Kelly Amonte-Hiller is a legendary figure in the world of lacrosse. She was the 1995 and 1996 NCAA Division I Lacrosse Player of the Year, leading Maryland to national titles in both seasons. She was a four-time All-America in lacrosse under former NU head coach Cindy Timchal, ending her career as the school's all-time record holder for career goals (187), assists (132) and points (319, 70 more than second place). In addition, Amonte-Hiller also earned All-America honors in soccer for the Terrapins and was named the ACC Female Athlete of the Year in 1996 for all sports. She graduated from Maryland in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in speech communication.
      Back in July 2000, Amonte-Hiller was given the task of putting the Northwestern women's lacrosse program back on the national landscape after a decade-long hiatus. Her progress in three short years was remarkable.
         Inside Lacrosse and Womenslacrosse.com named her National Coach of the Year and was named Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year by her peers at the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) in 2004.
      Amonte-Hiller's accomplishments extend to the national level as well. She has been a member of the U.S. Women's National Lacrosse Team for more than a decade, and was a prominent player on the 1997 and 2001 teams that won World Cup championships. Amonte-Hiller was ranked 21st by Sports Illustrated on its list of Massachusetts' Greatest Sports Figures of the 20th Century in 2000.  Tonight, another honor comes her way, induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
 

     Chosen as our first "Humanitarian of the Year Award Recipient," Salvatore A. Balsamo is a true giant in the business and philanthropic communities. He is Chairman of the Board, principal owner and founder of TAC Worldwide Companies and its affiliates. It is the largest privately held company of its kind in the United States, with more than $1 billion in annual revenues. TAC specializes in providing temporary and contract professionals throughout the U.S., Europe and the Pacific Rim. Under Mr. Balsamo's leadership since he started the company 31 years ago, TAC Worldwide Companies has maintained the highest of standards of integrity within the organization and in the staffing industry.
     Mr. Balsamo has received numerous awards recognizing his leadership, generosity and community involvement. Among them, the prestigious Ernst & Young 1996 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Category Services, The Pirandello Lyceum's "I Migliori" Award, the 1995 NTSA Industry Leadership Award and the Cardinal Cushing Service Award.
     Mr. Balsamo has received honorary degrees from Curry College and Southern New England School of Law. On October 15, 1998, Sal was inducted into the American Staffing Association Leadership Hall of Fame. Tonight, it is the Boston Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame that is proud to honor Salvatore A. Balsamo as it's "Humanitarian of the Year."

     Kicker, punter, All-American and Heisman Trophy-winning halfback.
     Born March 13, 1938, in Winchester, Massachusetts, Joe Bellino gained attention at the US Naval Academy, where he was a starting halfback for three years.
     The 5'9", 180-pound player made Naval Academy history when he became its first student to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, in 1960. He earned the honor for rushing 168 times for 834 yards, catching 17 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns, and throwing two touchdown passes on the halfback option. He was known not just for returning kicks, but for punting as well.
     Also in 1960, Bellino was a consensus selection for All-American honors and named "Outstanding College Football Player of the Year." His jersey number (27) has since been retired by the Naval Academy.
     He joined the AFL's Boston Patriots in 1965. He was elected into the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

     Francis Xavier Bellotti can add this Special Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Chapter of the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame to a long list of awards and honors that have been bestowed upon him throughout his distinguished career.
     Bellotti has been a prominent figure in the Massachusetts legal and political communities for nearly forty years. Just last year, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) created the Francis X. Bellotti Award, in his honor, to be presented annually to a member of the Society of Attorneys General Emeriti (SAGE) who has served and worked to further division and mission of NAAG. He was chosen by the editorial staff of Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly in 1997 as one of the most influential lawyers of the past 25 years.
     Born and raised in Boston, he is a graduate of Boston English High School, Tufts University and Boston College Law School. He is a United States Navy veteran of World War II. As a competitor in the U.S. Navy Olympics, which created competition among the many of the greatest athletes in the world, Frank swam on the four-man 400 yard freestyle relay team. He would swim six miles a day in preparation for competition, leading to a personal best all of swimming 100 yards in 51 seconds, just 1.5 seconds off the world record at that time.
     Bellotti went into private practice in 1952. He quickly established a reputation as a highly-respected trial lawyer and has tried cases at virtually every level of the State and Federal judicial system. His well chronicled political career began in 1958 when he ran for District Attorney of Norfolk County. He first ran statewide in 1962 when he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. Bellotti served three distinguished terms as Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1974 to 1987. He was reelected in 1978 with the largest plurality ever received in a contested State election.
     Bellotti turned the Attorney General's office into a model for local and national prosecutors by eliminating part-time assistants and implementing a merit-based hiring system. The National Association of Attorneys General awarded him the prestigious Louis C. Wyman Award as the most outstanding attorney general in the United States. He served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General in 1984.
        Francis and his wife, Maggi, have 12 children and 25 grandchildren.

     When George Bossi retired as the Lowell High School Wrestling Coach, he left a legacy of winning.
     Bossi's career spans more than 40 years with a resume that includes 11 state team championships, as well as numerous New England championships and Merrimack Valley Conference titles. During his final season as coach, Bossi won the 600th dual-meet victory of his career, finishing with an overall record of 611-99-8.
     Bossi's most important work as a coach was not winning championships. Instead, it was teaching life lessons to so many student athletes through the years. "I know I'm a better person after having him for a coach," the 2003 Red Raider senior co-captain Paul McNeil, a two-time Division 1 state champion, told the Lowell Sun after Bossi retired in 2003. "He teaches you how to believe in yourself and go after your goals."
     Bossi graduated Milton High School in 1953 and attended Thayer Academy in 1954. He graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in physical education from Springfield College in 1959 and earned his Masters in physical education from the University of Illinois in 1960.
     Bossi was a general science and math instructor for Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, NH from 1960 to 1964; he was a physical education teacher at Lowell High School from 1964 to 1980; he was the director of health and physical education at Lowell from 1980 to 1991; and he served as administrator of athletics and intramurals at Lowell from 1991to 1997.
     Tonight, Bossi will receive one more honor to go with the championships and the numerous young lives he's shaped over the years, induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the NIASHF.

        A golf prodigy who won the 1969 U.S. Women's Open at age 19, and a regular on the LPGA Tour until the late 1980s.
Golf prodigy Donna Caponi learned the game from her father, Harry. In 1956, at the age of 11, she won the Los Angeles Junior title, joining the tour in 1965 and winning 24 tournaments.
        A star golfer on the LPGA (Ladies' Professional Golf Association) tour for years, she captured the U. S. Open in 1969 and 1970. Her career came alive again in 1979 with a victory at the LPGA Championships, followed by the Dinah Shore Colgate Open in 1980. She regained the LPGA title in 1981, the same year she became the third player to cross the $1 million career winnings mark, and broke the record for most consecutive holes without a bogey: 50.
        After retiring in the '80s from the professional golf circuit, Caponi went on to a successful career as a network television golf commentator for the Golf Channel, and was elected to the LPGA Hall of Fame in 2001.

