Richard Gambino is Professor Emeritus at Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY), and holds a PhD in philosophy from New York University. He was appointed to the United States Bicentennial Commission by President Gerald Ford in 1975. He served, by appointment of Governor Mario Cuomo, on the New York State Council on the Humanities from 1984 to 1992. In 1988, he was awarded New York City' s Leonardo Da Vinci Award by Mayor Ed Koch. He was a full-time visiting professor at SUNY/Stony Brook for seven semesters in the mid-1990s. In 1999, HBO made a fictionalized feature film based on his non-fiction book, Vendetta, about the largest lynching in U.S. history, starring Christopher Walken, Ed Hermann and Bruce Davison. His play about Walt Whitman, Camerado, was performed in the Hamptons on Long Island, and his play, The Trial of Pius XII was performed there twice. Both plays were very well received by audiences. In 2009, the New York State Press Association gave Gambino a First Place Award for years of his special features newspaper writings. The citation with the award sums up what he attempts in all his writings: "In an age of instant messaging and short attention spans, this is a refreshing display of real writing, style, substance and organization. His dry, wry wit and universal commentary are engaging and educational."