40.6979° N, 73.9995° W

NEW YORK CITY

Most Famous People Born in New York City, United States

Notable people
22,064
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1935
Most distinctive
Screenwriter 5.4×

If the 20th century held a casting call, it was in New York. Almost all of the city's notable births fall after 1900, fueled by an entertainment economy — Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, the studio system, late-night TV, hip-hop in the Bronx — that has minted more actors, comedians, and musicians than any other American city. Even its 19th-century names skew literary: poets, editors, journalists, not generals or industrialists.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in New York City during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 2,711 notable births.

What New York City Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is New York City's biggest profession — 14% of all notables (3,012).

New York City over-indexes on screenwriter5.4× the global rate.

New York City under-produces football — only 0.1× the global rate.

  1. Actor3,012
  2. Politician1,004
  3. Writer859
  4. Film841
  5. Lawyer794
  6. Music767
  7. Baseball584
  8. Singer573
  1. Screenwriter5225.4×
  2. Producer2253.6×
  3. Novelist2993.4×
  4. Film8413.1×
  5. Photographer2872.7×
  6. Actor3,0122.6×
  7. Music7672.4×
  8. Baseball5842.3×
  1. Football3650.1×
  2. Politician1,0040.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of New York City's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Science
  • Politics & Law
  • Other
All22,064
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22,064 notable people

5401 BIOLOGIST

Donald Kennedy

1931 - 2020

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5402 BOTANIST

George Edward Post

1838 - 1909

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5403 SCREENWRITER

Irving Brecher

1914 - 2008

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5404 PRODUCER

Jai Uttal

Born 1951

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5405 MUSIC

Al Harewood

1923 - 2014

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5406 JOURNALIST

Michael Musto

Born 1955

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5407 ACTOR

Marlyne Barrett

Born 1978

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5408 SCREENWRITER

Adam Herz

Born 1972

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5409 RABBI

Marshall Meyer

1930 - 1993

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5410 POLITICIAN

Vito Fossella

Born 1965

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5411 OPERA

Ezio Flagello

1931 - 2009

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5412 FILM

Richard J. Collins

1914 - 2013

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5413 PUBLISHER

Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr.

1927 - 2017

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5414 BASKET

Troy Caupain

Born 1995

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5415 ACADEMIC

Miriam T. Griffin

1935 - 2018

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5416 SONGWRITER

Doug Morris

Born 1938

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5417 ACTOR

Ron Yuan

Born 1973

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5418 BUSINESS

Jeffrey Epstein

1953 - 2019

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5419 PIANIST

Paul Griffin (musician)

1937 - 2000

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5420 AUTHOR

Heywood Hale Broun

1918 - 2001

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5421 ARTIST

Alan Sonfist

Born 1946

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5422 ACTOR

Grayson McCouch

Born 1968

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5423 ACTOR

Lawrence Hauben

1931 - 1985

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5424 FILM

Chester Gillette

1883 - 1908

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5425 LINGUIST

Paul Kay

Born 1934

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5426 METEOROLOGIST

Joseph Smagorinsky

1924 - 2005

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5427 ACTOR

Helen Jerome Eddy

1897 - 1990

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5428 PAINTER

Neil Jenney

Born 1945

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5429 ACTOR

Lisa Ortiz

Born 1974

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5430 OFFICER

George Whelan Anderson Jr.

1906 - 1992

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5431 WRITER

Gail Parent

Born 1940

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5432 POLITICIAN

John A. King

1788 - 1867

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5433 MUSIC

Gloria Lynne

1931 - 2013

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5434 WRITER

Christos Gage

Born 1977

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5435 SINGER

Justine Skye

Born 1995

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5436 POET

Charles Fenno Hoffman

1806 - 1884

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5437 ACTOR

Jay Paulson

Born 1978

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5438 ACTOR

Jasmine Cephas Jones

Born 1989

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5439 WRITER

Ralph Maxwell Lewis

1904 - 1987

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5440 HISTORIAN

Enric Ucelay-Da Cal

Born 1948

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5441 ATHLETIC

Margaret Bailes

Born 1951

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5442 PHYSICIST

Harold E. Puthoff

Born 1936

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5443 BASEBALL

Lou Whitaker

Born 1957

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5444 JOURNALIST

Ken Auletta

Born 1942

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5445 MUSIC

Tommy Mandel

Born 1949

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5446 SCULPTOR

Paul Thek

1933 - 1988

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5447 NOVELIST

James Siegel

Born 1954

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5448 BASEBALL

Larry Corcoran

1859 - 1891

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5449 ACTOR

Michael Cavanaugh (actor)

