Rochester People, Places and Things
If you would like to discuss any people, places, or things with ties to Rochester, feel free to contact us via our form.
This is an ongoing list of famous people, places, and things that had ties to the Rochester area. There are varying amounts of information regarding the data 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 or anything else that you feel should be added here. Thanks and we hope you enjoy this page and will continue to contribute to it.
Bud Abbott
Bud is known as the straight-man half of Abbott and Costello.
He managed theater here in the 1920's.
David Accorso
(East High, Livonia resident) was an extremely successful
musician in his day, while among others, he was the drummer for
Robert Goulet and for over 10 years with Julio Iglesias, among
many, many other accomplishments.
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
Kim Batten
East High School graduate, Kim Batten (born 29 March
1969 in McRae, Georgia, U.S.) is a retired female American 400
meter hurdles champion. She was the 1995 world record holder in
the women's 400-meter hurdles. Batten graduated from the
Florida State University in 1991, the same year she won her
first national championship - the U.S. National Championships,
the first of six national championships (1991, 1994, 1995,
1996, 1997, 1998).
Batten is 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) tall.
Batten's finest year came in 1995, when she won Gold in the
World Athletics Championships breaking the World Record for the
400m Hurdles in a time of 52.61 seconds. Batten also came first
in the Pan American Games and first in the national indoor
championships.
In 1996 she won silver in the 1996 Olympic Games and in 1997
won bronze in the World Athletics Championships. She was also a
member of the 2000 US Olympic track team.
In 1999 an injury to a nerve in her foot caused her to miss
most of the season. Batten retired at the end of the 2001
season.
Batten currently resides at Atlanta, GA.
John Jacob Bausch (See Also:
Henry Lomb)
As Written in Wikipedia
(July 25, 1830 – February 24, 1926) was a German-American
optician who co-founded Bausch & Lomb (with Henry Lomb).
Born as Johann Jakob Bausch in Großsüßen (today part of Süßen) in Württemberg, Germany to Georg Bausch, a baker, and his wife Anna Schmid. Bausch was eighteen when he moved to Berne, Switzerland, where he found work in an optical shop designing camera lenses. The following year he emigrated to the United States.
In 1853, Bausch opened a retail optical shop in Rochester, New York. Bausch sold spectacles, thermometers, field glasses, magnifiers and opera glasses. His friend Henry Lomb invested his savings in Bausch's shop and in 1855 became his partner.
While walking in a New York street, Bausch found a piece of Vulcanite Rubber. He took it back to his workshop and discovered he could make eyeglass frames from the material. At that time frames were mainly made from gold or European horn.
In 1860, the Bausch & Lomb company built the first machine in America to produce spectacles. Lomb was in charge of sales and Bausch concentrated on manufacturing.
During the American Civil War, the blockade caused the price of gold and European horn to rise dramatically. This resulted in a growing demand for the Bausch & Lomb spectacles made from Vulcanite.
In 1876, the company began manufacturing microscopes. Later that year the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company won a distinction at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. The company also produced photographic lenses (1883), spectacle lenses (1889), microtomes (1890), binoculars and telescopes (1893).
Bausch's company did very well during the First World War as the war created a demand for binocular telescopes, searchlight mirrors, periscopes and torpedo tube sights.
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."
Jessie Bonstelle
Born in 1871 in Greece, NY and died in 1932 Jessie is
perhaps one of Rochester's most noteworthy legitimate actresses
and drama coaches. Her first appearance in public was at the
age of 2 as a singer, and was featured on her first national
tour aged 7. She appeared in leading roles in her teens with
the Schubert Company and founded acting troupes in Rochester,
Buffalo, Toronto and Detroit. She coached or otherwise assisted
many young actors in their early days, including Melvyn
Douglas, William Powell, Ann Harding and Sylvia Field. She was
married to actor Alexander Hamilton Stuart. She went on to play
NYC's Broadway. Eventually she founded her own theatre in
Detroit, the Bonstelle Theatre. She is buried in
Mount Hope Cemetery.
