Nino Benvenuti

Olympic Medalist & Former Middleweight Champion

A former champion, Nino Benvenuti is considered by many, including noted boxing writer Brian Doogan, to be the greatest boxer ever to come from Italy. As an amateur welterweight boxer, he won the Italian title in 1956-60, the European title in 1957 and 1959. During the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Benvenuti earned the welterweight division’s gold medal and the Val Barker trophy as the games’ best boxer. His winning streak reached 46 wins in a row when he met former world Junior Middleweight Champion Denny Moyer on September 18, 1964, beating Moyer on points in ten rounds.

On April 17, 1967, Benvenuti beat Emile Griffith by decision in fifteen rounds at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, in what was the beginning of their trilogy of fights to win the world middleweight title. On a rematch at Shea Stadium on September 29, 1967, he lost by a decision in fifteen rounds. The following March, Benvenuti and Griffith completed their trilogy, once again at Madison Square Garden, with Benvenuti knocking Griffith down in round nine and winning a fifteen-round decision to regain the world Middleweight title.

In May of 1971, Benvenuti announced his retirement in Monte Carlo. He had an amazing record of 82 wins, 7 losses and 1 draw in 90 professional boxing bouts, with 35 wins by knockout. His incredible boxing career was recognized by International Boxing Hall of Fame through his induction in 1992.

After retiring from boxing, Benvenuti became a successful businessman, show host and city counselor in Trieste where he resides with his wife Nadia Bertorello. He has four sons (Stefano, Macri, Giuliano and Francesco) and one daughter (Soraya)

Mollie Ann Bracigliano

Founder, MAB Celebrity Services Sports Marketing

Mollie Ann Bracigliano was born and raised in Nutley, New Jersey, the fourth child and only girl of Ralph and Christine Giordano, first generation Italian/Americans. Mollie Ann grew up in a household of five men, and everyone in the house, including her Mom loved all sports. While most seven year olds were drawing pictures of Batman and Robin in Art class, Mollie Ann was drawing mini football helmets trying to remember all the team logos of all the teams in the National Football League for different art projects.

Close to all of her brothers, especially her middle brother Al, who was a die-hard Jets fan and loved Joe Namath, Mollie Ann wanted to emulate Al so she read and listened to the news and learned everything there was to know about Joe Namath. In 1974 her brother took her to Jets training camp and she got to meet Joe Namath for the first time. That’s where the monster was born. Mollie Ann started collecting anything she could find on Joe Namath. Through the years she would follow him in his new career and as she started her own career, which was unrelated to sports of any kind, she always kept her love for collecting memorabilia. She expanded her collection to her favorite players in all sports.

In 1996 Joe Namath was advertised at a sports memorabilia and autograph show and Mollie attended and it opened up a whole new world to her. From that point on Mollie volunteered at as many autograph shows as she could and became friendly with three legendary baseball players. One of them spoke to Mollie and said, “You can do this on your own and I will make sure that everyone gives you a chance.”

So, in 2004 Mollie and her husband opened up MAB Celebrity Services, which specializes in themed-oriented events. They have done events with the 1969 Mets, 1977-78. New York Yankees, the entire 1969 Jets, 1996 Yankees and recently the 1980 Hockey Team. Currently, MAB does over 1000 athlete and entertainment appearances a year. MAB has done many charitable events some of which benefited people with ALS, the American Heart Association, MAB has been one of the sponsors for a mentor program for young adults that helps place the not so privileged into a college. MAB did for several years an annual trip to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to help raise money for the Alabama Youth Ranches, (children in rural Alabama that came from broken homes, or no homes at all) something that was close to the heart of a very close friend of Mollie and her husband, the lead singer of the Iconic Country Band Alabama.

The charity event that Mollie Ann is most proud of creating is something that was a dream of hers when she first started her business in 2004, when she took a little trip to the Field of Dreams with her girlfriend while attending an appearance at the Bob Feller Museum. Being a fan of the movie it was something that Mollie wanted to see. Both Mollie and her girlfriend were on the baseball Field and her friend turned around to her and said, “A few years from now you’re gonna do an event here.” Mollie laughed at her. In September of 2013 MAB created an event called, “The Team of Dreams at the Field of Dreams.” Twelve of the greatest names in baseball formed one team and the other team were local sponsors and businessmen. Proceeds went to the Wounded Warriors. Now this is an annual event and each year there is a different charity that is supported.

MAB has been in business for eleven years and represents over 50+ athletes exclusively. It has been a dream come true and just goes to show you, that America is the LAND of Opportunity, when a woman, from a small town in New Jersey, can have success in an industry that is dominated by men.

