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Please add profiles of people who were born, lived or died in (or were notable for their ties to) Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
Bensonhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bordered on the northwest by 14th Avenue, on the northeast by 60th Street, on the southeast by Avenue P and 22nd Avenue (Bay Parkway) and on the southwest by 86th Street. It is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Dyker Heights to the northwest, Borough Park and Mapleton to the northeast, Bath Beach to the southwest, and Gravesend to the southeast.
Bensonhurst contains several major ethnic enclaves. Traditionally, it is known as a Little Italy of Brooklyn. Bensonhurst today has the largest population of residents born in China and Hong Kong of any neighborhood in New York City and is now home to Brooklyn's second Chinatown. The neighborhood accounts for 9.5% of the 330,000 Chinese-born residents of the city, based on data from 2007 to 2011.
Bensonhurst is part of Brooklyn Community District 11, and its primary ZIP Codes are 11204 and 11214. It is patrolled by the 62nd Precinct of the New York City Police Department. Politically it is represented by the New York City Council's 43rd, 44th, and 47th Districts.
Notable current and former residents of Bensonhurst from Wikipedia:
- Steve Augeri (born 1959), musician
- Rich Aurilia (born 1971), baseball player for the San Francisco Giants
- Scott Baio (born 1960), actor who appeared on TV on Happy Days and its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi, as well as on Charles in Charge
- Seymour Benzer (1921–2007), physicist, molecular biologist and behavioral geneticist
- Bob Berg (1951–2002), jazz saxophonist
- Julie Bovasso (1930–1991), actress
- Abe Burrows (1910–1985), playwright, writer of Guys and Dolls and Can-Can
- Kerry Butler (born 1971), actress
- Victor Calderone (born 1967), club music DJ and producer
- Jack Catran (1918–2001), industrial designer and linguist
- Vincent D'Onofrio (born 1959), actor Law & Order: Criminal Intent
- Vic Damone (1928–2018), singer
- Millie Deegan (1919–2002), professional baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- Perry Farrell (born 1959), musician
- Joey Fatone (born 1977), singer who was a member of boy band 'N Sync
- Anthony Fauci (born 1940), physician and immunologist who has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984
- Jerry Ferrara (born 1979), actor who appeared in the TV series Entourage
- Lou Ferrigno (born 1951), actor born in Bensonhurst known for his TV starring role as the Incredible Hulk
- Daniel Franzese (born 1978), actor who appeared in the film Mean Girls
- Harvey Fierstein (born 1954), actor, playwright, and screenwriter
- Marshall Flaum (1925–2010), documentary filmmaker
- John Franco (born 1960), former New York Mets baseball player
- Jacque Fresco (1916–2017), founder and director of the Venus Project
- Vincent Gardenia (1920–1992), stage, film and television actor
- Daniel Glass (born 1956), music producer
- Gary David Goldberg (1944–2013), television producer
- Leon Goldstein (1932/1933-1999), college administrator who was President of Kingsborough Community College and acting Chancellor of the City University of New York
- Elliott Gould (born 1938), actor
- Philip Habib (1920–1992), diplomat
- Buddy Hackett (1924–2003), comedian
- Kenny Hickey (born 1966), Johnny Kelly (born 1968), and Peter Steele (1962–2010), (rock band Type O Negative)
- Curly Howard (1903–1952), of the Three Stooges
- Moe Howard (1897–1975), of the Three Stooges
- Shemp Howard (1895–1955), of the Three Stooges
- Richard Jeni (1957–2007), comedian
- Skeery Jones (radio producer) for Z100 NY Elvis Duran and the Morning Show)
- Gabe Kaplan (born 1945), actor, comedian and professional poker player
- Larry King (1933–2021), talk-show host
- Marvin Kitman (1929–2023), television critic, humorist, author
- Artie Kornfeld (born 1942), songwriter, music producer, creator of Woodstock Music and Arts Festival 1969
- Sandy Koufax (born 1935), baseball player, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Herbie Kronowitz (1923–2012), boxer
- Adam Lazzara (born 1982), lead singer of local band Taking Back Sunday
- Paul Lo Duca (born 1972), baseball player
- Lordz Of Brooklyn hip hop/rock group member Dino Bootz – born and raised in Bensonhurst
- Paul Malignaggi (born 1980), professional boxer
- Tony Mamaluke (born 1977), former Extreme Championship Wrestling star
- Philomena Marano (born 1952), artist
- Paul Marks (1926–2020), scientist
- Robert Merrill (1917–2004), operatic baritone
- Alyssa Milano (born 1972), actress
- Jerrold Nadler (born 1947), Congressman based in Manhattan who grew up in Bensonhurst and represents part of the area
- Sam Nahem (1915–2004), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Man Parrish (born 1958), music producer and artist
- Rhea Perlman (born 1948), actress
- Leah Remini (born 1970), actress; co-starred in The King of Queens
- Carl Sagan (1934–1996), astronomer, teacher and author
- Robert Sapolsky (born 1957), neuroendocrinologist, professor and author
- Steve Schirripa (born 1957), actor in HBO's The Sopranos
- John Serry Sr. (1915–2003), concert accordionist, composer, arranger, educator
- Tony Sirico (1942-2022), actor in HBO's The Sopranos
- Ralph Snyderman (born 1940), physician, scientist and administrator
- Paul Sorvino (1939-2022), actor known for his role in Goodfellas and father of Mira Sorvino
- Peter Steele (1962–2010), musician
- Ray Suarez (born 1957), news correspondent
- Anthony Terlato (1934–2020)), winemaker, Horatio Alger Award winner, "Father of Pinot Grigio" in the U.S
- Frank P. Tomasulo (born 1947), film professor, academic administrator, journal editor, author
- Alan Vega (1938–2016), vocalist and visual artist.
- Hilma Wolitzer (born 1930), novelist
- Peter Zimroth (born 1943), attorney who served as the court-appointed monitor of the New York Police Department's policies and practices regarding stop-and-frisk
Organized crime
A number of high-profile organized crime figures hail from Bensonhurst, including Frankie Yale, Anthony Casso, Paul Castellano, Mikey DiLeonardo, Anthony Gaggi, Carlo Gambino, John Gambino, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Gregory Scarpa, and Carmine Sessa.
Other notable people with ties to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn:
- John Travolta (born 1954) - played lead character Tony Manero in 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever; Tony trained at Phillips Dance Studio, a real dance studio located in Bensonhurst at 1301 West Seventh Street, just off Bay Parkway