Entered in 1981 … graduated from Haverstraw H.S., circa 1900 … baseball player known for his prodigious home runs … at Fordham University, he played football and baseball … as a pitcher for the Rams, he formed one of the metropolitan area’s top collegiate batteries with his brother, Joe… he also was a first baseman … a powerful 6-foot-3, 230 pounds … he played minor league baseball in the New York Highlanders (later the Yankees) organization … played Class A ball in the New York-Penn League for Troy, Springfield and Perth Amboy … due to an arm injury, his pitching duties were limited, but he excelled as a first baseman … he played for several years, then ended his professional baseball career upon entering military service during World War I … after the war, he returned to Haverstraw and starred for the town’s semipro baseball team, the Knights of Columbus club … the K of C team played against top-notch squads such as the Black Yankees, the Cuban All-Stars and the Brooklyn Blue Socks … they also played exhibition games against teams composed of major league greats such as Babe Ruth, Frankie Frisch, Freddie Lindstrom and Iron Man Joe McGinnity … Shankey was said to be the area’s premier long-ball hitter in the 1920s and ’30s … later was the Town of Haverstraw Supervisor for 36 years and Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors (precursor to the County Legislature) for 12 years… Shankey was one of 15 children… his brother “Gus” was elected to the Rockland Hall of Fame in 1977.