40.9156° N, 74.1631° W

PATERSON

Most Famous People Born in Paterson, United States

Notable people
331
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1941
Most distinctive
Baseball 5.8×
Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Paterson during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 50 notable births.

What Paterson Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Paterson's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (33).

Paterson over-indexes on baseball5.8× the global rate.

Paterson under-produces football — only 0.7× the global rate.

  1. Politician33
  2. Football25
  3. Actor24
  4. Lawyer23
  5. Baseball22
  6. Music13
  7. Basket13
  8. Film9
  1. Baseball225.8×
  2. Screenwriter64.2×
  3. Lawyer234.0×
  4. Physicist53.6×
  5. Basket133.1×
  6. Music132.8×
  7. Film92.2×
  8. Athletic71.9×
  1. Football250.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

180018251850187519001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All331
Sort By

331 notable people

0001 PLAYWRIGHT

Allen Ginsberg

1926 - 1997

Preview
0002 SCREENWRITER

J. Michael Straczynski

Born 1954

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0003 FILM

Lou Costello

1906 - 1959

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0004 COMEDIAN

Patrick Warburton

Born 1964

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0005 MUSIC

Fetty Wap

Born 1991

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0006 ANTHROPOLOGIST

William Graham Sumner

1840 - 1910

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0007 PHYSICIST

Frederick Reines

1918 - 1998

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0008 SINGER

Randy Edelman

Born 1947

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0009 ACTOR

Charlie Adler

Born 1956

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0010 ACTOR

Mindy Sterling

Born 1953

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0011 POLITICIAN

Frank Lautenberg

1924 - 2013

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0012 AUTHOR

Michael Wolff (journalist)

Born 1953

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0013 ACTOR

Michael Jace

Born 1970

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0014 MATHEMATICIAN

Joseph Keller

1923 - 2016

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0015 ACTOR

Susan Misner

Born 1971

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0016 THEOLOGIAN

Peter Kreeft

Born 1937

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0017 PUBLISHED

Don Martin (cartoonist)

1931 - 2000

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0018 SINGER

John Pizzarelli

Born 1960

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0019 MUSIC

Frankie Ruiz

1958 - 1998

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0020 PHYSICIST

Joseph Weber

1919 - 2000

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0021 POLITICIAN

William E. Simon

1927 - 2000

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0022 COMPOSER

George Rochberg

1918 - 2005

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0023 ASTRONAUT

Kathryn D. Sullivan

Born 1951

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0024 GUITAR

Bucky Pizzarelli

1926 - 2020

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0025 FILM

David Miller (director)

1909 - 1992

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0026 POLITICIAN

Bill Pascrell

Born 1937

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0027 ACTOR

Alice White

1904 - 1983

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0028 POLITICIAN

Robert Torricelli

Born 1951

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0029 ACTOR

Jillian Armenante

Born 1968

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0030 PRODUCER

Just Blaze

Born 1978

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0031 FOOTBALL

Victor Cruz (American football)

Born 1986

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0032 HISTORIAN

Gabriel Kolko

1932 - 2014

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0033 ATHLETIC

Tom Waddell

1937 - 1987

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0034 BIOLOGIST

Joan Roughgarden

Born 1946

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0035 ACTOR

Ron Cephas Jones

Born 1957

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0036 ATHLETIC

Dave Sime

1936 - 2016

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0037 ACTOR

Joan Carroll

1932 - 2016

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0038 LINGUIST

Alexander Berzin (scholar)

Born 1944

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0039 FILM

James Hayman

-

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0040 SINGER

Adeva

Born 1960

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0041 BASEBALL

Andrés Torres

Born 1978

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0042 COMEDIAN

Bert Wheeler

1895 - 1968

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0043 NOVELIST

Edna Buchanan

Born 1939

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0044 COMPOSER

Anthony Davis (composer)

Born 1951

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0045 FOOTBALL

Greg Olsen (American football)

Born 1985

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0046 ACTOR

Sue Ane Langdon

Born 1936

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0047 PHYSICIST

Bernard F. Schutz

Born 1946

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0048 JOURNALIST

Elizabeth Vargas

Born 1962

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0049 PHILOSOPHER

Morris Janowitz

1919 - 1988

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0050 COMPOSER

Percy Goetschius

1853 - 1943

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0051 SURGEON

Bill Mallon

Born 1952

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0052 ACTOR

Jeff Chase

Born 1968

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0053 EDUCATION

Michael Apple

Born 1942

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0054 ACTOR

Floyd Vivino

Born 1951

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0055 JOURNALIST

Joseph Farah

Born 1954

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0056 BASKET

Tim Thomas (basketball)

