During the spring of 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano and his crew, sailing the French ship Dauphine along the northeast coast of America, discovered a wide river between two small hills. Anchoring the Dauphine off the coast, Verrazzano and some of his crew manned a small boat and traveled—past land heavily populated by friendly natives—a few miles up the river to a large body of water.
A sudden violent wind forced them back to the Dauphine, and Verrazzano continued his voyage, sailing east along the south coast of Long Island; but he wrote about his discovery in a letter to King Francis I, describing what is now New York Harbor and the Upper New York Bay.
Connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn
From the late 1800s, a bridge to link Staten Island to Brooklyn—across the mouth of the river that Verrazzano discovered, known as the Narrows—was debated among military officials, civic and political leaders, residents of Staten Island, and bridge engineers. In 1946, Robert Moses, chairman of the Triangle Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), a New York City agency, revisited and recommended plans for a bridge; and construction was approved by the New York State Legislature. Studies were made, land was acquired, designs were drawn, and in 1959, construction began.
John N. LaCorte Provides a Name for the Bridge
While these major events were taking place, John N. LaCorte, founder of the Italian Historical Society of America —an organization established to educate Italian Americans, and others, about the great achievements of Italians—was gathering information for naming the bridge. He first approached the TBTA in 1951, requesting that the bridge be named to honor Verrazzano, who discovered the river.
After being denied, he set out on an educational campaign, contacting libraries, historians, and publishers throughout America making them aware of Verrazzano’s voyage and discoveries. He was successful in bringing attention to Verrazzano through the proclamations of the governors of New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maine, and South Carolina who acknowledged that Verrazzano discovered their states.
With proclamations in hand, LaCorte again approached the TBTA and was denied a second time. Arguments included that Verrazzano’s name was difficult to pronounce and spell, too long, and not recognizable. LaCorte produced names of other bridges that could also be considered difficult to pronounce and spell, too long, and not recognizable. Eventually the TBTA and LaCorte agreed to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and a bill was proposed for the name; however, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce disapproved—wanting the bridge named after the island—and another struggle ensued.
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Conflict Continues
In 1960, a year after construction of the bridge began, New York State Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller signed a bill approving the name Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1964, but LaCorte had one more hurdle. After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, public support turned to naming the bridge in his honor. One month after Kennedy’s assassination, Idlewild Airport, on the South Shore of Long Island, had been renamed for John F. Kennedy. LaCorte contacted Robert Kennedy, brother of the late president, who he had worked with before, and was assured by Kennedy that the bridge would remain the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
An Italian American Historian
To honor LaCorte’s achievements—not only in the naming of the bridge, but also for his work in Italian American history—a monument was erected in Brooklyn’s John Paul Jones Park, located at the base of the Verrazzano Bridge (officially Verrazano-Narrows Bridge).
Italian American historian John N. LaCorte was the guiding force behind naming the bridge that connected Brooklyn and Staten Island after Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. He worked for ten years, battling many obstacles and persevering in his attempts. Through his work, he received the support of many politicians and achieved his goal when the bridge was named the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge.
The Voyages of Giovanni da Verrazzano
Resources
The Voyages of Giovanni da Verrazzano, 1524-1528 by Lawrence C. Wroth
Hudson River Maritime Museum
Italian American Historical Society, John J. LaCorte, Director
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Historic Overview
Bridge in the Backyard
John Paul Jones Park
Janice Therese Mancuso - Author, journalist, and instructor, Janice Therese Mancuso is the founder of Thirty-One Days of Italians, a nationwide educational program ...
