Valley Stream is a
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in
Nassau County, on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 40,634 at the time of the 2020 census.
The Incorporated Village of Valley Stream is within the
Town of Hempstead, along the border with
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, and is served by the
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
at the
Valley Stream,
Gibson, and
Westwood stations.
History
In the year 1640, 14 years after the arrival of Dutch colonists in Manhattan (New Amsterdam), the area that is now Valley Stream was purchased by the
Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...
from Rockaway Native Americans (they were a
Lenape
The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada.
The Lenape's historica ...
, or Delaware, band, known by the place where they lived).
With populations concentrated to the west, this woodland area was not developed for the next two centuries. The census of 1840 lists approximately 20 families, most of whom owned large farms. At that time, the northwest section was called "Fosters Meadow". What is now the business section on Rockaway Avenue was called "Rum Junction", because of its taverns. The racy northern section was known as "Cookie Hill", and the section of the northeast that housed the local fertilizer plant was called "Skunks Misery". Hungry Harbor, a section that has retained its name, was home to a squatters' community.
Robert Pagan was born in Scotland on December 3, 1796. In or about the late 1830s, Robert, his wife Ellen, and their children emigrated from Scotland. On the journey to the United States, one of their children died and was buried at sea. The 1840 U.S. Census for Queens County lists Pagan's occupation as a farmer. Two children were born to Robert and Ellen Pagan after they settled in the Town of Hempstead.
At this time, the community did not have a post office, so residents had to pick up their mail in the village of
Hempstead. After Pagan petitioned authorities for a post office, he was appointed postmaster and it was based in his farmhouse, now known as the
Pagan-Fletcher House
Pagan-Fletcher House is a historic home located at Valley Stream in Nassau County, New York. It was built about 1840 and is a two-story, clapboard sided dwelling, five bays wide with a shallow central portico. It has a one-story rear wing with ...
.
He was advised that the community needed a name. Pagan chose "Valley Stream" based on the topographical appearance of the area and because of the
Valley Stream Brook Valley Stream Brook (more commonly known as Valley Stream) is a stream on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States.
Description
Valley Stream Brook runs between Franklin Square and Hook Creek, ultimately emptying into Jamaica ...
, which runs through it.
In 1843, the U.S. Post Office formally accepted the name of Valley Stream. As a consequence, Pagan is credited with naming the community. Pagan died on March 25, 1870.
His wife, Ellen, also played a significant role in early village history. Tired of traveling to
Lynbrook for religious services, she began holding services in her home. A Methodist minister was hired for periodic stops at the Pagan home, and the first congregation in Valley Stream was founded.
In 1853,
Hempstead Turnpike
New York State Route 24 (NY 24) is a east–west state highway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The highway is split into two segments; the longer western section extends from an interchange with Interstate 295 ...
was the only road that connected Valley Stream to
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
and New York City. The main streets in Valley Stream that connected the small village to the turnpike were Mill Road (which is Corona Avenue today) in the west, Sand Street (Central Avenue) in the south, and
Dutch Broadway in the north. That year
Merrick Road
Merrick Road is an east–west urban arterial in Queens, Nassau County, New York, Nassau, and Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk counties in New York (state), New York, United States. It is known as Merrick Boulevard or Floyd H. Flake Boulevard in ...
, a
planked, one-lane road, was constructed through Valley Stream, connecting the village to
Merrick in the east and Jamaica to the west. With the new thoroughfare in the area, Valley Stream residents and industry began to move southward.
In 1869, the
South Side Railroad began stopping in Valley Stream and a branch of the railroad was constructed to connect the main line with the Rockaways. The new branch is now called the
Far Rockaway Branch
The Far Rockaway Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station. From Valley Stream, ...
of the Long Island Railroad.
The new railroad, combined with the emergence of Merrick Road as a major artery, stimulated growth in Valley Stream, and it became a substantial community. Around the start of the 20th century, Hendrickson Park was a prime vacationing destination for people from Brooklyn and Queens. The Valley Stream Hotel opened at the beginning of the 20th century, overlooking the golf course. Many tourists who came to visit wound up moving to Valley Stream. The Village of Valley Stream was incorporated on February 14, 1925, as a result of its growth.