Born 1977

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0057 CELEBRITY

Teresa Giudice

Born 1972

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0058 BASKET

Essence Carson

Born 1986

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0059 ACTOR

Lawrence Barrett

1838 - 1891

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0060 AEROSPACE

Mark L. Polansky

Born 1956

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0061 ARCHITECT

Natalie de Blois

1921 - 2013

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0062 BIOLOGIST

Vincent Racaniello

Born 1953

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0063 FILM

Stephanie Rothman

Born 1936

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0064 FOOTBALL

Jemal Johnson

Born 1985

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0065 ACTOR

Anne Bobby

Born 1967

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0066 MUSIC

Zoogz Rift

1953 - 2011

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0067 SINGER

Sybil (singer)

Born 1965

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0068 HISTORIAN

H. Paul Varley

1931 - 2015

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0069 JOURNALIST

Richard Kluger

Born 1934

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0070 FILM

Maxwell Shane

1905 - 1983

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0071 BASKET

Darryl Watkins

Born 1984

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0072 CARTOONIST

Hy Eisman

Born 1927

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0073 NOVELIST

David Rosenfelt

Born 1949

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0074 MATHEMATICIAN

Herbert Keller

1925 - 2008

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0075 FOOTBALL

Bruce Arians

Born 1952

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0076 CINEMA

Gilbert Warrenton

1894 - 1980

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0077 FILM

Alfred Sole

Born 1943

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0078 ACTOR

Joseph Cortese

Born 1948

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0079 ECONOMIST

Karl Shell

Born 1938

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0080 BOXER

Kendall Holt

Born 1981

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0081 POLITICIAN

Jennie Tuttle Hobart

1849 - 1941

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0082 ARTIST

Bob Oksner

1916 - 2007

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0083 BASKET

James Scott (basketball)

Born 1972

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0084 AUTHOR

Thaddeus Golas

1924 - 1997

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0085 PHYSICIST

H. Jay Melosh

1947 - 2020

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0086 ACTOR

Jimmie Adams

1888 - 1933

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0087 WEIGHTLIFTER

Joseph DePietro

1914 - 1999

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0088 LAWYER

Edward L. Masry

1932 - 2005

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0089 DRUMMER

Michael Hossack

1946 - 2012

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0090 ATHLETIC

Oliver MacDonald

1904 - 1973

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0091 CHEMIST

Jacob Bigeleisen

1919 - 2010

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0092 COMPOSER

Bernie Wayne

1919 - 1993

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0093 JOURNALIST

Parke Godwin (journalist)

1816 - 1904

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0094 ATHLETIC

Louis Scott (athlete)

1889 - 1954

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0095 PHYSICIST

William E. Gordon

1918 - 2010

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0096 SCREENWRITER

Charles Kaufman (screenwriter)

1904 - 1991

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0097 PLAYWRIGHT

George Middleton (playwright)

1880 - 1967

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0098 POLITICIAN

Karin Stoltenberg

1931 - 2012

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0099 SCREENWRITER

Millard Lampell

1919 - 1997

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0100 PIANIST

Joe Mooney (musician)

1911 - 1975

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0101 ACTOR

Jan Uczkowski

Born 1996

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0102 OCEANOGRAPHER

Joseph Pedlosky

Born 1938

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0103 POET

Peter Cole

Born 1957

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0104 POLITICIAN

Albert P. Morano

1908 - 1987

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0105 ENTREPRENEUR

Jeff Bewkes

Born 1952

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0106 FOOTBALL

Mike Adams (safety)

Born 1981

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0107 LAWYER

Charles Samuel Joelson

1916 - 1999

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0108 ACTOR

Kathy Wakile

Born 1965

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0109 MUSIC

Carl Weinrich

1904 - 1991

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0110 BASEBALL

Charlie Jamieson

1893 - 1969

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0111 WRITER

Diana G. Gallagher

Born 1946

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0112 AUTHOR

Samm Sinclair Baker

1909 - 1997

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0113 FENCER

James Flynn (fencer)

