Mark Gjonaj

The New York State Assemblyman found inspiration in his hardworking immigrant parents and now prioritizes increasing employment and improving the small business climate for the 125,000 Bronx constituents he represents.

Mark Gjonaj was born in December, 1968—the firstborn child of U.S. immigrants Roza and Zef Gjonaj. His parents left the comforts of their home in Rec, Ulqin, in 1967 to establish a better life for themselves and their children. They in the Bronx, New York, with nothing more than a strong work ethic.

Zef and Roza both came from respected, hardworking, and devout households, and they wanted to raise their children with those same values. Beginning at an early age, their son Mark learned the importance of hard work by watching and working with his parents. As building superintendents, and later, as realestate owners, his parents would require support from Mark to help them translate when dealing with tenants, and took him to their bank, lawyer’s office, and real-estate agent’s office to help with translation.