25 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were From Niagara Falls, New York

Aerial view of Niagara Falls, New York, and the Niagara River. Photo by James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com.

World-renowned as one of the great natural wonders of the planet, Niagara Falls is synonymous with thunderous cataracts, honeymoon tourism, and early hydroelectric ingenuity. But beyond the observation decks and river gorges of Niagara County, the city of Niagara Falls, New York, has served as the hometown and creative launching pad for a remarkable roster of talent.

Every person on this list has a direct Niagara Falls connection through birth, upbringing, or local schooling. Spanning Hollywood, professional sports, music, art, science, journalism, public service, and the military, these 25 people all have genuine roots in Niagara Falls, New York.

1. Sal Maglie

• Niagara Falls Roots: Sal Maglie was born in Niagara Falls in 1917, attended Niagara Falls High School, and later attended Niagara University. He returned to his hometown after his playing career, and Niagara Falls’ Sal Maglie Stadium was named in his honor.
• Claim to Fame: Nicknamed “Sal the Barber” for his reputation for pitching inside, Maglie became one of the National League’s leading pitchers of the early 1950s. He was a two-time All-Star, helped the New York Giants win the 1954 World Series, threw a no-hitter for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, and also pitched for the New York Yankees.

2. Franchot Tone

• Niagara Falls Roots: Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone was born in Niagara Falls in 1905 and spent his early years in the city before attending Cornell University.
• Claim to Fame: Tone became a major stage and screen actor and a member of Broadway’s Group Theatre. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Mutiny on the Bounty in 1935 and appeared in dozens of films during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

3. Rashad Evans

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born and raised in Niagara Falls; graduated from Niagara-Wheatfield High School, where he was a standout two-way football player and a two-time All-State wrestler. He began his collegiate wrestling career at Niagara County Community College before transferring to Michigan State.
• Claim to Fame: Mixed martial artist and UFC legend. Evans won the heavyweight tournament on Season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter and went on to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2008 by knocking out Forrest Griffin. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019.

4. Jonny Flynn

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born and raised in Niagara Falls; led Niagara Falls High School to the 2005 New York State Class AA and Federation basketball championships, earning New York State “Mr. Basketball” honors in 2007.
• Claim to Fame: Point guard who starred at Syracuse University, earning Big East Tournament MVP honors in 2009 after leading the Orange through an epic six-overtime thriller against UConn. Flynn was selected sixth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

5. James Starks

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born and raised in Niagara Falls; was a three-sport standout at Niagara Falls High School (football, track, and basketball), helping lead the school to the 2005 state basketball title before setting the all-time Division I-A rushing record at the University at Buffalo.
• Claim to Fame: NFL running back for the Green Bay Packers (2010–2016). Starks served as a breakout postseason weapon as a rookie, leading all rushers in Super Bowl XLV with 52 yards to help the Packers capture the world championship over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

6. Tommy Tedesco

• Niagara Falls Roots: Tommy Tedesco was born in Niagara Falls in 1930 and developed his skills as a guitarist before relocating to Los Angeles and becoming a full-time studio musician.
• Claim to Fame: Tedesco became one of the most prolific session guitarists in American recording history and a member of the group of Los Angeles studio musicians later known as the Wrecking Crew. He performed on countless pop recordings, film scores, and television soundtracks during a career that stretched across several decades.

7. Charles Cyphers

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born in Niagara Falls in 1939; spent his youth in the region before studying theater at Los Angeles City College and Cal State Los Angeles.
• Claim to Fame: Prolific character actor forever beloved in horror cinema for his collaborations with director John Carpenter. Cyphers starred as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the seminal horror classic Halloween (1978), reprising the role in Halloween II (1981) and Halloween Kills (2021), alongside memorable performances in Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, and Escape from New York.

8. Mark Bridges

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born and raised in Niagara Falls; attended local schools before earning his theater degree from Stony Brook University and an MFA in costume design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
• Claim to Fame: Two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer. Bridges won Oscars for Best Costume Design for the silent-film homage The Artist (2011) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread (2017), alongside Oscar-nominated designs for Inherent Vice and Joker (2019).

9. Benny Bengough

• Niagara Falls Roots: Bernard Oliver Bengough was born in Niagara Falls in 1898 and attended Niagara University before beginning his professional baseball career.
• Claim to Fame: Bengough played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher for the New York Yankees. He appeared in the 1927 and 1928 World Series and later spent many years as a major-league coach.

10. Rick Manning

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born and raised in Niagara Falls; starred at LaSalle High School, where he was drafted in the first round (second overall) of the 1972 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians.
• Claim to Fame: Major League Baseball center fielder who played 13 seasons for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers (1975–1987). Manning won an AL Gold Glove Award in 1976 and caught the final out of Len Barker’s 1981 perfect game. He has served for over three decades as the television color analyst for Cleveland Guardians broadcasts.

11. Barbara Frum

• Niagara Falls Roots: Barbara Rosberg Frum was born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1937. She grew up across the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
• Claim to Fame: Frum became one of Canada’s most respected broadcast journalists. She gained national recognition through CBC Radio’s As It Happens and later hosted CBC Television’s The Journal. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

12. Pat E. Johnson

• Niagara Falls Roots: Pat E. Johnson was born in Niagara Falls in 1939 and returned to the city after military service, where he opened a martial arts school before eventually relocating to California.
• Claim to Fame: Johnson became a respected martial artist, instructor, stunt performer, and fight choreographer. He helped shape the tournament choreography in the 1984 film The Karate Kid and appeared on screen as the referee in the All Valley tournament.

