Rockville Centre, commonly abbreviated as RVC, is an incorporated

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 ...

located in the

Town of Hempstead The Town of Hempstead is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) on Long Island, in New York, United States. The town's combined population was 793,409 at the 2020 census. It occupies the so ...

in Nassau County, on the South Shore of

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 was 26,016 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

The site of Rockville Centre has been occupied by humans for thousands of years. Generally speaking, the people of the prehistoric Woodlands period East River culture are believed to have been the Algonkian-speaking ancestors of the historical Indian tribes of western Long Island. The historical territory of their

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 ...

descendants, the Canarsie, Recouwacky (Rockaway), Matinecock and Massapequa, included present-day western Long Island's Queens and Nassau Counties. By the year 1643, there were roughly thirteen Algonquin bands (then referred to as tribes) living east of the Dutch-English settlements: the four or so

chieftaincies in western Long Island, and

Metoac Metoac is an erroneous term used by some to group together the Munsee-speaking Lenape (west), Quiripi-speaking Unquachog (center) and Pequot-speaking Montaukett (east) American Indians on what is now Long Island in New York state. The ter ...

descendants of the prehistoric Woodlands period Windsor culture living on eastern Long Island, considered by some to be branches of the

Pequot The Pequot ( ) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of Connecticut. The modern Pequot are members of the federally recognized Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, four other state-recognized groups in Connecticut includin ...

: Merrick, Nissequoge, Secatoag, Seatauket, Patchoag, Poosepatuck (also called Uncachogee), Corchaug, Shinnecock, Manhansett (also called Manhasset), and Montaukett. Imported diseases had decimated the natives in 16th century. While disease was still a major factor during the decades of the 17th century, native mortality in western Long Island due to disease was similar to that of the settlers. Most

were pushed out of their homeland by expanding European colonies; the colonies received many emigrants while the

Munsee The Munsee () are a subtribe and one of the three divisions of the Lenape. Historically, they lived along the upper portion of the Delaware River, the Minisink, and the adjacent country in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. They were prom ...

-speaking Indian communities did not. Their dire situation was exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts. The Reckouakie tribe (the Reckonhacky chieftaincy) had left their original land in present-day Rockaway and its surroundings in Queens County to Dutch Governor Kieft in 1640 because he wanted it for better defense of New Netherlands. Most settled to the east in what was to become Rockville Centre on the traditional land of the Matinecock (or of the Massapequa), with whom they had ties of kinship. Dutch and English settlers declared the 1639 treaty meant no Indians would remain in western Long Island (so they could sell it to emigrants), in contrast to the exact terms of the treaty which meant the Native Americans were willing to share the

usufruct Usufruct () is a limited real right (or ''in rem'' right) found in civil law and mixed jurisdictions that unites the two property interests of ''usus'' and ''fructus'': * ''Usus'' (''use'', as in usage of or access to) is the right to use or en ...

of unoccupied land, with the Dutch leadership having

eminent domain Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...

superior to their

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Alg ...

's eminent domain. This led to many conflicts, then four years of open warfare. The Reckonhacky / Rockaway were party to a peace treaty dated May 24, 1645, following the devastation of Indian communities by Dutch soldiers. Violent expropriation dislocated them with the arrival of additional Dutch and English settlers. The hamlet was named "Rockville Centre" in 1849, after local Methodist preacher and community leader Mordecai "Rock" Smith. It was incorporated as a village in 1893. Rockville Centre emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as a

commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

connected to New York 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 ...

(LIRR). In 1915, the ''New York Tribune'' went so far as to declare that Rockville Centre was a place in which "the average mortal could live happily." Like many Long Island communities at the time, Rockville Centre's population included a considerable number of supporters of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

during the 1920s. When the white supremacist organization placed a wreath at the town's memorial to its war dead in 1923, the American Legion removed it in protest, but the village police received so many calls of complaint in response that they were forced to replace the wreath. In the late 1960s, the village of Rockville Centre received a stinging rebuke for its failure to maintain public housing units primarily inhabited by African-Americans. A report from Nassau County's Human Rights Commission stated Rockville Centre was "at best indifferent to, if not actually in favor of, Negro removal." Martin Luther King Jr. visited Rockville Centre in 1968, where he addressed a large audience at South Side Junior High School on March 26, 1968. In the early 1940s, Rockville Centre

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

the Mercy Medical Center property; the annexation saw the village's total area expand by . On February 17, 1950, two LIRR trains collided near

Rockville Centre station Rockville Centre is a station along the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in Rockville Centre, Nassau County, New York. It is officially located at North Village Avenue and Front Street, north of Sunrise Highway (NY 27) – but the ...

