Geno Auriemma
Basketball Coach
In August 1985, Geno Auriemma was hired to be the head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Connecticut. Until then, the Huskies only had one winning season in school history. Since then, UConn has rattled off 20 consecutive winning seasons, including two perfect years and five national championships.
Auriemma was born in Montella, Italy, and didn’t become a U.S. citizen until 1994, despite immigrating to the States when he was seven. After graduating from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1977, Auriemma became an assistant coach at Saint Joseph’s. After two years off, Auriemma joined the University of Virginia in 1981 before settling into Storrs four years later.
With Auriemma at the helm, the Huskies have been one of the most dominant women’s basketball teams in history, with 589 wins and just 116 losses. Even more impressive is the team’s record on their home court where they have 305 victories with only 31 defeats.
In his time with the Huskies, Auriemma has coached the likes of Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Kara Wolters, Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi while every recruited freshman who has finished her eligibility at UConn has graduated with a degree.
In 2006, Auriemma’s career was enshrined with his two inductions into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is also proud to honor legendary women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.
Tom Barrasso
Hockey
Tom Barrasso was drafted as the fifth overall choice in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. At the time, Barrasso was the highest drafted goalie in history, and he didn’t disappoint. Immediately, the 18-year-old Barrasso made an impact for Buffalo, becoming the third player in history to win the Calder Trophy for the league’s top rookie and the Vezina Trophy for the league’s top goaltender in the same year.
By age 19, Barrasso was in the net for Team USA at the 1984 Canada Cup. He remained the national team’s goalie for the 1986 World Championships and the 1987 Canada Cup before returning to the squad in 2002, earning a silver medal in the Salt Lake City Olympics.
In 1988, Barrasso was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he’d end up having his most productive seasons, leading the club to Stanley Cup wins in 1991 and ’92. Barrasso would miss most of the ’95-96 season and the ’96-97 season with injuries but managed to come back stronger each time, stopping a career-high 90 percent of the shots in goal in the ’95-96 season and an amazing 92 percent in the ’97-98 campaign.
Barrasso left the Penguins in 2000 and went on to play for four more teams: Ottawa, Carolina, Toronto, and St. Louis. In his illustrious career, Barrasso earned 369 victories, the second-most by an American-born netminder.
Off the ice, Barrasso founded the Ashley Barrasso Cancer Research Fund in the name of his daughter who is a survivor of neuroblastoma cancer. The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is proud to enshrine legendary NHL goaltender Tom Barrasso.
Fred Couples
Golf
One of the most consistent and well-known players in golf, Fred Couples is a former Masters Champion, winning the event in 1992. The win pushed him to the top of the official World Rankings, making him the first American to eclipse that honor. Couples is also a master at the Skins Game, which he has won five times, most recently in 2004.
Couples was born in Seattle to Tom and Violet Coppola, who later changed the family’s name to Couples. Couples went on to attend the University of Houston, where he roomed with future PGA Tour member Blaine McCallister and CBS television announcer Jim Nantz.
Couples broke onto the scene in the PGA tour with a win at the 1983 Kemper Open. It was the first of 15 tour victories for Couples, who ended up winning the Players Championship on two occasions (1984 and ’96). Other honors for Couples include being the PGA Player of the Year in 1991 and ’92 while having the lowest score average in each of those years.
Perhaps the Masters is where Couples shines the brightest. In 23 appearances at Augusta, Couples has never missed the cut. In 2006, Couples made a Sunday run, challenging Phil Mickelson for the green jacket before falling short in a third-place tie. In all, Couples has recorded 25 top-10 finishes at major events, including 10 top-10 finishes at the Masters. Couples joins Gene Sarazen, Ken Venturi and Donna Caponi as the only golfers to be inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Jean Cione
Baseball
Jean Cione went down in history as one of the top pitchers in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, pitching for four different clubs including the famous Rockford Peaches.
In her rookie season of 1947, Cione won 19 ballgames for the Peaches while posting a stingy 1.30 ERA in 37 games. Three years later with the Kenosha Comets, the southpaw picked up 18 wins while throwing two no-hitters.
In an eight-year career, Cy Cione, wound up with a record of 76-65 to go with a 2.33 ERA in an even 1,200 innings. In 1952, Cione appeared in the All-Star Game and also helped the Comets to the league championship.
