List of Famous people born in Connecticut, United States of America
George Appo
George Washington Appo was a pickpocket and fraudster whose manner of speech in a testimony became influential in depictions of criminals. George himself wrote an autobiography, unpublished, and became the subject of a book. His father was a criminally insane Chinese American called "Quimbo Appo", Chinese name "Lee Ah Bow", while his mother, Catherine Fitzpatrick, was an Irish American. The origins of this criminal led a Louis Beck to present Appo as a story warning against "miscegenation". Appo served time in various New York penitentiaries including Sing Sing, the Blackwell's Island Penitentiary, and the upstate penitentiary in Dennamora. In a biography by Timothy Gilfoyle, the prison system of New York in the later half of the 19th century is depicted as being based upon the spoils system and largely corrupt. In the description of Sing Sing, Gilfoyle outlines the stove manufacturing operation the inmates were forced to endure. Gilfoyle describes the penitentiary at Blackwell's Island as having lax security, with inmates commonly escaping if they knew how to swim. Appo was also involved in a green goods scam in Poughkeepsie at one point in his life.
Terry Deitz
Terrence "Terry" Deitz is an American retired U.S. Navy pilot, television host, and two-time contestant on the American reality television show Survivor, where he placed third in the 12th season. He also competed in the 31st season, placing 15th. He is currently a commercial airline pilot and host of Great Planes on the Military Channel.
Anthony Fantano
Anthony Fantano is an American music critic, YouTuber and internet personality known for his music-related YouTube channel The Needle Drop and its companion website. His website and YouTube videos discuss and review a variety of music genres, including, but not limited to pop, hip hop, rock, metal, indie, electronic, folk, jazz, and experimental.
Victoria Leigh Soto
Victoria Leigh Soto was an American teacher who was murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. After the gunman entered the school, Soto hid her students, then the students ran from their hiding places and she died trying to shield and protect them, and has since been hailed as a hero. She is a posthumous recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal.
Avery Wilson
Avery Wilson is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Wilson gained notice in 2012 as a contestant on season 3 of The Voice. Since then, he has been making duets with his fans on Smule Sing! as @AveryWilson. Prior to The Voice, Wilson had regional hit songs played in rotation in the Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts markets. In 2015 he released "If I Have To", the first single from his debut album which he also performed as a non-competitor on season 8 of The Voice.
Joel Barlow
Joel Barlow was an American poet and diplomat, and French politician. In politics, he supported the French Revolution and was an ardent Jeffersonian republican.
Graham Beckel
Graham Stuart Beckel is an American character actor. He is known for his prolific guest appearances on television but has had prominent roles in several major films as well. He is known for his roles as Franklin Ford in the drama film The Paper Chase, and Dick Stensland in Curtis Hanson's Oscar winning masterpiece, L.A. Confidential. He also played Jack Fisk on Battlestar Galactica and Hal Sanders on Heroes. Beckel also appeared in The Astronaut Farmer as Frank, a customer at the diner.
Lisa Lampanelli
Lisa Lampanelli, born Lisa Marie Lampugnale, is an American former stand-up comedian, actress and insult comic. Much of her material is racy and features ethnic humor, centering on various types of minority groups, most notably racial minorities and the LGBT community.
Bob Stefanowski
Robert Vincent Stefanowski is an American business executive who was the Republican Party nominee for Governor of Connecticut in 2018 with the cross-endorsement of the Independent Party. He was on a ticket with Joe Markley, who had won a Republican primary for lieutenant governor. Their ticket lost to the ticket of Democratic Party candidate Ned Lamont and running mate Susan Bysiewicz, cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, on November 7, 2018.
Morton Downey
John Morton Downey was an American singer and entertainer popular in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, enjoying his greatest success in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Downey was nicknamed "The Irish Nightingale".