What to know about Staten Island and how it joined NYC

Staten Island, the third largest borough of New York City, was home to the Raritan and Unamis Indians when it was discovered by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524.

Despite the Dutch’s multiple attempts to colonize “Staaten Eylandt,” the native population fought off the Europeans in three wars spanning from 1641 to 1655, according to the Staten Island Historian.

The Dutch, however, finally took hold of the island in 1661, calling it the Oude Dorp, and then relinquishing it to the English three years later under Gov. Peter Stuyvesant. It was then renamed Richmond County after the King of Englang’s son, the Duke of Richmond.

For nearly 200 years, New Jersey and New York City bickered over ownership of Staten Island, with The Garden State claiming it had rightful ownership given the island’s proximity.

Staten Islanders, however, voted overwhelmingly to officially become part of New York City in 1894, with the tally coming in at 5,531 to 1,505.

Many residents, however, came to regret their decision when the city decided to open the Fresh Kills garbage dump in 1948, leading then-Staten Island assemblyman Edmund Radiganto to introduce a bill for secession.

The dump became a major point of contention, which only grew after the city council restructured itself in 1989 and left Staten Island with only three members. Staten Island became popularly referred to as New York City’s “forgotten borough.”

In 1990, Staten Islanders overwhelmingly approved a study of secession from the city, with the vote to succeed passing but ultimately blocked by then-Mayor David Dinkins.

The Staten Island Secession movement came to an end following Rudy Giuliani’s victory over Dinkins in 1993, with Giuliani promising to address the island’s grievances, which included shutting down the Fresh Kills dump and making the Staten Island Ferry free.

The ferry was made free for residents in 1997, and the landfill was officially shut down in 2001.

Staten Island Republicans have introduced several bills in recent years to try and secede but failed.

In 2019, Council members Steven Matteo and Joe Borelli introduced their bill to transform New York City into the “four boroughs” in 2019, and last year, Council Minority Leader Joseph Borelli pushed for a similar bill.

Now GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who represents the island, has renewed the call to secede following the city’s decision to use a closed-down school as a makeshift living space for migrants.