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.
Elbert J. "Al" Butler
Al was an American basketball player. Al played
Basketball for East High School in 1954-57. He played
collegiately for the Niagara University. He was selected by the
Boston Celtics in the 2nd round (17th pick overall) of the 1961
NBA Draft. He played for the Celtics (1961), New York Knicks
(1962-64) and Baltimore Bullets (1964-65) in the NBA for 234
games. Al scored 12 points while playing for NY Knicks in a
game where Wilt Chamberlin scored 100 points.
After his playing days Al went on to be a teacher at East High School.
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.
Cabo Frio
A fusion of ideas, cultural identities, and genres of music is
the best way to describe veteran jazz group Cabo Frio. Emerging
from the musically fertile Upstate New York region-home to a
host of other acclaimed musicians like Cab Calloway, Chuck
Mangione, and Steve Gadd. Cabo Frio's beginnings date back to
1979, when members of the group from the Rochester-Buffalo area
joined forces.
Over the past two decades, the group has recorded six albums and toured with the likes of Buddy Rich, Phyllis Hyman, Jeff Lorber, Joan Jett, The Yellow Jackets, Dave Valentine, Paquito D'Rivera, The Crusaders, and Joe Sample. Cabo Frio has participated in national jazz festivals, sharing the bill with such notables as Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, and Kenny G. The group has appeared regularly across the country at such venues as the Newport Jazz Festival, Blue Note in New York City, Blues Alley in Washington D.C., the Baltimore Inner Harbor Concert Series, and Carnegie [Mellon] Hall. Named after a city in Brazil, Cabo Frio has strived to reflect cultural diversity in its music. Influenced by cultures around the world, its members meld their backgrounds and individual sounds to create music that is as diverse as its audience.
Cabo Frio's recording career began in 1982, with the release of their self-titled album; at that time they were at the forefront of the genre of music called fusion. More From Cabo Frio Site
Ryan Callahan (born March 21, 1985 in Rochester, New York) is an American ice hockey right winger and an alternate captain of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ryan grew up in Hilton and has a house in Greece.
Callahan played one year of high school hockey for Hilton High School. He began his junior career with the Rochester Junior Americans of the Empire Junior B Hockey League where he played for two seasons, 1999–2001, then moving on to the Syracuse Jr. Crunch and Buffalo Lightning of the OPJHL before moving onto a four-year OHL stint with the Guelph Storm, where he played alongside future Ranger teammate Daniel Girardi. Ryan turned professional with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League where he played most of the 2006–07 season. More from Wikipedia
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)
Jordan Clarke
As Billy Lewis on Guiding Light, Jordan Clarke had been coming
into the homes of viewers on and off for the past fifteen
years. He originated Billy in May 1983 and continued playing
the maverick businessman until January 1987. He then returned
to the show in June 1989 until 1994. Most recently, he rejoined
the cast in 1997.
Clarke actually began his work with Guiding Light in November
1974, when he joined the CBS daytime drama in the role of Dr.
Tim Ryan.
Born in Rochester, NY, Clarke attended Cornell University,
graduating with a bachelors degree in philosophy and an MFA
degree in acting in 1971. He continued his theatrical training
at the New York University School of the Arts, where he studied
with John Heffernan and Peter Kass.
He has been active in regional theater with the Ithaca
Repertory Theatre, the Olney Theatre and Long Wharf Theatre. He
was a co-founder of the off-Broadway Shaliko Co., and acted
there in Shadow of a Gunman and Children of the Gods.
Clarke has appeared in numerous nighttime series including
Threes Company, Knight Rider, The Tony Randall Show, Fantasy
Island, M*A*S*H and Law and Order. He has had featured roles in
the television miniseries The Executioners Song and Testimony
of Two Men, and was also seen in the television movies
Charleston, Forever, Jacob, Have I Loved and Ridley Scotts
White Squall.
He plays the guitar and trumpet and writes fiction, poetry and
film scripts. He has previously been involved in such diverse
businesses as running a construction company and raising
purebred quarter horses.