13. John P. Bobo

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born in Niagara Falls in 1943; attended Our Lady of Lebanon Grammar School, Bishop Duffy High School, and graduated from Niagara University in 1965 before commissioning in the U.S. Marine Corps.
• Claim to Fame: U.S. Marine Corps Second Lieutenant posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic action in the Vietnam War. On March 30, 1967, during an intense enemy ambush in Quang Tri province, Bobo’s lower right leg was severed by a mortar. He refused evacuation, jammed his severed leg into the dirt to staunch the bleeding, and delivered cover fire with his rifle, allowing his outnumbered platoon to reach safety.

14. Julie Gregg

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born Beverly Scalzo in Niagara Falls in 1937; grew up in the city before moving west to study dramatic arts.
• Claim to Fame: Tony Award-nominated stage and screen actress. Gregg is best recognized for portraying Sandra Corleone (the wife of Sonny Corleone, played by James Caan) in Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic masterpiece The Godfather (1972), alongside extensive prime-time television roles in Batman, Bonanza, and Falcon Crest.

15. Rachael Lillis

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born in Niagara Falls in 1969; attended local schools before studying acting in Boston and New York City.
• Claim to Fame: Prolific voice actress who defined childhood memories for millions of anime fans. Lillis provided the original English dub voices for Misty, Jessie (of Team Rocket), and Jigglypuff in the foundational seasons of the global sensation Pokémon, voicing the characters across hundreds of television episodes and theatrical films.

16. Chaz Guest

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born in Niagara Falls in 1961 into a large local family, living in the city through his youth before attending Southern Connecticut State University.
• Claim to Fame: Renowned contemporary painter and sculptor whose work explores African American history, spirituality, and heroism through his signature sumi ink and oil techniques. Guest created the fictional graphic-hero “Buffalo Warrior,” and his acclaimed portraits have been acquired for the White House and international museum collections.

17. Scotty Kilmer

• Niagara Falls Roots: Scott Michael Kilmer was born in Niagara Falls in 1953 and learned automotive repair while growing up before pursuing additional education and professional work.
• Claim to Fame: Kilmer became an automotive mechanic, author, and online media personality known for practical car-repair and used-car advice. His long-running YouTube channel built a large international audience.

18. Paul Harris

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born and raised in Niagara Falls; starred at Niagara Falls High School, leading the team to the 2005 New York State Class AA Championship alongside Jonny Flynn and James Starks, being named tournament MVP.
• Claim to Fame: High-energy collegiate and professional basketball forward. At Syracuse University (2006–2009), Harris was a bruising rebounder and scorer who earned All-Big East honors and played 56 minutes in Syracuse’s historic six-overtime win over UConn, before enjoying a successful international professional career.

19. Glen Benton

• Niagara Falls Roots: Glen Benton was born in Niagara Falls in 1967 before eventually moving to Florida, where his professional music career developed.
• Claim to Fame: Benton became the bassist and lead vocalist of Deicide, one of the prominent American death metal bands to emerge from Florida in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band’s albums include Deicide, Legion, and Once Upon the Cross.

20. John Gabriel

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born Jack Monkarsh in Niagara Falls in 1931 to immigrant parents; raised in the city before beginning his acting career.
• Claim to Fame: Television actor, singer, and producer. Gabriel was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Dr. Seneca Beaulac on the long-running ABC daytime drama Ryan’s Hope (1975–1989), and made frequent appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (as sportscaster Andy Rivers), Seinfeld, and Broadway.

21. Nino Tempo

• Niagara Falls Roots: Nino Tempo, born Antonino LoTempio, was born in Niagara Falls in 1935 and showed unusual musical ability while still a young child before his family later moved to California.
• Claim to Fame: Tempo became a singer, saxophonist, clarinetist, actor, and session musician. With his sister April Stevens, he recorded the No. 1 hit “Deep Purple,” which won the Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording. He also worked extensively as a studio musician during a career that lasted for decades.

22. Richard D. Simons

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born in Niagara Falls in 1927; graduated from local schools before attending Colgate University and the University of Michigan Law School.
• Claim to Fame: Prominent jurist who served on the New York Court of Appeals from 1983 to 1997. Appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo, Simons served as Acting Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals (1992–1993) following the resignation of Sol Wachtler, guiding New York’s highest court through a major institutional transition.

23. David Knight

• Niagara Falls Roots: Born David Stephen Mintz in Niagara Falls in 1928; educated in local schools and Syracuse University before studying drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
• Claim to Fame: Stage and screen leading man who achieved major theatrical fame in the United Kingdom. Knight starred opposite Dirk Bogarde in The Young Lovers (1954), starred in the classic comedy On Such a Night (1956), and headlined long-running West End theatrical productions in London.

24. Robert Cooley Elderfield

• Niagara Falls Roots: Robert Cooley Elderfield was born in Niagara Falls in 1904 and grew up in a local family before pursuing advanced scientific training.
• Claim to Fame: Elderfield became a prominent organic chemist and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1949. His research included important work on antimalarial compounds, and he served as editor and author of the nine-volume scientific reference work Heterocyclic Compounds.

25. Thomas Vincent Welch

• Niagara Falls Roots: Thomas Vincent Welch was born in Camillus, New York, in 1850 but moved to the Niagara Falls area as a child. He was educated in Niagara Falls public schools and became deeply involved in the civic life of the growing community.
• Claim to Fame: Welch served in the New York State Assembly and became a prominent figure in the effort to preserve public access to Niagara Falls. After the Niagara Reservation was created in 1885, he became its first superintendent and served in that position for 18 years.

Quick Reference: 25 Famous People From Niagara Falls, New York

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