, killing 32 and injuring more than 80. The Rockville Centre Post Office was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1989.

Demographics

2000 census

At the time 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 2000, there were 24,568 people living in the village, 9,201 households and 6,468 families. The population density was . There were 9,419 housing units at an average density of ; ,. The racial makeup of the village was 84.3%

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 ...

, 9.8%

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 ...

, 7.8%

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race, 1.5% Asian, 0.08% Native American, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 3.0% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. There were 9,201 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.25. The population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 women there were 87.9 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 81.9 men. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $99,299, and the median income for a family was $128,579. Males had a median income of $70,149 versus $43,800 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $40,739. 5.0% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. Out of the total population, 7.0% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

2010 census

At the time of the

of 2010, there were 24,111 people living in the village, 9,201 households and 6,468 families. The population density was . There were 9,419 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 78.3% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 9.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0% Asian alone, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.1% Some Other Race, and 1.2% Two or More Races. There were 10,002 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 32.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.28. The population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 women there were 87.9 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 81.9 men.

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 2.38% – is water.

Education

Rockville Centre students attend the

Rockville Centre Union Free School District Rockville Centre Union Free School District is a school district headquartered in the William H. Johnson Administration Building on the campus of South Side High School (Rockville Centre, New York), South Side High School in Rockville Centre, New ...

, the Oceanside UFSD, and the Baldwin UFSD. The Rockville Centre Union Free School District has five public elementary schools
The Watson SchoolThe Covert SchoolThe Wilson SchoolThe Hewitt School
an
The Riverside School
In addition to the elementary schools, Rockville Centre also consists o
South Side Middle School
and South Side High School. The district extends beyond Rockville Centre's borders, including part of

South Hempstead South Hempstead is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 3,406 at the time ...

, and Hempstead. Covert Elementary School is located in South Hempstead. Part of Rockville Centre is located in the Oceanside school district and a part in the Baldwin School District. According to www.schooldigger.com, South Side High School ranks 116th out of 752 schools in New York state. This is based on actual test scores. In 2012, South Side High School was ranked #22 by ''U.S. News & World Report''
Best High Schools
and #2 in the state of New York. It has also consistently rated in ''Newsweek''
The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. Schools
#42 in 2008, #44 in 2007, #32 in 2006, #45 in 2005 and #65 in 2003. Approximately 20 percent of the residents of the Village of Rockville Centre live in the Oceanside Union Free School District. Rockville Centre students attend Oceanside School #2 and Oceanside School #5 as well as the Oceanside Middle School and Oceanside High School and some live in the Baldwin School District attending Plaza Elementary School, Baldwin Middle School, and Baldwin High School in Baldwin, New York. Rockville Centre has one private K–8 Catholic day school, The Saint Agnes Cathedral School
The Saint Agnes Cathedral School
occupies a single campus. The Saint Agnes Cathedral School provides day school education for kindergarten through eighth grade for families across Nassau County. The Saint Agnes Cathedral School's upper school (9–12), though now defunct, shared the complex at one time. The school is widely regarded for their consistently high-rated academic program among Long Island private schools, as well as their diverse secondary school placement.

Notable people

Notable current and former residents of Rockville Centre include: Sandy Koufax

* Kevin Anderson (born 1971), soccer player and coach *

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...

(1916–1997), jockey who was inducted into the horse racing Hall of Fame. *

Dave Attell David Attell (born January 18, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer best known as the host of Comedy Central's '' Insomniac with Dave Attell.'' Early life Attell was born in the New York City borough of Queens to a Jewish fa ...

(born 1965), comedian. *

Pete Axthelm Pete Axthelm (August 27, 1943 – February 2, 1991) was a sportswriter and columnist for the ''New York Herald Tribune'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ''Newsweek'' and its '' Inside Sports''. During the 1980s, his knowledge of sports and journalisti ...

(1943–1991), sportswriter, columnist and TV commentator. * Gina Naomi Baez, actress. *

Sy Berger Seymour Perry Berger (July 12, 1923 – December 14, 2014) was an employee of the Topps company for over 50 years. He is credited as being the co-designer of the 1952 Topps baseball series, as is regarded as "the father of modern baseball cards". ...

(1923–2014), baseball card designer with

Topps The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures trading cards and other collectibles. Formerly based in New York City, Topps is best known as a leading producer of Baseball card, baseball and other sports and Non-sports tradi ...

* Tommy Bianco (born 1952), third baseman who played for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. *

John Byner John Byner (né Biener; born June 28, 1938) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and film career. His voice work includes the cartoon series '' The Ant and the Aardvark'', in which the title characte ...