Born 1942

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5450 ACTOR

Emily Skeggs

Born 1990

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5451 ACTOR

Adelle Lutz

Born 1948

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5452 ACTOR

Alan Carney

1909 - 1973

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5453 SCREENWRITER

Rafael Yglesias

Born 1954

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5454 ECONOMIST

Richard Ebeling

Born 1950

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5455 BASEBALL

Adam Ottavino

Born 1985

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5456 PHYSICIST

Mark Zemansky

1900 - 1981

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5457 FILM

John Hayes (director)

1930 - 2000

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5458 COWBOY

Frank McLaury

1848 - 1881

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5459 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Seymour Ginsburg

1927 - 2004

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5460 NOVELIST

Ed Lacy

1911 - 1968

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5461 ACTOR

Cassidy Gifford

Born 1993

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5462 ACTOR

Marilyn Ghigliotti

Born 1961

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5463 BOTANIST

James Graham Cooper

1830 - 1902

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5464 ACTOR

Luther Davis

1916 - 2008

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5465 SCREENWRITER

Frank Tarloff

1916 - 1999

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5466 PERFORMER

Bruce Morrow

Born 1935

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5467 PSYCHOLOGIST

George Weinberg (psychologist)

1929 - 2017

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5468 BOTANIST

Daniel I. Axelrod

1910 - 1998

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5469 ACTOR

Karim El-Kerem

Born 1987

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5470 TRUMPET

Al Porcino

1925 - 2013

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5471 DRIVER

Peter Gregg (racing driver)

1940 - 1980

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5472 COMPOSER

Karen Mantler

Born 1966

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5473 SINGER

Joanna Connor

Born 1962

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5474 PLAYWRIGHT

Warren Casey

1935 - 1988

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5475 EDITOR

Martin Goodman (publisher)

1908 - 1992

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5476 FINANCIER

Michael Steinhardt

Born 1940

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5477 POET

Ann Eliza Bleecker

1752 - 1783

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5478 POLITICIAN

Donald C. Winter

Born 1948

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5479 AEROSPACE

Karol J. Bobko

Born 1937

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5480 SCENOGRAPHER

Albert S. D'Agostino

1892 - 1970

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5481 FILM

Jennings Lang

1915 - 1996

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5482 POLITICIAN

Richard Ottinger

Born 1929

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5483 ACTIVIST

Ralph Schoenman

Born 1935

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5484 ACTOR

Ed Peck

1917 - 1992

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5485 ACTOR

Rod Barry

Born 1971

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5486 SINGER

Cristina (singer)

1959 - 2020

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5487 HOCKEY

Kevin Labanc

Born 1995

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5488 ACTOR

Harold Hunter

1974 - 2006

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5489 PHILOSOPHER

Irving Greenberg

Born 1933

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5490 THEATRE

Dick Schaap

1934 - 2001

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5491 RAPPER

Mic Geronimo

Born 1973

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5492 PAINTER

Mort Künstler

Born 1931

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5493 AUTHOR

John Darnton

Born 1941

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5494 BASKET

Donnie Walsh

Born 1941

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5495 MUSIC

DJ Hurricane

Born 1965

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5496 AVIATOR

Elinor Smith

1911 - 2010

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5497 WRITER

Ezra Jack Keats

1916 - 1983

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5498 AUTHOR

Hortense Calisher

1911 - 2009

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5499 ATHLETE

Sarah Reinertsen

Born 1975

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5500 BASKET

Armond Hill

Born 1953

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5501 HISTORIAN

Alexander J. Motyl

Born 1953

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5502 ACTOR

Alex Kapp Horner

Born 1969

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5503 ASTRONOMER

James B. Pollack

1938 - 1994

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5504 PHOTOGRAPHER

Joel Brodsky

1939 - 2007

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5505 ACTOR

Paul Fitzgerald (actor)

