Col. Patrick O'Rorke
Of the 140th New York Volunteer Infantry. Graduated First in the 2nd Class of 1861 at West Point (George Armstrong Custer finished last in the same class) Killed at the Battle of Gettysburg 2nd of July 1863 while leading the 140th at Little Round Top. Some People say that O'Rorke was marked as the future Commander of the Army of the United States if he had lived.

Sam Patch
1807 - 1829 A legendary daredevil in early Rochester history. Sam is best known for the way he met his demise. On November 13th, 1829 he climbed to the top of a 20 foot platform near Brown's Race and challenged the Genesee. His body was found the next spring and he is buried in Charlotte. His motto "Some things can be done as well as others".

Albert Paley
World-renowned master metal sculptor who has permanent installations in the Smithsonian, the New York State Senate Chamber, and the Victoria and Albert Museum (to name just a few of many famous international institutions exhibiting his works)

Gabe Paul
Gabe was born here on Jan. 4, 1910, and began his baseball career as a batboy. He later worked for local newspapers before he began his career as a baseball executive as publicity director and ticket manager for the Rochester Red Wings. Gabes's career eventually took him to helping put together pennant-winning teams for the the Cincinnati Reds and Yankees, including New York's 1977 World Series winners. He also won two executive of the year awards in his career. Gabe died in April 1998.

Pete Pavia
The late Rochester resident, Pete was known for being one of the very finest NCAA referees. During his career, he was chosen many times to work "The Final Four"

Bill Paxson
A Rochester native, Bill is a pioneer in the television industry.The new PAX TV network began broadcasting August 31 on some cable stations across the U.S. with its slogan "A friend of the family". Bill has also been instrumental in his work with TV Home Shopping.

Gregory Peck
Winner of an Academy Award for his role as Atticus Finch in the 1962 "To Kill a Mockingbird," Peck has been a Hollywood icon since 1943, when he starred as an Irish priest in "The Keys to the Kingdom." Peck's roots pass through Western New York-his father was born in Rochester, and attended Niagara University, and eventually following Peck's grandmother to California.

Herbie J Pilato
Writer/Actor born in Rochester, New York, on Erie Street, near where now stands Frontier Field.  Best known for his companion books to the popular classic TV shows, "Bewitched" and "Kung Fu," Herbie J is an accomplished actor who has appeared on TV's "General Hospital," "The Bold and the Beautiful," and "The Golden Girls.  He will soon be seen on TV Land's "Chasing Farrah" reality show.  Herbie J has appeared on hundreds of other TV and radio shows, including The E! True Hollywood Stroy, A&E's Biography, and Entertainment Tonight.  And he has helped to produce various programs for the Screen Gems Network, the Sci-Fi Channel, The Learning Channel, and Bravo.

Marjorie Rawlings
Marjorie was a reporter for the Times Union in the 1940s known for her poetry. Later she wrote best seller, "The Yearling"

Renee Roca
Renee Roca (born 1963) was an American figure skater. She competed in ice dance. With partner Donald Adair, she won the gold medal at the 1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She later paired with former Russian skater Gorsha Sur and captured two more national titles. More recently, Roca has been a choreographer on the television show "Skating with Celebrities". Born and raised in Rochester, she is the daughter of Dr. Roca, retired, of Brighton, N.Y. (contributed by barbieann)

Col. Nathaniel Rochester
1752 - 1831 Our founding father. A Virginia native, Rochester and his partners made several trips to the Genesee country exploring for land suitable for homesteads and investments. In 1803 they purchased 100 acres, near the Genesee falls,  that eventually would be the nucleus of our city. Rochester was a community builder along with being active in banking, civic, religious and cultural affairs.

Mickey Rooney
Mickey, the famous film star, lived here in the 1920's.

Charlie Schiano
Charlie was the main force in the forming of the Rochester Lancers soccer team from 1970 to 1981. The great local support for soccer here, can be traced to his early involvement.

George Alexander Selkirk
 A major league baseball player from 1934 to 1942 with The New York Yankees. George was often known by his nickname of "Twinkletoes." George at one time lived on Eastman Ave.

Hiram Sibley
1807 - 1888 Sibley moved from Mendon to Rochester in 1843 after winning the election of Monroe County Sheriff.  While here he became the leader of a group of enterprising men. They worked together consolidating small telegraph companies and formed what is known today as Western Union.

Mike Sigel
Mike Sigel (Irondequoit High School class of 72') went on to become the greatest Pool player in the world and known as "The Poet of Pool" - coaching Paul Newman & Tom Cruise in the film "The Color of Money".

