I'm a big Yankees fan so his passing is very sad news for me.

Regardless if you like baseball or not, I find that Its always good practice to put historical context into our genealogical research. For example, Rizzuto was an Italian-american ball player in a time when it was a very big deal to have kids from the "neighborhood" look up to someone with vowels in their last names.

Additionally, during the 40s & 50s Italians were a big part of the major leagues...dimaggio, berra, gargiola.... Embracing baseball was a major step for the americanization of Italians, especially during WWII when many parents taught their kids not to speak italian in public.

I always find sports as a good measuring stick to whether Italian-Americans are recent arrivals from Italy or more distant immigrants. For example, anyone who came in the late 50s or 60s usually cite soccer as their favorite sport not baseball or american football, whereas someone who's grandparents or great-grandparents came from italy are usually(not always) unfamiliar to soccer.

Phil will be sorely missed. I remember his two favorite phrases when he was broadcasting--Holy Cow and What a Huckleberry. Priceless. A great shortstop and wonderful person. Joe D. had retired when I started to follow baseball so my heroes were the Scooter and Yogi.

Like many Italians, Joe D was my grandfather and father's favorite ballplayer. My grandfather also liked bowler Andy Pappalardi and all the Italian boxers especially Carmine Bassilio.

Biff

He will be missed, as a kid I would listen to him on either channel 11 or 9, "HOLY COW"...

So true about the 40s and 50s, they where icons in the Italian communities then and today.

Definitely sad...he will be missed.

Hey Biff, I have an autographed bowling ball bag with a signature from Andy Varipappa. Is that someone completely different?

Gina501 wrote:

Hey Biff, I have an autographed bowling ball bag with a signature from Andy Varipappa. Is that someone completely different?

No, the bowler was Andy Varipappa that my grandfather liked. I messed up the last name.

Biff

I remember the day he signed it. He came to our bowling center in Brooklyn. I was maybe about 10. I clearly remember him being a little guy, probably only about 5 feet tall.