(born 1938),

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

, comedian and actor. *

John F. Carew John Francis Carew (April 16, 1873 – April 10, 1951) was an American lawyer and politician who served eight terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1913 to 1929. He was a nephew of Thomas Francis Magner. Biography Born in Williams ...

(1873–1951), politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1913–1929. *

Brian Cashman Brian McGuire Cashman (born July 3, 1967) is an American baseball executive for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has served as the general manager and senior vice president of the Yankees since 1998. During Cashman's tenure ...

(born 1967), general manager of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. * Max Caster, professional wrestler for

All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...

(AEW) *

Kevin Connors Kevin Connors is a sports television journalist for ESPN. He is among the most versatile studio hosts in sports television, handling ESPN's coverage of college basketball and college football, as well as serving as the primary host for Baseball ...

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 ...

anchor. *

Ted Demme Edward Kern Demme ( ; October 26, 1963 – January 13, 2002) was an American director, producer, and actor. Early life Demme was born in New York City, the son of Gail (née Kern) and Frederick Rogers Demme. He grew up in Rockville Centre, New Y ...

(1963–2002), film director and producer. *

Thomas DiNapoli Thomas Peter DiNapoli (born February 10, 1954) is an American politician serving as the 54th and current New York State Comptroller since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was appointed by a bipartisan m ...

. New York State Comptroller *

Billy Donovan William John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before moving to the NBA, he served as the head ...

(born 1965), head coach, Chicago Bulls, NBA. *

Crystal Dunn Crystal Alyssia Soubrier (; born July 3, 1992) is an American professional soccer player for Première Ligue club Paris Saint-Germain and the United States national team. A versatile player, she primarily plays as an attacking midfielder or ...

(born 1992), association football forward, U.S. Women's National Team. *

Martin Feldstein Martin Stuart Feldstein ( ; November 25, 1939 – June 11, 2019) was an American economist. He was the George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the president emeritus of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He s ...

(1935–2019) Chief of Economic Advisors to Ronald Reagan. *

Joseph Fins Joseph J. Fins, M.D., D. Hum. Litt., M.A.C.P., F.R.C.P. (born 1959) is an American physician and medical ethicist. He is chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, where he serves a ...

(1959–), physician and medical ethicist. *

Bethenny Frankel Bethenny Frankel, also known as Bethenny Parisella, (born November 4, 1970) is an American entrepreneur, television personality, philanthropist, and author. She was the runner-up on the NBC reality competition series '' The Apprentice: Martha S ...

(1970–), entrepreneur. *

Joel Gallen Joel Gallen is an American director and producer. He is the founder of Tenth Planet Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company. In addition to the 2025 concert '' Fire Aid,'' which raised $100 million for wildfire relief in Los Angeles ...

, television and film director/producer, and president of Tenth Planet Productions. * Joe Gannascoli, actor,

Vito Spatafore This is a list of characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Soprano Jennifer Melfi Carmela Soprano Christopher Moltisanti ...

on ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

'' *

Doris Kearns Goodwin Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin (born January 4, 1943) is an American biographer, historian, former sports journalism, sports journalist, and political commentator. She has written biographies of numerous U.S. presidents. Goodwin's book ''No Ordinary ...

, author, historian, TV news analyst, 1995 Pulitzer Prize winner for history. *

Seth Grahame-Smith Seth Grahame-Smith (born Seth Jared Greenberg; January 4, 1976) is an American writer and film producer, best known as the author of ''The New York Times'' best-selling novels '' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' and '' Abraham Lincoln, Vampire ...

, writer and film producer. * Judy Griffin, New York State Assemblywoman, currently lives in Rockville Centre *

Milton Gross Milton Gross (February 13, 1912 – May 9, 1973) was an American sportswriter and author who wrote a nationally syndicated column for the ''New York Post''. He previously worked as the beat reporter for the New York Yankees and wrote a number o ...

, Syndicated sports columnist for the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

''. (1912–1973) *

Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for ''The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...

(1933–2005), theater critic for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. *

Amy Hargreaves Amy Hargreaves (born January 27, 1970) is an American actress who has worked in film, television, video games and theater. She had a recurring role on ''Homeland'' as Maggie Mathison. In 1994, she starred in ''Brainscan'' with Edward Furlong. I ...

, actress. * John D. Hawke Jr. (1933–2022), former United States Comptroller of the Currency * Jim Hayes (1948–2009), all-time Boston University basketball scoring average leader. *

Joseph A. Healey Joseph A. Healey (31 March 1930 – 6 December 2005) was a business executive and military officer from New York. A longtime member of the New York Army National Guard, he attained the rank of major general as commander of the 42nd Infantry Divi ...

