Important Monessen People Past and Present
Anfinsen, Christian – Awarded Nobel Prize
Belichick, Steve – Professional football player
Benjamin, Tony — Professional football player
Bradburn, Melanie Monaghan – CBS radio personality
Bright, Michael – Pres. and CEO of Newark YMCA and on national board
Broadhurst, Suzy Williams – Owner of Eat N Park Restaurant chain
Burkhart, John W. – Major General
Caruso, Gary – Judge in Westmoreland Court of Common Pleas
Celli, Mario –artist and noted architect
Celli, Raymond – artist and noted architect
Chatlak, John – Ranked in top 20 U.S. Middle States Tennis Assoc.
Coolio (Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) — Rapper
Crabtree, Eric – Professional football player
Crusan, Doug – Professional football player
D’Alfonso, Edward V. – Conductor of the Tactical Air Force Band
Dailey, Mary Ann R. (D’Altorio) – Republican member of the PA House of Representatives
Dawkins, Julius – Professional football player
Derickson, Col. Charles M. – Monessen Postmaster, who was bodyguard of Abraham Lincoln.
Donner, William Henry – Industrialist and philanthropist
Duncan, Edgar Newton — first African Amer. assistant surgeon general in U.S. Public Health Service
Dzurinko, Andy – author, speaker and health and fitness advocate
Elenitsas, Dr. Rosalie – Medical author
Essey, Basil – Bishop of Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese N. A.
Filipowski, Edwin — President of KCD, a New York public relations and event production firm.
Frketich, Leonard – Professional football player
Ganassi, Chip – NASCAR Team Owner
Gaspich, Peter – Band leader
Giannini, Cheryl – Actress
Giannini, Joann – International gymnastics coach
Gladys, Eugene – Professional football player
Harhai, Ted – PA House of Representatives
Havrilak, Sam – Professional football player
Heath, Jo Jo – Professional football player
Heinrich, Tom (Old Reliable) – Played for Monessen Indians and NY Yankees.
Herron, James Pat – College football coach
Hester, John – Judge
Hunter-Cevera, Dr. Jennie – Pres. of U.S. Federation of Culture Collections and Society for Industrial Microbiology
Husher, John D. – Philanthropist and inventor
Johnston, Peggy – Director of AIDS Vaccine Research at Nat. Institute of Health
Kafkalis, Nicholas – Major General
Kieifer, Jack and Jules Pancook — Pancook and Kiefer Vaudeville team
Knox, Philander C. – U.S. Senator, Attorney General and Secretary of State
Lebowitz, Harry – “Pittsburgh Kid”, billiards
Lexie, Albert – Philanthropist
Lombardo, Frank (Frankie Barr) – Orchestra leader
Malinchak, Bill – Professional football player
Malinchak, James – Public speaker and businessman
Manderino, James J. – Speaker of the PA House of Representatives
Manderino, Kathy – PA House of Representatives
Manderino, Louis L. – PA Supreme Court
Maskas, John – Professional football player
Maxwell, Dr. Hubert J. – PA House of Representatives
McDormand, Frances – Oscar winning actress
McKee, H. Sellers — Banker, glassmaker and advocate of use of natural gas in manufacturing.
Mier, Harry J, Jr. – Major General
Mihalich, Gilfert M. – President judge
Mihalich, Herman – PA House of Representatives
Moorer, Michael – World Heavyweight boxing champion
Nesti, Donald Silvio – Catholic priest who became 10th pres. of Duquesne Univ.
Niccolai, Armand – Professional football player
Nicksich, George – Professional football player
Parente, Hugo – Monessen mayor and political boss in West. County.
Pasquale, Joseph Federico — Mathematician and head of U. S. Patent Office
Persico, Lawrence Thomas – 10th Bishop of Erie, PA
Picciarelli, Pat – Novelist
Popovich, John (Mad Russian) – Professional football player
Reed, James H. – U.S. Federal judge and founder of Reed Smith Law Firm
Sanft, Donna DeMarino – First female athletic director at Pitt
Savini, Tom – Makeup artist
Schoonmaker, James M. – Civil War Medal of Honor recipient and head of P&LE
Schuck, Carey L. – PA House of Representatives
Sheetz, Albert – Hotel owner and candy stores (Mission Candy)
Shire, Joel — Hollywood talent agent
Sinchak, Michael – National Vice Pres. of the Slovak League in America
Sparacino, Jimmy S. (Sputzy Sparacino) — Singer/Musician
Staskiewicz, Bernard Alexander – Research leader in converting trees to cellulose and then cellulose to rayon
Tegnelia, James-PhD in Physics and Acting Director of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Thebom, Blanche – Mezzo-soprano opera singer
Urchick, Stephanie A. – 2024-2025 Rotary International President
Vasquez, Sammy – Professional Boxer
Visca, Norman – Promoter and Organizer of “Monessen West” reunions.
Weiss, David H. – President Judge for 10th Judicial Dist. (West. County)
Wicker, Veronica DiCarlo – Judge of U.S. District Court for Eastern Dist. Louisiana
Wilen, Abe – Aviator of WWII, who flew with Jimmy Stewart’s unit.
Winfield, Charles (Sonny) – Musician with Blood, Sweat and Tears
Wojtkowski, Evelyn M. – Entertainer
Wright, Jessica – Major General
Yakovac, Joe – Brigadier General
Zoretich, Steve – Musician