Famous People You Didn’t Know Passed Through Ellis Island
By BRIAN BOONE
History - Science
Bela Lugosi
Best known for his role as Count Dracula in 1931's "Dracula," Bela Lugosi was on the SS Graf Tisza Istvan's crew as it left Trieste, Italy, in October 1920.
Upon his arrival in New Orleans, he explored the city and never returned to the boat. He was sent for processing at Ellis Island and remained in the U.S. by lying about his origin.
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was a medical school professor, philosopher, and author of over 500 works of fiction and nonfiction. He was three years old when he left Russia in 1923.
Asimov departed the Soviet Union, sailing from Riga, Latvia, to Liverpool, England, and then to Ellis Island, with their ship, the Baltic, arriving on February 3, 1923.
Irving Berlin
Born in Russia as Israel Beilin, Berlin wrote about 1,000 songs, like "White Christmas" and "God Bless America." He and his family fled persecution in Siberia in 1893.
Departing from Antwerp, Belgium, eight members of the Beilin family, including 5-year-old Israel, arrived at Ellis Island on September 13, 1893.
Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne was one of the most famous and influential icons in early 20th-century football. In 1893, when he was five, he left Voss, Norway with his mother.
They passed through Ellis Island on their way to Chicago, where Rockne's father, Lars, had helped build a grand carriage to be displayed at that year's World's Fair.
Edward G. Robinson
Known for portraying bad guys in movies like 1931's "Little Caesar," Edward G. Robinson left Romania with his family at 10 years old in 1904.
Seeking to flee antisemitic violence and persecution, they bought cheap tickets in the steerage section of a steamship and arrived at Ellis Island on February 21.