Boston 101: Boston’s big names

Are you new to town? You’re not alone; a lot of us have been there. You’ll peruse Boston.com and wonder what’s the big deal about all these people who are in the news.

Here’s a list of some of Boston’s best known figures.

Martin J. Walsh

Boston mayor

Marty Walsh took the reins as the city’s 48th mayor on Jan. 6, 2013, promising a new era of progress and collaboration at City Hall. Walsh became Boston’s first new mayor in 20 years after Thomas M. Menino chose to retire.

Elizabeth Warren

US senator

Elizabeth Warren made a national splash with her victory over Scott Brown in November 2012. The former Harvard University law professor was elected as the first female US senator in Massachusetts history. She has already been appointed to the Senate Banking Committee which comes as no surprise as she led a congressional over sight panel that criticized the government’s bank bailout program. She’s quite a lady, so be sure to check out 10 things you may not know about Elizabeth Warren.

Warren is pictured during a sit down with Globe reporters.

Edward J. Markey

US senator

Veteran Democratic US Representative Edward J. Markey won a special election for US Senate in June 2013. Markey took the seat vacated by John Kerry who became US secretary of state.

Martha Coakley

Attorney general

Coakley became attorney general in 2007 after serving as district attorney of Middlesex County from 1999-2007. She made a run for US Senate in 2010 to replace Senator Edward Kennedy, but lost the election to Republican Scott Brown and took much criticism for her campaign style. She attended law school at Boston University.

Deval Patrick

Massachusetts governor

Patrick moved to Massachusetts at the age of 14 when he earned a scholarship to Milton Academy. He didn’t have any experience in politics, aside from serving as an assistant attorney general in the Clinton administration, before he was first elected as Massachusetts governor in 2006, succeeding Mitt Romney. Patrick’s first months on the job were rocky, but he was voted in for another term in 2010. He’s best known outside the state as one of President Obama’s top surrogates. This is Patrick’s final term as governor.

Patrick spoke during the September 2008 reopening of the Fields Corner MBTA station in Dorchester.

Therese Murray

State Senate president

Murray was first elected to the chamber in 1992 and took on its presidency in 2007, serving as its first female president.

Murray (right) addressed the media in July 2010 after a Senate vote.

William Evans

Boston police commissioner

A 31-year-veteran of the force, Evans became acting police commissioner when Edward F. Davis stepped down in November 2013. He was named to the permanent post by Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

The quiet, unassuming officer who has been captain of two districts was one of the first commanders to reach the Boston Marathon scene after two bombs went off on April 15, 2013.

Thomas M. Menino

Former Boston mayor

Menino was City Council president in 1993 when Mayor Raymond L. Flynn resigned to become US ambassador to the Vatican, elevating him into the top seat at City Hall. After winning a hard-fought election in 1993, Menino has maintained a firm grip on the seat for the past two decades. The so-called “urban mechanic’’ has earned loyalty for his devotion to city neighborhoods. He will not seek reelection.

John Kerry

US Secretary of State

Now leading the State Department, Kerry had a lengthy US Senate career. Long the state’s junior senator, Kerry took on a more high-profile role after Ted Kennedy’s death. The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee is now chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He first was in the spotlight in April 1971 when, upon returning from Vietnam, he testified before Congress in favor of ending that war.

Kerry addressed the Democratic National Convention in July 2004 at the then-Fleet Center to accept the Democratic nomination for president.

Mitt Romney

Former Republican presidential candidate

Romney is now best known for losing the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama, but he first came into the spotlight as one of the founding partners of Bain Capital. His first political campaign was in 1994, when he narrowly lost a US Senate race to Ted Kennedy. Romney returned to the business world, then stepped in to run the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City after a bribery scandal. He was elected as Massachusetts governor in 2002, serving only one term before turning his attention to national politics.

Romney addressed the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 30.

