Vito Antuofermo
Boxing, Actor
Born in Italy, Vito Antuofermo was raised in the town of Palo del Colle, near the city of Bari. He was already a teenager when his family moved to the United States, but by that time, Antuofermo had his mind made up that he wanted to be a professional boxer.
It didn’t take long for Antuofermo to get acclimated in the ring. He won the 1970 New York Golden Gloves Championship in the 147-pound division, defeating Thomas Chestnut in the finals. In 1971, Antuofermo made it to the finals again but only to be defeated by future Light Heavyweight Champion Eddie Gregory.
From there, Antuofermo turned pro and was unbeaten in his first 18 professional bouts. He fought mostly in New York early in his career before turning to the worldwide stage with matches in Italy, Germany, England and Monaco.
In 1979, Antuofermo became a world champion, scoring the WBC and WBA middleweight crowns from Hugo Corro in Monte Carlo. He successfully defended the titles against “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler in his next fight at Caesar’s Palace, working to a draw before dropping the belts to Alan Minter in 1980.
Antuofermo fought for the final time in 1985 and ended up with a 50-7-2 record. He later embarked on an acting career that landed him roles in many films and television shows. He also owns a successful landscaping company that operates out of Long Island, New York.
Ned Colletti
Baseball
Ned Colletti has dedicated 43 seasons to Major League Baseball, beginning his illustrious career with his hometown Chicago Cubs in 1982. Raised in Chicago and graduating from East Leyden High School, Colletti continued his education at Triton College and Northern Illinois University. After 13 seasons with the Cubs, he moved west and served as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2014. He later transitioned into an analyst role for the Dodgers’ pre- and post-game television shows, earning three Emmy Awards for his work. Prior to his time with the Dodgers, Colletti was the assistant general manager of the San Francisco Giants for 11 years.
Throughout his 28 years as a baseball executive, Colletti was instrumental in building 16 postseason teams, with an additional five teams narrowly missing the playoffs. His achievements include seven National League Championship Series appearances and four World Series appearances, culminating in a World Series title with the Dodgers in 2020. In 2021, Colletti expanded his career into the National Hockey League as a professional scout for the San Jose Sharks, working alongside General Manager Doug Wilson, a fellow Chicagoland Sports Hall of Famer.
In addition to his scouting role, Colletti is a professor of Sports Administration at Pepperdine University and the author of the best-selling book The Big Chair. His brother Doug has been a radio broadcaster for the Chicago Bears for nearly four decades. Colletti and his wife Gayle, both Chicago natives, have two children and three grandchildren, continuing to contribute to their communities both in sports and beyond.
Jim Corno, Sr.
Chicago Sportscaster, Comcast SportsNet
Lou Lamoriello
Hockey
Under the leadership of Lou Lamoriello, the New Jersey Devils have become one of the most successful franchises in the NHL, highlighted by five Stanley Cup Finals appearances and three championships in 1995, 2000, and 2003. Lamoriello, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, has been with the Devils since 1987, serving as the team’s president, general manager, and CEO. He holds the distinction of being the longest-serving general manager in the league with a single franchise.
Lamoriello’s tenure with the Devils began with a breakthrough season, leading the team to its first winning record and a trip to the Wales Conference Finals. Under his guidance, the Devils have made the playoffs in 21 of the past 23 seasons. Before his time in New Jersey, Lamoriello had a distinguished career at Providence College. He served as the men’s ice hockey head coach from 1968 to 1983, guiding the team to a national-best 33-10-0 record and a Frozen Four appearance in 1983. He then became the college’s athletic director, playing a pivotal role in the creation of the Hockey East Association and its first-ever college hockey television package. Lamoriello also served as the first commissioner of Hockey East from 1984 to 1987.
