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15 Famous People You Didn’t Know Where From Staten Island

Staten Island, also known as the “forgotten borough,” is the least populous of the five boroughs of New York City. Staten Island, despite its small size, has produced an impressive list of talented individuals who have made their mark on the world. The island has produced a diverse range of famous people, from actors and musicians to athletes and politicians. In this article, we will look at 15 famous people from Staten Island who you may not have known about, highlighting their accomplishments and contributions to their respective fields. Whether you’re a native New Yorker or just a fan of pop culture, you’ll be surprised by the diverse range of talent that has emerged from this small enclave of the city. Let’s get started;

1. Wu-Tang Clan

, , via Wikimedia Commons

2. Christina Aguilera

By Cosmopolitan

She is a singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality from the United States. Five Grammy Awards, one Latin Grammy Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are among her many honors.

In 2008, Aguilera was ranked 58th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and in 2013, she was named to the Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with an estimated 100 million record sales.

Read Most Famous Female Singers

3. Cornelius Vanderbilt

He was a business magnate and philanthropist from the United States who made his fortune in railroads and shipping. Vanderbilt, one of the wealthiest people in American history, is best known for constructing the New York Central Railroad.

Cornelius was born into a poor family on Staten Island, New York, and dropped out of school at the age of 11 to work in his father’s ferry business. Following that, he purchased a sailboat and established his own ferry company, which quickly became profitable as a result of his business acumen.

He later became a captain on a steam ferry between New York and New Brunswick after recognizing the superiority of steam over sailing vessels. He was also a prominent philanthropist, endowing a large sum for the construction of Vanderbilt University and generously donating to churches.

Following that, he established his own transatlantic steam-shipping company, covering the majority of the Hudson River traffic. 

4. Eddie Kaye Thomas

He is a well-known American actor who has played a variety of memorable characters. Eddie Kaye Thomas, who is originally from New York, began his acting career when he was seven years old.

In 1992, he appeared in a production of ‘Four Baboons Adoring the Sun,’ and in 1997, he co-starred in a production of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank,’ alongside Natalie Portman.

He had already established himself as a young Broadway actor by the time he graduated from New York’s Professional Children’s High School. Thomas made his television debut in an episode of ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ in 1994. Two years later, in the crime drama ‘Illtown,’ he made his film debut.

Thomas has since established himself as one of the most prominent characters. As a member of the cast of ‘American Pie,’ Thomas won the Young Hollywood Award for Best Ensemble Cast in 2000.

5. Dominique Earl Easley

Aside from acting, Staten Island has produced many great parents. It has also produced outstanding footballers, one of whom is Dominic. Dominique Earl Easley is a former defensive tackle in American football.

He went to Florida for college football. The New England Patriots selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Easley, a five-star recruit according to ESPN.com, was ranked as the nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle in 2010. He is a famous American footballer who many people may not know is from Staten Island.

6. Marcus Browne

Our list of Staten Island sportsmen continues. We take a look at a well-known American professional boxer who fights at light heavyweight. He was ranked the world’s sixth-best active light heavyweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board in December 2020, eighth by The Ring Magazine, and seventh by Boxrec.

Browne made his professional boxing debut at the age of 21 on November 9, 2012, as part of a Golden Boy Promotions card, after competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics and losing in the first round to Damien Hooper.

The star has never returned since, but he has continued to rise through the ranks. Despite his controversial nature, he remains a Staten Island celebrity.

7. Pete Davidson

By Greg2600

Comedy is another talent that has blossomed on Staten Island. Pete Davidson is a great comedian from the land. He is an American comedian, actor, writer, singer, and rapper.

Davidson spent eight seasons as a cast member on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, beginning in 2014 and ending in 2022. Davidson has been open about his struggles with mental health and has been an advocate for mental health awareness in addition to his work in entertainment.

Despite his health issues, he worked hard to excel in his business dealings, and he rose to become one of America’s best comedians.

8. Vito Fossella

Staten Island produced great national leaders who rose to positions of power in the government. Vito Fossella, an American Attorney General, and politician is a great leader.

From 1997 to 2009, he was the United States Representative for New York’s 13th congressional district. Republican Fossella was known for his conservative stances on social and economic issues.

As if that wasn’t enough, Vito advocated for tax cuts, the Iraq War, and abortion restrictions. Despite his significant contributions while in government, Fossella abruptly went silent and lives a private life.

