Vincent N. Parrillo

Vincent N. Parrillo is the author of numerous books and journal articles, some of them translated into ten languages. Professor Emeritus of sociology at William Paterson University, he is a Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Senior Specialist. An internationally recognized expert on immigration, he is the author of two historical novels about Ellis Island: Guardians of the Gate and Defenders of Freedom. His newest book is Hearts and Minds: Hizmet Schools and Interethnic Relations. He is also the executive producer, writer, and narrator of six award-winning PBS television documentaries: Ellis Island: Gateway to America; Smokestacks and Steeples: A Portrait of Paterson; Gaetano Federici: The Sculptor Laureate of Paterson; Paterson and Its People; Silk City Artists and Musicians, and Paterson: A Delicious Destination. Active in community theater, he directed the Sondheim musical Follies in May 2022 for the Players Guild of Leonia, where he has directed numerous mainstage productions of all genres (comedies, dramas, musicals), as well as appearing in others. He also directed The Comedy of Errors in July 2015 at Bergen County Overpeck Park.