        Bobby Cappadona, a sensational selection by the Massachusetts Chapter for induction into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. His gridiron performances at Watertown High and Northeastern are legendary. A great tri-sport schoolboy and college athlete, he remains Watertown's all-time leading scorer and rusher, as well as Northeastern's record holder for career rushing and total touchdowns. He was a fantastic fullback who used his size, speed and strength to average an amazing 5 yards a carry and 100 yards a game. He shattered numerous Northeastern records on way to All ECAC fullback and All New England honors, as well as several All America mentions.
        Bobby joined the Boston Patriots in 1966 and continued to pile up the yards and awards. He was the Pats rookie of the year. He finished his fabulous career with the Buffalo Bills before starting his own insurance agency in 1973. A member of the Watertown High School Hall of Fame and Northeastern Athletic Hall of Fame, tonight one more Hall calls, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations Bobby!

        Snubbed by the NFL, Cappelletti set records and led scoring in the AFL.
        Gino Cappelletti was born March 26, 1934, in Keewatin, Minnesota. He was a quarterback and kicker for the University of Minnesota and, after graduating in 1955, tried out for the NFL. Cappelletti failed to make the Detroit Lions, but found himself playing Canadian football in 1958.
        In 1960, Cappelletti joined the newly formed AFL with the Boston Patriots. He kicked the first field goal in AFL history in the Patriots' opening game against the Denver Broncos. Cappelletti led the AFL in scoring in 1961.
        The Patriots also used Cappelletti as a wide receiver in his earlier years with the team, and he was named AFL player of the year in 1964, after scoring 155 points catching seven touchdown passes and kicking 25 field goals and 38 extra points.
        He led the AFL in scoring again from 1963-1966, racking up more than 100 points for six straight seasons from 1961-1966. During his 11 seasons, Cappelletti caught 292 passes for 4,589 yards a 15.7 average  and 42 touchdowns. He also kicked 342 of 353 extra point attempts and made 176 of 333 field goal attempts for a total of 1,130 points. During his career, he was selected to seven All-Pro teams.
        Cappelletti retired in 1970 and became a radio commentator for the Patriots' radio network. He was named to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.

        Rocky Carzo is one of a dying breed. He is a people person who takes care of business based on values and traditions in contrast with a more businesslike approach by today's athletic directors. Carzo's qualities are boldly imprinted on the athletic department at Tufts University, where he found a home and established a legacy over the past 33 years.
        Rocky's exuberance for college athletics has been demonstrated for more than 45 years. He became Tufts' head football coach in 1966 and worked his way to the Athletic Director's chair with an eager approach and easy smile. He may have retired in 1999, but today he is as busy as ever, continuing to thrive in the college environment while coordinating Jumbo Footprints: The History of Tufts Athletics.
        This native of Pennsylvania was a tenacious fullback at the University of Delaware where he graduated in 1954. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach two years later before moving on to Cal in 1960. It was with the Golden Bears that he was instrumental in the development of All-American and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Craig Morton as offensive coordinator under Marv Levy.
        Carzo came to Tufts in '66 embracing the ideals of small college athletics. Promoted to Athletic Director in 1973, he worked hard to uphold the Tufts motto, "a sport for every man and a man for every sport," established by Clarence "Pop" Houston, a 1914 Tufts graduate, former athletic director and president of the NCAA. As A.D. he inherited and athletic program that consisted of 12 men's sports. By the time he left Tufts Athletics consisted of 33 men and women's sports for nearly 1,000 varsity athletes. The University won nearly 70% of their contests during Carzo's tenure. Jumbo teams and outdoor facilities are among the best for Division III programs in New England.
        Rocky has extended his dedication and sense of humor to other athletic organizations, having served as President of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) the largest of its kind in the country, and as President of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
        Among the many honors and awards that have come Carzo's way, he has been recognized as the ECAC Jostens Administrator of the Year, the National Association of College Directors of Athletics as Athletic Director of the Year, while receiving the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fames Distinguished American Award and the All American Football Foundation General Neyland Award for Lifetime Achievements in Athletics. He was elected to the National Association of College Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000 and tonight induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.

        Joe Castiglione is one of the most popular and highly respected radio play-by-play and color men in major league baseball. He has just completed his 21st season on Red Sox radio, the past 11, with fellow 2003 NIASHF inductee, Jerry Trupiano. Together on 50,000 watt flagship station, WEEI and a network of 59 additional stations throughout New England these two colorful announcers have become likeable and well known to Sox fans from Bangor to Bridgeport. Joe's vast baseball broadcasting experience includes television work for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers from 1979 to 1982.
        The Hampden, Connecticut native has also entertained and informed Ohio viewers as a television sports anchor and play-by-play man for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has also called college basketball on the New England Sports Network (NESN) for six seasons.
        Joe spends the off-season teaching broadcast journalism at Northeastern University and at Franklin Pierce College, while also finding time to raise money for the Jimmy Fund. He is certainly no stranger to the members and supporters of this Massachusetts Chapter, having served as Master of Ceremonies for the 2001 and 2002 Massachusetts NIASHF Annual Awards banquets. Tonight he returns to the podium as a member of the induction class of 2003.

        Throughout his storied career as a sports executive, Jerry Colangelo has succeeded with a unique combination of know-how both on the basketball court and on the business side of the operation. That savvy and experience is what makes him one of the top executives in professional sports. He recently unveiled a plan for the Suns future that included the sale of the team for an NBA record $401 million.
        Colangelo's impact on the sports scene in Phoenix and the game of basketball has been so great he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2004 and enshrined on Sept. 10, 2004 in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball. This most recent honor is just one of many times Colangelo has been recognized by both the business and sporting worlds.
        Since first moving to the Valley of the Sun in 1968 to take over the expansion Phoenix NBA franchise as the youngest general manager in professional sports, Colangelo has molded the Phoenix Suns into one of the most successful organizations in the NBA. In addition he serves as Chairman of the 2001 World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks and was the key element in facilitating the move of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets to the Valley of the Sun to become the Phoenix Coyotes.
        Colangelo is currently the Chairman of the NBA's Board of Governors. With the Suns, his roles have included general manager, head coach, president and now chairman and chief executive officer. The 36-year tenure with one franchise is the second longest in the NBA, behind only Boston's Red Auerbach. Colangelo also spent two seasons working with the Chicago Bulls before moving to the Valley to help start the expansion Suns. Colangelo added to his NBA involvement with a position on the founding committee for the WNBA, helping advance professional women's basketball in the United States. The Phoenix Mercury were one of the WNBA's inaugural teams in 1997.
        As with the NBA, Colangelo was involved with the governing of baseball, serving on many committees and boards. The Arizona Diamondbacks began play in 1998 and captured the 2001 World Series in a historic seven-game series against the three-time defending champion New York Yankees. Going from expansion team to World Champion in just four years was a record for Major League Baseball.
        Colangelo's commitment to the Valley transcends sports and he is well-known as one of the city's most active community leaders. Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon recently proclaimed March 26, 2004, Jerry Colangelo Day in the city of Phoenix.
        He is currently chairman of the board of the Council of Leadership Education and Collaboration for a New Century, Southwest Leadership Foundation, National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and Leadership Foundations of America, trustee of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, national board member of National Italian American Foundation and Young Life International, vice president of the Phoenix Downtown Partnership, chairman and CEO of Phoenix Community Alliance and was a leader in the establishment of Employers Against Domestic Violence. Colangelo has also served on the board of directors for numerous cultural, charitable and educational organizations. As campaign chair for United Way in 1994, Colangelo raised the standard for community fundraising when he secured pledges for $25 million.
        In his book titled How You Play the Game, Colangelo gives insight into the world of the business of sports and his own life. Proceeds of the book sales go to charity.
        Colangelo prepped at Bloom Township High in Chicago Heights, Ill., where he played both basketball and baseball. Upon graduation he had 66 scholarship offers for college basketball and seven for professional baseball contracts. He enrolled at the University of Kansas and later transferred to the University of Illinois, where he earned All-Big Ten honors, captained the Illini as a senior and was later inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He also played two years of baseball at Illinois.
        Colangelo grew up in the "Hungry Hill" neighborhood of Chicago Heights. His ties to "The Heights" and Bloom Township are evident in the Jerry Colangelo Gymnasium and Colangelo Way, a street named after him. Currently under construction in Chicago is the Colangelo Center that will house the Italian-American Athletic Hall of Fame.
Colangelo and his wife, Joan have four children: Kathy Holcombe, Kristen Brubaker, Bryan, and Mandie Colangelo, and six granddaughters and four grandsons, all of Phoenix.