Scott Brown

Former US senator

Brown’s meteoric rise to the Senate in 2010, when he upset the heavily favored Martha Coakley to capture the seat vacated by Ted Kennedy’s death, changed the dynamics of politics in Washington. The former state senator was a male model in his younger days, but later became a respected legislator and has pledged to bridge the partisan divide in Congress. Brown lost his re-election to the Senate seat to Elizabeth Warren in 2012.

Brown smiled during his victory party in January 2010 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston.

Bill Linehan

Boston City Council president

Bill Linehan of South Boston was elected president of the Boston City Council on Jan. 6, 2014, Linehan, who is considered one of the body’s most conservative members, beat out Councilor At-Large Ayanna Pressley, who was popular among progressives.

Ayanna Pressley

Pressley was first elected to the council in 2009, the first nonwhite woman to serve in the body. She worked as an aide for US Senator John Kerry and former representative Joseph P. Kennedy II. She lives in Dorchester.

Pressley spoke Aug. 16 during a meeting focusing on violence in inner-city neighborhoods.

John McDonough

John McDonough has worked for the School Department for more than 30 years and replaces Superintendent Carol Johnson, who served in the role for six years. He will serve until a new permanent superintendent is hired.

Tom Brady

Patriots quarterback

If Brady isn’t the greatest player in Patriots history, he’s atop a very short list. Working in tandem with Belichick, Brady has brought the team unprecedented success, earning three Super Bowl rings along the way. After stepping in for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001, Brady led the team through a surprising playoff run, including a win in the now-infamous Tuck Rule game.

Brady reveled in the scene after helping lead the Patriots to their first NFL championship with a Super Bowl XXXVI victory.

Bill Belichick

Patriots coach

Belichick took a once mediocre franchise and helped lift it to five Super Bowl appearances in 11 seasons, winning three championships. Belichick is the winningest active coach in the NFL with 175 victories, and he’s considered a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Belichick watched from the bench during the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in January 2007.

Rob Gronkowski

Patriots tight end

After two professional seasons, the University of Arizona product is considered one of the top players in the league. The second-round pick in the 2010 draft made an early impact on the Patriots’ offense, becoming one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets. His worth to the team was proven by an ankle injury that limited his effectiveness in this year’s Super Bowl against the New York Giants, a game the Patriots lost in the closing minutes of regulation.

Gronkowski made a grab during a December 2011 game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md.

Robert Kraft

Patriots owner

The Patriots were out the door for St. Louis in early 1994 when Kraft, who owned Foxboro Stadium, paid a then-record $175 million to keep the team in town. Many thought the purchase price was excessive, given that the Pats had been among the worst teams in the league in preceding years. Under Kraft, the franchise experienced early success, then saw its star coach (Bill Parcells) walk out the door in early 1997. With the arrival of Bill Belichick in 2000, the Patriots began a run of excellence matched by few in team sports.

Kraft, in his standard white-cuffed shirt, greeted Patriots wide reciever Wes Welker before a game.

Brad Stevens
Boston Celtics head coach

Brad Stevens signed on with the Celtics following the departure of nine-year Celtics coach Doc Rivers. He left his job as head coach for Butler University’s men’s team, where he led the team to two NCAA championship game appearances. He will be responsible for a rebuilding phase in the Celtics organization, now that franchise stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have been traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Stevens, 36, is the youngest coach in the NBA.

Danny Ainge

Celtics president of basketball operations

Ainge, who enjoyed success in Boston as a player, took over the team’s basketball operations in 2003. He put together the trade that transformed the last-place Celtics into NBA champions in just one year, winning the 2008 title. The Celtics also reached the 2010 NBA Finals.

From left, Ainge is shown cheering on his Celtics teammates during a 1986 NBA Finals game against the Houston Rockets at the old Boston Garden, and Ainge watched a Celtics game at TD Garden in January 2012.

Rajon Rondo

Celtics point guard

Rondo has been an integral part of the Celtics since arriving on the roster in 2006. He teamed up with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce to lead the Celtics to their first NBA championship in 22 years. He’s earned three all-star appearances in his six-year professional career.

