List of Italian Americans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable Italian Americans.

[edit] List

[edit] Anarchists

Arturo Giovannitti (1884–1959) union leader and poet
Sacco and Vanzetti (1891–1927; 1888–1927)
Carlo Tresca (1879–1943)

[edit] Architects

[edit] Artists

For composers and conductors, see List of Italian American entertainers

[edit] Comics artists and cartoonists

Brian Azzarello - comic book writer
Ivan Brunetti (born 1967) cartoonist and comics-author
Joseph Barbera (1911–2006) animator, cartoon artist, storyboard artist, director, producer, and co-founder, together with William Hanna, of Hanna-Barbera
John Buscema (1927–2002) comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate
Greg Capullo (born 1962) comic book artist
Anthony Flamini (born 1978) comic book writer
Frank Frazetta (born 1928) one of the world's most influential fantasy and science fiction artists
Bill Gallo (born 1922) famed cartoonist and newspaperman
Dick Giordano (born 1932) comic book artist and editor
Frank Giacoia (1925–1989) comic book artist
Carmine Infantino (born 1925) comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books
Walter Lantz (1900–1994) cartoonist and animator, known for founding the Walter Lantz Studio and creating Woody Woodpecker
Bob Montana (1920–1975) comic strip artist who created the characters that launched Archie Comics
Joe Orlando (1927–1998) illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist
Jimmy Palmiotti - writer and artist of various comics, games and film
Leo Politi (1908–1996) artist and author who wrote and illustrated some 20 children's books
John Romita, Sr. (born 1930) comic book artist known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man
Don Rosa (born 1951) comic book artist for Disney Comics.
Eric Stefani (born 1967) pop musician, former Simpsons animator, and Grammy-nominated composer and writer
Jim Valentino (born 1952) writer, penciler and editor of comic books
Gerard Way (born 1977) comic book writer, also notable for being the frontman of the American rock band My Chemical Romance.

[edit] Digital artists/illustrators

William C. Cesaroni - founder of Cesaroni Design
Rich DiSilvio (born 1957) illustrator, photographer, fine artist, digital artist, web designer, new media developer, architectural designer and writer
Fred Marcellino (1939–2001) illustrator

[edit] Painters

Robert De Niro, Sr. (1922–1993) abstract expressionist, father of actor Robert De Niro, Jr.
Frank Stella (born 1936) painter and printmaker
Joseph Stella (1877–1946) futurist painter known for his depictions of industrial America

[edit] Photographers

Luis Marden (1913–2003) photographer, explorer, writer, filmmaker, diver, navigator, and linguist who worked for National Geographic Magazine
Francesco Scavullo (1921–2004) fashion photographer known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan Magazine and his celebrity portraits
Mario Sorrenti (born 1971) fashion photographer

[edit] Sculptors

John DeAndrea
John Giannotti (born 1945)
Corrado Parducci
Italo Scanga, Neo-Dadaist
Leonard Urso (born 1953) sculptor and painter

[edit] Inventors

Giuseppe Mario Bellanca
Enea Bossi
Gerard J. Foschini
Domingo Ghirardelli
The Jacuzzi family developed the deep well water pump that led to the famous whirlpool bath.
Antonio Meucci (born 1808) credited by the Congress of the United States with the invention of the telephone.
Lorenzo Ponza
Charles Ponzi (1882–1949), one of the greatest swindlers in American history. Inventor of the Ponzi scheme technique.
Francis Rogallo, engineer at NASA, designed the Rogallo wing, which found its greatest success in hang gliders and kites.
Andrew Toti
Dr. Andrew Viterbi (born 1935), billionaire, cofounder of Qualcomm, inventor of the Viterbi algorithm
Frank Zamboni

[edit] Jurists

Samuel Alito (born 1950), Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Vincent Bugliosi (born 1934), successfully prosecuted Charles Manson and is also an expert on the John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy assassinations.
Ann Marie Calabria, judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Frank Caprio, Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court.
William J. Castagna, Judge on the United States District Court.
Antonin Scalia (born 1936), Supreme Court Associate Justice.
John Sirica, judge most famous for presiding over the Watergate hearings.