            320 wins, 103 losses, 9 ties. Seven perfect seasons. Fourteen Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowl appearances. Nine Super Bowl championships. Thirty League Championships. The sensational statistics and impressive titles tell just part of the story.
            Armond Colombo is much more than the state's all-time winningest high school football coach. Perhaps no high school football coach in the country has had more of an impact on his players than this 71-year-old legendary coach from Brockton High School. On his resume Coach Colombo states, " I am most proud of the thousands of young men who have had the opportunity to further their education by using the game of football as a vehicle to achieve this end. The scholarship dollars awarded to students who I have coached totals in the millions. To assist these young men in achieving their goals while doing the thing that I love, that is coaching, has been a joy and a blessing." Yes, this is a coach who genuinely cares about his players and their futures.
        Colombo's remarkable football coaching career at Brockton began in 1968 after an outstanding nine-year, 55-20-3, run at Archbishop Williams High School. He was also AWHS's head baseball coach, but in the fall of '69, he took over a program that has become the standard and envy of athletic directors and football coaches across New England. No Massachusetts high school football coach has won as many games. No Eastern Massachusetts football coach has led his team to more playoff and Super Bowl appearances and championships.
        The mere mention of Brockton Boxers football conjures up images of four decades of gridiron domination, inspired and orchestrated by one constant, the head coach, Armond Colombo. He has been named Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Brockton Enterprise and Massachusetts Sons of Italy.
      He has received the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame's Distinguished American Award. Brockton and Archbishop Williams High, Dean Academy, Stonehill College and the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association have all inducted Armond into it's Halls of Fame. Tonight, one more much-deserved honor for this living legend, induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame!

      The youngest home-run leader in the history of the American League in 1965.
      Conigliaro made his major league debut in 1964 with the Boston Red Sox. He hit .290 with 24 home runs his first year and walked away with Rookie of the Year honors. The 20-year old Conigliaro hit 32 home runs in 1965, and later became the youngest player in American League history to hit 100 home runs.
      The hometown hero was enjoying another standout year in 1967 when, on August 18, he was struck by a Jack Hamilton fastball that broke his cheekbone and damaged his eyesight so badly that he missed the entire 1968 season.
      He returned in 1969 to win Comeback of the Year honors, and in 1970 hit 36 home runs. But his vision was still impaired, and he left the majors in July 1971, returning for a short comeback try in 1975. Further tragedy befell Conigliaro at age 37, when he suffered a heart attack that left him severely incapacitated.
      He was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1983, and died on February 24, 1990.

      Don Croatti has done it all. An appropriate nickname might be Mr. President. He is a past president of the Massachusetts Treasurer Collectors Association, the Boston College Touchdown Club, now known as the Gridiron Club, the Boston College Varsity Club and the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. All of these clubs and organizations are on solid ground thanks in part to the leadership and participation of Don Croatti.
      Don was born and raised in Framingham, the youngest of nine children belonging to first-generation Italian Americans, Albert and Elizabeth Croatti. He played football, basketball and baseball at Framingham high before graduating in 1952. He served four years in the United States Coast Guard until 1956 when he married Mary Ann Alberti of Wellesley Hills. They recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!
      Croatti graduated Boston College in 1960 with a degree in business administration. He excelled in various positions, including Chief Assessor, Town Treasurer and Tax Collector, in the town of Framingham over the next 32 years. He currently serves the state on a part-time basis working for State Auditor A. Joseph DeNucci, a position he has held for the past nine years.
      His impressive resume includes a 14 year run as a board member of the Massachusetts Treasurer Collectors Association, past trustee of Framingham Union Hospital, founder of the Boston College Touchdown Club, now the Gridiron Club, which today includes more than 1,000 members. Don remains active today as a member of the Boston College Varsity Club and the Massachusetts Chapter of the NIASHF Board of Directors. He is also the chapter's treasurer.
      He was recently recognized by the Gridiron Club of Boston College for his many years of service and support to B.C. Athletics with a prestigious plaque that is on display outside the Eagles locker room at Alumni Stadium.
      Tonight, one more prestigious honor for this popular and highly respected leader, businessman, father and grandfather. The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is proud to pay tribute to one of its own, Don Croatti, presenting him with its 2006 Special Recognition Award.

      It was only a matter of time before the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame would look to Peter Cronan to be one of its inductees. Cronan possesses all the qualities the chapter seeks out when evaluating individuals for potential induction. Peter is one of the finest football players to ever come out of Massachusetts and a man who commits an immense amount of time and energy for many charitable organizations.
      A Massachusetts native, Cronan made his athletic mark at Marian High School in Framingham as an All Scholastic Catholic Conference All Star and Shriner's Game All Star. He went on to Boston College on a full athletic scholarship. Peter was a four year Letterman and starter as a linebacker and defensive tackle. He captained the 1976 team that upset the then 4^th ranked Texas Longhorns in dramatic fashion, posting 22 tackles en route to being named Sports Illustrated's "Player of the Week." He was named All New England and ECAC Player of the Year after his senior year.
      The Seattle Seahawks selected him in the second round, (53rd pick overall) Peter was the Seahawks middle linebacker and captain of the special team for four years before moving on to Washington D.C. where he signed with the Red Skins as a free agent in 1981. Cronan earned a reputation as a tenacious special teams player. John Madden nicknamed him
      "Cro-magnum". He played in the Skins Super Bowl XVII victory over the Miami Dolphins in 1982 and in Super Bowl XVIII against the Los Angeles Raiders the following year. He was Washington's team captain from 1980 to 1985. Joe Gibbs said of Peter Cronan, "I've coached so many great players it would be unfair to single one out. However, my favorite player I ever coached was Pete Cronan." 
      Cronan retired from the NFL after nine sensational seasons in 1985. He was a color analyst for New England Sports Network from 1986 to 1988. He is a color analyst for Boston College football on WRKO radio, a position he has held since 1989. He has been an active motivational speaker and lecturer over the past 25 years.
      Peter is President of Merrill Corporation's Eastern Region and a champion off the field as well. He has donated countless hours to a variety of charitable organizations including the American Cancer Society, the United Way, the Alzheimer's Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He is a charter member of the Boston College Club Board of Governors and former President of the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston and Boston College Varsity Club.
      He is a member of the Marian High School and Boston College Halls of Fame. Tonight, another Hall of Fame proudly welcomes him for induction, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