1907 - 2000

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0114 LAWYER

W. Cary Edwards

1944 - 2010

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0115 STATE TROOPER

Bob Delaney (basketball)

Born 1951

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0116 BASKET

Fuquan Edwin

Born 1991

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0117 MUSIC

Ed Polcer

Born 1937

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0118 BIOLOGIST

Bill Haast

1910 - 2011

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0119 FOOTBALL

Sisto Averno

1925 - 2012

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0120 COMPOSER

Eugene O'Brien (composer)

Born 1945

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0121 ECONOMIST

Alfred E. Kahn

1917 - 2010

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0122 ATHLETIC

Mike Buncic

Born 1962

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0123 POLITICIAN

Amos H. Radcliffe

1870 - 1950

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0124 FOOTBALL

Bruce Huther

Born 1954

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0125 BUSINESS

Jacob S. Rogers

1823 - 1901

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0126 BOTANIST

Daniel Moerman

Born 1941

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0127 LAWYER

David M. De Witt

1837 - 1912

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0128 CASTING DIRECTOR

Louis DiGiaimo

1938 - 2015

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0129 FOOTBALL

K'Waun Williams

Born 1991

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0130 MATHEMATICIAN

Abe Gelbart

1911 - 1994

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0131 PRIEST

Nicholas Samra

Born 1944

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0132 SINGER

Jimmy Charles

Born 1942

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0133 BASEBALL

Johnny Briggs (baseball)

Born 1944

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0134 MUSIC

Jerrold Northrop Moore

Born 1934

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0135 SINGER

Jimmy Vivino

Born 1955

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0136 BOXER

Omar Sheika

Born 1977

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0137 LAWYER

Patty Shwartz

Born 1961

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0138 MUSIC

Pete Bremy

Born 1952

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0139 POLITICIAN

Henry C. Allen

1872 - 1942

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0140 MUSIC

Matt Lavelle

Born 1970

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0141 LAWYER

Donald H. McLean

1884 - 1975

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0142 CURATOR

Bruce Conforth

Born 1950

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0143 BASEBALL

Ron Perranoski

1936 - 2020

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0144 POLITICIAN

James F. Stewart

1851 - 1904

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0145 BASKET

Tom Barrise

Born 1954

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0146 BASEBALL

Tom Acker

Born 1930

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0147 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Michael H. Moskow

Born 1938

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0148 BOXER

Dan Duva

1951 - 1996

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0149 COMPOSER

Larry Hochman

Born 1953

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0150 PHYSICIAN

Lewis Atterbury Stimson

1844 - 1917

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0151 FOOTBALL

Keith Hamilton (American football)

Born 1971

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0152 PLAYWRIGHT

Tom Cole (writer)

1933 - 2009

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0153 WRITER

Nora Kelly (writer)

Born 1945

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0154 LAWYER

Samuel P. Colt

1852 - 1921

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0155 DRIVER

Brett Hearn

Born 1958

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0156 PRODUCER

Jon Herington

Born 1954

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0157 FILM

Dante Tomaselli

Born 1969

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0158 BASEBALL

Blondie Purcell

1854 - 1912

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0159 ACTOR

Sidney Mason

1886 - 1923

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0160 POET

Maria Mazziotti Gillan

Born 1940

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0161 SKI

Ted Langlois

Born 1968

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0162 BASKET

Ken Rohloff

Born 1939

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0163 LAWYER

Barry Ted Moskowitz

Born 1950

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0164 FOOTBALL

Anthony Davis (offensive tackle, born 1980)

Born 1980

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0165 FOOTBALL

Marcel Shipp

Born 1978

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0166 POLITICIAN

Robert Pitofsky

1929 - 2018

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0167 CHEMIST

Ralph Nuzzo

Born 1954

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0168 POLITICIAN

Thomas McEwan Jr.