In 1922, developer
William R. Gibson came to Valley Stream after building more than 2,500 houses in Queens. He bought of land on Roosevelt Avenue and built homes on Avondale, Berkeley, Cambridge, Derby, and Elmwood streets. Many descendants of immigrants moved into the area. Five years later, he expanded his development to Cochran Place and Dartmouth Street. Realizing that his development was perfectly designed for white-collar
commuter
Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...
s, he petitioned the Long Island Railroad for a stop. The LIRR agreed to stop in the area if Gibson built the station himself. On May 29, 1929, the Gibson station was opened. Gibson station, as it became known, retains the name of its founder.
On
Pearl Harbor Day in 1970, a thirteen-year-old
Dennis Falcone was struck by a
Ford Falcon
The Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate by Ford Motor Company, Ford that applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford ...
on Mill Road on his way home from school when the driver, to whom the car did not belong, lost control, mounting the sidewalk. According to Falcone, he did not notice the vehicle coming because he was distracted while adjusting his ski cap. The impact, which broke the
fibula
The fibula (: fibulae or fibulas) or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. ...
and
tibia
The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...
in both legs, threw Falcone approximately thirty feet through the air and into a frozen creek. The incident was witnessed by an off-duty police officer, who fished the unconscious boy from the creek. This incident put him in the hospital for seventeen days; he was discharged on
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
and spent the next six months in a wheelchair before the casts were removed and he began receiving physical therapy to return his mobility. The lawsuit was not taken to court until 1973, where a sixteen-year-old Falcone was awarded $20,000 in damages, which he later used as a down payment on his first house.
In 1984, President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
addressed Temple Hillel in Valley Stream at the invitation of Rabbi Morris Friedman, father of Ambassador David Friedman, which was the first time since President
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
a sitting American President addressed a Jewish congregation at their house of worship.
Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the village has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.86%, is water.
Communities bordering Valley Stream are
Elmont (home of
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...
racetrack),
Lynbrook,
Malverne,
Franklin Square,
Hewlett,
Woodmere, and
Rosedale (a neighborhood in
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
).
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 37,511 people, 12,484 households, and 9,600 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 12,688 housing units at an average density of . The racial make up of the village was 57.25%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 18.57%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 11.38%
Asian, 8.97% from other races and 3.47% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino were 22.24% of the population. The median household income was $62,243 and the family income was $72,585.
Median household income for the village was $77,905, and the median income for a family was $84,273.
Males had a median income of $80,094 versus $56,260 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $66,334. About 1.0% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 0.4% of those age 65 or over.
There were 12,484 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The village is home to significant
Italian American
Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...
,
Irish American
Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry.
Irish immigration to the United States
From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...
and
German American
German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry.
According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...
populations, with 31.8% of the population identifying themselves as being of Italian ancestry in the 2000 Census.
Transportation
Road
*
*
Peninsula Boulevard (CR 2)
* Mill Road/Central Avenue
*
Merrick Road
Merrick Road is an east–west urban arterial in Queens, Nassau County, New York, Nassau, and Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk counties in New York (state), New York, United States. It is known as Merrick Boulevard or Floyd H. Flake Boulevard in ...
*
Bus
* n1:
Elmont &
East Rockaway
* n4:
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
&
Freeport
* n2 & n8:
New Hyde Park
New Hyde Park is a village in the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is the anchor community of the Greater New Hyde Park area. The population was 10,257 at the time of the ...
&
Green Acres Mall
Green Acres Mall is an indoor shopping mall located in South Valley Stream, New York, South Valley Stream, New York (state), New York, off Sunrise Highway in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County near the border of New York City and the Incorpo ...
* n25:
Great Neck Plaza &
Lynbrook
* Q5: Jamaica & Green Acres Mall
* Q85:
Locust Manor & Green Acres Mall
* Q111: Jamaica &
South Valley Stream
Rail

* LIRR
Far Rockaway Branch
The Far Rockaway Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station. From Valley Stream, ...
:
Valley Stream,
Gibson.
* LIRR
Long Beach Branch: Valley Stream
* LIRR
West Hempstead Branch:
Valley Stream,
Westwood.