      The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame is the seventh Hall of Fame to induct Bentley Athletic Director and baseball coach, Bob DeFelice. He was honored by Boston College in 1986, the Winthrop Hall of Fame in 1997 and most recently, Bentley College in 1999. One only needs to review his athletic accomplishments to understand why.
      A 1963 graduate of Boston College, his outstanding coaching career began that same year as head football coach and assistant basketball coach at Christopher Columbus high school. DeFelice began a three-year playing career in the Boston Red Sox minor league organization in 1965. He was a player-coach with the Pittsfield Red Sox in 1967.
      Bob's long and rewarding relationship with Bentley began in 1968 when he was hired as the college's first varsity baseball coach, a position he still holds today. It's an amazing 34 year run that places him tied for seventh in longevity amongst active Division II coaches. He has led his teams to an average of 18.5 wins a season the last decade and a total of 484 victories. DeFelice's Falcons set an NCAA Division II record in 2001 by hitting an average 2.39 home runs, including an incredible 98 homeruns in just 41 games.
      Bob became Bentley's athletic director in 1991. The school's athletic programs, its facilities and the Falcon Club have all prospered under his direction. Falcon teams have captured more than 50 conference championships since the fall of 1992. The field hockey team won it its first NCAA Division II national championship in the college's history in November of 2001. The Falcon Club has developed to the point where it is annually providing a record amount of the financial assistance to needy and deserving students-athletes.
      Among the many honors he has received are the Murray Lewis Award from the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Football Officials, the Whitey Allard and Marty McDonough Memorial Sportsmanship Award from the College Baseball Umpires Association of New England.
      DeFelice and his wife, Patricia, have four children.

      When Gene DeFilippo was named Athletic Director at Boston College in 1997, true to his style, he hit the ground running. Now, a little more than four years later, those efforts are paying huge dividends. Mr. DeFilippo's tireless work ethic and vision has resulted in arguably the college's finest line-up of coaches ever, a top notch internal staff and a most impressive overhaul of the school's athletic facilities. The Athletic Association's fundraising arm has secured $23 million, surpassing the total dollars raised by athletics at BC from 1980-1997. Gene has introduced a five year strategic plan that will insure an equal opportunity for men and women participating in BC athletics. He is highly respected among his peers and for good reason. Just last season he guided the Eagles to one of their most successful campaigns ever. The men's ice hockey team won the NCAA Division I championship. The football team won the Aloha Bowl before a national television audience on Christmas Day, while the men's basketball team won the Big East East Division regular-season and tournament titles! His personal accomplishments and those of his teams are too numerous to list. Tonight, that list grows a little longer as a recipient of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame's Special Achievement Award. Congratulations Gene!

      A hardscrabble battler in the welterweight division in the 1950s, capturing the world's title and winning 58 bouts along the way.
With a style best called "direct," Tony DeMarco scrapped his way to some 71 professional prizefights, coming out the victor in 58 of them, with 33 KOs to his credit.
      Wins included victories over top contenders and champions like Paddy DeMarco, Teddy "Red Top" Davis, Chico Vejar and Don Jordan. The highlight of his career came in 1955, when he knocked out Johnny Saxton in the 14th round of their title bout, securing DeMarco the world's welterweight belt.
      DeMarco was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.

      One hundred percent best sums up the character of "Inductee" Joe DeNucci. For more than two decades Joe has made an all out commitment to public service, first as a State Representative and for the past 13 years as the highly respected State Auditor. He is one of six constitutional officers elected statewide in the Commonwealth. Throughout his life, Joe DeNucci has earned a reputation for integrity, independence and compassion.
      Joe and his wife, Barbara, have five children and eight grandchildren.
      Before his political life, Joe was a well-known middleweight boxing contender. His talent shined brightly even as a 16 year old when he became a Golden Gloves Champion. The following year, while still in high school, he joined the professional ranks. Always providing a commendable performance, DeNucci went on to a 16 year distinguished career, registering an impressive 65 wins, 12 losses and 5 draws. More than 30 of his wins were by knockout. As New England middleweight champ, he took on some of the finest middleweights in the world, including world champions Emile Griffith and Joey Giardello. No one fought more times or won more times in the Boston Garden than Joe. Champ, we thank you for accepting our award and for being inducted into the Boston Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations!

      He is one of the most successful high school football and basketball coaches in the Commonwealth, which makes John DiBiaso of Everett a fine choice for induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame. DiBiaso is in his 14th season as head coach of an Everett football team that has won an incredible 10 straight Greater Boston League championships. His teams have played in eight Super Bowls. They won five of them.
      As Everett High's basketball coach, he has won 308 games over 21 years, including seven league championships, two Division One North titles and one Eastern Mass crown. John has been named Boston Globe Coach of the Year three times in football and twice in basketball. He has also been named Riddell New England Coach of the Year in 2002.
      John is also Everett High's athletic director. He is a lifelong resident of Everett. He lettered in football and baseball before graduating from Everett High School in 1974. He graduated from Philips Exeter in 1975, where he once again lettered in football and baseball. He went on to study at Tufts University where he played four years of football starting at strong safety in his junior and senior years. He graduated magna cum laude in 1979 and would later receive a master's degree from Tufts.
      John followed in his father's footsteps as a coach serving as a graduate assistant football coach at Tufts for three years under head coach Vic Gatto. He became the youngest head coach in Massachusetts high school football at St. Patrick's High in Watertown in 1982. He turned the program around with 8-1-1 and 9-1 records in his fourth and fifth seasons. Weston High came calling in 1988. Coach DiBiaso led that school to its first Super Bowl win ever in his fourth season.
      He and his wife of 18 years, Maureen, reside in Everett with their two children, 13-year-old Kristina and 11-year-old Jonathan.

      Known affectionately as "The Little Professor," he was described by his older and more famous brother, Joe, as "the best defensive outfielder I've ever seen." "I was determined to become a big leaguer to disprove all those cracks that I was being given my start just because of my brothers."

      Pamela Donnaruma is one of the Boston area's foremost woman entrepreneur role models. She is the third-generation Italian-American owner and editor of Boston's most renowned weekly newspaper, The Post-Gazette. This 107-year-old newspaper, considered to be Boston's voice of the Italian Community, was founded in 1896 by James V. Donnaruma, Pamela's grandfather. Her parents, Phyllis and Caesar, managed to the paper from 1953 to 1990. During those years, while her mother and father built the reputation and prestige of this nationally recognized weekly publication, Pamela was at their side, learning the business "from the bottom-up".
      Pam assumed editorial and ownership responsibilities in 1990, upon the death of her mother. In the meantime, The Post-Gazette's readership has grown to more than 20,000 under her control. She established a policy of fairness and full coverage on issues which affect the Post-Gazette readership, and has taken a position of leadership through the pages of her newspaper to champion causes which "define solutions rather than to restate the problems."
She is ambitious, successful and humble. Although her accomplishments are considerable, she defers to her late parents and grandfather when talking about the success of the newspaper. Pam has been active in many professional and social groups, supporting political, social and environmental concerns both personally and through the pages of the Post-Gazette.
      She is the editor of the Massachusetts Sons of Italy Newspaper, a Member of the STEP Board of Directors, Corresponding Secretary of the Women's Italian Club of Boston and Second Vice President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (NIASHF) an organization that appreciates her hard work and commitment. So tonight, the Massachusetts chapter of the NIASHF proudly pays tribute to one of its own, Pamela Donnaruma, presenting her with its 2003 Special Recognition Award!