In 2006, Jordan won his first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding
Supporting Actor in a drama series.
The actor has a daughter Chelsea (b. 1983) and lives in New
York City.
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.
Jerry Fogel
Jerry was born in Rochester January 17, 1936. He was
the morning man on WBBF before Jack Palvino, and also went on
to Hollywood where he landed roles in shows such as The
Mothers-In-Law. and the White Shadow. After retiring for awhile
he is back on the radio in Kansas City.
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.
Inge and Doris Fuchs
Doris and her sister, Inge competed for the Rochester
Turners and became teammates on the 1956 Olympic team for
gymnastics.
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
Genny Beer
The Genesee Brewery was founded in 1878 in Rochester,
New York. The Genesee Brewing Company is America's largest
family-operated, regional brewery. While only being sold in
half the country, it is ranked as the 7th largest brewery in
the United States.
The Brewery is located at 445 St. Paul Street in downtown Rochester, New York. It has one and only one brewery in all of the United States. Hence its slogan One Brewery, One Great Taste. The Genesee Brewery distributes its products to 26 states and 2 Canadian Proviences. Read More
Website: http://www.geneseebeer.com/Default.aspx
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.
Pete Grymkowski
Pete
Grymkowski was one of the largest bodybuilders of his era,
competing at over 240 pounds.
He began his career by winning his hometown title of Mr.
Rochester (New York) in 1968. He then went on to win the 1970
AAU Mr. Eastern America, the 1971 AAU Junior Mr. USA and the
1972 AAU Junior Mr. America. In 1977 Grymkowski started
competing in the IFBB and took home the Heavy Weight titles at
both the Mr. America and Mr. World.
After retiring from competition in 1979 Pete was one of a group
of partners who bought and then transformed Gold's Gym into the
worldwide empire that it is today. He sold the gym chain in
1999 but continues to be active in many areas of sport and
business while devoting the majority of time to his family
life.
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.
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.
House of Guitars
The
House of Guitars, located on Titus Avenue, is probably
the best known business (musical instruments and CDs & records) in
the Town of Irondequoit, made famous by wacky television
commercials that were a staple of late-night local television in
the 1980s and 1990s. Rather than a big-box retail operation, the
H.O.G. consists of several buildings cobbled together in a
maze-like fashion that lends a flea-market feel to excursions
there. Much of their advertising features the slogan "The store
that ate my brain!" and people have been known to use that phrase
to refer to the business.
Read More
Brothers Armand and Bruce Schaubroeck began their business in 1964 by selling guitars out of the basement of their mother's home.
Eddie "Son" House
Eddie Son House Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. (March 21,
1902 – October 19, 1988) was an American blues singer and
guitarist. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong,
repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and
his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and
spiritual music. Eddie lived in Rochester much of the time between
the early 1940's and the Mid 1970's.
Many visiting blues musicians have made the pilgrimage to the old site on Greig street to collect a sample of dirt...including both Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.
A Great article on Son House from 2004 in City Newspaper Seeking Son House
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
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.
Ferdinand Jay
From
Wikipedia
Jay Advertising is an integrated advertising and marketing
agency. Listed as a mid-sized agency headquartered in Rochester, New
York, Jay Advertising also has offices in New York City, Detroit, and
Los Angeles.
In 1973, Jay Advertising was founded by brothers Ferdinand Jay Smith III and Gregory W. Smith, both of whom were inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame in 2009. The agency is noted for its national and regional consumer advertising and sales promotion expertise. In 1996, Jay Advertising was purchased by The Interpublic Group of Companies(IPG) and is a wholly owned subsidiary of IPG and is currently the retail arm of McCann Worldgroup.
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.
Henry Lomb (See Also: John Jacob Bausch) As Written in Wikipedia
(November 24, 1848 – June 13, 1908) was a German-American optician who co-founded Bausch & Lomb (with John Jacob Bausch).
Lomb was born in Burghaun, Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1849 and settled in Rochester, New York, where he worked as a cabinet-maker.
