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Lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini will be the guest of honor at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame’s Night at the Fights on May 5 at the Des Plaines Theatre. Olympic medalist Antonio Tarver, Junior Welterweight champ Paul “Paulie” Malignaggi and WBC Lightweight champ David Diaz will also attend, and entertainment will be p...

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Bruno Sammartino is the longest-reigning World Champion in the history of WWE. Sammartino is considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. The legendary Italian sold out the Madison Square Garden a record 188 times. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. Wrestling journalist Bill Apter spoke about the time when Samm...

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Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato said she had been asked for years to write a book about her experiences in becoming one of the best women’s hockey players of all time. She finally has, but on her own terms and with a specific audience in mind — children. Her book, “I Can Play Too,” is based on hockey and other personal experiences but Granato is...

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With David Ortiz’s election to baseball’s Hall of Fame announced Tuesday, it’s natural to begin speculating on how long it might be before Cleveland sees another enshrinee in Cooperstown. It’s hard to believe that four years have already passed since Jim Thome’s election. Kenny Lofton has an outside chance if the Today’s Game Committee puts him on...

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Throughout 2021, we have examined the career and life of Roberto Clemente from many perspectives. What’s left now is the question that comes up inevitably: 50 years after his remarkable play in the 1971 World Series, what is his true legacy? Clemente himself was asked that question toward the end of his career. He responded: “I would like to be rem...

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After decades as a standout hockey defenseman and accomplished assistant coach, as well as more than 20 years as the owner of his own business, Bob Nardella has concluded that the surest path to success is as a team player. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a janitor or a VIP executive — you have to work together to be successful,” says the 53-year-old,...

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The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame will present multisport luminary Jerry Colangelo with the Mario Andretti Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala and induction ceremony at the Westin O’Hare. The event has been moved from Nov. 13 to Dec. 10. “When the hall of fame needed help making the move to Taylor Street, Jerry Colangelo was there....

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When Chicago Wolves assistant coach Bob Nardella was growing up in Melrose Park, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame was located next door in Elmwood Park. His father, Robert, relished taking his son to the institution’s conventions hosted in Rosemont. “It was a big thing for my father,” Nardella said. “He took me all the time. There...

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It's not easy to take over the reins of NIAF at this time, with a pandemic that is still doing damage and casualties, and that has left major economic and social problems in the United States. Several programs of the National Italian American Foundation, as well as other national and local Italian American and non-Italian American organizations, ha...

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Little Guy Soccer founder Edward Merante has been inducted into the New York State West Youth Soccer Association’s Hall of Fame in recognition of his more than five decades of service to young people and youth soccer programs.   Based in Corning, NYSWYSA is affiliated with U.S. Youth Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation. The announcement...

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