      Mike Eruzione earned his stripes as a legend in U.S. hockey history when he captained the 1980 U.S. team to a Gold Medal on home ice. "Do you believe in miracles?" Al Michaels, as the USA defeated the USSR at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games..
     Though he didn't go on to a long NHL career like some of his 1980 Olympic teammates, Mike Eruzione cemented his reputation as a clutch player by scoring the winning goal against the U.S.S.R. in the Lake Placid Olympic semi-finals.
      Before that stunning upset made the team members national heroes, Eruzione was a standout forward with Boston University. A four-year star there, he was an all-conference defensive selection and left the college as the third-leading scorer in the program's history. A consummate team player, his squad won the Eastern Collegiate Championship each year he played at BU.
      A member of the Boston University Sports Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, Eruzione was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

      A celebrated NHL top scorer and one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
      Although born in Sault St. Marie, Ontario on February 20, 1942, Phil Esposito was fortunate to grow up in "The Soo" area of Chicago, where minor league hockey was supported. It was here Esposito got his start before embarking on a victorious NHL career.
The high-school dropout began his professional hockey career in 1961 in the minor leagues before joining the Chicago Black Hawks in 1963 as center.
      In 1967, Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins, where he thrived as the leading scorer in the league. He also won the Hart Trophy in the 1968-69 season when he cracked the 100-point barrier.
      He was again the league's top scorer in the 1970-71 season, with 152 points on 76 goals and 76 assists  a single-season mark rarely surpassed. Esposito continued his reign as top scorer for the next three seasons, when he scored, respectively: 66 goals and 67 assists; 55 goals and 75 assists; and 68 goals and 77 assists.
      Esposito played a key role in ending the Bruins' 29-year wait for the Stanley Cup in 1970. They again took the title in 1972. That same year, Esposito was the individual leader and top-point man for Team Canada in the famous "Series of the Century" against The Soviet Union.
      While with the Bruins, Esposito won five NHL scoring titles. He was named to the NHL's All-Star First Team six times and All-Star Second Team twice. He earned the Hart and Pearson Trophies, twice each. In 1978, Esposito received the Patrick Award for his contributions to US hockey.
Esposito was traded to the New York Rangers for the 1975-76 season, where he played until his retirement in 1981. Over an 18-season span, he left a spectacular scoring legacy of 1,590 points on 717 goals and 873 assists in 1,282 games. He was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Hockey Hall of Fame three years later.

      If any major-league manager deserves to be inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame it is Terry Francona. Terry guided the Red Sox to their first World Championship since 1918 in his first season at the helm in Boston. He became the winningest manager in the club's post-season history after the Red Sox won 11 of 14 games in their amazing and historic run to a World Series title in the fall of 2004.
      Terry recently completed his 26th season in professional baseball, his sixth season as a major-league manager and second with the Red Sox. Although the Sox were unsuccessful in defending their world championship in 2005, Terry still managed to lead the club to a 95 win season and first place tie with the New York Yankees, despite an overwhelming amount of adversity including the limited use of injury plagued pitching stars Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke.
      At just 37 years old, Terry was the youngest manager in the majors in 1997 when the Philadelphia Phillies gave him his first managerial job. He managed the Phillies for four seasons from 1997 to 2000. His coaching career began soon after the conclusion of his playing days in 1991, when he served as hitting instructor for the Chicago White Sox' rookie-level Gulf Coast League club. He managed Chicago's Single-A South Bend affiliate in 1992 and skippered Double-A Birmingham from 1993 to 1995, earning Southern League Manager of the Year and Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year honors after leading the Barons to the league championship in 1993.
      Terry's playing career includes 10 years in the majors with the Expos, Cubs, Reds, Indians, and Brewers. He batted a very respectable .274 with 16 home runs and 143 RBI in 708 major-league games as a first baseman and outfielder. His two best major-league seasons were derailed by knee problems. He was hitting .321 through 46 games in 1982 before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right knee. He was batting .346 through 58 games in 1984 before a June injury on his left knee, which necessitated season ending surgery. He was a first round draft pick (22nd overall) by the Montreal Expos in 1980. Terry played only 194 minor-league games over parts of two seasons before being promoted to the majors for the first time in August of 1981 after hitting .350 for Double-A Memphis and Triple-A Denver.
      Terry and his wife Jacque make their off-season home in Yardley, Pennsylvania where they reside with their four children, Nicholas, Alyssa, Leah and Jamie.

      If any local sports figure deserves to be inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, it is the dean of New England jockeys, Carl Gambardella. He won an incredible 6,350 races to go along with 5,953 places and 5,353 shows in 49,018 mounts. Only a handful of riders in the nation have won more races. He prided himself as a blue-collar jockey who finished with more than 29 million dollars in career earnings, tops in New England.
      His legendary 38 year career began at Hagerstown Race Course in 1956 where he won his first race. He stayed in Maryland for two years before moving to New England full-time to stay closer to his family. One of his biggest thrills was beating future Hall of Famer Eddie Acaro in a claiming race during Preakness week at Pimlico in 1956. He was constantly high in the jockey standings and the nation's leading jockey in 1984 with a 24.4 winning percentage.
      Whether Carl rode for trainers with only a couple of horses or for a large stable, it was with great pride that owners could say, "Gamby's riding my horse". They always knew that they would get the best possible ride. He was the nation's leading jockey in 1984 with a 24.4 winning percentage. Although he had a short stint at just about every track in the country, he rode primarily at Rockingham Park and Suffolk Downs, where he dominated, winning the riding title 12 times.

      David J. Gemelli, president and CEO of Gem Gravure Company, Inc., is truly one of the Boston areas finest business role models.
After joining Gem Gravure in 1976, Gemelli helped establish the company as a leader in the wire and cable manufacturing, processing, and fiber optics industries. The company has received 10 consecutive awards from Domino Amjet for ink jet printing and in 1997, the company received "The Flame" award from Lucent Technologies for the development of water-based inks for which Gem Gravure received a patent.
      Gemelli is a member of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame leadership committee and was Honorary Dinner and co-chairman of the 2004 Massachusetts and Chicago Board of Directors. He was also co-chairman of the National's 2003 banquet.
David is an avid sports fan. He has been a Red Sox season ticket holder for 40 years with his family, served as a board member and volunteer coach and administrator for the Hanover Youth Athletic Association.
      Gemelli graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. and from the University of Arizona with an M.B.A. He served as a Captain in the United States Field Artillery. He worked for the America Optical Products Division, Southbridge, Mass., and for Polaroid Corp. in its Optical Products Division in Cambridge prior to joining Gem Gravure. Gem Gravure has grown to 85 employees and more than 50,000 square feet of manufacturing, laboratory, and administrative space with 1,000 active customers in 100 countries.
      Tonight the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame proudly pays tribute to one of its own, David Gemelli, as its 2004 Sportsman of the Year award.