[edit] Law enforcers

Joe Arpaio, born Joseph M. Arpaio (born 1932 in Springfield, Massachusetts) is a law enforcement officer, most notably as the Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Arpaio was the child of immigrants from Naples, Italy.
Joseph Pistone, undercover FBI agent who pretended to be mobster Donnie Brasco and infiltrated the Bonnano organized crime family, leading to dozens of indictments and convictions.
Louis Freeh (born 1950 in Jersey City, New Jersey) was nominated by U.S. President Bill Clinton to be the Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Senate confirmed him on August 6, 1993 and he served as FBI Director from September 1, 1993 until he resigned on June 25, 2001 just short of the official end of his 10-year term.
Rudolph Giuliani Early career was a US Attorney in S.D.N.Y., prosecuting high-profile cases, including Cosa Nostra cases
Frank Serpico
Joe Petrosino, NYCPD Lieutenant in charge of the Italian Squad, an elite corps of Italian-American detectives formed to fight the Mafia.

[edit] Media

Melissa Anelli, resident of Staten Island, journalist at Staten Island Advance and webmaster of The Leaky Cauldron.
Maria Bartiromo, financial reporter.
David Brancaccio, journalist.
Harry Caray (1914–1998), born Harry Christopher Carabina, sports broadcaster, did play-by-play for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and (most famously) the Chicago Cubs. Cubs win! Cubs win!
Matt Casamassina, video game journalist working for IGN.
Danny Casolaro
Igor Cassini, journalist.
Anthony Cumia, Anthony of Opie and Anthony show.
Rick Francona, NBC military analyst.
Rob Marciano, news and weather anchor for the CNN News Group.
Ann Nocenti is a journalist, writer and editor known for her work on comic books and magazines.
Generoso Pope Jr. (1927–1988) was the founder of The National Enquirer.
Mark Ronchetti is a newscaster on Portland, Oregon's KOIN TV station, which is an affiliate of CBS. Ronchetti is Italian American of Sicilian descent.
Elaine Sciolino, Paris bureau chief of The New York Times

[edit] Military

See also: List of Italian American Medal of Honor recipients

Sgt. John Basilone
Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli
Lt Col Rick Francona, U S Air Force officer
Major Don Gentile, Dominic Salvatore Gentile (1920–1951) was a U S Air Force officer.
Edmund P. Giambastiani, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Lieutenant General Raymond T. Odierno-responsible for capturing Saddam Hussein 13 December 2003.
Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Antonio Pierro, one of the oldest surviving veterans of World War I.
Joseph L. Romano
Humbert Roque Versace
Gen. Anthony Zinni, former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
Col. Joseph E. Pedone III Army, current Director for Manpower, Personnel and Administration (J1) U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) ^[1]

[edit] Politicians

See List of Italian American politicians by state

[edit] Diplomats

Luigi R. Einaudi

[edit] Governors and former governors

John Baldacci, governor of Maine
Donald Carcieri, governor of Rhode Island
Argeo Paul Cellucci (born 1948), former governor of Massachusetts
Mario Cuomo (born 1932), former governor of New York
Edward D. DiPrete, former governor of Rhode Island
James Florio, former governor of New Jersey (1990–1994)
Foster Furcolo, former governor of Massachusetts (1957–1961)
Ella T. Grasso (1919–1981) first woman to be elected governor of a state without succeeding her husband
Andrew H. Longino, former governor of Mississippi
Janet Napolitano, governor of Arizona
John Orlando Pastore, former governor of Rhode Island
William Paca, signer of the American Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental Congress, governor of Maryland, Federal District Judge
George Pataki, governor of New York
Al Smith, former governor of New York (1919–1921; 1923–1929)
John A. Volpe, governor of Massachusetts (1961–1963; 1965–1969)