Rondo went to the hoop during a March 2012 game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta.

Zdeno Chara

Bruins defenseman

Chara was signed as a free agent by the Bruins in 2006, after playing for the Ottawa Senators. His five-year, $37.5 million deal was out of the ordinary for the spendthrift Bruins. He’s played a big role in the team’s recent resurgence, and he was named captain in 2006.

Chara held up the Stanley Cup Trophy in June 2011 after the Bruins beat the Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver.

Claude Julien

Bruins coach

Claude Julien was named the 28th head coach in team history on June 21, 2007. He is the man responsible for coaching the 2011 Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory: sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers and winning three Game 7s to bring home the cup.

Amid the 2012 hockey lockout, Julien was pictured coaching the Andover U12 girls team at Phillips Academy in Andover.

Peter Chiarelli

Bruins general manager

Peter Chiarelli is the seventh man in Bruins’ club history to be named general manager. He is largely responsible for assembling the 2011 team after some ugly seasons and trades. In 2010, Chiarelli signed Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton, and re-signed names like Johnny Boychuck and Dennis Seidenberg. Of course, we remember the duck boats and Game 7s but it’s important to recognize the man who made moves to make it all possible.

Cam Neely

Bruins president

Neely, like Ainge, has helped resurrect a team that was down in the dumps. Neely was named the team’s vice president in 2007, then promoted to franchise president in 2010. In his first season in charge, the Bruins captured their first Stanley Cup championship in 39 years. One of the top scorers in franchise history, Neely’s playing career was cut short by leg injuries, nonetheless he was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.

From left, Neely celebrated a hat trick during a January 1995 game, and then is shown in June 2011 in Vancouver at a practice during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ben Cherington

Cherington suceeded former GM Theo Epstein who left Boston to manage the Chicago Cubs. He started working for the Red Sox in 1999 as an area scout and worked his way up. Cherington inherited quite a mess when he was promoted to executive vice president and general manager on Oct. 25, 2011, after the historic September collapse of the Red Sox.

John Farrell

John Farrell returned to the Red Sox in the 2012 offseason after managing the Toronto Blue Jays for two seasons. Farrell was formerly the pitching coach under ex-manager Terry Francona; he took over for Bobby Valentine, who was released after one disastrous year as the Red Sox skipper.

John Farrell answered questions during a news conference at the baseball winter meetings on Dec. 4, 2012, in Nashville.

David Ortiz

Red Sox designated hitter

Ortiz has become a slugging mainstay for the Red Sox over the past decade, and he’s now ensconced in the DH spot. His repeated clutch hits have made a difference in Red Sox fortunes: see the 2004 World Series, where he had game-winning hits on consecutive nights to keep the Sox alive. Some dislike his constant griping about umpires’ strike calls, though.

Ortiz legged out a double during an Aug. 24 game at Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals.

Dustin Pedroia

Red Sox second baseman

The scrappy second baseman has become a fixture in the middle of the infield for the Sox. He started slow in his 2007 rookie season before busting out of his slump and picking up American League Rookie of the Year honors. He also took the AL MVP award in 2008, the year he won his first Gold Glove.

Pedroia made a throw during an Aug. 25 game at Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals.

John Henry

Owner of Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club, New England Media Group/head of New England Sports Ventures

John Henry is a well known businessman in Boston, as he is the principal owner of the Red Sox and its parent company, Fenway Sports Group, which includes NESN. Henry’s bidding group closed on the purchase in 2002, and in the years following, the Sox captured two championships. He recently agreed to buy the New England Media Group, which includes The Boston Globe, Boston.com, The Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and Telegram.com. Henry married Linda Pizzuti in 2009.

Linda Pizzuti Henry

Pizzuti Henry is the wife of Red Sox owner John Henry. They married in 2009. She is heavily involved with the team’s philanthropic efforts.

Pizzuti Henry attended the annual Red Sox wives’ fashion show in September 2011.