      Karen Geromini is a perfect choice for induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Hall of Fame. She is an accomplished lacrosse and field hockey player, coach and athletic director.
      Karen is a highly respected and successful athletic director and field hockey coach at The Winsor School in Boston. They are positions she has held since 2001. Winsor teams have won 17 Eastern Independent League Championships over the past five years. League/sport wins, the number of student athletes going on to play in college and student athlete participation, have all increased since Geromini has guided the school's athletic program.
      As athletic director at Thayer Academy from 1992 to 2001, Karen led her teams to a most impressive 26 Independent League Championships and 25 New England Championships, which reflect increases in both categories.
      Karen arrived at the University of New Hampshire in 1983 having never played lacrosse. Her lack of experience did not, however, prevent her from becoming a four-year starting offensive player and one of the finest ever to play for the Wildcats. She amassed a school record 235 career points and 101 assists. Single-season records include 71 points and 35 assists. They are all records that still stand today. She earned First Team Division I.
      All-America status in 1985, 1986 and 1987, leading her team to three ECAC championships, four NCAA tournaments and a National Division I Championship in 1985.
      Geromini's field hockey resume is just as impressive. She still holds UNH records for most career goals with 71, most career points with 162, most goals in the single-season-27, and most points in the single season-57. She played for the USA National Field Hockey team from 1983 to 1990. Karen was named UNH Women Athlete and Student Athlete of the Year in 1987.
      Often, outstanding athletes do not become successful coaches. That has not been the case with Geromini. She was a lacrosse assistant coach at UNH from 1988 to 1991. The '91 team went 11-2-0 making it all the way to the NCAA semifinals. The '90 team went 11-3-0 reaching the ECAC first round. As varsity field hockey coach at Thayer Academy from 1992 to 2001 her teams went 75-46-21.
      As Thayer's varsity lacrosse coach from 1992 to 1996 Karen's teams went 40-29-3. Her 1993 league champion team went 12-1-1. The 1992 squad finished 13-1. The number of players that went on to play at the Division I college level increased in both sports.
      This Hanover High grad has earned many awards and accolades along the way. Karen has been inducted into the UNH Hall of Honor for her achievements in field hockey and lacrosse. Tonight she receives one more very special honor, induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

      We are fortunate that nationally respected Boston College women's basketball coach, Cathy Inglese, is among our Class of 2000 Inductees.
      Inglese's appointment at Boston College in May of 1993 marked the beginning of a new and exciting era for BC Women's basketball. A proven winner, she brought the vision of establishing the Boston College women's basketball program as a contender in both the Big East Conference and the national spotlight.
      Inglese's hard work, determination and discipline helped build a foundation for a program that would lead to record breaking seasons the past two years. The Eagles enter this season after back-to-back 20 win seasons and second round NCAA Tournament appearances. The team finished 26-9 last year, the most wins ever by a BC women's hoop team.
      Yes, Coach Inglese is most proud of her record, but is always quick to deflect praise to her players. Many of them have been honored for their performance on the court and recognized for their academic achievements as well. Among them, senior captain Cal Bouchard, who was named Big East Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete and awarded The Edward H. Finnegan Award (Boston College's highest honor). It marked the first time that a student athlete received the award.
      Before coming to BC, Cathy and her players were making headlines at the University of Vermont. She became the winningest college basketball coach in the nation over the 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 seasons. Her teams were undefeated in those two seasons, 29-0 and 28-0 as part of an amazing 52 game regular season win streak, a record that won't soon be broken.
      Among the many honors bestowed upon Inglese, she was the 1998-1999 Big East Conference Coach of the Year and three time National Coach of the Year Finalist. It is no wonder that Cathy Inglese is one of the newest Inductees into the Boston Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

      A lock to be in anyone's top 10 lists of the greatest Massachusetts high school football players of all time, Bobby Leo is a natural choice for enshrinement into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. One of the greatest all-around athletes to ever come out of Everett High School, Leo's athletic accomplishments as a four letter winner at Everett are legendary.
      He was captain of his high school baseball team and one of just three players out of 1,500 to be selected as New England's representative to the national All-Star team in 1961, beating out notables including Tony Conigliaro. Bobby also excelled in basketball and track, yet still managed to be a straight "A" student and was class valedictorian his senior year.
      Of all his athletic and academic achievements, the performances and records from his football career will be remembered best. He was a high school All-American and three-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection, one of only two players ever to be awarded this distinction. As one of the most exciting running backs in the state's high school football history, he piled up an amazing 3,087 yards and 284 points while scoring 43 touchdowns from 1960 to 1962. Bobby won the state scoring title as a junior in '62 with 138 points, leading the Crimson to a state championship and Orange Bowl showdown against Florida state champion, Miami Senior. It seemed like half of Everett made the trip to Miami, where a talented and courageous Crimson squad lost a thriller by one point.
      Leo went on to Harvard College where he played football, baseball and track. He was named All- Ivy for the second time, All-New England and All-East in his senior year when Harvard's football team won the Ivy League Championship. He also won the Greater Boston's Gridiron Club's Bulger Lowe Award as the outstanding player in New England.
      Speed was Leo's trademark and eventual ticket into professional football. The Boston Patriots drafted Bobby with their fifth pick in the seventh round of the 1966 draft. Although he played parts of just two seasons for the Patriots as a wide receiver with Gino Cappelletti, while also returning kickoffs and punts in the 1967 and 1968 seasons, he did make an impact. He certainly made quite an impression in his first game, a nationally televised contest against the Buffalo Bills from Fenway Park, where he returned a punt for 70 yards and caught a 26 yard touchdown pass from "Babe" Parilli.
Leo went on to Boston College Law School and practiced law on Cape Cod from 1976 until 2001. He returned to Winchester two years ago to start Leo Productions, Inc., a company that promotes the CAT, a baseball pitching machine that he invented and patented. Today he is using this new and innovative machine to teach hitters from a Little League to the pros.
      Bobby Leo is arguably THE GREATEST Massachusetts high school football player of all time and tonight, a new inductee into the Massachusetts Chapter of the NIASHF. Congratulations Bobby!

      James J. Marcellino is an outstanding choice to be inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame. Jim is a highly respected and successful Boston attorney. He is a proud Italian-American who was also an outstanding athlete at Archbishop Williams High School and Holy Cross.
      Jim is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Firm's Boston office. As a member of the Trial Departments, he has extensive trial experience and focuses his practice primarily on business and intellectual property litigation. Jim is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar and various United States district and appeals courts.
      While at Boston College Law School, he was a legislative assistant to the president of the Massachusetts Senate. Upon graduation, he served as a VISTA volunteer in Detroit with Community Legal Council, and thereafter as a deputy and then special assistant attorney general in Massachusetts. Before entering private practice, Jim also worked for the Boston Redevelopment Authority as project director and attorney for the Downtown Waterfront-Faneuil Hall Urban Renewal Area.
      Jim has been a visiting professor at Boston College Law School in high technology law and he lectures on litigation, with particular focus on computer and intellectual property matters, to client, industry and professional groups. Presently, he is a member of a panel of mediators working on matters referred from the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. Also, Jim is a member of the committee on ADR in the Massachusetts Trial Court.
      As an athlete, Jim averaged 12 yards a carry in his senior year at Archbishop Williams High School and led his team to an undefeated Class B Championship season in coach Armond Columbo's inaugural head-coaching campaign. He went on to Holy Cross in the fall of 1961 as the top player on an undefeated freshman team. Joining the varsity in 1962, Jim was a two-year starter at halfback and a three-year starter on defense as a cornerback and safety. He was the leading ground gainer on the 1963 squad averaging nearly four yards per carry and led the team in all-purpose, kickoff and punt return yards in both '63 and '64.
      Jim is just one of three Crusaders in the history of Holy Cross athletics who has won the O'Melia Award as the outstanding player in the Boston College-Holy Cross game, the Monsignor Connor Award elected by a vote of the team as the teammate of which they were most proud, and the Davitt Award as the team's top back.
      Upon graduation, Jim tried out for the then Boston Patriots as a defensive back. He played a game against the New York Jets rookies, a squad that included Joe Namath at quarterback. Unfortunately, any chance of making the Patriots disappeared when he injured his knee.
      Jim was inducted in the initial class for the Hall of Fame at Archbishop Williams High School and has also been inducted into the Holy Cross Hall of Fame. He resides in the town of Milton with his wife, Stacey, and their two children.