When his friend, John Jacob Bausch, the owner of a retail optical shop in Rochester, needed additional capital in 1854, he loaned him $60 on Bausch's promise that, if the business ever grew to such an extent that he needed a partner, Lomb would be brought in. The business did grow and together they formed the Bausch & Lomb Company.
Lomb enlisted in the New York State Volunteers and fought in the American Civil War as sergeant, lieutenant and captain. When the war ended, he left the military and returned to the company.
In 1885, Lomb, along with Max Lowenthal, Ezra R. Andrews, Frank Ritter, William F. Peck and others, founded the Mechanics Institute (now Rochester Institute of Technology), whose mission was to offer "education for making a living." Lomb served as chairman of the Institute Board until 1891, and continued to be a strong supporter of the school until his death.
Henry Lomb died suddenly in Pittsford, New York at the age of 59. He is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester.
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)
Dani Michaeli
Writer for Sponge Bob Square Pants
Graduated from Brighton High School
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.
Edward Mott Moore (From
Ancestory.com Community)
From "Rochester History" by Dexter Perkins and Blake McKelvey,
"On November 11, 1897, when starting off for a swing around the West,
Susan B. Anthony stopped on her way to the station to attend the golden
wedding reception of Dr. and Mrs. Edward Mott Moore. The good doctor's
conclusion, some forty years before, that Miss Anthony's life 'is a
very good one,' had been borne out."
"A friend." Edward attended his father's school at Flushing and also
the Renselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy. He commenced the study of
his profession in Rochester in 1833 with Dr. Anson Coleman, and was
graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1836. He returned to
Rochester (in 1840) and practiced until his death.
He was not only the leading physician and surgeon of Rochester but of
Western NY. "To him more than to any man is due the inauguration and
establishment of Rochester's excellent park system, which was
systematically started in 1888, and which today places the city in that
respect, beside the finest and best in the country. Dr. Moore has been
president of the Park Commission since its inception. And in the face
of strong opposition has successfully guided the enterprise to its
present condition."
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
Allen H. Neuharth
Founder of USA Today, CEO of Gannett Corporation, and author of
Confessions of a Son-of-a-bitch (which he wrote in a treehouse
on a typewriter) lived here in the 1970s/80s
Frank Niger Sr.
A former City of Rochester Councilman was also a Barber in the
16th Ward Area and was responsible for establishing and heading
the first (and possibly the only) Barbers Union in NY State
helping Barbers to secure reasonable wages and working
conditions This Barbers Union was the pioneer Union for Barbers
across the United States. Frank Sr. had a son Frank Niger Jr.
who for years was head of the Veterans Administration in Monroe
County - in the 70's and 80's. contributed by Rev. Anthony P.
Niger II
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.
John J. Pittman
The collection of the late
John
Jay Pittman was coinage unrivaled for quality, completeness, and
breadth outside the Smithsonian or the British Museum. It eclipsed the
magnitude of other headline-making collections: the Eliasberg, the
Garret, and the King Farouk, especially when you consider this: the
multi-million-dollar Pittman collection was assembled by a man of
humble background and modest means.
The late J.J. Pittman was born in North Carolina in 1913, his mother a
teacher and father a railroad worker. He was ten years old before he
owned a new pair of shoes. At age thirteen, he was attending school and
doing farm work full time. He had dreams of going to medical school,
but a financial angel insisted he go to college for four years, then
get a job so he could send a younger brother and sister through school.
Pittman agreed, earned a degree in chemical engineering, and went to
work for Kodak in Rochester, NY. He lived up to his word and paid for
his sibling's education.
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Don Potter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Potter_(musician)
Don Potter is an American musician and producer in Nashville,
Tennessee. A longstanding producer for Wynonna Judd, he has become
known as "the man who created the Judds' sound".
Potter has been singing, playing guitar, writing songs, and recording
and producing music for forty years, and has performed with many
notable artists. His musical career began playing acoustic guitar on
the 1971 release of Chuck Mangione's Friends and Love - a Chuck
Mangione Concert.
