List of people from Union City, New Jersey facts for kids

Union City, New Jersey, is a vibrant place that has been home to many talented and influential people. From famous musicians and actors to Olympic athletes and respected leaders, this city has a rich history of notable residents. Many of these individuals were born in Union City or its original towns, West Hoboken and Union Hill, which merged in 1925. This list highlights some of the amazing people who have connections to Union City.

Notable People from Union City

Artists and Entertainers

• Akon (born 1973) is a very popular rapper and R&B singer. He is also a successful businessman and actor.
• James E. Buttersworth (1817–1894) was a British painter known for his beautiful paintings of ships and the sea.
• Bobby Cannavale (born 1971) is an actor famous for his roles in TV shows like Ally McBeal, Third Watch, and Will & Grace.
• Helen Castillo is a fashion designer who became known as a cast member on season 12 of the reality TV series Project Runway. She grew up in nearby Weehawken before moving to Union City.
• Rene Paul Chambellan (1893–1955) was a sculptor who created amazing architectural art, especially in the Art Deco style.
• Louis Del Grande (born 1943) is a television writer and actor. He is best known for starring in the Canadian mystery/comedy series Seeing Things.
• Pietro Di Donato (1911–1992) was an Italian American novelist, famous for his book Christ in Concrete.
• Henry Escalante is a pop musician who was one of the finalists on the 2007 season of the MTV reality show Making Menudo.
• Marshall Flaum (1925–2010) was a talented documentary filmmaker.
• Alexis Hernandez was a contestant on season 6 of the Food Network's Next Food Network Star.
• Antonio Jacobsen (1850–1921) was a maritime artist, often called the "Audubon of Steam Vessels" because of his detailed ship paintings.
• Eugene Jolas (1894–1952) was a writer, translator, and literary critic. He was born in Union Hill.
• AJ Lee (born 1987) is a professional wrestler, well known for her time in WWE. She was born in Union City.
• Dennis Locorriere (born 1949) is a singer and one of the two main singers for the band Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. He was born in Union City.
• Luigi Lucioni (1900–1988) was a painter known for his realistic and detailed still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. His family moved to Union City in 1929.
• W. S. Merwin (born 1927) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and a United States Poet Laureate. A street near his former home in Union City was renamed W.S. Merwin Way in his honor.
• Otto Messmer (1892–1983) was the talented creator of the famous cartoon character Felix the Cat. He was born in Union City.
• Erick Morillo (born 1971) was a DJ and music producer. He is known for producing the 1993 hit song "I Like to Move It", which was featured in the Madagascar movies.
• Luis Moro (born 1964) is an actor, filmmaker, and writer.
• Oscar Nunez (born 1958) is a Cuban American actor and comedian. He is well known for his role in the American TV series The Office.
• Mitchell Olson is a songwriter and was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback, the second season of the reality TV show Survivor.
• Joe Oriolo (1913–1985) was a writer and cartoon animator. He helped create Casper the Friendly Ghost and also animated Felix the Cat.
• Cliff Osmond (1937–2012) was a character actor and television screenwriter. He appeared in films directed by Billy Wilder.
• Carol-Lynn Parente is an executive producer of Sesame Street. She has won seven Emmy Awards for her work on the show.
• Arthur Pinajian (1914–1999) was an Armenian-American artist and comic book creator. He created characters like Madame Fatal and Invisible Hood.
• William Ranney (1813–1857) was a 19th-century painter known for his Western art.
• Dan Resin (1931–2010) was an actor known for playing Dr. Beeper in the film Caddyshack and for being the Ty-D-Bol man in commercials.
• Renoly Santiago (born 1974) is a Puerto Rican actor, singer, and writer. He is known for his roles in films such as Dangerous Minds, Hackers, and Con Air.
• Aaron Stanford (born 1976) is an actor known for his role as Pyro in the films X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand.
• Allison Strong is an actress and singer known for her Broadway work in the musicals Bye Bye Birdie and Mamma Mia!.
• Alexandria Suarez is a child actor who provides the voice of Backpack on Dora the Explorer, starting with the show's fifth season.
• Janine Pommy Vega (1942–2010) was a poet connected to the Beat Generation.