1854 - 1926

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0169 LAWYER

Philip Elman

1918 - 1999

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0170 POLITICIAN

Joseph Marmaduke Pratt

1891 - 1946

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0171 INTELLIGENCE

James A. Williams

Born 1932

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0172 ACTOR

Vincent Baggetta

1944 - 2017

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0173 ACTOR

Chet Stratton

1910 - 1970

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0174 LAWYER

William B. Hornblower

1851 - 1914

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0175 THEATRE

Barry Edelstein

Born 1965

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0176 SCREENWRITER

Kathryn Scola

1891 - 1982

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0177 BASEBALL

Steve Nicosia

Born 1955

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0178 BASEBALL

Danny O'Connell

1927 - 1969

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0179 SINGER

Maxine Jones

Born 1962

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0180 PAINTER

Ellen Berkenblit

Born 1958

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0181 POET

Phillis Levin

Born 1955

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0182 ILLUSTRATOR

Don Brautigam

1946 - 2008

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0183 OFFICER

John Sinkankas

1915 - 2002

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0184 COMPOSER

George Earth

Born 1966

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0185 BASKET

Michael Polite

Born 1968

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0186 BASEBALL

Mike Jackson (left-handed pitcher)

Born 1946

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0187 BASEBALL

The Only Nolan

1857 - 1913

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0188 JOURNALIST

James Colaianni

1922 - 2016

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0189 MISSING

William Spoelhof

1909 - 2008

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0190 MANAGER

Marty Blake

1927 - 2013

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0191 MUSIC

Doug Herzog

Born 1988

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0192 FOOTBALL

Bruce Jankowski

Born 1949

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0193 CHEMIST

Florence E. Wall

1893 - 1988

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0194 LAWYER

Jaynee LaVecchia

Born 1954

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0195 LAWYER

Michael A. Shipp

Born 1965

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0196 FILM

Rick Schmidlin

Born 1954

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0197 SKATER

Silvia Hugec

Born 2000

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0198 FOOTBALL

Bill Pellington

1927 - 1994

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0199 POLITICIAN

Benjie E. Wimberly

Born 1964

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0200 LAWYER

David L. Cole

1902 - 1978

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0201 DIPLOMAT

Arthur Lenk

Born 1964

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0202 LAWYER

Michael Weiner (executive)

1961 - 2013

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0203 POLITICIAN

Joey Torres

-

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0204 POLITICIAN

Kevin Lembo

Born 1963

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0205 LAWYER

Jack LaSota

Born 1941

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0206 SONGWRITER

Darren Lighty

Born 1969

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0207 FOOTBALL

Gerald Hayes

Born 1980

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0208 FILM

Gregory Perler

Born 1962

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0209 ACTOR

Edward McNamara

1884 - 1944

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0210 LAWYER

Edward C. Schmults

Born 1931

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0211 EXECUTIVE

John J. Byrne

1931 - 2013

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0212 LAWYER

Nicholas Garaufis

Born 1948

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0213 CHOREOGRAPHER

Andy Degroat

Born 1947

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0214 BASEBALL

Steve Ratzer

Born 1953

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0215 SOLDIER

George H. Wanton

1868 - 1940

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0216 DRUMMER

Preston Heyman

-

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0217 POET

Simon Perchik

Born 1923

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0218 GUITAR

Clarence Spady

Born 1961

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0219 PAINTER

Arthur Lidov

1917 - 1990

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0220 RADIO

Bob Enyart

Born 1959

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0221 MUSIC

Viti Ruiz

Born 1966

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0222 BASEBALL

Glenn Borgmann

Born 1950

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0223 POLITICIAN

Shavonda E. Sumter

Born 1974

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0224 POLITICIAN

Tim Hill (politician)

Born 1936

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0225 SCULPTOR

Sidney Geist

1914 - 2005

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0226 ATHLETIC

Emil Muller (athlete)

1891 - 1958

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0227 FOOTBALL

Gerson Echeverry

Born 1971

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0228 MUSIC

Bob DeVos

Born 1946

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0229 FOOTBALL

Shakim Phillips

Born 1992

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0230 BOXER

Dino Duva

Born 1958

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0231 BASKET

Myles Mack

Born 1993

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0232 FOOTBALL

Larry Hand

Born 1940

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0233 SPORT

Shaquille Thomas

Born 1992

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0234 WRITER

Garret Kramer

-

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0235 BASKET

Paul Tobin (basketball)