Larry Lucchino, John Henry, and Tom Werner

Red Sox owners

The three men are the public face of the ownership group that took control of the team in 2002, with Henry the principal owner; Werner, team chairman, and Lucchino, the team president/CEO, own smaller pieces of the team. They were the men who bankrolled the team that won the World Series in 2004, snapping the club’s 86-year championship drought, and took the title again in 2007. Of late the ownership group has been criticized for neglecting the baseball team while tending to investments in NASCAR and English football teams.

From left, Lucchino, Henry, and Werner met with the media in February 2012 in Fort Myers, Fla., before dedication ceremonies for the team’s new spring training home, JetBlue Park.

Dennis Eckersley

Former Red Sox pitcher and TV analyst

While Eckersley isn’t from here, he’s made the Boston area his home. The Hall of Famer turned around what was a flailing career when Oakland A’s manager Tony LaRussa moved him to the bullpen in 1986. Eckersley merely became the best closer of the modern era, racking up 390 career saves. Upon returning to Boston in 1998, after playing here from 1978-84, he became a fan favorite. You can now see him offering analysis on NESN and TBS baseball broadcasts.

Eckersley tried to hold back tears during his 2004 Hall of Fame induction.

Bobby Orr

Former Boston Bruin

If you’re not a native of Boston, you may not know him by name, but you’ve probably seen his statue outside the Garden. Bobby Orr played for the Bruins from 1966-1975 and is known for his epic dive following a game- and championship-winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals against the St. Louis Blues. Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

Doug Flutie

Former quarterback and TV analyst

Flutie, who attended Natick High School, is best known for elevating Boston College’s football program to the top of the heap, including his memorable last-second pass that led BC to an upset victory over Miami in 1984. Flutie won the Heisman Trophy. His first try at the National Football Leauge, which included a stop with the Patriots, was mediocre. After a decade of dominating competition for Canadian Football League teams in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, Flutie returned to the NFL, where he had productive seasons with Buffalo and San Diego before coming home to New England. He is presently an analyst with NBC Sports Network.

Flutie was allowed to kick an extra point during a January 2006 game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium, his final game before retiring.

Carl Yastrzemski

Former Boston Red Sox player

Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski played all 23 years of his baseball career with the Boston Red Sox. He was known for his left field role and superior batting and won the Triple Crown in 1967. He was selected to 17 All Star games, and his number 8 jersey has been retired.

Jack Parker and Jerry York

College hockey coaches

If you’re attending either Boston College or Boston University, you should know about these guys. Parker (BU) and York (BC) are two of the most successful coaches in college hockey history, combining for eight NCAA titles. York has won four of his five championships at BC, where he arrived in 1994, and Parker won three titles since becoming BU’s coach in 1973. He retired after the 2012-2013 season. The legendary coaches were on opposite ends of the heated BU-BC hockey rivalry, too, matching up a pair of schools at opposite ends of Commonwealth Avneue.

Parker (left) and York posed for a portrait at a Green Line stop on Commonwealth Avenue in September 2005.

Ed Markey

US senator
Edward J. Markey won the special election to replace John Kerry. He defeated Republican businessman Gabriel E. Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, in June 2013. He previously served as a US representative for the Fifth District of Massachusetts, a position he held from 1976-2013. He is a proponent of gun control regulation, a woman’s right to choose, and environmental issues, among others.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Actors

Really, these guys don’t need any introduction if you’ve turned on your TV at some point in the past 15 years. But if we must fill you in: “Good Will Hunting’’ made them famous, and a bunch of other flicks have made them rich.

Affleck (left) and Damon posed with the 24th American Cinematheque Award during a March 2010 event in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Aerosmith

Rock band

Moving to Allston? Know this: Aerosmith lived there first. The rockers got their start in the 1970s when they lived at 1325 Commonwealth Ave.

Pictured: The band returned to their former residence in November 2012 and played a free concert, drawing throngs of fans to the streets of Allston.