On the international stage, Lamoriello served as the general manager of Team USA for the gold-medal-winning 1996 World Cup of Hockey and also managed the U.S. team at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. In recognition of his contributions to college hockey, the Hockey East Conference named its championship trophy in his honor in 1988. Lamoriello’s leadership, both at the collegiate and professional levels, has left an indelible mark on the sport of hockey.
Stefano Pelinga
Pool
Stefano Pelinga, born in Rome, Italy, served as a police officer for the Italian government from 1985 until his retirement in 2011. He began playing pool at age 12, inspired by his admiration for singer and actor Dean Martin, which also led him to learn English. Stefano’s playing style was influenced by legendary players such as Paul Gerni, Mike Massey, and Yoshikazu Kimura, with whom he later formed strong friendships.
In the early 1980s, pool tables became more widely available in Italy, and Stefano transitioned from traditional Italian billiards to focus on the 14.1 continuous game. In the late 1980s, he achieved a career-high run of 179 balls, finding little competition at his level. This led him to shift his focus to “Artistic Pool” or “Trick Shots” in 1990. Since then, he has consistently excelled in international competitions, often finishing on the medal podium. After several second-place finishes, Stefano secured his first major title by winning the 2003 US Open of Artistic Pool in New Bedford, Massachusetts, followed by the EPBF European Artistic Pool Championship in 2004.
Since 2000, Stefano has been a regular competitor in ESPN’s Trick Shot Magic, a premier pool event that reached audiences in over 70 countries. He has participated in 11 consecutive editions of the show, winning the prestigious ESPN title in 2005 and 2007, and securing several second-place finishes behind Mike Massey. Stefano’s remarkable skill and consistency have solidified his reputation as one of the top players in the world of artistic pool.
Mark Recchi
Hockey
Mark Recchi, born on February 1, 1968, in Kamloops, British Columbia, had a storied 22-season career in the NHL, establishing himself as one of the league’s most accomplished and versatile players. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988, Recchi made his NHL debut during the 1988-89 season. By 1990-91, he had become one of the league’s top scorers, leading Pittsburgh with 40 goals and 113 points, and playing a crucial role in the Penguins’ Stanley Cup victory over the Minnesota North Stars, recording 34 playoff points. In 1993, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he had a career year in 1992-93, scoring 53 goals and setting a Flyers’ single-season record with 123 points.
Recchi’s career continued to flourish, with a standout 1999-2000 season in which he finished third in the league in scoring with 91 points and was a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now the Ted Lindsay Award). After stints with Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Atlanta, Recchi returned to the Penguins in 2004, only for the season to be canceled due to the NHL lockout. In 2006, he won his second Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, and in 2009, he was traded to the Boston Bruins, helping them reach the playoffs.
In 2011, in what would become his final NHL season, Recchi won his third Stanley Cup with the Bruins, making him one of only ten players in history to win the championship with three different teams. At 43, Recchi also became the oldest player to score a goal in a Stanley Cup Final. Over his career, he played in 1,652 regular-season games, scoring 577 goals and adding 956 assists for 1,533 points—ranking 12th all-time at the time of his retirement. He also had an impressive postseason career, with 61 goals and 87 assists in 189 playoff games.
A seven-time All-Star, Recchi was named the MVP of the 1997 All-Star Game and was also selected to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team in 1991-92. On the international stage, Recchi represented Canada in the World Championships, winning a gold medal in 1997, and played for Canada in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Recchi’s legacy is defined by his longevity, success with multiple teams, and his leadership on and off the ice.
Alicia Sacramone
Gymnast, Olympian
With 10 medals in World Championship competition, Alicia Sacramone is the most decorated United States gymnast in the history of the event. At the World Championships from 2005 to 2007, she won seven medals including floor exercise gold in 2005 and a team gold in 2007.
After earning a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Sacramone returned to her gold standard at the 2010 World Championships with a gold medal on the vault. When the United States earned team gold at the 2011 World Championships, Sacramone picked up her record-breaking 10th medal.