In the offseasons, Cione attended college and received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan Unviersity before earning her master’s degree at the University of Illinois. From there, Cione taught physical education in the public schools for 10 years and taught sports medicine and physical education at the university level for 29 years.
As recently as 2003, Cione served as the vice president of the AAGPBL Players’ Association and supervised the organization’s Web site. Jean “Cy” Cione has earned her rightful place in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Dave Ferraro
Bowling
Dave Ferraro became a member of the Professional Bowlers Association in 1979 participating in regional events prior to competing on the national tour. In his fourth national PBA tournament held in Long Island, New York, he made the telecast finishing in fourth place. This is when he decided to pursue a full-time bowling career. He is the winner of 10 PBA tour titles while earning his first championship in Columbus, Ohio in 1986. From there, he continued to earn at least one title a year before retiring in 1994 to spend time with his family.
The highlight of Ferraro’s career came from capturing the 1990 Firestone Tournament of Champions title. In 1992, he was voted PBA Player of the Year by his peers. He also won the George Young Memorial High Average Award and the Harry Smith Point Leader Award that same year. Finally, Ferraro reached the pinnacle and was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in Reno, Nevada in 1997.
Ferraro, a native of Kingston, New York attended John A. Coleman High School, graduating in 1977. He worked toward a degree in business management at Ulster County Community College before taking over the family bowling business with older brother Steve. He married his wife, Gloria in 1982 and celebrated the births of their son John David in 1987 and daughter Gabrielle in 1992.
Currently, Ferraro keeps busy by spending time with his family and working in the family business. He continues to bowl in recreational leagues and an occasional tournament with his brother Steve who is currently competing on the PBA Senior Tour. Dave Ferraro is one of only two bowlers that have been inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in over 20 years.
Johnny Musso
Football
Before Rocky Balboa, Johnny Mussso was known to football fans as the “Italian Stallion.” Musso was a star running back for Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide from 1969-71, where he excelled on the football field and in the classroom at the University of Alabama.
Musso had his best years with the Crimson Tide in 1970 and ’71, when he rushed for over 1,000 yards in each season against SEC opponents, leading the conference both years. He also led the SEC in scoring in 1971 as he picked up 100 points.
Thanks to his great success in 1971, Musso finished fourth in the Heisman voting and was named Player of the Year by Football News. He also was selected as a First Team All-American while being voted as a Consensus All-American the following year.
A member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Musso finished his Crimson Tide career with a school-record 34 rushing touchdowns and 2,741 rushing yards. When his college career ended, Musso was signed by the Chicago Bears but chose to play with the CFL’s British Columbia Lions instead. After three seasons in Canada, Musso played in the World Football League for his hometown Birmingham Vulcans before finishing his playing days with the Bears, where he rushed for 365 yards and six touchdowns.
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame since 2000, Johnny Musso joins the class of 2007 in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Penny Marshall
Baseball, Actor, Producer, Director, “A League of Their Own”
Penny Marshall was born in Bronx, New York, a hop, skip and a jump from Yankee Stadium. As an avid sports fan and memorabilia collector, Marshall made her biggest contribution to sports with the film, A League of Their Own, about the All-American Girls professional Baseball League. Marshall served as the director for the hit that starred Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna.
The movie was a major success, grossing over $100 million, which made Marshall the first female director ever to have two movies make such an amount. (The first film was Big, which also starred Tom Hanks.)
Marshall got her start in show business as a teen when she performed with her mother’s tap-dancing troupe, which won Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour and appeared on the Jackie Gleason Show. From there, she was cast in three television series that were produced by her brother, Garry: The Odd Couple, Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.
Marshall became most famous in her role as Laverne De Fazio in Laverne & Shirley, a sitcom that ran from 1976-83. In recognition of her talent, Marshall earned three Golden Globe nominations from 1978-80 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series-Musical or Comedy.
Along with Big and A League of Their Own, Marshall has been responsible for the direction of Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Awakenings, Renaissance Man, The Preacher’s Wife and Riding in Cars with Boys. However, it was her unforgettable film about women’s baseball that makes her contribution to sports everlasting and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame pays homage to actress/producer/director Penny Marshall.
Mary Lou Palermo
Roller Derby
At age 13, Mary Lou Palermo made it to her first roller derby as a spectator and immediately fell in love with the sport. At age 15, Palermo became a part of the sport, joining with a team and traveling across the country by train. Palermo was already an accomplished skater as she started out as a street skater long before she ever laid eyes on the roller derby. From there, she was able to apply her craft and athleticism in a sport that was just about to take off.
