Costanzo, Anthony M., 1923-2008

Anthony M. Costanzo was born in Pittsburgh, PA on April 17, 1923. He grew up in Pittsburgh, became an accomplished jazz drummer, and served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war, Costanzo attended Duquesne University and then transferred to Northwestern University where he received a BS in Journalism in 1955. After working as a reporter, editor, and columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, he moved to New York City where he worked in advertising and public relations. He also attended Teachers College, Columbia University where he earned a MS in Education in 1963. Also while in New York City, Costanzo served as Public Information Officer for the U.S. Department of the Navy at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He held this position until the decommissioning of the Navy Yard in 1966. After the decommissioning, Costanzo served as Public Relations Director and Public Records Access Officer for the New York State Department of Civil Service in Albany, N.Y. He retired from this position in 1988. Costanzo died on December 3, 2008 and was buried with military honors at the Gerald B.H. Solomon-Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, N.Y.

The origins of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, officially known as the New York Naval Shipyard, date back to 1801, when the United States Navy acquired what had previously been a small, privately owned shipyard in order to construct naval vessels. Historic vessels constructed or launched at the Navy Yard include Robert Fulton's steam frigate, the Fulton, the USS Arizona, the USS Missouri, and the USS Antietam . During the Civil War, the Navy Yard employed about 6,000 people. By 1938, it provided jobs for over 10,000 people. When the Defense Department ceased shipbuilding activities at the Navy Yard in 1966, 88 vessels had been manufactured at the facility. It had also grown to encompass 291 acres with 270 major buildings, 24 miles of railroad tracks, 23,278 linear feet of crane tracks, 18 miles of paved roads, 16,495 feet of berthing space, 9 piers, 6 dry docks, and 22 shops housing 98 different trades. In 1967, the Brooklyn Navy Yard was acquired by the City of New York and was converted for private commercial use.

From the guide to the Anthony Costanzo Brooklyn Navy Yard collection, 1952-1970, (Brooklyn Historical Society)