[edit] Mayors and former mayors

Joseph Alioto (1916 - 1998), mayor of San Francisco, 1968-1976.
Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro, Jr. (1903 - 1987), mayor of Baltimore, 1947–1959.
Richard Caliguiri (1931 - 1988), mayor of Pittsburgh, 1978–1988.
Anthony Celebrezze (1910 - 1998), mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, 1953-1962.
Vincent Cianci, Jr (1941 - ), mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, 1975-1984 and 1991-2002.
John DeStefano, Jr. (1955 - ), mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, since 1993.
Frank Fasi (1920 - ), Mayor of Honolulu, 1969-1981 and 1984-1994.
Rudolph Giuliani (1944 - ), Mayor of New York, 1994-2001, during 9/11.
Dick A. Greco (1933 - ), mayor of Tampa, 1967–1974 and 1995–2003.
Pam Iorio (1959 - ), Mayor of Tampa, Florida, since 2003.
Vincent R. Impellitteri (1900 – 1987), Mayor of New York, 1950–1953.
Fiorello La Guardia (1882 – 1947), Mayor of New York (father Italian), 1934-1945.
Anthony M. Masiello (1947 - ), mayor of Buffalo, New York, 1994-2005.
Thomas Menino (1942 - ), mayor of Boston, since 1993.
Robert Maestri (1899 - 1974), mayor of New Orleans, 1936–1946.
George Moscone (1929 - 1978), mayor of San Francisco, 1976-1978.
Charles Panici (1930 - ), mayor of Chicago Heights, Illinois, 1978-1992.
Frank Rizzo (1920 - 1991), mayor of Philadelphia, 1972-1980.
Angelo Rossi (1878 - 1948), mayor of San Francisco, 1931-1944.
Victor Schiro (1904-1992), mayor of New Orleans, 1961–1970.

Hugh Joseph Addonizio (January 31, 1914 in Newark, New Jersey – February 2, 1981 in Red Bank, New Jersey) was an American Democratic Party politician, who was the 33rd Mayor of Newark, New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and a Congressman for 13 years prior to that.

[edit] Prelates

Msgr. Geno Baroni (1930–1984), the Catholic Coordinator for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
Francis X. DiLorenzo (born 1942) the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia
John Clement Favalora - Archbishop of the Latin Rite Archdiocese of Miami
Fr. Stan Fortuna, Roman Catholic priest
James Groppi Roman Catholic priest and noted civil rights activist
Joseph Rosati the first Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Louis

[edit] Cardinals

[edit] Scientists

Eugenio Calabi
Charles DeLisi
Renato Dulbecco
Federico Faggin
Robert Fano (born 1917), computer scientist
Anthony Fauci, immunologist contributing to research in the areas of AIDS and other immunodeficiencies
Enrico Fermi (1901–1954), physicist
Donald R. Franceschetti, Physics Academic, University of Memphis
Robert Gallo
Albert Ghiorso nuclear scientist who helped discover several chemical elements on the periodic table
Riccardo Giacconi
Louis Ignarro
Robert Lanza
Salvador Luria
Fulvio Melia physicist, astrophysicist, and author
Antonio Meucci telephone inventor
Rita Levi-Montalcini
Franco Modigliani
Lisa Marie Nowak Born Lisa Marie Caputo Astronaut
William Daniel Phillips
Gian-Carlo Rota
Jack Sarfatti
Piero Scaruffi (born 1955) cognitive scientist
Emilio Segrè Nobel-winning physicist and academic
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (born 1922) geneticist
Andrew Viterbi
Philip Zimbardo

[edit] Academics

Mario Capecchi at the University of Utah
Frank A. Cipriani
John J. DeGioia President of Georgetown University
A. Bartlett Giamatti (1938–1989), academic, Major League Baseball commissioner (Italian father)
Robert Gallucci Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University
Lino Graglia at the University of Texas in Austin
Fulvio Melia Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona in Tucson
P. M. Pasinetti professor of comparative literature and Italian UCLA
Joseph Renzulli at the University of Connecticut