Born 1970

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5506 ACTOR

Grace Stafford

1903 - 1992

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5507 MUSIC

Adam Nussbaum

Born 1955

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5508 BASKET

Erick Barkley

Born 1978

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5509 SONGWRITER

Buddy Kaye

1918 - 2002

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5510 PLAYER

Oliver Campbell

1871 - 1953

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5511 FILM

Paul Landres

1912 - 2001

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5512 ACTOR

Jake Silbermann

Born 1983

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5513 COMPOSER

Daniel Rey

-

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5514 RAPPER

Rampage (rapper)

Born 1974

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5515 HISTORIAN

Eugene Genovese

1930 - 2012

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5516 ACTOR

Molly Bernard

Born 1991

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5517 ACTOR

Jack Kesy

Born 1986

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5518 MATHEMATICIAN

Underwood Dudley

Born 1937

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5519 FILM

Robert Greenhut

Born 1942

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5520 FILM

Joey Adams

1911 - 1999

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5521 INVESTMENT

Robert Lawrence Kuhn

Born 1944

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5522 DESIGNER

Norma Kamali

Born 1945

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5523 FIGHTER

Sidney Franklin (bullfighter)

1903 - 1976

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5524 SINGER

Viktor Király

Born 1984

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5525 ACTOR

Mary Anderson (actress, born 1897)

1897 - 1986

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5526 OFFICER

Rufus King (general)

1814 - 1876

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5527 POLITICIAN

Tom Leppert

Born 1954

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5528 SINGER

Joëlle Mogensen

1953 - 1982

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5529 WRITER

Jerry Beck

Born 1955

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5530 SCULPTOR

Seymour Lipton

1903 - 1986

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5531 NOVELIST

Charles R. Pellegrino

Born 1953

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5532 PRODUCER

Marvin Hier

Born 1939

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5533 FOOTBALL

D'Brickashaw Ferguson

Born 1983

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5534 POLITICIAN

Isaac Roosevelt (politician)

1726 - 1794

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5535 BANK

Robert Lehman

1891 - 1969

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5536 SOLDIER

Kristin Beck

Born 1966

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5537 MATHEMATICIAN

Robert Lazarsfeld

Born 1953

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5538 ENTREPRENEUR

Éric de Rothschild

Born 1940

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5539 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ira Cohen

1935 - 2011

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5540 ENTREPRENEUR

Henry Clay Folger

1857 - 1930

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5541 SINGER

Emily Magee

Born 1968

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5542 ACTOR

Eddie Gribbon

1890 - 1965

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5543 CORRESPONDENT

David Scherman

1916 - 1997

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5544 ACTOR

Brooks Benedict

1896 - 1968

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5545 COMICS

Gerry Duggan (writer)

Born 1950

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5546 PHILOSOPHER

Francis J. Beckwith

Born 1960

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5547 LAWYER

Jamie Gorelick

Born 1955

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5548 WRITER

Peter Grosz

Born 1974

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5549 JOCKEY

Lenny Dee

-

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5550 SINGER

Michael Brown (rock musician)

1949 - 2015

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5551 SOCIOLOGIST

David Matza

1930 - 2018

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5552 POLITICIAN

John M. Murphy

1926 - 2015

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5553 MATHEMATICIAN

Maxwell Rosenlicht

1924 - 1999

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5554 ACTOR

Tiger Tyson

Born 1977

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5555 HISTORIAN

Barry S. Strauss

Born 1953

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5556 MATHEMATICIAN

Michael Herman (mathematician)

1942 - 2000

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5557 BASKET

Zaid Abdul-Aziz

Born 1946

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5558 POLITICIAN

William Frederick Havemeyer

1804 - 1874

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5559 ACTOR

Vinny Vella

1950 - 2019

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5560 POLITICIAN

Henry Rutgers

1745 - 1830

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5561 BASKET

Jack McMahon

1928 - 1989

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5562 CHEMIST

John E. McMurry

Born 1942

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5563 ACTOR

Otto Sanchez

-

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5564 NOVELIST

Brenda Joyce (author)

Born 1963

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5565 NOVELIST

Simon Hawke

Born 1951

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5566 SPRINT

Ray Barbuti

1905 - 1988

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5567 PHYSICIST

Tom Banks (physicist)

Born 1949

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5568 PHYSICIAN

Jerome W. Conn

1907 - 1994

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5569 CINEMA

Frank Stanley (cinematographer)