(1930–2005), US Army major general *

Joey Heatherton Davenie Johanna "Joey" Heatherton (born September 14, 1944) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. A sex symbol of the 1960s and 1970s, she is best known for her many television appearances during that time. Heatherton was a frequent variet ...

(1944–), actress and entertainer. *

Ray Heatherton Ray Heatherton (June 1, 1909 – August 15, 1997) was an American singer, Broadway musical theatre performer, and a New York City television personality in the early days of the medium. Early career Ray Heatherton was born in the New York C ...

(1909–1997), actor. *

John E. Herbst John Edward Herbst (born August 12, 1952) is a retired American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2000 to 2003 and United States Ambassador to Ukraine from September 2003 to May 2006. Education Herbst received a ...

(1959–), ambassador. *

Art Heyman Arthur Bruce Heyman (June 24, 1941 – August 27, 2012) was an American professional basketball player. Playing for Duke University in college, in 1963 he was USBWA Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, UPI Player of the Year, ''Sporting ...

(1941–2012), basketball player, All-American at Duke University. *

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 ...

(1943–2012), mob informant. *

Donald Holder Donald Holder is an American lighting designer in theatre, opera and dance based in New York. He was born in 1962. He has been nominated for fourteen Tony Awards, winning the 1998 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design as well as the Drama Desk Aw ...

, stage lighting designer. *

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Idol achieved fame in the 1970s on the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of Generation X ...

, musician *

Dean Kamen Dean Lawrence Kamen (; born April 5, 1951) is an American engineer, inventor, and businessman. He is known for his invention of the Segway PT, Segway and iBOT, as well as founding the non-profit organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Sc ...

(1951–), Segway Human Transporter inventor. *

Kerry Keating Kerry Keating (born July 15, 1971) is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Santa Clara University. Early life and college education Keating was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and grew up in Rock ...

, head coach,

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private university, private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university' ...

Broncos, former UCLA assistant coach. *

Kevin Kelton Kevin Kelton is an American author and television writer-producer whose credits include ''Night Court'', ''Boy Meets World'' and other network series. Kelton is the younger brother of the comedian Bobby Kelton,Associated Pres"Kelton isn't funny ...

(1956–), TV writer-producer, wrote for ''Saturday Night Live''. * Gilbert King (1962–), author, Pulitzer Prize winner. *

Billy Koch William Christopher Koch (born December 14, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was born in Rockville Centre, New York and went to West Babylon High School. He debuted in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays a ...

(1974-), former pitcher for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

. *

Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 195 ...

(1935–), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher. *

Frank Layden Francis Patrick Layden (born January 5, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American former basketball coach and executive of the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz as well as former head coach of the Women's National Basketball Associati ...

(1932–), Niagara University coach, president and coach of NBA's

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

. *

Kenny Laguna Kenneth Benjamin Laguna is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, best known for his work with Joan Jett. Biography Laguna was born in Greenwich Village, New York City, United States, and started playing piano at high school da ...

, producer, songwriter and musician. *

David Wong Louie David Wong Louie (; December 20, 1954 – September 19, 2018) was a Chinese-American novelist and short story writer. Life and career Born in Rockville Centre, New York, Louie graduated from East Meadow High School in 1973, as "one of the fe ...

(1954–2018), novelist and short-story writer. * Brian Mahoney (born 1948), New York Nets player BA head coach at Manhattan College and St. John's University. *

Brendan Malone Brendan Thomas Malone (April 21, 1935 – October 10, 2023) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Early life Brendan Thomas Malone was born on April 21, 1935. He grew up in Astoria, Queens ...

(1942–), assistant coach for

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, former head coach of

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

and

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. *

Terry McDermott Terence McDermott (born 8 December 1951) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Nicknamed "Terry Mac", he is best known as a member of the Liverpool team of the 1970s and early 1980s, where he won three Europe ...

, baseball player for L.A. Dodgers. *

Anne Meara Anne Meara (September 20, 1929 – May 23, 2015) was an American comedian and actress. Along with her husband Jerry Stiller, she was one-half of the prominent 1960s comedy team Stiller and Meara. Their son is actor, director, and producer Ben S ...

(1929–2015), actress and comedian, mother of actor

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...

. *

Elliott Murphy Elliott James Murphy (born March 16, 1949) is an American rock singer-songwriter, novelist, record producer, and journalist. Biography Elliott Murphy was born in Rockville Centre, New York, grew up in Garden City, Long Island and began playi ...