1909 - 2003

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0236 MISSIONARY

Thomas Hezmalhalch

1847 - 1934

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0237 ICHTHYOLOGIST

Marie Poland Fish

1902 - 1989

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0238 SCREENWRITER

Richard Fire

1945 - 2015

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0239 POLITICIAN

Phil Rosenfelt

-

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0240 WRITER

Agnes Rossi

Born 1959

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0241 HISTORIAN

Milton I. Roemer

1916 - 2001

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0242 SOLDIER

William H. Thompkins

1872 - 1916

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0243 PSYCHOLOGIST

Herman H. Spitz

Born 1925

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0244 PROFESSOR

Leonard A. Cole

Born 1933

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0245 BASEBALL

John Kelly (catcher)

1859 - 1908

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0246 REPUBLICAN

Kevin J. Rooney

Born 1960

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0247 CHEMIST

Larry Taylor (geochemist)

1938 - 2017

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0248 ACTOR

Pat Costello

1902 - 1990

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0249 KAMPF

Christian Henry Tobler

Born 1963

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0250 SINGER

Jerry Vivino

Born 1954

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0251 ACTOR

Doug Momary

Born 1947

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0252 POLITICIAN

Wayne Dumont

1914 - 1992

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0253 HISTORIAN

Myles Jackson

Born 1964

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0254 POLITICIAN

Frank X. Graves Jr.

1923 - 1990

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0255 BOTANIST

William Louis Stern

Born 1926

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0256 MUSIC

Josh Kaufman (musician)

Born 1978

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0257 LAWYER

David Chesnoff

Born 1955

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0258 FOOTBALL

Stanley Jackson (gridiron football)

Born 1975

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0259 LAWYER

Vivian M. Lewis

1869 - 1950

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0260 FOOTBALL

Rashod Swinger

Born 1974

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0261 FOOTBALL

Jossimar Sanchez

Born 1991

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0262 POLITICIAN

John Girgenti

Born 1947

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0263 BASEBALL

Ray Bates

1890 - 1970

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0264 LAWYER

Norman M. Robertson

Born 1951

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0265 FOOTBALL

James Rhody

Born 1896

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0266 BUSINESS

Vince Naimoli

1937 - 2019

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0267 BASEBALL

Joe Cunningham (baseball)

Born 1931

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0268 BASEBALL

Bill Pounds

1878 - 1936

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0269 BASEBALL

Dick Cogan

1871 - 1948

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0270 PIANIST

Ralph Martin (Pianist)

1926 - 2018

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0271 BUSINESS

Herbert Gallen

1915 - 2007

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0272 CHOREOGRAPHER

Marion Morgan (choreographer)

1881 - 1971

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0273 POLITICIAN

Warren Van Wyck

Born 1952

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0274 MUSIC

Bill LaVorgna

1933 - 2007

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0275 LAWYER

Roscoe Seely Conkling

1884 - 1956

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0276 BASEBALL

Joe Connors

1862 - 1891

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0277 PHYSIOLOGIST

Joseph Brain (academic)

Born 1940

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0278 POLITICIAN

Henri S. Rauschenbach

Born 1947

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0279 FOOTBALL

Kazbek Tambi

Born 1961

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0280 POLITICIAN

Joseph Bubba

Born 1938

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0281 ENGINEER

Gerald Ash

Born 1942

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0282 FOOTBALL

Cam Thomas (cornerback)

Born 1991

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0283 BASKET

Donald Hand

Born 1979

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0284 LAWYER

Paul Zukerberg

-

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0285 MILITAR

Ken Jones (activist)

-

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0286 ACTOR

Neal Matarazzo

Born 1962

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0287 LACROSSE

John LoCascio

Born 1991

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0288 POLITICIAN

Art Feltman

Born 1958

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0289 OFFICER

Ralph Kohlmann

-

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0290 THEATRE

Joseph Haj

-

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0291 BROTHER

John Frederick Sytsma

1921 - 2007

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0292 BASEBALL

George Merritt (baseball)

1880 - 1938

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0293 BASKET

Tony Murphy (basketball)

Born 1957

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0294 MATHEMATICIAN

Don Blasius

Born 1950

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0295 ATHLETIC

Hugh Maguire (athlete)

1887 - 1967

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0296 SONGWRITER

Son Lewis

Born 1951

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0297 PHILANTHROPIST

Mary Danforth Ryle

1833 - 1904

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0298 BUSINESS

Thomas Goldie

1850 - 1892

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0299 REPUBLICAN

William W. Evans Jr.

1921 - 1999

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0300 POLITICIAN

Patricia Gerard

-

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