Brooklyn Man Recalls Surviving Shipwreck of the Andrea Doria in 1956

Ralph Taverniti, 91, was an apprentice tailor in his early 20s, but his future was bleak as his Italian homeland struggled to rebuild from the carnage of World War II. Opportunity awaited in Brooklyn, where his father’s uncle, also a tailor, offered work. So, in 1956 Taverniti booked third-class passage to New York City on a new luxury ocean liner, the SS Andrea Doria.

Swim Safety Lesson Makes a Splash With St. Joan of Arc Students in Queens

Shawn Slevin is the founder of Swim Strong Foundation, an organization with a mission to teach people to safely enjoy the water.  That’s what brought her to St. Joan of Arc Catholic School in Jackson Heights on Sept. 30, where she presented a program, “Know Before You Go.”