Education
Valley Stream has many separate
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
districts (the Valley Stream 13, 24, and 30 Union Free School Districts) which share the same central high school district: the
Valley Stream CHSD.
In addition, children living in some of the southern portions of the Village are instead zoned to attend the
Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District's schools.
Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District 14
* Franklin Early Childhood Center
* Ogden Elementary School
* Hewlett Elementary School
* Woodmere Middle School
*
George W. Hewlett High School
Valley Stream School Union Free School District #13
* Howell Road Elementary School
* James A. Dever Elementary School (Originally Corona Ave Elementary School)
* Wheeler Avenue Elementary School
* Willow Road Elementary School
Valley Stream Union Free School District #24
* Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School
* Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School
* William L. Buck Elementary School
Valley Stream Union Free School District #30
* Clearstream Avenue Elementary School
* Forest Road Elementary School
* Shaw Avenue Elementary School
Valley Stream Central High School District

*
Valley Stream Central High School
Valley Stream Central High School is a public senior high school (grades 10–12) in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is part of the Valley Stream C ...
*
Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School
*
Valley Stream North High School
*
Valley Stream South High School
* Twilight Alternative Program
Economy
*
Green Acres Mall
Green Acres Mall is an indoor shopping mall located in South Valley Stream, New York, South Valley Stream, New York (state), New York, off Sunrise Highway in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County near the border of New York City and the Incorpo ...
is partially located in Valley Stream.
*
National Amusements
National Amusements, Inc. is an American privately owned movie theater operator and mass media holding company incorporated in Maryland and based in Norwood, Massachusetts. The company owned 69 theaters and 667 screens throughout the United Stat ...
Movie Theater chain started in Valley Stream.
*
Ninety-Nines
The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as The 99s, is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Foun ...
were started in Valley Stream.
*
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, based in Plano, Texas, United States. The original producer of Snapple, a company that was known as Unadulterated Food Products, was founded in 1972. The brand achieved ...
Beverage Co. – and the drink, itself – started in Valley Stream.
Films
Portions of the films
Married to the Mob
''Married to the Mob'' is a 1988 American crime romantic comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, written by Barry Strugatz and Mark R. Burns, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alec Baldwin. P ...
, ''
Goodfellas'', ''
Trees Lounge
''Trees Lounge'' is a 1996 American comedy-drama film and the debut of Steve Buscemi as writer and director. It was produced by Brad Wyman and Chris Hanley and features a large ensemble cast of actors, including Buscemi, Anthony LaPaglia, Chlo ...
'', ''
The Brothers McMullen
''The Brothers McMullen'' is a 1995 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Edward Burns. It deals with the lives of the three Irish Catholic McMullen brothers from Long Island, New York, over three months, as ...
'', ''
The Lords of Flatbush
''The Lords of Flatbush'' (stylized on-screen as ''The Lord's of Flatbush'') is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Perry King, Paul Mace, Henry Winkler, and Su ...
'', ''
Frankenhooker'' and ''
Desperate Endeavors'' were filmed in Valley Stream. Also, Valley Stream is the setting for a section of ''
The Honeymoon Killers
''The Honeymoon Killers'' is a 1970 American crime film written and directed by Leonard Kastle, and starring Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco. Its plot follows an overweight nurse who is seduced by a handsome con man, with whom she embarks on ...
''. The Netflix show
Maniac, and Ed Burns show
Bridge and Tunnel (TV series)
''Bridge and Tunnel'' is an American comedy drama television series written, directed and produced by Edward Burns for Epix. The first season consists of 6 episodes and premiered on January 24, 2021. In July 2021, the series was renewed for a se ...
filmed some scenes in Valley Stream.
Notable people
*
Fred Armisen
Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and writer. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, he co-created and co-starred in the IFC sketch comedy series '' Portlandia''. He also co-created ...
, actor/comedian, raised in Valley Stream
*
Lon Babby, president of the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Andy Dolich, sports executive, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Peter Barton, actor, raised in Valley Stream
*
Bruce Blakeman, politician, lawyer raised in Valley Stream
*
Stephen Boyd, professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player, raised in Valley Stream
*
Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon (born Michael Feldman; April 20, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his role as James Dempsey in the British drama series ''Dempsey and Makepeace'' (1985–1986) and narrating the American dub of the children's televisio ...
