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. – 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

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