[edit] Sports

See also List of Italian Americans in sports

[edit] Writers

David Baldacci, brother of John Baldacci, current governor of Maine
Andrew Berardini, art critic and fiction writer
Greg Berlanti, television writer and producer
Lorenzo Carcaterra, novelist and screenwriter
John Ciardi, poet and etymologist
Gregory Corso, poet
John Corvino, philosopher
William L. DeAndrea, mystery writer
Keith R. A. DeCandido
Don DeLillo (born 1936), author
Pietro Di Donato, writer
John Fante, novelist and screenwriter
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet
David Franzoni, screenwriter of Gladiator and King Arthur.
Paul Gallico (Italian father)
Arturo Giovannitti poet, political activist
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934–2002), writer
Evan Hunter aka Ed MacBain born Salvatore Lombino
Philip Lamantia
Teresa de Lauretis
Luis Marden, born Annibale Luis Paragallo, writer for National Geographic
Fulvio Melia, author of several popular science books, including The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy
Diana Ossana, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
Camille Paglia, post-feminist literary and cultural critic
Christopher Paolini
Michael Parenti
P.M. Pasinetti, novelist, playwright, journalist, professor
Mario Pei
Joseph D. Pistone
Diane di Prima, poet of the Beat generation
Mario Puzo (1920–1999), The Godfather author
Terry Rossio, screenwriter
Shane Salerno, screenwriter
R.A. Salvatore (born 1959), born Robert Anthony Salvatore science fiction and fantasy author, best known for his Forgotten Realms and Star Wars novels
Leslie Scalapino, poet
Piero Scaruffi, poet, historian, scientist
Dom (Domenico) Serafini, T.V. trade magazine editor
Gay Talese
Tom Verducci, sportswriter

[edit] Italian Americans who were the first in achieving something

Giuseppe Mario Bellanca, designer of the first monoplane in the United States with an enclosed cabin
Frank Borzage, first person to win the Academy Award for Directing, for Seventh Heaven
Enea Bossi, designer of the first stainless steel aircraft and designer of the disputed first fully human-powered plane
Anthony Celebrezze (1910–1998), the first non-native to be appointed to the U.S. Cabinet
Ella T. Grasso (1919–1981), born Ella Rose Tambussi Grasso, first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state without succeeding her husband
Nancy Pelosi the first woman in U.S. history to hold the office of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Dennis Tito the world's first space tourist
Joe Valachi (1904–1971), the first member of the Mafia to testify to the senate about organized crime

[edit] Italian Americans not otherwise categorized

Marella Agnelli, furniture designer
Caesar Cardini, creator of the Caesar salad
Oleg Cassini, fashion designer
Michael Chiarello, American celebrity chef specializing in Italian-influenced California cuisine
Giada De Laurentiis, host of the Food Network program Everyday Italian
Elizabeth Edwards, née Anania, wife of John Edwards, a former U.S. Senator from North Carolina
Kitty Genovese, stalked and stabbed to death near her home in Queens, New York. The apparent inaction of her neighbors prompted investigation into the psychological phenomenon that became known as the bystander effect or "Genovese syndrome".
Rachael Ray, Food Network chef and Emmy-winning television personality
John Scarne, born Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia, gambling expert and sleight-of-hand card performer
Mary Schiavo, former Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation
Michael Schiavo, ex-husband of Terri Schiavo, the woman whose comatose state and subsequent court case garnered much media attention
Milton Sirotta, first Jewish professor in the sciences at Columbia University; inventor of googol
Jack Valenti, of Sicilian heritage, president of the Motion Picture Association of America from 1966 to 2007
Robert Venturi, architect
Michael Viscardi, mathematician
Angelo Dundee, boxing trainor

[edit] Fictional Italian Americans

See also: List of Italian/Italian-American superheroes and villains

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ U.S. Pacific Command | Official Military Website

[edit] External links

Categories: Italian-Americans | Lists of Italian Americans

Hidden category: Incomplete lists