The Joseph R. Attonito CCTOP Scholarship at New York University  enables outstanding graduates of local community colleges to complete bachelor’s degrees at the NYU College of Arts & Science (CAS), The scholarship is named in honor of Joseph R. Attonito, a longtime trustee of the Robert David Lion Foundation who passed away in 2024. Attonitio was committed to increasing access to higher education for community college students. NYU will match the support offered by the Gardiner Foundation to offer twenty scholarships to students majoring in a field related to American Studies and who devote a portion of their studies to the culture and history of the Long Island-New York City region.