Rochelle Gambino was more than a gifted musician. She was a force of nature. A fierce, passionate rock star with a cult following in the Hudson Valley during the 1980s and 1990s, she carved out a unique sound that refused to be confined to any one genre.
From Croton-on-Hudson to Nashville, she poured her soul into her music, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates today. Now, thanks to her son, A.J. Vitiello, her songs are finally making their way to the digital world, ensuring that her voice continues to reach new audiences.
A.J. decided to digitize and release Rochelle’s music to the public on Valentine’s Day 2025 as a gift to his late mother, honoring her unique sound and passion for the arts. Through this effort, he hopes to keep her spirit alive and inspire others with the same love for music that she shared throughout her life.
A Life in Music
Born in Garfield Heights, Ohio, and raised in Croton-on-Hudson, Rochelle found her voice early on. She attended Croton-Harmon High School, where she began channeling her emotions into songwriting. Spending hours in the park below the Croton Dam, she crafted lyrics that captured both the beauty and struggles of life. She performed throughout Croton, becoming a beloved local figure at venues like The Grandstand and The Black Cow Coffee Company.
Rochelle’s career spanned several distinct phases. She began with hard rock, embracing a bold, high-energy style in her For Romantics Only era. But she had a deep love for country music as well, which led her to Nashville, where she performed at The Bluebird Cafe along with artists like Melissa Etheridge. Later, she returned to the Hudson Valley, forming The Black Jacket Band and creating some of her most serious, polished work. In her final years, she focused on deeply personal songs, reflecting on love, loss, and faith.
Her best friend, Jackie Bufi, describes her as “the biggest hearted person you’d ever meet” and “Croton’s sweetheart.” According to Jackie, Rochelle “did not have an enemy in the world. No person or animal disliked her, she always had a smile on her face and brought joy wherever she went.”
A.J. Vitiello’s Mission to Preserve His Mother’s Music
For A.J. Vitiello, Rochelle wasn’t just an artist, she was his mother. She passed away in 2007 when he was seven years old, leaving him with memories of her voice, her warmth, and the way she made everyone around her feel special. His earliest memories of his mother include her singing to him as a baby and performing at his kindergarten class, where she had written a song for each child. But it wasn’t until after her passing that he fully understood just how much she had meant to the community.
“I always knew my mom was a musician, but after she died, I realized just how deeply she had touched people. Strangers reached out, devastated by her loss,” A.J. shares.
Determined to honor his mother’s legacy, A.J. took on the responsibility of digitizing her music. Most of her recordings were on aging cassett tapes and CDs, at risk of being lost forever. “We live in a streaming era, and I wanted family and friends to be able to easily pull up her music on their phones, since the tapes will eventually break, ” he explains.
Beyond preservation, A.J. wanted to introduce Rochelle’s music to new audiences. He worked tirelessly to remaster the recordings, create lyric videos, and partner with distributors to bring her songs to Spotify and YouTube.
A Community That Never Forgot
Rochelle’s influence didn’t fade after her passing. Jackie Bufi organized You’re A Miracle: A Tribute to Rochelle Gambino, an annual concert in Croton that ran for 15 years. Proceeds from the event went toward helping A.J. financially so he could take care of himself without his mother, as well as funding a scholarship at Croton-Harmon High School for students pursuing music.
“It was my way of grieving, but also a way to keep Rochelle’s memory alive,” Jackie says. “Croton always stood behind her, and the community showed up year after year to celebrate her music.”
The tribute event was held every year until the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to pause. However, there are now discussions about bringing it back in the near future to continue honoring Rochelle’s impact on the community and to support aspiring musicians.
Now, with Rochelle’s music finally available on streaming platforms, her legacy extends even further.
“Her mission as an artist was always to ‘reach your soul with words of love,’” A.J. says. “That’s why I released this album on Valentine’s Day. It’s a promise to her, to keep her music alive.”
Her songs may have been written decades ago, but they still have the power to move people today. Rochelle’s story, one of passion, resilience, and artistic integrity, deserves to be heard.
Listen to Rochelle Gambino
Rochelle Gambino’s music is now available for streaming.
To hear her powerful voice and timeless lyrics, visit Spotify and YouTube
River Journal Editorial Intern Alexa Schwartzberg, a graduate of Hendrick Hudson High School, is currently majoring in journalism at Penn State University.