His website gives emphasis to his ministry as a
worship leader in churches, with the style of prophetic worship,
seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit in every meeting.
As well as recording numerous CDs of his own music, he has written many
articles and a book about worship called Facing the Wall.
Bill Pucko
http://www.bylinesports.com/ is local sport website developed
and run by Rochesterians.
Bill Pucko is the site main editor. Bill has 20 years of local
sports casting experience. He is also a two-time winner of the
Rochester Press and Radio Club's Sportscaster of the Year Award,
serves on the Hall of Fame committees for both the Rochester Red
Wings and Rochester Americans, is a member of the JP Morgan Chase
Basketball Tournament Hall of Fame and in 2006 was inducted onto
the Frontier Field Walk of Fame.
Ragu
From Ragu to Riches:
In July 1892, a baby girl was born in the ancient city of Melfi in
southern Italy.
She was called Assunta Gala. The whole family emigrated and Assunta
arrived in New York on 15 May 1914. They went straight to "Little
Italy" in New York State and settled in the city of Rochester.
Assunta had worked in her brother's restaurant for several years.
In 1927, she married Giovanni Cantisano and started a family.
To earn a little extra money, Assunta began to make
spaghetti sauce. She used
her mother's old recipe, made the sauce in her kitchen and sold it
locally. Soon everyone wanted the sauce and the Cantisanos moved
the "kitchen" to a factory. They put the sauce into cans, called it
"Ragu" and sold it throughout the northeastern states.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Ragu-alla-Jar
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.
Ramón Santiago
(1943 - 2001)
Ramón was born September 4, 1943 in Rochester, New York. He began
painting in 1961 while attending Mt. San Antonio College in
California. Two years later he returned to Rochester to study art
at Rochester Institute of Technology. He served with the United
States Marine Corps from 1965-68. After his discharge from the
service, Santiago's professional art career began.
Audiences have been drawn to Santiago's
unmistakable vision, a figurative style with dramatic fantasy.
Elegant portrayals of beautiful women, odd human-like creatures,
symbolism, color and recurrent themes create his haunting and
enigmatic images. Influenced by Chagall, Dali, Picasso, Pascin and
Modigliani, Santiago prefered to work in mixed media and oil on
canvas.
"My paintings
are what dreams are made of," said Santiago.
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.
Rod Serling
Born in Syracuse New York, Rodman "Rod" Edward Serling (December
25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, television
producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the
1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone.
Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped
form television industry standards. He was known as the "angry young
man" of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors
over a wide range of issues including censorship, racism, and anti-war
politics. His brother Robert J. Serling was also a writer, a novelist
of fictional and non-fictional literature who survived his younger
brother.
Serling suffered two severe heart attacks in 1975. He and his
physicians decided that he should enter the Strong Memorial Hospital in
Rochester, New York for coronary bypass surgery.
On May 3, 1975 Serling suffered a minor heart attack and was
hospitalized. He spent two weeks at Tompkins County Community Hospital
before being released. A second heart attack two weeks later forced
doctors to agree that open heart surgery, though considered risky at
the time, was in order. On June 28, 1975 Serling had a third, and
fatal, heart attack during the ten-hour operation which ended his life.
He was fifty years old at the time of his death. His funeral took place
on July 2.
A memorial was held in Cornell University's Sage Chapel on July 7,
1975. Speakers at the Memorial included his daughter, Anne, and the
Reverend John F. Hayward.
Shane Shanahan
percussionist for world-renown Yo-Yo Ma
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.
Janice Marie "Jan" Smith
Speed Skater in the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria
Born on April 20, 1945 in Rochester, New York; lived in the 19th
Ward
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.
Mark Walczak
Mark Walczak was born: 4/26/1962, in Rochester, NY,
and is a 1981 graduate of Greece Athena High School. Mark went on
to the University of Arizona where he played football. Mark also
played for the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and Phoenix
Cardinals as a Tight End in the NFL.
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.