      Rocky Marciano finished a stellar career with a 49-0 record, the world's heavyweight championship and an enduring legacy as one of the sport's greatest
      Even by contemporary standards, Rocky Marciano was a smallish heavyweight, standing just 5'10 and weighing 185 pounds. But he had power, desire and a strong chin, too.
      Marciano was the first and last champion in the heavyweight ranks to retire undefeated. And he only lost once in a 12-fight amateur career, to Coley Wallace in the Eastern Championships. Armed with amateur success, Marciano turned pro on March 17, 1947, with a third-round knockout of Lee Epperson.
      Marciano first made an impact on boxing in 1950, when he decisioned Roland LaStarza, also an unbeaten heavyweight prospect; LaStarza would be one of only three men to go the distance with Marciano in his 49-0 career.
      A year after that fight, Marciano knocked out former heavyweight champ Joe Louis, then 37. That bout led to a 1952 title fight against 38-year-old champ Jersey Joe Walcott. Marciano overcame a first-round knockdown to win the title on a 13th-round knockdown. A rematch lasted one round.
      He defended his title successfully over contenders, former champs and even the light heavy champ, Archie Moore, in Marciano's last bout. Recovering from an early knockdown, Marciano dropped "The Mongoose" three times, leading to a ninth-round knockout.
      One day before his 46th birthday, on August 31, 1969, Marciano died tragically in a plane crash near Newton, Iowa, while on the way to a birthday party.
      Marciano was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Marciano receives special recognition in the Hall of Fame's Gallery of Champions.

      Lennie Merullo, an East Boston native and a legend in the baseball scouting business, has spent his life in the game of baseball.
      Merullo was a wartime shortstop starting his Major League baseball career on Sept. 12, 1941, with the Chicago Cubs. He played for seven seasons for the Cubs and ended his playing career in 1947.
      After his playing career ended, Merullo spent more than two decades (1952-73) as the Cubs' chief scout and then spent another two decades (1973-2002) as a veteran scout for the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. The MLB Scouting Bureau also selected Merullo as Scout of the Year in 1990 and was recognized by the MLB Commissioner's office in 2002 with a lifetime achievement award for his many years of service in the game.
      Merullo was not only a legendary scout in the Northeast, and member of the Chicago Cubs 1945 World Series Team, he was the patriarch of a very successful baseball family. His son Lenny "Boots" Merullo Jr. played baseball in the Pittsburg Pirates organization and his son Dave Merullo played in the Cape Cod League in 1973 where he was a runner-up for the batting title. The day Lennie Jr. was born, Lennie Sr. made four errors in a game and he nicknamed his son Boots.
      His grandson Matt Merullo, who played six years in the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and the Minnesota Twins, is continuing the family business as a scout in the Northeast for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
      Lennie's 63 years of dedicated service to the game of baseball will be capped off tonight with an induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

      His name is synonymous with golf in New England, and for good reason. Ted Mingolla started working for his father at Pleasant Valley Country Club just a day after his final exam at Boston College. He reported to work at 3 a.m. working with the concessions committee. His shift wouldn't end until two hours after play was finished. That was back in 1961 and tonight, after taking a key role in the club's 47 national men's and women's championships with charitable donations totaling more than 1.4 million dollars, it is only fitting that he receive the Massachusetts Chapter's Humanitarian of the Year Award.
      Ted kept his father's dream of having golf in New England stay alive taking the reigns after his dad's passing in 1979. It was the first of 21 consecutive and memorable pro tournaments that he would run. Pleasant Valley Country Club has long been a focus for tourism in Blackstone Valley, generating a huge economic impact for the community, under Mingolla's watchful eye. He has been honored by many local and national organizations including, the International Network of Golf, PGA of America's New England Section and the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce. He was voted one of Boston's 25 most influential people in golf just last year. Add Humanitarian of the Year to a long list of well deserved honors.       Congratulations Ted!

      From the time he began his career as an American League umpire in 1977, Steve Palermo was widely regarded as one of the best umpires in the game. However, the veteran umpire will be remembered more for his heroism following a robbery in Texas 13 years ago.
      On July 7, 1991, Palermo's life changed forever when he attempted to apprehend two muggers in the parking lot of a restaurant after working the Texas Rangers game. Palermo was shot, receiving a bullet wound to the spinal cord. Doctors at the time said he would never walk again, but after tough rehabilitation and strong determination, he was back on his feet with the help of a small leg brace and cane.
      Palermo has made it his crusade to find a cure for paralysis ever since. The Steve Palermo Foundation for Spinal Cord Injuries formally opened its doors on December 1, 1992. The foundation was formed to fund research for the discovery of a cure for paralysis while also providing hope and support to those with spinal cord injuries and their families... helping them get "One Step Closer to Home." Today, Steve and his family continue their work and mission through the Steve Palermo Endowment for Spinal Cord Injury Research, Education and Clinical Affairs, a partnership with the Kansas University Endowment Association.
As an umpire, his career highlights include two of the most famous games in Major League Baseball history. In 1978, he worked the one-game playoff between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. He was the third base umpire who signaled "fair ball" when Bucky Dent hit the game winning homerun. He also worked as the home plate umpire for Dave Righetti's no-hitter against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in 1983.
      Palermo's other career highlights, include umpiring the 1983 World Series, four American League Championship Series (1980, 1982, 1984, and 1989) and the 1986 All-Star Game. In August 1991, the Sporting News ranked him as the top American League umpire for overall performance.
      Palermo now serves as supervisor of umpires for MLB and tonight he celebrates his induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the NIASHF.

      Babe Parilli is a marvelous choice for induction into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame. Here in New England, he is best known for his sensational play as quarterback of the Boston Patriots from 1961 to 1967; however his athletic talents were on display long before then.
      Born in a Rochester, Pennsylvania, a town about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, he lettered in football, baseball and basketball at Rochester High School. Upon graduation, the University of Kentucky came calling, offering Babe a full scholarship.
      Parilli played for the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant. Defeating the No. 1 ranked team in the country, Oklahoma, in the Sugar Bowl and being named an All-American quarterback in 1950 and 1951 are among his college highlights.
      Babe broke into the NFL as the Green Bay Packers No. 1 draft pick. He played for the Packers for four years, before a two-year stint in the U.S. Air Force. He continued his professional football career with the Oakland Raiders before coming to Boston in 1961.
      He is the second leading passer in Patriots history with 16,747 yards on route to establishing nearly every Pats passing record during the '60s. His 31 touchdowns in a single season remains a Patriots record today. A three-time AFL All-Star selection, he threw for more than an amazing 20,000 yards during his NFL career.
      Parilli retired in 1969 with a Super Bowl ring after a season as back-up quarterback to Joe Namath as a member of the New York Jets. His first coaching job was in Pittsburgh, where as Steelers quarterback coach he worked with Terry Bradshaw. He went on to be a head coach of the New York Stars all of the World Football League, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. He also spent eight years as a head coach in the Arena Football League.
      Babe presently resides in Denver, Colorado where he is retired and playing golf, aspiring to someday become as good a golfer as Gino Cappelletti.