In a session through New York which included stops at the Polo Grounds and the 23rd Street Armory, television executives began to take notice of the roller derby wave, and in 1946, roller derby became the first sport involving males and females to be broadcast. That’s when Palermo’s career really took off as she captained the New York Chiefs to the first Roller Derby World Series which was played at Madison Square Garden.
Palermo ended up being a 5-time Roller Derby All-Star and was the league’s MVP in 1951. Palermo stayed in the league until 1954 before taking some time off to raise a family. In 1961, Palermo rejoined the roller derby circuit, taking her children along for the bus rides and unforgettable experiences.
Palermo’s success led her to be captain of the Hawaiian Warriors and the Midwest Pioneers. Even today, 40 years since her last roller derby appearance, Palermo still holds the sport close to her heart and regularly attends reunions with as many former teammates and opponents as possible. Mary Lou Palermo brings the sport of roller derby to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Robin Romeo
Bowling
Few bowlers have the list of accomplishments of Robin Romeo. In her 20-career on the Professional Women’s Bowlers Association (PWBA) tour, she won 17 national titles including the U.S. Open and Sam’s Town Tournament of Champions. She won 12 Western Regional titles, six Women’s All-Star Association titles and even took home first place in the West Coast Men’s Senior Tour, the first woman to do so.
Perhaps most notable are the 77 consecutive tournaments she qualified for match play and the 80 consecutive tournaments she won money in, both PWBA records. In 1989, Romeo reached the pinnacle of her career as she captured the Women’s Bowler of the Year Award from the Bowling Writers Association of America.
18 years later and Romeo is still finding ways to rewrite history. In July, Romeo became the first woman to make the finals of the United States Bowling Congress Men’s Senior Masters in the 15-year history of the tournament. She also competed in the Women’s U.S. Open in August, the first time the event has been in held since 2003.
The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is proud to make Robin Romeo the first female bowler to ever grace the Hall.
Mike Scioscia
Baseball
Mike Scioscia was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1976 in the first round out of high school. A few years later, Yeager was out, Scioscia was in and on his way to developing the reputation of being one of the best plate-blocking catchers of all time, taking on the likes of sluggers Jack Clark and Chili Davis in home plate collisions.
Along with his solid play behind the plate, Scioscia gained a reputation for usually being behind the plate. After a rotator cuff injury in 1983, Scioscia played in over 100 games in every remaining season with the Dodgers.
Scioscia won two world titles with the Dodgers, in 1981 and 1988. In the ’88 National League Championship Series, Scioscia smacked a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of game four off Dwight Gooden, in a game that the Dodgers would go on to win, boosting them to their series victory.
Once his playing career ended, the two-time All-Star became the manager of the Angeles and has since become the franchise’s winningest manager. Scioscia’s Angels reached their pinnacle in 2002 when they defeated the San Francisco Giants, managed by Scioscia’s Dodger teammate Dusty Baker, in the World Series.
Mike Scioscia was presented with yet another honor, an induction into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Dick Vermeil
Football, Coach
One of the most recognizable and successful coaches in football history, Dick Vermeil, boasts the rare distinction of being the Coach of the Year on four levels: high school, junior college, NCAA Division I and the NFL.
Vermeil broke into the NFL in 1969 when he was named the first special teams coach in league history as he joined the Los Angeles Rams. Five years later, Vermeil would stay in LA but move to the college ranks when he became the head coach at UCLA. Vermiel won 15 games in two seasons with the Bruins including a victory in the Rose Bowl over top-ranked and undefeated Ohio State.
The following year, Vermeil landed back in the NFL as he became the head man with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1980, Vermeil’s Eagles would represent the NFC in Super Bowl XV. Two years later, Vermeil was gone from coaching and would spend the next 15 seasons in the broadcast booth.
In 1997, Vermeil’s coaching bug returned with a chance to turn things around for the downtrodden and recently moved St. Louis Rams. After winning just nine games in his first two seasons with the Rams and losing the team’s starting quarterback, Trent Green, in a preseason game, Vermeil turned to the unknown Kurt Warner who proceeded to lead the Rams to their first Super Bowl victory.
After another brief retirement, Vermeil was given the reins of the Kansas City Chiefs, allowing him to reunite with Green while going 44-36 in five years including a 37-3 victory over Cincinnati in his final game.
