Ginamarie and Annamarie Russo

A boxing match is probably the last place you would think to look for Hofstra juniors Annamarie and Ginamarie Russo, identical twins from Lynbrook, New York, but these vivacious, straight-talking 22-year-olds have a passion for the sport. Ginamarie, in fact, has become a well-respected boxing reporter for various publications and Web sites, including Saddoboxing.com. And when she covers a boxing match or press conference, Annamarie is very happy to come along and support her sister’s work.

How did they develop such an atypical interest for young women? The sport runs in their blood. A few close family members, including their father, boxed. Still, says Ginamarie, “If I hadn’t found boxing, boxing would have found me!”

The sisters additionally have thriving acting careers. They began modeling when they were only three-months old, and their first movie role was in Hello Again!, playing Shelly Long’s infant daughters.

Once Annamarie and Ginamarie hit their late teens, they began to aggressively pursue acting roles. They have worked together a number of times. In the independent avant garde film Deception, scheduled to premiere at the Venice Film Festival in Italy this summer, Annamarie plays a model and Ginamarie plays her conscience, interviewing and probing her mind. They are featured in the soon to be released Fox Studios project SubterraNYa and in the thriller Horizon, starring Jason Robards III and David Thornton. Annamarie and Ginamarie have also appeared in episodes for the various Law and Order shows.

In March 2009 the Russo sisters starred in a performance for by world-renowned artist Di Mainstone. They will be featured in an upcoming art installation by Wojtek Ulrich at the Museum of Modern Art. They have been repeated guests on Fox’s Morning Show with Mike and Juliet modeling clothing and cosmetics.

Though their lives are split between the New York City boroughs and their Long Island home and college, Annamarie and Ginamarie place the highest priority on their studies at Hofstra. Annamarie is majoring in speech communications while Ginamarie is studying psychology. For the spring 2009 they each took a heavy course load of 18 credits. They have also taken advantage of the study abroad opportunities Hofstra offers by participating in the Hofstra in Venice program.

One would think the sisters’ off-campus careers would overshadow their studies, but the Russos say this is not the case. Annamarie says, “At Hofstra, there are many resources that have helped me pursue my academic interests. My education is very important to me, and my studies at Hofstra have been invaluable.”

Ginamarie adds, “I have been very pleased with the selection and diversity of the course offerings at Hofstra. They have made my studies here very interesting and gratifying.”

Post-Hofstra and post-show business, Annamarie has plans to continue her studies in law school, while Ginamarie hopes to someday pursue a medical degree.