Jay Leno

Comedian

Leno grew up in Andover and attended Emerson College. He started his comedy career in Boston and went on to become a regular on a handful of TV shows and the host of others, including “Jay Leno and the American Dream,’’ “The Tonight Show,’’ and “The Jay Leno Show.’’ Jimmy Fallon will replace Leno on “The Tonight Show’’ this year.

Conan O’Brien

Comedian, talk show host

O’Brien has a long history of comedic talent that began in the Boston area. He was raised in Brookline and attended Harvard University, where he wrote for a comedy publication. He later wrote for “Saturday Night Live’’ and “The Simpsons,’’ and eventually became the host of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien’’ and later “The Tonight Show.’’ He now hosts “Conan’’ on TBS. He hosted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2013, where he thanked President Obama for visiting Boston following the Marathon bombings.

Mark Wahlberg

Actor, producer, former rapper

Before you ask who this dreamboat is, we ask, what can’t this guy do? Born and raised in Dorchester, Wahlberg is one of the great local sucess stories. He started out with a music career with New Kids on the Block, moved on to be the front man for Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (who we can thank for “Good Vibrations’’), before escalating to modeling underwear for Calvin Klein. He broke into the Hollywood with his role in “Boogie Nights,’’ and the rest is history. We have Mark Wahlberg to thank for “Entourage,’’ “The Departed,’’ and “The Fighter,’’ and, most important, for keeping the integrity of the dropped “r’’ on the big screen.

Wahlberg is pictured at Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards in June 2013.

Mindy Kaling

Better known as Kelly Kapoor from NBC’s “The Office,’’ Kaling shined as a writer for the show as well. Additionally, the Cambridge native authored a book (“Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?’’) and currently stars in the Fox comedy “The Mindy Project.’’

Rachel Dratch

Comedian

The Lexington native and former Saturday Night Live star has cracked us up since we first saw her as a cast member on the sketch comedy show in roles like Debbie Downer and Will Ferrell’s lover. Dratch released her first book: “Girl Walks Into A Bar.’’

John Krasinski

Actor

Affectionately known as Jim Halpert from “The Office,’’ Krasinski, a Newton native, has risen above sitcoms and Massachusetts to break into the big screen. He also rubbed elbows with fellow celebrity native Matt Damon while promopting their film “Promised Land.”

Amy Poehler

The Burlington native currently leads the NBC commedy “Parks and Recreation.’’ She has done a lot of hilarious work alongside comedian Tina Fey: the two had us rolling as the first two women to host SNL’s Weekend Update, Poehler also played Hillary Clinton in 2008 opposite Fey’s famous impression of Sarah Palin, and who could forget where it all started? “Mean Girls.’’

Leonard Nimoy

Actor

Sorry, “Star Trek’’ fans, but Spock is actually from Boston, not Vulcan. Leonard Nimoy was born and raised in Boston, where, from an early age, he pursued passions in photograpy and acting. Though his role as Captain Kirk’s logical counterpart on “Star Trek’’ made him famous, Nimoy continued to pursue photography and has developed a name for himself in the field. He most recently returned to his prominent role in the second Star Trek revival movie.

Gisele Bundchen

Supermodel

Better known around here as Tom Brady’s wife, Bundchen’s modeling career highlights are extensive. She’s become a Boston mainstay when she’s not walking runways, although there are mixed feelings about her impact on the star quarterback.

Gisele tried on a new hat in April 2012 at the opening night party for Rag and Bone clothing store on Newbury Street.

Jimmy Tingle

Comedian

Tingle started his standup career in the 1980s, according to his official biography, and has kept going since. He took on the curmudgeon role in “60 Minutes II” and has also appeared on a number of other television shows.

Tingle posed in Harvard Square in September 2011.

Ben Mezrich

Author

The Boston resident has authored 12 books, including “The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook,’’ the book that served as the basis for the film “The Social Network.’’ His book about six MIT students who won millions gambling in Las Vegas also was a best-seller.

Tonya and Ben Mezrich at an October 2011 party marking the 10th birthday of the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common.