9. Alyssa Mende Mastromonaco

Alyssa Mende Mastromonaco is an author, podcaster, public speaker, and former government official from the United States. From 2011 to 2014, she was the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in President Barack Obama’s administration.

She was the position’s youngest female holder.  Mende later served as A&E Networks’ President of Global Communications Strategy & Talent and Vice Media’s Chief Operating Officer. She has also worked as a contributing editor for Marie Claire. Mastromonaco has been a Crooked Media podcaster since 2017.

Mastromonaco moved to Boston in 2000 and landed her first political job as a staff assistant to Senator John Kerry. After 9/11, she worked as director of Richard Berman’s American Beverage Institute, a Republican lobbying group. Mastromonaco was hired as Kerry’s presidential campaign’s director of scheduling in 2004.

10. Ingrid Ellen Michaelson

By Martijn van de Streek

Ingrid Ellen Michaelson is a singer-songwriter and actress from the United States. Slow the Rain was her first album, released in 2005, and she has since released eight more albums: Girls and Boys, Be OK, Everybody, Human Again, Lights Out, It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense, Songs for the Season, and Stranger Songs, her most recent. “The Way I Am” (2007) and “Girls Chase Boys” (2014) are her two highest-charting singles, peaking at #37 and #52 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

11. Robert Brown Thomson 

Robert Brown Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player known as the “Staten Island Scot” because of his Scottish ancestry. He played for the New York Giants (1946-53, 1957), Milwaukee Braves (1954-57), Chicago Cubs (1958-59), Boston Red Sox (1960), and Baltimore Orioles (1960).

His pennant-winning three-run home run for the Giants in 1951 is known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” and it is one of baseball’s most famous moments. It overshadowed his other accomplishments, which included eight seasons with 20 home runs and three All-Star selections.  

12. Tamika Smith

By Slowking

We must not forget that Staten Island has had and continues to have entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Tamika Smith, Method Man’s wife, happens to be one of them. She is the wife of rapper and actor Clifford Smith, better known as Method Man.

Smith is the owner of “I’ll Be Darned,” an online clothing store that specializes in custom-made clothing for women. She has also been involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors over the years, including the Tical Foundation.

It was founded by her husband and supports a variety of charities on Staten Island. Tamika Smith is an accomplished businesswoman and philanthropist who has had a positive impact on her community and beyond.

13. David Johansen

As a teenager, David Johansen sang in Rock & Roll dance bands before joining Charles Ludlum’s Ridiculous Theater and founding the New York Dolls.

Before disbanding in the mid-1970s, the highly influential Dolls released two iconic Rock & Roll records. At the time, he founded the David Johansen Group, which went on to record six critically acclaimed albums and tour hits like “Funky but Chic” for the next ten years.

Concurrently, he began performing Jump Blues, Calypso, and “Pre-Hayes code Rock & Roll” as Buster Poindexter. Buster Poindexter’s success with these shows led to him touring four swinging internationally acclaimed CDs.

During this time, in addition to his musical career, Johansen began appearing in films such as Let It Ride (1989) and Scrooged (1988), as well as on television, including a season on Saturday Night Live (1975).

14. Bobby Flay

By Larkworb

He is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, and reality television personality from the United States. Bobby’s Burger Palace, Bobby’s Burgers, and Amalfi are among the restaurants and franchises owned and operated by Flay.

Since 1995, he has worked for Food Network. Where he has received four Daytime Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Flay has been a master instructor and visiting chef at the French Culinary Institute in addition to his restaurants and television shows. Although he is not currently teaching classes, he does come in on occasion as his schedule allows.

In 2003, Flay established the Bobby Flay Scholarship. A full scholarship to the French Culinary Institute is given to a student in the Long Island City Culinary Arts Program each year. Flay personally selects the awardee each year.

15. Martin Scorses

We conclude our list with a look at this fantastically talented producer and actor from Staten Island. He is a film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor from the United States.

Scorsese rose to prominence as a key figure in the New Hollywood era. Many major awards have been bestowed upon him, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Directors Guild of America Awards.

In 1997, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award, in 1998, the Film Society of Lincoln Center tribute, in 2007, the Kennedy Center Honor, in 2010, and in 2012, he received the BAFTA Fellowship.

The Library of Congress has inducted five of his films into the National Film Registry. His trademark styles include extensive use of slow motion and freeze frames, graphic depictions of extreme violence, and liberal use of profanity.

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