Athletes and Coaches

• Andy Bakjian (1914–1986) was a Hall of Fame Track and Field official and author. He was born in Union City.
• Fred Barakat (1939-2010) was a college basketball coach.
• Gordon Chiesa is a basketball coach who was an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz for 16 seasons.
• Otis Davis (born 1932) is an Olympic track and field athlete. He won two gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter dash and the 4 × 400 metres relay, setting a world record in the 400-meter event.
• Harry Donovan (born 1926) was a professional basketball player who played for the New York Knicks.
• Hank Finkel (born 1942) is a retired NBA basketball player. He was born in Union City.
• Nick Galis (born 1957) is a retired Greek basketball player and a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
• Frank Haubold (1906–1985) was an Olympic gymnast who won a Silver and Gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He and his wife, Irma, were the first married couple to compete in the Olympics.
• Irma Haubold (1908–1996) was an Olympic gymnast who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. She and her husband, Frank, were the first married couple to compete in the Olympics. She was born in Union City.
• Paul Jappe (1898–1989) was an NFL player who played for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Lions. He was born in Union Hill.
• Joe Jeanette (1879–1958) is considered one of the best African American heavyweight boxers of the early 20th Century. He was born in Union City.
• Herb Maack (born 1917) was the head coach of the Rhode Island Rams football team from 1956 through 1960. He was born in Union City.
• Togo Palazzi (born 1932) is a retired NBA basketball player.
• Dwayne Sabb (born 1969) was a football player for the New England Patriots.
• Pedro Sosa (born 1984) is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Hartford Colonials and was a member of the Miami Dolphins.
• Walter Walsh (born 1907) was an FBI agent and an Olympic sharpshooter. He was born in Union City.
• Gene Wettstone (1913–2013) was a gymnastics coach, known as the "Dean of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches." He led Pennsylvania State University to nine N.C.A.A. championships and coached the United States men's teams in the 1948 and 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in West Hoboken.
• Frank Winters (born 1964) was a National Football League player (1987–2002) for the Green Bay Packers.

Public Figures and Leaders

• Harold Bell (1919–2009) was the creator of Woodsy Owl, a well-known symbol for environmental conservation. He was born in Union City.
• Norman Cousins (1915–1990) was an author and a strong advocate for peace. He was born in Union City.
• Dominick V. Daniels (1908–1987) represented New Jersey's 14th congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1959–1977.
• Vincent John Dellay (1907–1999) represented New Jersey's 14th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1957–1959. He was born in Union City.
• Rafael Fraguela (born 1955) was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly and also served on the Union City Board of Commissioners.
• Rudy Garcia (born 1964) was a former Assemblyman and Mayor of Union City.
• Anthony Vincent Genovese (born 1932) is an architect who worked in New York and New Jersey.
• Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam (1905–1994) was a respected spiritual leader of the Klausenberg Hasidic dynasty.
• Alicia Menendez (born 1983) is a TV commentator, radio host, and writer. She is the daughter of Senator Bob Menendez.
• Bob Menendez (born 1954) was the Mayor of Union City from 1986 to 1992. He later became a United States Senator.
• William Musto (1917–2006) served as the Mayor of Union City for several terms, from 1962–1970 and from 1974–1982.
• Nick Piantanida (1932–1966) was an amateur skydiver who attempted to break the world parachute jump record.
• Esther Salas is a judge who made history as the first Hispanic woman to serve as a United States magistrate judge and the first Hispanic woman to be appointed a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey.
• Brian P. Stack (born 1966) is an Assemblyman, a New Jersey state senator, and has been the Mayor of Union City since 2000.
• Jules Witcover (born 1927) is an author and political journalist who wrote for many major newspapers.

Images for kids

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  Actor Bobby Cannavale is a multiple Tony Award nominee.

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  Otis Davis is a winner of two gold medals for record-breaking performances in at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

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  In addition to being Union City's Commissioner of Public Affairs, Lucio Fernandez is also an actor, dancer, playwright, and filmmaker.

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  Brian P. Stack has been Mayor of Union City since 2000.