1922 - 1999

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5570 FILM

Casey LaBow

Born 1981

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5571 SINGER

Klayton

Born 1970

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5572 ACTOR

Rolfe Sedan

1896 - 1982

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5573 BASKET

Adonis Jordan

Born 1970

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5574 OFFICER

Richard Delafield

1798 - 1873

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5575 ACTOR

Kara Taitz

Born 1981

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5576 WRITER

Julia Thorne

1944 - 2006

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5577 ACTOR

Tod Andrews

1914 - 1972

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5578 PLAYER

Victor Niederhoffer

Born 1943

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5579 MATHEMATICIAN

Joel Spencer

Born 1946

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5580 AUTHOR

Arthur Marx

1921 - 2011

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5581 FILM

John Ince (actor)

1878 - 1947

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5582 MUSIC

King Pleasure

1922 - 1981

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5583 MUSIC

Sonny Payne

1926 - 1979

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5584 ACTOR

Minnie Hauk

1851 - 1929

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5585 MUSIC

Joe Puma

1927 - 2000

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5586 MUSIC

Dawin

Born 1990

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5587 PRODUCER

Suzanne de Passe

Born 1946

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5588 ADVERTISING

Raymond Rubicam

1892 - 1978

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5589 TEACHER

Dennis Merzel

Born 1944

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5590 MUSIC

Ann Rabson

1945 - 2013

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5591 COMPOSER

Dwayne Wayans

Born 1956

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5592 PHYSICIST

John Freely

1926 - 2017

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5593 SOCIOLOGIST

Richard Lachmann

Born 1956

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5594 FILM

Terry Sanders

Born 1931

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5595 MARTIAL ART

Ricardo Almeida

Born 1976

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5596 MUSIC

Jerry Nolan

1946 - 1992

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5597 BOBSLED

Billy Fiske

1911 - 1940

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5598 ACTOR

Stephen Strimpell

1934 - 2006

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5599 PRESENTER

Milton Cross

1897 - 1975

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5600 ARTIST

Joe Jusko

Born 1959

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5601 NOVELIST

Mitchell A. Wilson

1913 - 1973

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5602 BASKET

Dwight Hardy

Born 1987

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5603 DESIGNER

Bob Gill (artist)

Born 1931

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5604 ACTOR

Miriam Battista

1912 - 1980

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5605 JAZZ

Matt Garrison

Born 1970

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5606 BASKET

God Shammgod

Born 1976

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5607 ROCK

Murray the K

1922 - 1982

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5608 FILM

Marcus Raboy

Born 1965

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5609 WRITER

Sidney Skolsky

1905 - 1983

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5610 BASEBALL

Lip Pike

1845 - 1893

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5611 MANAGER

Diamond Jim Brady

1856 - 1917

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5612 POET

Fran Landesman

1927 - 2011

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5613 ACTOR

Charles Paraventi

Born 1969

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5614 RABBI

Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane

1966 - 2000

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5615 MATHEMATICIAN

Thomas Wolff

1954 - 2000

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5616 COMPOSER

Henri René

1906 - 1993

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5617 ACTOR

Gus Schilling

1908 - 1957

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5618 ART DEALER

Vito Schnabel

Born 1986

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5619 FILM

Allison Shearmur

1963 - 2018

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5620 PAINTER

Charles Frederic Ulrich

1858 - 1908

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5621 FILM

Craig Zobel

Born 1975

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5622 ACTOR

Frank Gerstle

1915 - 1970

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5623 MUSIC

Larry Gales

1936 - 1995

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5624 PHOTOGRAPHER

Harold Feinstein

1931 - 2015

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5625 NOVELIST

Felice Picano

Born 1944

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5626 ARTIST

Frank Springer

1929 - 2009

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5627 PAINTER

Hildreth Meiere

1892 - 1961

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5628 ACTOR

William Bramley

1928 - 1985

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5629 CINEMA

Jeff Orlowski

Born 1984

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5630 ORNITHOLOGIST

Frank Gill (ornithologist)

Born 1941

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5631 COMPOSER

Peter Bernstein (composer)

Born 1951

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5632 PSYCHOLOGIST

Seymour Sarason

1919 - 2010

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5633 ACTOR

Maurice Gosfield

1913 - 1964

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5634 ACTOR

Joseph Cawthorn

1868 - 1949

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5635 MUSIC

Alvin Stoller

1925 - 1992

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5636 ENGENHEIR

Julius Blank

1925 - 2011

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5637 SINGER

Lorraine Feather

Born 1948

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5638 SCREENWRITER

Anthea Sylbert

Born 1939

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5639 THEORIST

Gene Youngblood

Born 1942

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5640 MEDIEVALIST

Gabrielle M. Spiegel

Born 1943

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5641 JOURNALIST

Renaud Girard

Born 1955

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5642 ANARCHIST

Oscar Neebe

1850 - 1916

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5643 PHYSICIST

Jack Cover

1920 - 2009

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5644 ACTOR

Henry Morgan (humorist)

