Writer, Screenwriter and Producer Nicholas Pileggi to Receive
Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Long Island University
- ‘Wiseguy’ author to attend Brooklyn Campus Commencement on May 15 -

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Oscar, Golden Globe and Writer's Guild Award nominee Nicholas Pileggi will receive an honorary doctorate at the 78th commencement ceremonies for Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus on Thursday, May 15.

Pileggi will be honored with a Doctor of Letters degree, sharing the stage with talk show host Tavis Smiley, also an honorary degree recipient and the commencement speaker. Smiley will address an audience of more than 1,700 graduating students.

An accomplished wordsmith, Pileggi studied English at the Brooklyn Campus. He started out as a reporter covering the New York police beat for The Associated Press and became a contributing editor at New York magazine, building a reputation as the city's top crime writer. He also wrote stories for Esquire, The New York Times, The Saturday Evening Post and Life magazine.

Pileggi developed a network of contacts and a deep understanding of the workings of the world of organized crime. He tapped into this background to pen the true-crime best seller “Wiseguy,” receiving accolades from The New York Times Book Review, Newsweek and Publishers Weekly, among others.

Pileggi's success on the page transferred readily to the screen. His unflinching account of the day-to-day life of a mobster in “Wiseguy” caught the attention of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who wanted to make the bestseller into a movie. He asked Pileggi to write the screenplay with him, and the result was the modern classic, “Goodfellas,” which made AFI's list of the top 100 films of all time.

For the big screen, Pileggi served as executive producer of “American Gangster” and producer of “Father Hood.” In television, he was executive producer of “Michael Hayes”; “Vendetta”; “Kings of South Beach ”; and a two-part documentary, “Loyalty and Betrayal: The Story of the American Mob,” which he also wrote.

A member of PEN, Pileggi has received awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the New York State Bar Association and the Detective Association. He also is the recipient of an Edgar Allen Poe Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America.

Long Island University In its ninth decade of providing access to the American dream through excellence in higher education, Long Island University is a multi-campus, diverse, doctoral institution of higher learning. One of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the country, Long Island University offers over 550 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs and certificates, and educates over 24,000* credit-seeking and continuing education students in Brooklyn, Brookville (C.W. Post), Brentwood, Riverhead, Rockland, Westchester and Southampton. The Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences prepares students for successful careers in the fields of pharmacy and health care. The University's Global College offers a wide range of study abroad options at overseas centers in China, Costa Rica, Japan and South Africa .

Long Island University's more than 650 full-time faculty members provide outstanding instruction, which is supplemented by internships and cooperative education opportunities. The accomplishments of nearly 167,000 living alumni are a testament to the success of its mission – providing the highest level of education to people from all walks of life. The University's NCAA Division I and II athletic teams, nationally renowned George Polk Awards in journalism, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and Long Island University Public Radio Network (WLIU-FM and WCWP-FM) provide enrichment for students and the community.

*This number includes high school students enrolled in one or more degree-credit courses.

The Brooklyn Campus is distinguished by...dynamic curricula reflecting the great urban community it serves. Distinctive programs encompass the arts and media, natural sciences, business, social policy, urban education, the health professions and pharmacy, and include the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, the D.P.T. in Physical Therapy and the Pharm.D. in Pharmacy. A vibrant urban oasis in downtown Brooklyn , this diverse and thriving campus offers academic excellence, personalized attention, small class size and flexible course schedules. In 2005, the Campus opened a new performing arts complex, which includes the 320-seat Kumble Theater, and in 2006, a $45 million Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center, both of which serve the Campus and the community.

Posted: May 9, 2008

Media contact: (718) 488-1015