, actor, raised in Valley Stream
*
Jason Michael Brescia, director, raised in Valley Stream
*
Edward Burns
Edward Fitzgerald Burns (born January 29, 1968) is an American actor and filmmaker. He rose to fame with '' The Brothers McMullen'' (1995), his low-budget independent film that became successful worldwide. His other film appearances include '' ...
, actor and director, grew up in Valley Stream and continues to film projects there.
*
Brian Burns, actor, raised in Gibson (brother of Edward Burns)
*
Jim Breuer
James Breuer (born June 21, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, and actor. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 1998 and starred in the film ''Half Baked'' (1998).
Career
Breuer was a member of the cast of ''Saturda ...
, actor/comedian, raised in Valley Stream
*
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent Buscemi (,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself. It is not uncommon for people to pronounce his name or instead. ; born December 13, 1957) is an American actor. He is known for his work as an acclaimed character actor. Mul ...
, actor/director, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Eileen Charbonneau
Eileen Charbonneau is a novelist whose books include ''The Connor Emerald'' (2000), ''Rachel LeMoyne'' (1999), ''The Randolph Legacy'' (1998), and ''Waltzing in Ragtime'' (1996). Her books for young people are ''The Ghosts of Stony Clove'' (1988) ...
, novelist, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Patricia Charbonneau
Patricia Charbonneau (born April 19, 1959) is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing the part of Cay Rivvers in '' Desert Hearts'' (1985), her first film role, for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best F ...
, actress, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Carolyn Craig
Carolyn Craig (born Adele Ruth Crago; October 27, 1934 – December 12, 1970) was an American actress who was best known for her performance as Nora Manning in William Castle's 1959 shocker ''House on Haunted Hill''.
Career
Craig gained early ...
, actress, known for ''
House on Haunted Hill
''House on Haunted Hill'' is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle, written by Robb White and starring Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, and Elisha Cook Jr. Price play ...
'' and ''
Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
''. Born in Valley Stream
*
Jordan Dingle (born 2000),
college basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
player for the
Penn Quakers
The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 33 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing.
Sponsored teams
Men's varsit ...
of the
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
.
*
Everlast
Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage names Everlast and Whitey Ford, is an American Rapping, rapper, Singing, singer, and songwriter who was the Lead vocalist, frontman for Hip hop music, hip hop group House of Pain. ...
, singer and rapper, born in Valley Stream
*
Fern Fitzgerald, actress. born in Valley Stream
*
Jeffrey M. Friedman
Jeffrey M. Friedman (born July 20, 1954) is a molecular geneticist at New York City's Rockefeller University and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His discovery of the hormone leptin and its role in regulating body weight ha ...
, scientist, discoverer of
Leptin
Leptin (from Ancient Greek, Greek λεπτός ''leptos'', "thin" or "light" or "small"), also known as obese protein, is a protein hormone predominantly made by adipocytes (cells of adipose tissue). Its primary role is likely to regulate long ...
, raised in Valley Stream
*
Mary Gordon, author, lived as a youth and attended elementary school in Valley Stream
*
Tom Gorman, baseball player. Resident of Valley Stream at time of his death
*
Gene Gotti, mobster and brother of former
Gambino Crime Family
The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. ...
Boss
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 ( , ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American '' mafioso'' and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambin ...
, lived in Valley Stream
* Marc Herschmann, comedian and co-host of the ''Herschy and the Keegs Show Podcast'', born and raised in Valley Stream
*
Henry Hill
Henry Hill Jr. (June 11, 1943 – June 12, 2012) was an American mobster who was associated with the Lucchese crime family of New York City from 1955 until 1980, when he was arrested on narcotics charges and became an FBI informant. Hill testi ...
, former mob associate with the
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey, within the nationwide c ...