1915 - 1994

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5645 OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Charles Kelman

1930 - 2004

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5646 ACTOR

Edmund Mortimer (actor)

1874 - 1944

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5647 BANJOIST

Julian Koster

Born 1972

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5648 MATHEMATICIAN

Joseph Ritt

1893 - 1951

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5649 BUSINESS

Ted Leonsis

Born 1957

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5650 ACTOR

Penny Arcade (performer)

Born 1950

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5651 MUSIC

Jimmy Owens (musician)

Born 1943

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5652 ACTOR

Greg Lauren

Born 1970

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5653 RAPPER

Hell Rell

Born 1979

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5654 BASKET

Nat Holman

1896 - 1995

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5655 CRIMINAL

Gregory Scarpa

1928 - 1994

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5656 ACTOR

Orfeh

Born 1967

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5657 ACTOR

Irene Dailey

1920 - 2008

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5658 BANK

Richard S. Fuld Jr.

Born 1946

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5659 ECONOMIST

Neil Wallace

Born 1939

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5660 COMPOSER

Adam Guettel

Born 1964

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5661 LAWYER

John Winthrop Chanler

1826 - 1877

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5662 ACTOR

Eileen Barton

1924 - 2006

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5663 ACTOR

Frank Medrano

Born 1958

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5664 SCREENWRITER

Stephen Longstreet

1907 - 2002

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5665 ARTIST

Liza Lou

Born 1969

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5666 JOURNALIST

Jodi Kantor

Born 1975

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5667 FILM

Barry Shear

1923 - 1979

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5668 PSYCHOLOGIST

David Bakan

1921 - 2004

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5669 FENCER

Erinn Smart

Born 1980

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5670 SCREENWRITER

Joe Connelly (producer)

1917 - 2003

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5671 PIANIST

Kenny Drew Jr.

1958 - 2014

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5672 ACTOR

John Golden

1874 - 1955

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5673 FILM

Jack Hofsiss

1950 - 2016

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5674 SCREENWRITER

Nelson Gidding

1919 - 2004

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5675 ENTREPRENEUR

Alfred S. Bloomingdale

1916 - 1982

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5676 JOURNALIST

Kate O'Beirne

1949 - 2017

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5677 ARTIST

Matt Madden

Born 1968

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5678 MUSIC

Howard Hewett

Born 1955

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5679 AUTHOR

Barbara Seaman

1935 - 2008

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5680 WRITER

Joel S. Goldsmith

1892 - 1964

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5681 SOLDIER

Granville Roland Fortescue

1875 - 1952

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5682 WRITER

Michael Gruber (author)

Born 1940

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5683 JOURNALIST

Robert Gottlieb

Born 1931

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5684 SONGWRITER

Bruce Hart (songwriter)

1938 - 2006

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5685 NOVELIST

Jeff Rovin

Born 1951

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5686 JOURNALIST

Larry Merchant

Born 1931

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5687 DESIGNER

John Alcorn (artist)

1935 - 1992

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5688 OBOIST

Paul Jeffrey

1933 - 2015

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5689 SCULPTOR

Bruno Fonseca

1958 - 1994

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5690 PIANIST

Johnny Guarnieri

1917 - 1985

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5691 NOVELIST

Frederick Busch

1941 - 2006

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5692 CONDUCTOR

Milton Katims

1909 - 2006

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5693 SONGWRITER

Michael Thompson (guitarist)

Born 1954

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5694 HISTORIAN

Suzanne La Follette

1893 - 1983

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5695 MUSIC

Bobby Sanabria

Born 1957

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5696 ACTOR

Allen Baron

Born 1927

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5697 OFFICER

Benjamin F. Isherwood

1822 - 1915

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5698 COMPOSER

George Bassman

1914 - 1997

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5699 ACADEMIC

Alexander L. Wolf

Born 1956

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5700 JAZZ

Gene Bertoncini

Born 1937

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