Jackie Santacaterina
Soccer Player and Analyst
Before she became the lead women’s soccer analyst for the Big Ten Network, Jackie Santacanterina led a successful high school, college, and professional soccer career. Jackie led her Geneva High School Class AA team and was named Kane County Player of the Year, finishing her high school career with 49 goals and 47 assists in 70 games. She received the distinction of Suburban Prairie North Conference MVP in both 2004 and 2005. In those same years, Jackie also saw enormous success in club soccer as her team, the Eclipse Select, won back to back United States Youth Soccer Association Championships. Jackie then went on to play for the Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois, where as a freshman she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team, Top Drawer Soccer’s All-Rookie first team, Soccer Buzz’s Great Lakes Region All-Freshman team and the All-Illini Tournament team. In 2007, she started in all 21 matches and was named to the Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region second team and All-Big Ten second team. During her junior season, she started all 23 matches and was named to the All-Big Ten second team. During her final season, she was named team Co-MVP and was one of 11 Illini to register at least 1,000 minutes of play.
A pioneer in women’s professional soccer in America, Santacaterina was drafted by the Chicago Red Stars in the 2013 Supplemental Draft for the National Women’s Soccer League and played in four different leagues for the Red Stars. Jackie Santacaterina, a proud role model for young athletes everywhere, and a most worthy inductee into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Gene Ubriaco
NHL Player, Hockey Hall of Fame Coach
Gene Ubriaco had an illustrious career as a hockey player in the AHL and the NHL. After having played seven seasons in the American Hockey League for the Rochester Americans, Pittsburgh Hornets and Hershey Bears, Ubriaco would make the jump to the National Hockey League, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins in their inaugural 1967 season after the NHL’s first expansion since the 1920’s. Throughout the ‘67 season, he scored 18 goals and totaled 33 points in 65 games played. He would later play for the Oakland Seals before finishing out his professional hockey career with the 1970 Chicago Blackhawks.
In his hockey career, Ubriaco scored 201 goals in 643 games. In 1988, Ubriaco became the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins where, led by Mario Lemieux’s 85 goals, he coached Pittsburgh to their first playoff appearance in seven years. Ubriaco then turned his attention to the national stage, coaching the Italian Olympic ice hockey team during the 1992 winter games. After the Olympics, he was named the coach of the newly formed Chicago Wolves where he would coach for two seasons before being named Director of Hockey Operations, a position he has held since 1997.
A four-time coach of the year recipient, it was in 2012 that Gene Ubriaco was enshrined into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame, and in 2021 he was welcomed as an inductee into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Buzz Capra
Baseball
Nicknamed by a neighbor while growing up in Chicago’s Roscoe Village, “Buzz” Lee William Capra is best known for having one of the greatest seasons as a starting pitcher in Atlanta Braves’ history. Capra was a star shortstop at Lane Tech High School in Chicago. From there, he went to Illinois State where in his senior season, the Redbirds won the Division II national championship.
Drafted by the New York Mets in 1969, Capra would make his major league debut in 1971 playing alongside Willie Mays. He was with the team on their 1973 playoff berth, which saw the Mets fighting their way into the World Series. In the spring of 1974, Capra joined the Atlanta Braves and had great success as a starting pitcher. He set multiple team records of 26 innings without allowing an earned run, 9 consecutive wins as a starting pitcher and was selected to the National League All-Star Team. Throughout the win streak, Braves attendance during Buzz Capra’s starts would increase over 20,000 fans above average.
During the ‘74 season Buzz had a league-best 2.28 ERA and held opponents to a .208 Batting Average Against. Capra played with the Braves until 1978 and after retiring as a player went back to his Alma Mater, Illinois State as a pitching coach and later became a pitching coach and Manager for the Mets’, Phillies’, and Braves’ farm systems.
Buzz Capra, a neighborhood guy who made it not only to the Big Leagues, but also into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Dave Palone
Horse Racing Harness Trainer and Driver
Dave Palone is an American Horse harness racing trainer and driver. In 1989 Palone had his breakout year, visiting the winner’s circle 319 times. The following year he won 428 and topped $1 million in annual purse earnings for the first time. In 1991, under Palone’s guidance, colt Dontellmenomore won the American-National Stakes, Beacon Course Trot, and an elimination of the World Trotting Derby. The following year Palone drove Ultimate Goal to a win in a Breeders Crown elimination at Pompano. Palone and Ultimate Goal paired up again for a victory in the Matron Stakes. In 1992 Palone came in first 615 times and began his ongoing streak of 18 consecutive years in which he has won 500 or more races.
Also on Palone’s resume are wins in the 1996 Cleveland Classic with Free Hart, 1996 Messenger Stakes with Go For Grins and the 1997 Windy City Pace with Arturo. In 1999, Palone won the premier race at his home track of The Meadows when he guided Washington VC to victory in the Adios over eventual Triple Crown winner Blissfull Hall. In 2003 Palone guided Numeric Hanover to victories in both the Nadia Lobell and Jugette, and also won the Galt Memorial with Hellava Hush. On November 7, 2004 Dave Palone joined Herve Filion, Walter Case, Jr. and Cat Manzi to become only the fourth driver in the history of North American harness racing to notch 10,000 career wins.
