List of Albanian Americans

This is a list of notable Albanian Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.

Note: An asterisk (*) next to a name indicates that the person is Arbëreshe, an Albanian subgroup from Italy.

Science and academia

• William G. Gregory – astronaut
• Carol Folt – biologist and first woman leader of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Laura Mersini-Houghton – cosmologist
• Ferid Murad – medical researcher Nobel laureate^[1]
• Arshi Pipa – philosopher, writer, poet and literary critic^[2]
• Andrea Shundi – agronomist
• Stavro Skëndi – linguist and historian^[3]

Cinema

• Jim Belushi – actor
• John Belushi – actor and film producer
• Robert Belushi – actor
• James Biberi – actor
• Tracee Chimo – actress (Albanian father)
• Eliza Dushku – actress (Albanian father)
• Nate Dushku – actor (Albanian father)
• Mike Dusi – actor and film producer
• Enver Gjokaj – actor
• Victor Gojcaj – actor
• Agim Kaba – actor and film producer
• Masiela Lusha – actress
• Peter Malota – actor
• Nickola Shreli – actor and producer
• Klement Tinaj – actor
• Mitchel Musso – actor
• J. J. Philbin – American producer and screenwriter
• Greg Cipes – American actor, voice actor, singer, musician, and professional surfer

Arts and entertainment

• Big Body Bes – hip-hop artist
• DJ Ashba – American musician, producer, and songwriter
• Action Bronson – hip-hop artist
• Albert Stanaj – singer
• Bosch Fawstin – cartoonist
• Olivier Berggruen – art historian and curator; his maternal grandfather is Alessandro Moissi who is of Albanian origin
• Luke Burbank^[4][5] – radio and podcast host
• Emina Cunmulaj – model
• Drita D'Avanzo – television personality
• Kara DioGuardi* – singer/songwriter and television personality
• Tony Dovolani – professional ballroom dancer
• Stan Dragoti – film director, producer, artist
• Afërdita Dreshaj – model, singer, beauty queen
• Angela Martini – model
• Kristine Elezaj – singer
• JMSN – singer/songwriter and producer
• Joe Lala – actor and singer
• Paul Leka – music songwriter and producer
• G4SHI – hip-hop artist
• Gjon Mili – pioneer photographer
• Burim Myftiu – contemporary photographer
• Thomas Nassi – musician and composer
• George Pali – painter
• Talip Peshkepia – film composer and songwriter
• Regis Philbin* – television personality
• Bebe Rexha – singer and songwriter
• Bobbi Starr – pornographic actress
• Breanne Benson – pornographic actress
• Alby Rydes – pornographic actress
• Sislej Xhafa – contemporary artist
• Mario Dedivanovic – makeup artist
• Jasmina Cunmulaj – American model
• Sxip Shirey – American electric-acoustic composer, performer, and storyteller

Literature

• Daniela Gioseffi – poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and performer
• Pema Browne – American abstract artist

Business and civil society

• Anthony Athanas – restaurateur
• Ekrem Bardha – businessman, political activist
• Nicolas Berggruen – businessman
• Mark Gjonaj – businessman, politician
• Florin Krasniqi – businessman, politician
• James J. Schiro* – businessman
• Martin Shkreli – businessman
• Ramiz Tafilaj – businessman, political activist
• Ema Koja – designer

Media

• Fadil Berisha – photographer
• Emin Kadi – photographer, journalist, art director
• Florina Kaja – singer and reality TV actress, The Bad Girls Club Season 4
• Bill Kovach – journalist and editor
• Donald Lambro – journalist^[6]
• Eric Margolis – journalist and editor of the Toronto Sun; mother is Albanian^[7]
• Gjekë Marinaj – author and translator
• Gjon Mili – photographer
• Burim Myftiu – photographer
• Tom Perrotta* – novelist and screenwriter^[8]
• Molly Qerim – moderator, reporter
• George Tames – photographer for The New York Times^[9]
• Nick Tosches* – journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet
• Nexhmie Zaimi – journalist

Politics

• Joseph J. DioGuardi* – Congressman^[10]
• Mark Gjonaj – Assemblyman, New York
• Sal Albanese* – politician
• Nicholas Scutari* – Democratic Party politician
• Midhat Frashëri – diplomat, writer and politician
• Hasan Dosti – jurist and politician
• Spiridon Ilo – nationalist, politician
• Rexhep Krasniqi – historian, teacher, nationalist, and anti-communist politician and activist
• Petro Nini Luarasi – priest, writer, teacher, nationalist
• Kolë Tromara – nationalist and political figure of the first half of the 20th century.
• Bilal Xhaferri – poet and novelist, political
• Konstantina Lukes – former mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts
• Fan S. Noli – former Prime Minister of Albania and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church
• John Papajani – former Washington State Senate member^[11][12][13]
• Victor H. Schiro* – politician, 55th Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana
• Bardhyl Tirana – co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee (1976–1977) and director of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (1977–1979)^[14][15]

Science and technology

• Donald Leka – pioneer in cloud computing and creator of the award-winning Glide OS^[16][17]

Sport

• Dilly Duka – MLS soccer player
• Lee Elia – baseball player, coach and manager
• Elizabeta Karabolli – shooting sport
• Edon Molla – basketball player
• Elvir Muriqi – professional boxer
• Aaron Palushaj – professional hockey player
• Andy Parrino* – baseball player
• Enkelejda Shehu – air pistol shooter who represented Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
• Jaren Sina – basketball player
• Kristjan Sokoli – NFL player
• Donald Suxho – volleyball
• Andy Varipapa* – professional trick bowler
• Joe Albanese* – baseball player
• Robert Baggio Kcira* – American soccer player
• Šaćir Hot – American soccer player
• Frank Leskaj – American swimmer who swam for Albania at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona by swimming in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, and the 100m Breaststroke

Religion

• Nikon Liolin – OCA's Bishop of Diocese of New England, Locum tenens of Diocese of the South, and Archbishop of American Albanian Archdiocese

Criminals

• John Alite – mobster
• Joseph Ardizzone* – mobster
• Ismail Lika – mobster
• Alex Rudaj – mobster

References

External links

• National Albanian American Council
• Alb-Net.Com – The Albanian Connection
• Albanian Americans – history, the first Albanians in America, significant immigration waves, settlement patterns and notable Albanian Americans