      Eddie Pellagrini is a true Boston baseball hero. He has always received the highest respect of his players, teammates and fellow employees. His memorable baseball journey began in 1938 when he signed with the Red Sox Danville, Virginia farm team. Eddie moved up the minor league ladder each year and along the way was chosen as Canton Ohio's and San Diego Padres' all time shortstop. Eventually, he would wind up playing on the 1946 pennant winning Boston Red Sox. He hit a homerun in his Fenway debut, in his first at bat none the less.
      Pellagrini remained in Boston until 1948 when he went on to play for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
      He continued his love for baseball when he assumed the reins as Eagles Head Coach at Boston College in 1958. It was the beginning of an impressive 31 year run. His 359 career victories are the most of any BC baseball coach. He led the Eagles to their only three College World Series appearances.
      His teams once put together a string of 11 winning seasons, a remarkable feat for any program, but even more so for a school without a single baseball scholarship. He still answers to the name, "Coach."
      As a testament to his success on and off the diamond, Eddie has received many awards and distinctions, including the Boston Association of Businessmen's "Man of the Year Award" and the North End Athletic Association Man of the Year.
      Although he retired in 1988, he has never "left" BC baseball or his beloved Boston Red Sox. The diamond at Commander Shea Field at Boston College now bears the name of this true Boston College legend.
      Hats off to Eddie Pellagrini, Class of 2000 Inductee, to the Boston Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame!

      After a shaky start with the Boston Red Sox, Petrocelli went on to become a solid part of the team during the late 1960s and early 1970s as one of the American League's best defensive players.
      Following an outstanding high school career, Rico Petrocelli was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1962. He made a brief appearance with the club in 1963, but returned to the minors until 1965 when he came up as the team's regular shortstop.
      He hit 13 home runs in his first major league season and augmented it with 18 the following season. Yet in both seasons, his batting average remained low. During 1967, his overall stats took a jump. His batting average rose to .259, and he was an integral part of the "Impossible Dream" American League pennant winners. That same year, he was the first recipient of the Boston Red Sox Club's "Man of the Year" award.
      After a 1968 dip, his career soared in 1969. He ranked among the American League's slugging leaders with 40 homeruns, 97 RBI's and a .297 average. Only "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks hit more homers in a single season at shortstop than Petrocelli.
      While he never repeated his prodigious season, he maintained a solid career with the Red Sox, moving to a permanent third base slot in 1971. In that position, Petrocelli became one of the league's best defensive players. After recovering from inner ear problems in 1975, he helped Boston grab the pennant, with a .308 Series batting average, in an exciting Fall Classic against Cincinnati.
      Rico Petrocelli retired during spring training in 1977. He was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

      He is best known as the outstanding trainer and co-manager of former middleweight champion Marvin Hagler, but "Goody" Petronelli has played a vital role in the careers of so many successful professional prizefighters.
      Mr. Petronelli is regarded as one of boxing's best cornermen, working 26 world title bouts, winning all but three of them. His fiercely loyal 17 year relationship with Hagler led to a world title in 1980. Along with brother Pat, the trio dominated the middleweight division throughout the 80's. "Goody" has also worked the corner for many other champions and notable fighters including Steve Collins, Robbie Simms and Drake Thadzi. A former amateur and pro boxer himself, "Goody" is still active in what has become a Massachusetts landmark, the Petronelli Gym on Petronelli Way in Brockton. Italia Unita of East Boston honored him with its first Italian American Achievement Award in 1997. He has been named trainer and manager of the year by the Professional Boxing Writers Association of America, the WBC and WBA. Tonight, it is only fitting that he be among the newest inductees into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations "Goody"!

      One of the youngest, prominent and most deserving of local Italian-Americans ever to be inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame is Scott Pioli.
      Pioli joined the New England Patriots on February 10, 2000 as its Vice President of Player Personnel. His responsibilities include overseeing the college draft and free agency, as well as serving as the Patriots primary contract negotiator. Scott has worked closely with head coach Bill Belichick to build some of the most successful teams in NFL history. It took the pair just two seasons to rebuild the foundation of the team and to successfully implement their shared football philosophy. An early reward came in January of 2002 when the 2001 club shocked the world with a stunning upset victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
      Over the last five years, the Patriots have used an effective combination of free agent signings, trades and draft picks to acquire championship-caliber players and two more Super Bowl titles. Pioli and Belichick are the only personnel director/head coach tandem in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span. In recognition of his achievements, Pioli was awarded The Sporting News' George Young NFL Executive of the Year award (voted on by NFL executives) following the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
      Pioli's personal philosophy is to build a team, not to simply collect individual talent. As a result, the Patriots have been able to prosper despite the NFL realities of injuries and the salary cap, common impediments to long-term success in pro football. The depth and versatility of New England's rosters were key in overcoming key injuries on way to an NFL record of 34 total wins in 2003 and 2004.
      Pioli began his NFL career when Belichick hired him as the pro personnel assistant of the Cleveland Browns in 1992. He was promoted to director of pro personnel after the Cleveland franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996. He spent one season with the Ravens before rejoining Belichick in New York as the Jets director of pro personnel in 1997.
      Pioli played defensive tackle at Central Connecticut State from 1983 to 1987 where he was a three-time Division II All-New England selection. He graduated in 1988 with a degree in communications. He accepted a full-time coaching opportunity at Murray State, where he coached the offensive and defensive lines in 1990 and 1991.
      Scott serves on the Board of Directors for various nonprofit foundations and was recently named to the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Excellent Schools. He established the Rose Pioli Scholarship in the name of his grandmother to benefit children of educators, professional firefighters, police and other emergency medical service providers. He was enshrined in the Central Connecticut State Hall of Fame earlier this year. He and his wife, Dallas, celebrated the birth of their first child, Mia Costa Pioli, on July 1, 2003.

      Jerry Trupiano is as versatile and talented a sports broadcaster as they come. You know him as one of the popular radio voices of the Boston Red Sox, a position he has held since 1993. From April to October, through 162 regular-season games, as well as exhibition and postseason contests, Trupiano, along with fellow 2003 NIASHF inductee, Joe Castiglione, describes every pitch with genuine enthusiasm and a true love for the game and his craft.
      Trupiano's extensive broadcasting career, now in its fourth decade, began in Houston where he broke into the business in 1972 as the radio and television voice of the fledgling World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros. He became Sports Director at KTRH radio in Houston in 1974 where for the next 14 years he would become, perhaps, the busiest broadcaster in Texas.
      Jerry was the Houston Rockets television play-by-play announcer for two seasons, a radio and television play-by-play announcer for Southwest Conference football and basketball from 1974-1988, the WFL's Houston Texans radio and television play-by-play man for the 1974 season, a play-by-play announcer for college football national bro