Five Famous Faces from New Milford

Some are homegrown and some have settled here in the borough--here's a look at some of the celebrities of New Milford. 

Ed Marinaro: Famous for his role on Hill Street Blues as well as turns on Laverne & Shirley and Sisters. Prior to his acting career, Marinaro was a standout football star for the Knights, playing for New Milford High School before going off to play for Cornell where he was runner up for the Heismann Trophy and was the first running back in the NCAA to rush for more than 4,000 yards. Marinaro played six seasons in the NFL, going to the Super Bowl twice. He can currently be seen on Blue Mountain State on Spike as Coach Marty Daniels. 

Beth Fowler: Although raised in Jersey City, this Broadway star has chosen to make the borough her home. She's been nominated for two Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award. In addition to the stage, Fowler also has screen credits appearing in both film and television. Past credits include Sister Act and Law & Order. 

Simon J.J. Racaza: Recent star of the reality series Top Shot on the History Channel, he finished just out of the top spot in the first season. This world class shooter is leading the U.S. team to the World Shooting Championships this year as the number one qualifier. When not competing, Racaza runs the firearms program for the Department of Homeland Security.

Bobby Steele: This punk guitarist is a borough native and was a member of the legendary band The Misfits. He is currently with The Undead, the band he has lead for more than three decades. Steele formed The Undead after getting dropped from The Misfits and hasn't looked back. He currently runs a record label, Post Mortem Records, that is based in the borough although he lives in the East Village.

J. Walter Christie: You may not know his name, but you certainly know his invention--the modern tank. In fact, he is referred to as the father of the modern tank for his patented Christie suspension system and designs that became common in WWII tanks. Christie was born in the Campbell-Christie House in New Milford in 1865--the house was later moved to River Edge as part of New Bridge Landing. Sadly, Christie had a poor relationship with the U.S. government and although they bought several of his prototypes, they never ordered his tanks for mass production. Several foreign governments also purchased designs and prototypes including Poland, the Soviet Union and Great Britain. Christie died broke in Virginia in 1944 while his designs went on to change modern warfare.