Remembering Jimmy Zappalorti

The Pride Center of Staten Island remembers Jimmy Zappalorti. 

James “Jimmy” Zappalorti, a gay Vietnam War veteran, grew up on the south shore of Staten Island. Zappalorti came out as gay while serving in the navy, but he subsequently faced physical violence from his fellow servicemen. He was discharged in April 1965 after a nervous breakdown. Zappalorti returned to Staten Island, where he worked in his family’s stained glass business.

On January 22, 1990, Jimmy Zappalorti was murdered by Michael Taylor and Phillip Sarlo because he was gay. His murder was the first on Staten Island to be officially designated a gay hate crime. For the next ten years, Zappalorti’s family and LGBTQIA+ activists worked to pass a hate crimes bill at the state level that included sexual orientation.

In 1992, the Zappalorti Society, which offers mental health support to LGBTQIA+ people, was founded in Jimmy’s memory.

To learn more about Jimmy Zappalorti, see:

• Stained Glass Windows: The Life and Death of Jimmy Zappalorti (book by Robert Zappalorti)

• The Hate Crime Murder of Jimmy Zappalorti (SI Live)

• NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

To learn more about the Zappalorti Society, contact Bert Coffman at robertcoffman1949@hotmail.com.