(born 1949), singer-songwriter. * John Nolan and Michelle Nolan of the band

Straylight Run Straylight Run is an indie rock band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The band released two albums, ''Straylight Run (album), Straylight Run'' and ''The Needles the Space'', as well as three EPs, ''Prepare to Be Wrong'', ''About Time' ...

. * Mark O'Connell, drummer of the band

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 ...

, attended South Side High School. *

Daryl Palumbo Daryl Palumbo (born February 10, 1979) is an American musician, originally from Bellmore, New York. He is the frontman of the bands Glassjaw, Head Automatica and Color Film. As a youth he was a member of the Long Island straight edge band ''Xbust ...

(1979–), of the bands GlassJaw and

Head Automatica Head Automatica is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York fronted by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo. History Formation, ''Decadance'' and ''Popaganda'' (2003–2006) The beginnings of the band stemmed from singer Daryl Palumbo' ...

. *

Floyd Patterson Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in his ...

(1935–2006), boxer, Heavyweight Champion of the World. * Frank Pellegrino, actor and restaurateur. * Tommy Rainone (1980–), welterweight boxer. *

June Diane Raphael June Diane Raphael ( ; born January 4, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She has starred in TV comedy programs ''Burning Love'', Adult Swim's '' NTSF:SD:SUV::'', and ''Grace and Frankie''. Notable film work includes suppo ...

, actress, comedian, writer. *

Matt Reeves Matt Reeves (born April 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He first gained recognition for the WB drama series '' Felicity'' (1998–2002), which he co-created with J. J. Abrams. Reeves came to widespread attention for directing the hit monste ...

(1966–), film director. * Bob Richardson (1928–2005), photographer. * Tom Riker (1950–), basketball player. *

Joan Roberts Joan Roberts (July 15, 1917 – August 13, 2012) was an American actress, most famous for creating the role of Laurey in the original Broadway production of ''Oklahoma!'' in 1943. Early years Roberts was born Josephine Rose Seagrist in Ma ...

, created role of Laurey in original production of ''Oklahoma!'' on Broadway. *

Ted Robinson Ted Robinson may refer to: * Ted Robinson (American football) (1904–?), American college football player and coach * Ted Robinson (footballer) (1903–1972), English footballer with Southampton, Southport and Wigan Athletic * Ted Robinson (golf c ...

, Emmy Award-winning radio and TV sportscaster. * Noah Rubin (1996–), tennis player. *

Amy Schumer Amy Beth Schumer (born June 1, 1981) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. Schumer ventured into comedy in the early 2000s before appearing as a contestant on the fifth season of the NBC reality competition ...

(1981–), comedian. *

Robert B. Silvers Robert Benjamin Silvers (December 31, 1929 – March 20, 2017) was an American editor who served as editor of ''The New York Review of Books'' from 1963 to 2017. Raised on Long Island, New York, Silvers graduated from the University of Chicag ...

(1929–2017), editor of ''

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of ...

'' *

Dean Skelos Dean George Skelos (born February 16, 1948) is an American former politician and convict from Long Island, New York. A Republican, Skelos served in the New York State Assembly and later represented the 9th district in the New York State Senate ...

, former New York State Senator; former New York State Senate Republican Majority Leader. *

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American broadcaster and media personality. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1 ...

(1954–), radio personality. * Paulette Tavormina, photographer. *

Danielle Tumminio Hansen The Rev. Dr. Danielle Elizabeth Tumminio Hansen (born 1981) is a writer, intellectual, practical theologian, and Episcopal priest whose expertise is in the intersection of spirituality and cultural life. She is currently a professor in practical a ...

, author, theologian, and religious leader. *

Vinny Testaverde Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. (; born November 13, 1963) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning con ...

, College Hall of Fame quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, 2-time NFL All Pro. *

Marc Turnesa Marc Turnesa (born March 19, 1978) is an American professional golfer who has played on the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour. Early life Turnesa is the grandson of Mike Turnesa, one of seven well-known golfing brothers of the early 20th centur ...

, golfer on the PGA Tour. * Jay Wright (1961–), head coach of

Villanova Wildcats The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East (NCAA Division I) for every sport; except football and women's rowing where they compete in the Coastal Athletic Association (Football Champions ...

basketball team.

In popular culture

's formative years in Rockville Centre is the subject of her 1997

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...

''Wait Till Next Year''.D'Onofrio, Matthew. "From Rockville Centre to the White House, Presidential historian returns to Long Island," LIHerald.com, Thursday, April 5, 2018.
Retrieved January 11, 2023.

References

External links

* **
Rockville Centre Public Library

Official website
of the village's

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

*
Rockville Centre Herald
' {{authority control 1849 establishments in New York (state) Hempstead, New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Nassau County, New York