A Boston native, Sacramone began studying dance at the age of three and started training gymnastics five years later, at age eight, in 1996. She began her gymnastics career with Romanian coaches Mihai and Silvia Brestyan at the Gymnastics and More club and continued to train with them after they opened their own training facility. She has remained under their tutelage throughout her gymnastics career.
Away from gymnastics, Sacramone has remained extremely active. In June 2008, Sacramone and her teammates Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin became the first female athletes ever to be signed as CoverGirl spokesmodels.
Sacramone is also a member of Team 24 Fitness and serves as a spokeswoman for the fitness company. In 2009, she also appeared in a Gatorade commercial that spoofed Monty Python and the Holy Grail. During the summer of 2009, Sacramone briefly stayed in Los Angeles while designing for Tank Farm, a men’s fashion company.
Sacramone was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
John Smoltz
Baseball
John Smoltz, inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, is celebrated as one of baseball’s most versatile and accomplished pitchers. Over a 21-year career, largely with the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz earned eight All-Star selections and won the Cy Young Award in 1996 after a standout season in which he posted a 24-8 record, a 2.94 ERA, and led the National League with 276 strikeouts. Smoltz finished his career with 213 wins, 155 losses, a 3.33 ERA, and 3,084 strikeouts, ranking him among the top strikeout pitchers of his era. He led the NL in strikeouts twice, in 1992 and 1996, and was a key figure in the Braves’ success throughout the 1990s.
What truly sets Smoltz apart is his remarkable versatility. After battling injuries in the late 1990s, he successfully transitioned from a starting pitcher to a closer, earning 154 saves, including a career-high 55 saves in 2002. His ability to excel in both roles is a rare achievement in baseball. Smoltz returned to starting duties in 2005 and continued to pitch effectively into his 40s. His postseason performances were equally impressive, with a 2.67 ERA in 41 playoff appearances, including a crucial role in the Braves’ 1995 World Series championship. Smoltz’s fierce competitiveness and clutch performances helped propel the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles (1991-2005), cementing his legacy as one of the most complete and impactful pitchers in baseball history.
Venturini Family
Racing, NASCAR, ARCA
The Venturini family has become synonymous with modern racing in America, with a legacy spanning over seven decades. It all began when Tony Venturini started racing stock cars in the 1950s at Chicago’s historic Soldiers Field, competing alongside NASCAR legends like ‘Tiger’ Tom Pistone and Freddy Lorenzen. Tony, considered one of the sport’s early pioneers, set the foundation for a racing dynasty.
Tony’s son, Bill Venturini, Sr., followed in his father’s footsteps and took the family’s racing tradition to new heights. Bill’s passion for racing began in the 1970s, and he rose to prominence as a NASCAR driver and two-time ARCA Racing Series Champion (1987, 1991). He also earned the ARCA Rookie of the Year award in 1983. Bill Sr. cemented his place in motorsports history, not only through his impressive career but also by setting qualifying records at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedways. Additionally, he made history by forming the first all-female pit crew in professional motorsports, led by his wife, Cathy, which played a key role in Bill’s 1987 ARCA Championship.
Bill’s son, Billy Venturini, represents the third generation of racers in the family. Starting his racing career in 1994, Billy competed in NASCAR and ARCA for over 10 years, earning 28 Top-5 finishes, 75 Top-10 finishes, and a victory at Salem Speedway. In 2007, Billy revitalized Venturini Motorsports by establishing one of the premier NASCAR Driver Development Programs in the country, furthering the family legacy.
Venturini Motorsports is now celebrating its 40th anniversary in the ARCA Racing Series, making it the longest-tenured team in the series’ 70-year history. In 2012, the family’s contributions to motorsports were honored with their induction into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (NIASHF), where they were recognized for their excellence in the sport and positive impact on the racing community. The Venturini family inducted that year included Tony, Bill, Cathy, Billy, and Wendy Venturini, celebrating their collective impact on the motorsports industry.