Morris E. Silver
1911 - 1974 "Morrie" was the savior of professional baseball in Rochester. When the St Louis Cardinals announced in 1956, their intention to abandon the Rochester franchise, Silver spearheaded a local fund drive, that in less than a week raised $294,000. The company he organized, Rochester Community Baseball Inc., was able to buy the Red Wings' property. While serving as first president and later as general manager of the organization, Morrie collected a token salary of $ 1 a year. Red Wing Stadium was renamed in his honor in 1968.

Jay Silverheels
Jay is best known as "Tonto" from the "Lone Ranger" series. He attended high school here in the 1930's.

Jeff Sluman
Jeff is another representative of the excellent golfers from our area. He was born in Rochester on September 11th, 1957. His PGA tour record includes a victory in the 1988 PGA Championship and another in the 1997 Tucson Chrysler Classic. In between these victories he also had eight second-place finishes.

Joseph Smith
1805 - 1844  Joseph was the fonder of the Mormons and spent some of his life in Palmyra. He was the author of  the manuscript, the Book of Mormon, which was published in March 1830. On April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became its first president. Additional information Here (contributed by Rich)

Chuck Stogner
Chuck Stogner pitched for Kodak Park fast pitch softball between June 1963 - June 1973. He had 86 no hitters for different teams with 18 perfect games and over 15000 strike outs winng rochester fastpitch leagues 10 years and leading Kodak to numerorus tournaments with a record breaking game 23 innings with 51 strike outs and his opponent had 41 strike outs which was a world record in fast pitch a.s.a. sanction game. He ended up with 1242 wins and 224 loses.

Albert Stone
Albert chronicled life in Rochester in the early 1900's, through his use of glass plate negatives. His collection not only includes the "news" of the day, but also captures everyday life of that bygone era. His entire remaining collection is being housed by the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Sometime in 2001 7,500 of these images will be made available online.

Margaret W. Strong
1897 - 1969  Margaret Woodbury Strong was a collector of a different type. Most collectors of Americana treasure hand-made, colonial -era items. Margaret however gathered items that were made after the Industrial Revolution. Her collection defies definition. Within it are such things as prints and books, fancy doorknobs, buttons, glass, historical and art objects among others. The museum in her name proudly displays her collection.

Bob Thomas
BobThomas, a Rochester native, and McQuaid High School player, was the field goal kicker for the Chicago Bears in the NFL. He played for them between 1975-1984. He had 128 lifetime field goals for the Bears.

Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas starred in Make Room For Daddy, one of most popular TV family comedies of the 1950s. (The show ran from 1953-64, but changed networks in 1957 and was titled The Danny Thomas Show for the rest of its run.)  Thomas also founded the St. Jude's Research Hospital, which is dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic children's diseases. The hospital opened in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the father TV Star from "That Girl" Marlow Thomas who is married to talk show host Phil Donahue. Danny Thomas lived on Nassau Street in Rochester, NY as a child for a short time.  He belonged to the Lewis Street Center (a local neighborhood Boys and Girls Club). contributed by Rev. Anthony P. Niger II

Brad Thyroff
Brad graduated from Pittsford Mendon High School in 1992. Brad traveled on the tennis circuit, as a hitting partner, for several years with Jana Novotna, then Venus and Serena Williams.

Phillip Tomasso III
Phillip Tomasso III is a local author who has written 6 Rochester-based mystery novels.  (Pigeon Drop, due out June 2004; Adverse Impact, due out June 2003; Johnny Blade, July 2002; Third Ring, November 2001; Tenth House, January 2001; Mind Play, February 2000).
Johnny Blade won Honorable Mention for the 2003 Bloody Dagger Awards.
Tomasso also writes children's books under the pen name, GRANT R. PHILIPS.  His first kid's book, King Gauthier and the Little Dragon Slayer will be released November 2003.

Cathy Turner
An Olympic champion from Rochester, Cathy's Olympic quest ended with two golds, a silver and bronze in short track speed skating at the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Games. Cathy believes to succeed you need to see it, believe it and be it.

Tweet 
Another Rochesterian in the music area is Tweet. She is still relatively new to the R&B scene, however she has signed with and is a Missy Elliott protégé.

Jeff Tyzik
Jeff has been conducting Pops programs with symphony orchestras throughout the America since 1983 and has been the Principal Pops Conductor for the Rochester Philharmonic orchestra since 1993. He uses his many and  diverse talents to present exciting pops concerts that encompass nearly  every musical style including: Classical, Baroque, Renaissance, Broadway, Jazz, Pop and Rhythm & Blues. Jeff  holds a Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music and lives here with his wife Jill and daughter Jami.

Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy began his basketball coaching career in 1985-86, when he was head coach at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, N.Y. Van Gundy was a graduate assistant under Rick Pitino at Providence as the Friars made their Final Four run in 1986-87. Jeff joined the New York Knicks organization in 1989 as an assistant coach under Stu Jackson, Van Gundy remained as an assistant until he was named head coach on March 8, 1996, succeeding Don Nelson. In seven seasons, he finished his Knicks career as the third winningest head coach with a 248-172 (.590) overall record. In six playoff appearances, he registered a 37-32 record, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals.

