Staten Island is home to some of New York's most historically significant and culturally important residential structures, ranging from famous movie locations to centuries-old farmhouses that tell the story of America's early settlement. These eleven iconic houses represent different eras of the borough's rich history, from 17th-century Dutch colonial homes to 20th-century celebrity residences that have captured the public imagination.
The most famous of these properties is undoubtedly the sprawling mansion at 110 Longfellow Avenue, universally known as "The Godfather House." This impressive residence served as the exterior backdrop for Francis Ford Coppola's legendary 1972 film "The Godfather," though the movie's impact on Staten Island began a year earlier in spring 1971, when Coppola, his cast, and crew took up residence on Emerson Hill for an intense two-month shooting schedule. The mansion features luxurious amenities including a gourmet kitchen, stately dining room, exercise room, pub, and expansive game room. The current owner purchased the home for nearly $1.7 million from the Norton family, who had owned it since 1951, and before that, it belonged to former Borough President Joseph Palma, who lived there with his wife Marie and their eleven children. The house's continued relevance in popular culture was demonstrated in 2025 when it made a cameo appearance in Hulu's popular mystery-comedy series "Only Murders in the Building."
Another significant residence is the Alice Austen House Museum at 2 Hylan Boulevard, which was home to pioneering 19th-century photographer Alice Austen. This 17th-century farmhouse underwent extensive renovation by the Austen family, who transformed it into a Gothic Victorian country cottage that was affectionately named "Clear Comfort." The house now serves as a museum dedicated to preserving Austen's photographic legacy and the history of early American photography.
The Conference House in Tottenville represents one of Staten Island's oldest and most historically significant structures, dating back to 1680 and renovated in 1926. This two-story fieldstone manor house was constructed by Captain Christopher Billow and gained historical importance as the site of a failed peace conference in 1776. The meeting brought together representatives of the Continental Congress—John Adams, Edward Rutledge, and Benjamin Franklin—with Lord Richard Howe, commander of the British forces on Staten Island, in an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate peace during the Revolutionary War.
The criminal history of Staten Island is embodied in the Todt Hill mansion at 177 Benedict Road, commonly referred to as "The White House." This residence was once home to Paul Castellano, the boss of the Gambino crime family, who met a violent end on December 16, 1985. Castellano was assassinated by a four-man hit crew working for John Gotti outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan, where the killers waited wearing black Russian fur hats and pale trench coats before riddling him with bullets as he exited his car for dinner.
The landmarked Kreischer Mansion at 4500 Arthur Kill Road in Charleston tells the story of Staten Island's industrial past. Built in 1899 by wealthy brick manufacturer Balthasar Kreischer for his son Charles, it originally had a twin structure built for son Edward that was later demolished. The existing mansion was designated a landmark in 1968 but has a troubled recent history, including a failed Victorian restaurant in 1997 and serving as the scene of a grisly 2005 murder of a Bonanno crime family associate, with the Bonanno hitman who was found guilty receiving a mandatory life sentence. The property gained additional notoriety when parts of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" pilot were filmed there in 2009.
The Seguine Mansion at 440 Seguine Avenue in Prince's Bay represents one of Staten Island's finest examples of 19th-century residential architecture. Dating to 1838, this 18-room Greek Revival residence resembles a Southern plantation house and stands as one of the few surviving examples of 19th-century life on Staten Island. The grand home overlooks sweeping lawns and the waters of Prince's Bay, having been rescued from near ruin and meticulously renovated and restored by longtime Staten Islander George Burke.
More recent celebrity history is represented by the colorful home of late reality TV star Angela "Big Ang" Raiola on Ward Hill. The larger-than-life personality, who died in 2016 after a public battle with brain and lung cancer, purchased the house built in 1930 for $560,000 in 2013 and completed a full remodel of the 2,700-square-foot residence. The renovated home features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, dark hardwood floors, two-zone baseboard heat, central air conditioning, completely new plumbing and electrical systems, two gas fireplaces, stainless steel Thermador appliances, and quartz countertops.
The borough's judicial history is preserved in the Judge Jacob Tysen House at 355 Fillmore Street in New Brighton, built circa 1835 for Jacob Tysen, who served as judge of the Richmond County Civil Court. This well-preserved residence features an English-style perennial garden and restored interiors furnished with authentic 19th-century art and antiques, providing visitors with an authentic glimpse into the lifestyle of Staten Island's early prominent citizens.
The Gustav A. Mayer House represents Staten Island's connection to American industrial innovation. This striking Italianate villa-style home sits on a 22,500-square-foot lot at 2475 Richmond Road and is named for its longtime owner, a German-born confectioner and inventor. The distinctive three-story gold and red house, topped with a cupola, was designated as a landmark in 1989 and has been used for high-end fashion photo shoots for prestigious magazines including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Built in 1855 by David Ryers on the site of the former Rose and Crown Tavern, the house was purchased in 1889 by Gustave A. Mayer, who used the large dwelling as both his residence and workplace until his death in 1918. Mayer is credited with creating the Nabisco sugar wafer and is considered a pioneer in the confectionery industry.
The island's oldest residential structure is the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House at 1476 Richmond Road in Dongan Hills. The original section of this Dutch Colonial farmhouse, constructed of fieldstone, dates to the 1600s when it served as home to Pierre Billiou, who led the first permanent settlement in the borough. This remarkable structure provides a direct link to Staten Island's earliest European settlement and represents over three centuries of continuous residential use.
Finally, the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House, built in 1740, now forms part of Historic Richmond Town after being relocated from its original site in New Dorp. This white Dutch colonial farmhouse features an open kitchen with a working fireplace on the first floor and period bedrooms on the second floor, offering visitors an authentic experience of 18th-century domestic life. Together, these eleven houses create a comprehensive narrative of Staten Island's evolution from Dutch colonial settlement to modern American borough, preserving both the ordinary and extraordinary stories that have shaped this unique corner of New York City.
