You’re familiar with Charles Lindbergh, but probably not Giuseppe Mario Bellanca. The Italian aviation pioneer, designer, and engineer who ran a flying school in Mineola, NY, for a period of time was born in Sciacca, Italy, and left an indelible mark on aviation and Long Island history in the 1920s.

He is most notable for building the plane that made the first transatlantic flight with a passenger, taking off on June 4, 1927, from Roosevelt Field on Long Island and landing in Eisleben, Germany. The 43-hour flight was met with a crowd of 150,000 people waving American and German flags. Clarence Chamberlin piloted the flight, which was co-piloted by Charles Levine. This flight was longer and went a farther distance than Lindberg, who stopped in Paris.