Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer recently joined with Receiver of Taxes Corinne DiSomma and Councilwoman Jackie Gordon to rename the corner of St. Ann’s and Kensington in Copiague in honor of longtime resident, actor and veteran Jerry Schatz, who starred in “The Little Rascals” as a child. At the street renaming, local community members and officials joined with Schatz’s friends, neighbors and family members to speak of Schatz’s positive influence on the community. Town officials thanked Schatz, now 90 years old, for his service and congratulated him on receiving this honor.
Schatz, a former childhood movie star, has over one hundred movie credits to his name from 1931 to 1938 and worked alongside Shirley Temple, Bing Crosby and Buster Keaton. Schatz later gave up the Hollywood life in order to enlist into World War II, where he kept his acting past a secret. Schatz was awarded a Purple Heart after being hit with shrapnel from a kamikaze attack on the USS Sigsbee. After serving in both World War II and the Korean War, Schatz moved to Copiague with his wife Myra where he still lives today.
Pictured from left to right Receiver of Taxes DiSomma, Councilwoman Gordon, Supervisor Schaffer, Jerry Schatz and Marty Himes