Paula Poundstone

Comedian

Poundstone was raised in Sudbury and practiced her early comedy routines in Boston. She appeared on a a number of comedy specials and hosted her own one-hour show on HBO. She later had her own show on ABC and was the first solo female host at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Poundstone has also appeared on SNL.

Dropkick Murphys

Celtic punk band

If you’ve ever heard anyone talking about “shipping up to Boston,’’ thank the Dropkick Murphys. This group is responsible for the unofficial Boston anthem. The Dropkick Murphys’ punk-Celtic charm pays homage to their deep-seeded South Boston roots.

Lenny Clarke

Comedian

Clarke, a Cambridge native, has appeared in movies and as a regular on a number of television series, including the long-running FX show “Rescue Me.’’

Clarke (left) and US Senator Scott Brown attended an event at Fenway Park marking its 100th birthday.

Maria Menounos

TV personality

Menounos is a Medford native. The 1996 Miss Massachusetts Teen USA winner has worked as a reporter for several Hollywood-centric programs and has appeared in a number of TV shows. She also was a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.’’

Menounos arrived at a post-concert party in Las Vegas on Aug. 19.

Jack Welch

Former General Electric CEO

Welch grew up on the North Shore and is probably the most famous graduate of the University of Massachusetts. He served as CEO of GE for 20 years, during a period which GE acquired RCA and its ownership of the NBC television network. He has been a regular in Boston philanthropic circles since his retirement.

Welch and his wife, Suzy, attended a function on Nantucket held by the American Ireland Fund in July 2012.

Edward “Ned’’ Johnson III

Fidelity Investments chairman

Johnson went to work for his father’s company after graduating from Harvard, becoming its CEO in 1977 and later its chairman. Fidelity is now one of the state’s larger employers and as of June 2012, it said it managed more than $1.3 trillion in mutual fund assets.

Johnson attended the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s April meeting at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Aly Raisman

Olympic medal-winning gymnast

Raisman, of Needham, captured the nation’s heart with her performance at the 2012 London Olympics, where she took gold in the floor exercises and bronze on the balance beam, and was a member of the US gold-medal team. Raisman is a Needham High School graduate. Most recently, Raisman was named one of Globe Magazine’s Bostonians of the year.

Raisman waved to fans Aug. 26 during a welcome-home parade in Needham.

Kayla Harrison

Olympic judo gold medalist

A true Olympic trailblazer, Harrison this year became the first American, of either sex, ever to win the gold in judo. And her courageous decision to go public with her wrenching story of childhood sexual abuse likely changed a lot of lives.

Jim Koch

Boston Beer Co. founder and chairman

Koch found a family beer recipe and brewed the first batch of what would become known as Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984 in his kitchen, according to the company’s history. Today the company is the top US brewery in terms of sales, according to The Brewers Association, and the flagship Boston Lager is a regional staple.

Koch stood for a portrait at the Samuel Adams brewery in Jamaica Plain in September 2010.

Keith Lockhart

Boston Pops conductor

Lockhart took over as conductor of the orchestra in 1995 from John Williams, and he has kept the orchestra in the spotlight. He’s best known for guiding the Pops during their annual July 4 concert on the Esplanade.

Lockhart gestured during the Fourth of July concert the Esplanade in July 2010.

Jack Williams and Lisa Hughes

TV anchors

Williams’s role at Channel 4 has evolved over the course of nearly 40 years. They now work together on the 6 p.m. newscast. Until earlier this year, they co-anchored at 11 p.m., too. Williams joined the station in 1975, Hughes joined the station in 2000.

Williams and Hughes posed in February 2006 at the WBZ-TV studios.

Kim Khazei

TV anchor

Khazei joined Channel 7 in 1994 and it’s been the only station she worked at since. She took a six-year sabbatical to raise her children, rejoining the station in 2007.

Khazei (right) and then coanchor Frances Rivera in 2009.

