Enshrined in 1976 … born in Germany, immigrated to the U.S., settling in Brooklyn, and later a West Nyack resident … premier bowler in Rockland County history … the first bowler to win four American Bowling Congress (ABC) titles … charter member of the ABC National Hall of Fame, inducted in 1941 … career spanned from the turn of the century to 1940 … bowled 19 perfect games, as well as an 819 three-game series … nicknamed “Long John” Koster … only 27 pins kept him from winning the ABC singles title in 1901 (he finished second with 621) … following year he contributed a 639 series to the Fidelia team’s 2,792 score, which won an ABC title, and Koster captured the all-events crown with an 1,841 … he was the first ABC bowler ever to surpass 1,800 … finished second three times in ABC national championship tournaments … was a member of the Rockland County Nyack Roofing Team that won the New York State championship in Syracuse in 1928 … earned the Greater New York Individual Championship title and the Metropolitan All-Events award for averaging 202.7 for nine games … in 1912 shot a 573 series as the Brunswicks won the ABC team title … in 1913 he contributed a 582 score to an ABC winning 1,291 doubles total … continued to bowl well in his later years, rolling a 751 series in the Pearl River Major League in 1937 … died at age 74 in 1945.