Vinny Del Negro

Former Collegiate Basketball Star, NBA Player and Coach

Vinny Del Negro in three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers presided over a team he helped transform into one of the most exciting squads in the NBA. In five seasons as an NBA head coach, Del Negro owns a career regular season record of 210-184 (.533) and a playoff record of 10-19 (.345). Del Negro led the Clippers to the greatest season in franchise history in 2012-13, guiding the team to its first-ever Pacific Division title and a franchise best 56-26 record. Del Negro was the Western Conference Coach of the Month in December as he led the Clippers to a 16-0 month in the midst of a historic 17-game winning streak. That season, Del Negro became the fastest coach in Clippers history to win 100 games. Under Del Negro, the Clippers owned the best record in the NBA at the halfway mark at 32-9 and broke numerous team and franchise records.

Del Negro joined the Clippers after having led the Chicago Bulls to two consecutive trips to the NBA Playoffs (2009 and 2010) after back-to-back 41-41 (.500) seasons. Del Negro joined a select list of coaches in NBA history with no prior coaching experience to lead his team to the playoffs in his first two seasons as an NBA head coach. During a memorable stretch of the 2009-10 season, Del Negro led the Bulls to five consecutive victories on the road, all against teams with above .500 or better records, which marked the first time in NBA history a team had achieved that feat.
Prior to his time with the Bulls, Del Negro served as AssistantGeneral Manager of the Phoenix Suns during the 2007-08 campaign after a promotion from his previous role of Director of Player Personnel.

Del Negro played four collegiate seasons at North Carolina State under the late Jim Valvano, averaging 9.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists over his career. He helped the Wolfpack to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight (1985 and 1986).He was also named the winner of the Everett Case Award as the MVP of the 1987 ACC Tournament, leading NC State to the tournament championship. Del Negro was named to the All-ACC First Team his senior season. As a culmination to his career at North Carolina State, Del Negro had his jersey retired in 2001 and at the 2015 ACC Tournament he was recognized as an ACC Legend.

Del Negro attended Suffield Academy in Suffield, Connecticut and was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. His #21 was retired by the school in February, 2008. In 1991, the Vinny Del Negro Endowment Fund was established in Springfield for the Brightside organization which is set up to help physically abused youths and was honored by USA WEEKEND with the Most Caring Athlete Award in 1994. In 1996, Del Negro formed the All Star Connection 4 San Antonio, an organization which raised funds for schools in San Antonio and was recognized by the Texas Legislature in 1997 for the program. In 1999, Del Negro was honored by Governor Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts with its Service Award. In 2013, was the recipient of the National Service Above Self presented by The Rotary Club and Basketball Hall of Fame for his charitable efforts. Del Negro’s father, Vin, played collegiately under Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky. Vinny and his wife Lynn met at North Carolina State University.

Paulie Malignaggi

Former IBF Junior Welterweight & WBA Welterweight Champion

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi spent the early years of his life in his parent’s native Siracusa, Sicily before returning to America at 6 years old. Malignaggi’s father soon moved back to Italy and abandoned the family, leaving his mother to raise him and his younger brother. Not allowed to play organized sports as a kid by his mother, Malignaggi didn’t start boxing until he was 16 but proved to be a quick learner.

“I got pretty good at it pretty quick,” Malignaggi recalls. “I started winning tournaments. I didn’t think right from there I’d be a world champion. For the first time in my life I had something that I really liked and a reason not to get in trouble, a reason to want to stick with something when I hadn’t stuck with anything before.”

Upon turning pro in 2001, Malignaggi won his first 21 fights before suffering his first loss in a grueling battle with multiple-division champion Miguel Cotto in June 2006. Two fights later, Malignaggi would bounce back strong against rugged South African boxer Lovemore N’dou in June 2007, to win the IBF Light Welterweight Championship. After defeating N’dou once again in a rematch in May 2008, Malignaggi lost to Britain’s Ricky Hatton that November and dropped a hotly debated decision to Juan Diaz in Houston in August 2009. Malignaggi got his revenge four months later, when he defeated Diaz in their rematch.

British star Amir Khan would gain an 11th-round stoppage of Malignaggi in May 2010, leading the “Magic Man” to move up in weight and challenge 147-pound champion Vyacheslav Senchenko in a crossroads fight in Ukraine. “It was one of those back-to-the-wall fights,” Malignaggi says, “because if you lose it, your career is out.” Malignaggi didn’t just win, he pummeled Senchenko, stopping him in the ninth round, becoming the WBA Welterweight Champion in 2012. The following year Malignaggi lost his title in a split decision to Adrien Broner.