David Wade

TV anchor

Wade, a Somerville native and Tewksbury High School graduate, anchors the early morning newscasts and noon on Channel 4. He previously worked at Channel 25.

Wade (left), actor/rapper Slaine and area radio personality Kennedy Elsey appeared at a November 2010 fund-raiser.

Amanda Palmer

Musician

Amanda Palmer is a singer, writer, and pianist who gained fame with The Dresden Dolls, a dark, cabaret-style duo comprised of herself and Brian Viglione. Palmer has also released solo music.

Billy Costa

TV/radio personality

Costa wears many hats: He’s a co-host of the popular “Matty in the Morning” radio program, the host of “TV Diner” on NECN and “High School Quiz Show” on WGBH-TV.

Costa on the set of “High School Quiz Show” in January 2012.

Matt Siegel

Radio host

Siegel has been host of “Matty in the Morning” on KISS 108 for more than 30 years. His bits have become Boston staples, helping many get through seemingly endless morning commutes.

Siegel, left, and sidekick Billy Costa in the studio in July 2009.

Emily Rooney

Talk show host

Rooney hosts the nightly WGBH-TV talk show “Greater Boston’’ and contributes to the WGBH-FM afternoon radio show “Boston Public Radio.’’ Rooney began her career in town at Channel 5, where she eventually served as news director. Later, she was executive producer of ABC’s nightly newscast and then worked at Fox News. She returned to Boston in 1997 to launch “Greater Boston.’’

Rooney and her father, the late “60 Minutes’’ commentator Andy Rooney, sat on the set of Emily Rooney’s show in 2003.

Maria Stephanos

TV anchor

Stephanos anchors the nighttime newscasts on Channel 25. She joined the station in 1997, when it launched its news operation.

Anchors Maria Stephanos (left) and Mark Ockerbloom prepared for a newscast in November 2010.

Bianca de la Garza

TV anchor

De la Garza, who grew up in the Boston area, joined Channel 5 in 2007 after working across town at Fox 25. She anchors the early morning EyeOpener newscast.

De la Garza anchored a Channel 5 newscast.

Jerry Remy

Former Red Sox/TV analyst

Remy gained fame not from his playing career (he was a solid, not spectacular infielder), but from his broadcasting career. For a quarter-century he’s served as analyst on Red Sox telecasts, sharing his knowledge of the game with millions of Sox fans across New England. He’s leveraged goodwill from that mission into operation of his eponymous restaurant chain.

John O’Rourke (left) and Jerry Remy, managing partners in Remy Management Group LLC, stood atop Jerry Remy’s restaurant on Boylston Street in July, when Remy’s opened its roof deck.

Roger Berkowitz

Legal Sea Foods president and CEO

Berkowitz took the family fish market in Cambridge’s Inman Square and helped turn it into an East Coast restaurant mainstay. You can’t walk around the city without turning around and seeing a Legal in front of you, it seems.

Berkowitz showed off his newest creation, the Boston-Legal Harborside Restaurant, in April 2011.

Barbara Lynch

Chef/restaurateur

Lynch, a South Boston native, worked as a chef under Todd English before opening her first restaurant in 1998 in Beacon Hill, according to her biography. Her restaurant group now has operations across the city, including the flagship No. 9 Park.

Lynch posed for a portrait in November 2009.

Todd English

Chef/restaurateur

The celebrity chef may be best known around here for opening his flagship restaurant, Olives, in 1989 in Charlestown. He also owns a number of restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Nevada, including the Figs pizzerias.

English celebrated his birthday with friends and relatives in August 2010.

Lydia Shire

Chef

The renowned Boston chef is known for her work at a number of restaurants, including Scampo on Charles Street, in the Liberty Hotel.

Shire (right) offered tips to a student during a January 2012 culinary class.

Dennis Lehane

Author

Dennis Lehane is a Dorchester native and probably best known for his novels which have been adapted into films: “Mystic River,’’ “Gone, Baby, Gone,’’ and “Shutter Island.’’ Most recently, Lehane has signed on as creative consultant for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.’’