, whose life in the mob was documented in the book ''
Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family'' by
Nicholas Pileggi
Nicholas Pileggi (, ; born February 22, 1933) is an American author and screenwriter. He wrote the 1985 non-fiction book ''Wiseguy (book), Wiseguy'' and co-wrote the screenplay for ''Goodfellas'', its 1990 film adaptation, for which he received ...
, which was later adopted into the
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
film ''
Goodfellas'', lived in Valley Stream.
*
Steve Hytner, actor, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Al Iaquinta
Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional ...
, fighter on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', grew up in Valley Stream
*
George E. Killian, president of FISU, born and raised in Valley Stream
*
Esther Jungreis
Esther Jungreis (April 27, 1936 – August 23, 2016, 19 Menachem Av, 5776) was a Jewish, Hungarian-born, American author, and public speaker. She was the founder of the international Hineni organization in the United States. A Holocaust survivor ...
, founder of
Hineni
Esther Jungreis (April 27, 1936 – August 23, 2016, 19 Menachem Av, 5776) was a Jewish, Hungarian-born, American author, and public speaker. She was the founder of the international #Hineni, Hineni organization in the United States. A Holocaust ...
, lived in Valley Stream
*
Wendy Kaufman
Wendy Kaufman is an American television personality, known for being the spokesperson for Snapple and for her two stints on ''Celebrity Fit Club''.
Early life and education
Kaufman was born in North Woodmere, New York, to a homemaking mother an ...
aka The Snapple Lady, spokesperson for Snapple, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
lived on the west side of Valley Stream before becoming famous.
*
Larry Miller, comedian and actor, grew up in Valley Stream
*
Leslie Moonves
Leslie Roy Moonves (; born October 6, 1949) is an American media executive who was the chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation from 2006 until his resignation in September 2018 following numerous allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and ...
, Former president of
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, grew up in Valley Stream
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Deborah Oppenheimer Academy Award-winning film and television producer, grew up in Valley Stream
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Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from t ...
lived in North Valley Stream.
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Steve Orich, Tony-nominated orchestrator, grew up in Valley Stream
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Orio Palmer
Orio Joseph Palmer (March 2, 1956 – September 11, 2001) was a Battalion Chief of the New York City Fire Department who died while rescuing civilians trapped inside the World Trade Center (1973–2001), World Trade Center on September 11 attacks, ...
, fireman who died while rescuing World Trade Center occupants on 9/11
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Naomi Osaka
is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association, WTA for 25 weeks, the first Asian player to hold the ...
, professional tennis player, grew up in Valley Stream
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Ralph Penza, TV news correspondent, grew up in Valley Stream
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Edward Renehan, writer, grew up in Valley Stream
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Owen Roizman
Owen Roizman (September 22, 1936 – January 6, 2023) was an American cinematographer, nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
He served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ...
, Oscar-winning cinematographer, grew up in Valley Stream
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Matt Rubano, bassist for
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Amityville, New York, formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in late 1999. The band's current members are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, voc ...
, born in Valley Stream
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Adam Schefter
Adam Schefter (born December 21, 1966) is an American sports writer and reporter. After graduating from University of Michigan and Northwestern University with degrees in journalism, Schefter wrote for several newspapers, including ''The Denver ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
reporter for
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
, grew up in Valley Stream
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Shaggy, reggae singer, lives in Valley Stream
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Greg Smith, bassist/vocalist for
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He goes by several nicknames, including Uncle Ted, the Nuge, and Motor City Madman. Nugent initially gained fame as the le ...
,
Alice Cooper
Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
, and
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
, grew up in Valley Stream
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Robin Wilson, lead singer for the
Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona. They rose to prominence following the 1992 release of their first major label album, '' New Miserable Experience'', and the first single released from that al ...
, lives in Valley Stream
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Douglas Yeo (born 1955),
bass trombonistBiography
YeoDoug.com. Accessed March 28, 2023. "Bass Trombonist Douglas Yeo was born in Monterey, California and grew up in Queens and Valley Stream, New York (where he began playing the trombone at the age of nine in the Hewlett-Woodmere school system), and Oak Ridge, New Jersey (where he graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1973)."
References
External links
Valley Stream official website
Henry Waldinger Memorial Library
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Villages in New York (state)
Villages in Nassau County, New York