John Wallace
Born 2/9/74, John was a former star for the Greece Athena basketball team. He has since moved on to play for Syracuse University and into the NBA. His first pro team was the New York Knicks, and he is currently a member of the Toronto Raptors.

Abby Wambach
A rapidly rising star in women's soccer, Abby is a native of Rochester. She was a leader of her soccer team while attending Our Lady of Mercy High School, and later at the University of Florida. Just recently she led the women's team at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens to gold! The sky is the limit for Abby Wambach!

Robert "Bobby" Wanzer
Bobby is another former member of the Rochester Royals basketball team. He was inducted into the NBA hall of fame in 1987 and is a current resident of the Rochester area.

William Warfield
William Warfield was destined to become one of the great vocal artists of our times. William was born in Arkansas but his family moved here when he was a small child. William attended the Eastman School of Music. His career took part in countless concerts, recitals, soloist appearances with symphony orchestras and even performances as a non-singing narrator. Among his many awards and recognitions, in March 1984 he was the winner of a Grammy Award in the "Spoken Word" category for his outstanding narration of Aaron Copeland's A Lincoln Portrait accompanied by the Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra. William died in 2002 and is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Herb Washington
Herb was a world class sprinter who also played baseball for the Oakland A's in 1974. Herb was hired by Charle's O. Finley, in the unorthodox position of "designated runner". Herb is a current resident of the area.

James Wedderburn
James is a longtime resident of Rochester, former teacher and coach in the city school district. In 1960 he won a bronze metal in the Rome Olympics. His medal was for the 4x400 meter relay. Mr. Wedderburn represented the West Indies.

Jeff Weston
Jeff was another local athlete with ties to the pros. After attending Notre Dame, he was drafted by Miami and played also for the New York Giants. Jeff currently has an acting career in Hollywood.

Dr. George Hoyt Whipple
1878 - 1976 Dr. Whipple is the man who established the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He was a favorite among both staff and students, due to his recognition and nurturing of each student's individuality. In 1934 Whipple shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his work in the field of blood regeneration.

JoJo White
JoJo was a legendary player on some of the legendary Boston Celtics basketball teams. In recent years he has made Rochester his home.

Jim Wiemer
Jim played professional hockey for many years both in the AHL and NHL. He mainly played for the Rochester Americans and the Boston Bruins. Jim is currently living in Rochester, and his wife works for the Fast Ferry.

Frances E. Willard
Frances was a supporter of women's rights and a leader in the Temperance movement (largely to end drunken men abusing their wives and families). She was born in Churchville and lived in Rochester at times.

Wendy O. Williams
Wendy was a punk rocker as a member of the Plasmatics. She was evicted from the Brownies here in the 1950's and was also a lifeguard at Ontario Beach Park the summer of 1969. Wendy took her own life in 1998.

Roland Williams
Not only has Roland Williams reached his goal of playing football in the NFL, he also is the proud owner of a ring earned in Super Bowl XXXIV. Roland is an East High graduate, who plays tight end for the World Champion St. Louis Rams. Roland credits his father Duane Williams, with both his athletic and academic success. Roland has also not forgotten the less fortunate. He has established the Roland Williams Youth Lifeline Foundation to assist the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

Joseph C. Wilson
1909 - 1971 Joseph Wilson was instrumental in leading the Haloid company into the multi-billion dollar corporation that we know today as Xerox. He was a tireless industrial leader, who made outstanding contributions to the cultural, intellectual and civic aspects of Rochester. One of his quotes "To set high goals, to have almost unattainable aspirations, to imbue people with the belief that they can be achieved--these are as important as the balance sheet, perhaps more so"

Nancy Woodhull
Nancy  Woodhull was managing editor of Gannett Rochester Newspapers in the 1970s, and the first Managing Editor/News at USA TODAY when it debuted in 1982. She was a former president of Gannett News Service and of Gannett New Media. Woodhull also was involved in the pursuit of equality for women, and not restricted to just the newspaper industry. Woodhull urged women to take their own actions to improve their situations in society. She died at home, in Pittsford, N.Y. in April 1997.

Brigham Young
Brigham Young lived in upstate NY from 1804 to 1832, the last three years of that in Mendon. He led the great Mormon migration of 1846-48 and oversaw the church's establishment and growth in Utah. An early convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the Mormons), Young was named president of the church after the 1844 murder of its founder, Joseph Smith. There's an antique store in Mendon, near the corner of Rte 64 and 251, with an old log book in it that shows Brigham Young signed for a fifty pound bag of flour in the 1800's.  (contributed by Rich)

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