Out of all of the amazing nights Palone has had, the most incredible might have been that of April 21, 2008 at The Meadows, when he became the first driver ever to win 11 races on a single pari-mutuel card; at the same time recording the most 2:00 miles ever on one raceway program (11). In the 2008 Breeders Crown for 3-year-old trotting colts, Palone guiding In Focus 3,1:52.3 ($844,942) to a stunning defeat of Deweycheatumnhowe 3,1:50.4 ($3,155,178). He finished the year with his career-best 885 victories. In 2009 Palone drove Won The West p,5,1:47 ($2,354,116) to a win in the American-National, and set a stakes record of 1:49.4f with Fred And Ginger p,3,1:49.4f ($307,172) in the 2010 Max Hempt Memorial Pace.
For seven straight years (1996-2002) Palone won 600 or more races, including back-to-back seasons of 700 or more (1999-2000). It was during this two-year period that he won his first two national dash-win crowns. He added a third title in 2004 by winning 670 races. Having shared Harness Tracks of America’s Driver of the Year award in 2009 with Jody Jamieson, Palone has now received the honor six times, second only to Herve Filion’s ten. His 13,716 wins place him third all-time in North America behind Filion (15,179) and Cat Manzi (13,756). To date, Palone has earned over $83.5 million in purses, while garnering, since 1989, an ongoing streak of 21 Meadows’ consecutive dash titles.
Bob Nardella
Hockey Player and Coach
Bob Nardella had an impressive professional hockey career, both in leagues across America and as a member of the Italian Olympic team. Nardella attended Holy Cross High School for two years before completing his junior and senior high school years in Iowa while playing with the Des Moines Buccaneers in the United States Hockey League.
In 1988, Nardella set a Buccaneers franchise record scoring 111 points throughout that season. As a college walk-on for Ferris State University, Bob played three seasons putting up 74 points in 108 games. After college, he was recruited by Italian third division teams before eventually joining the illustrious Alleghe Hockey at the top of the Italian Hockey League.
In 1997, Nardella returned home to Illinois, joining the Chicago Wolves for their inaugural season in the International Hockey League. While playing for the Wolves, Nardella got his first look in the international spotlight, joining the Italian National Hockey Team roster during their 7th place finish in the 1995 International Ice Hockey World Championships. Later, Nardella would play for the Italians in both the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Games. The Chicago Wolves won the 2000 Turner Cup Championship while Nardella led all defensemen with 13 points. As a result of his play, he was named to the IHL Second All-Star Team. Following the team’s championship 2002 season, Nardella returned to the Italian leagues helping the Milano Vipers win the Italian Elite League Championship by scoring nine points in 11 games.
In 2004, Nardella ended his career with the Wolves as the franchise record holder for most points by a defensemen with 298 points. After retirement, Nardella became a coach for the Wolves, being named a full-time assistant coach in 2017. Bob Nardella, a 2012 inductee in the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame, and a proud 2021 inductee into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Lee Mazzili
Baseball
Son of welterweight boxer Libero Mazzilli, Lee Mazzilli was a switch-hitting two-time all-star outfielder for the New York Mets. He graduated from Brooklyn’s Lincoln High School in 1973, and later that year was selected 14th in the overall draft pick for his hometown New York Mets. While in the minor leagues, Mazzilli set a California League record when he stole a record seven bases in a game for the Mets’ minor league affiliate against San Jose on June 8, 1975.
After reaching the majors, Mazzilli led the Mets with 181 hits and 79 runs batted in. Earning him a coveted role as one of two Mets representatives at the 1979 All-Star Game. Throughout the early 80’s Mazzilli was traded to the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates before finally rejoining the Mets, helping spur them on to a 1986 World Series Championship.
After retiring as a player in 1989, Lee returned to baseball in 2000 working as the first base coach for that season’s world champion Yankees. Then from 2004 to 2005 Mazzilli served as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Under his leadership, in 2005, the club spent 62 days in first place in the AL East.
Lee Mazzilli, with a couple of World Series rings he also has a lasting place in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
Peter Longo
Golf
With over 275 trick shots, nearly four times as many as any other golf trick shot artist in history, Peter Longo more than earned his nickname as the “King of Clubs.” A PGA Life Member and former PGA Tour player, Peter performed over 2,800 exhibitions worldwide over three decades. His success was not only limited to the greens as he was also a published author and featured writer for several golf publications, also producing two television shows of his own, Inside Golf and Off The Fairway.
Longo also made regular appearances on WGN-TV’s Instant Replay show and The Golf Scene, both from Chicago and Good Morning, Arizona in Phoenix performing golf tips spiced with his signature humor. He hosted his own radio talk show for 10 years in Phoenix and was the “official radio voice” of The PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open.
Peter was known internationally as a leading authority on golf for the disabled, having authored the first handicapped golf teaching video in 1987 and the first teaching CD in 2005 on the subject. The CD, entitled Challenge Golf, is the official PGA of America disabled golf teaching program. A former Chairman of the PGA’s Committee for the Disabled, Peter was honored at The White House in 1989 and won the 2006 Marianjoy Par Excellence Award for achievement in the field of disabled golf.
In May of 2020, we lost Peter. His legacy is a life of teaching and his trademark humor as Peter Longo will be perpetually enshrined into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