As skilled with his words as his fists, Malignaggi was invited to contribute as a guest commentator for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s fight with Josesito Lopez in September 2012. Malignaggi quickly became an in-demand analyst, calling fights full time in addition to continuing his career as a boxer. He’s now one of the most popular voices in the sport as part of the PBC on CBS team, and won the Boxing Writers Association of America Excellence in Broadcasting Journalism Award in 2013 for his work on Showtime.

Lenny Mancini

1940s Boxing Contender

Lenny Mancini was an outstanding amateur in Youngstown, Ohio during the depression era decade of the 1930s. He went to New York City in the late 1930s to fight for manager Frankie Jacobs, and local ring standouts Tony Janiro, Tommy Bell, George (Sonny) Horne, Joey Carkido, Frank Lentine and Joe (Red) D’Amato ultimately followed. It was this group of local fighters that became part of boxing history, at a time considered by many to be the greatest era of the sport.

A muscular 5’2” lightweight, Mancini became the little guy’s hero. He earned the moniker of “Boom Boom” early in his professional career from the avid New York boxing fans who loved his relentless attacking style.

On November 11, 1941, Mancini defeated Canadian Lightweight Champion Dave Castilloux in Montreal by a ten-round split decision. “Mancini was the perpetual motion kid himself,” one newspaper reported. Always popular with the fans, Mancini was given a standing ovation when the decision was announced. The win established him as the No. 1 contender for Angott’s crown. Negotiations for a title fight were under way when, on January 15, 1942, Mancini was drafted into the Army. His manager told him to request a 30-day furlough so he could get his long-awaited shot at the title. Mancini even offered his entire purse to the Army. Selective Service’s answer: We want you, not your money.

He became an infantryman and on November 11, 1944, he was hit by mortar shrapnel in Metz, France. Shrapnel, six fragments in all, tore through his back, arm and leg. Physicians were able to remove only four. He spent six months recuperating. At the end of June 1945, he was discharged from the Army with a Purple Heart.

After recovering from his injuries he resumed his boxing career, now in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. However, he was unable to establish himself and retired after consecutive points losses to Harry Hurst and Rocky Castellani, with a final record of 45-12-3.

His dream of a world title happened for his son, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, who knocked out Arturo Frias in the first round to win the WBA World Lightweight Championship on May 8, 1982. Lenny Mancini was ringside to see his son’s accomplishment.

Joe Pepitone

3x Gold Glove Winner & 3x MLB All-Star

Joseph Anthony Pepitone was born on October 9, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. A legendary high school sandlot star, Joe was signed by the Yankees in 1958. He rose through their farm system and joined the team as a rookie in 1962 winning a World Series ring as a member of that championship squad. His development allowed the Yankees to trade veteran Moose Skowron prior to the 1963 season. Thus in 1963, Joe became an everyday player and made the All-Star team in his first full season in the majors. He was again an All-Star in 1964 when the Yanks were American League champs but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. His final All Star appearance was the following season.

Based in part by his performance and his unique style both on and off the field, with classic Italian good looks in the mold of Joe DiMaggio, he was quickly embraced by the fans and became one of the most popular players on the Yankees. He was also one of their more consistent players during an era starting in 1965 when the Yankees began to decline. During this period, despite being one of the game’s best fielding first basemen, he made the switch to centerfield so that Mickey Mantle with his ailing legs could play first base and thus extend his own career. Pepitone eventually returned to first base after the Mick’s retirement.

After the 1969 season, the Yankees traded Joe to the Astros who then traded him to the Cubs in mid-season. In 1971 as a Cub, replacing retiring Hall of Famer Ernie Banks at first base, Pepitone hit a career high .307 with 16 homers and 61 RBI’s. His MLB career ended in 1973 as a member of the Atlanta Braves. He then briefly played in Japan before retiring.

Three time Gold Glove winner and three time All-Star, Pepitone ended his career with a lifetime .258 batting average with 219 home runs and 721 runs batted in. Joe Pepitone, also a cultural icon, is generally acknowledged to be the first player to use a hair dryer in the clubhouse. He has been mentioned in several episodes of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm including one where he is referred to as the designer of NYC’s Central Park. He has also been referenced in several other popular TV shows.

After retirement Pepitone has tried to remain close to the game holding different positions in the Yankee organization and through his frequent appearances at memorabilia shows and charity events.

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