United States National Tournament

Page 1
Special Double Holiday Edition
December 2009
United States National Tournament
By Danny Passaglia
This past June at the beautiful Campo di Bocce facility in Livermore, Ca, the USBF
held the annual National Championships. Following the International format, under
current standards, the USBF uses the National event to qualify the players/teams for
International play. This year was Men’s, Women’s and Under 21 Singles. In addition
to the qualifiers, Campo di Bocce also hosted an A and B Division Open Team
Championship. There also were shooting contests in several categories and even a
“trick shot” competition. In conjunction with the Nationals, the Aquatic Park Club of
Bocce, Tom Albanese and of course Tournament Host Ben Musolf for arranging this
important promotion of bocce and the USBF. The next several days were devoted
to the Singles competitions. The attendance, considering the economic hardships
Men’s Singles Winners -Left to Right: Bronze - Giovanni Napoli, Gold Jorge Moreno, Silver - Alberico Leonardi, Bronze Paolo Pro
Left to Right - Bronze Medal Elizabeth Wong Fontana; Silver Medal Laura De La
Rosa; Gold Medal Maria Narayan; Bronze Rena Harel
South San Francisco held a Volo qualifier for our USA Team to represent us in Macon,
France in September. Three players made the Team in four different modalities. They
were Benji Tosi, Marco and Delio Cuneo. Further details about the Volo Championships
can be found in this newsletter.
everyone faced was fantastic. Players came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida,
New York, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and of course the entire California area. Some
were seasoned veterans, others were first timers but all shared one common goal.
Everyone wanted to share the experience, play their best and create new friendships.
Another improvement from the USBF was the use of Certified Referees for all Singles
games. Thanks to a Referee Certification clinic held earlier in the year, the USBF
now boasts over 25 Certified Referees. The help of qualified referees was evident
immediately. The games took less time, questions were answered quickly and the
players soon gained confidence in all the calls. The USBF provided a Tournament
The opening ceremonies were held in downtown Livermore and were attended by
a large audience, many players and local dignitaries including the Mayor. It was a
beautiful evening and a strong sense of enthusiasm permeated the air. All the players
were anxious to get started and definitely the competition would prove worthy. The
Under 21 Singles Winners: From Left to Right - Silver- Drew Page Gold- Joey
Bernardi Bronze- Harrison Beal
Committee to assist the host Club as well as a Disciplinary Committee to handle any
problems which gratefully never occurred.
Gold Medal Team Open A Division Team Bella Bocce
Left to Right Lydia Romo, Joann Jacobs, Laura De La Rosa, Teresa Passaglia
Open A & B events were held on the first two days. Many hours of bocce later, history
was made when for the first time an all-women’s Team won the Gold medal in the
A Division. Especially exciting for our sport was the media coverage capturing this
history making feat. Local newspapers printed several articles and a major TV station
taped some of the play for their evening news report. A big thank you to Campo di
While the weather was great, it did provide some problems for players on the outside
courts. The sun and heat created adverse conditions which greatly affected the
consistency of the court surface. Certainly they provided a lot of “head scratching”
and that was even from Campo veterans that had a difficult time adjusting. In each
category, the number of participants increased significantly. In particular, the Under
21 group saw and increase of over 50%. This is a very positive sign for youth bocce in
the USA. Not only did the quantity increase but the quality of play was terrific both in
performance and strategy.
Continued on page 3
United States Bocce Federation
Page 2
President’s Letter
Well summer is gone, the Nationals are long over and our Volo Team recently returned
from France. I recently received a generic email from the CBI/FIB soliciting countries
interested in hosting a World Championship in 2010. This request suggests to me that
no one has come forward to host the Singles Championship that should have been
held in 2009. I am sure this is all a result of the world wide crisis and recession. An
enormous amount of funds is needed to host a world event and due to the economic
conditions, sponsorships and financial assistance have all but vanished. I don’t know
what is going to happen and I feel no news will be forthcoming at least until early next
year regarding our singles qualifiers from 2009.
As for the USA, we have all been affected in every region, some more than others, but
bocce is surviving. Actually, many of the Social Clubs have reported an increase in
membership and participation because people want to play bocce and yet save some
money. Most of our Clubs charge low membership fees, have tremendous pricing on
food and beverages and in many cases do not charge members to play bocce. The
USBF has increased membership over 2008 both in individual members and clubs. I
expect this trend to continue in 2010.
The Bocce community has been receiving additional benefits from unsolicited
advertisements on television and radio. Has anyone seen the ESPN ad showing the
four hosts of NFL LIVE playing bocce on the lawn? I have seen it repeatedly and laugh
out loud every time. Check it out!! This is actually a great time to introduce friends and
family to the game. It is very inexpensive to play, needs hardly any equipment and
is a great spectator venue. I ask our entire member Clubs to open their doors to new
players and prospective members. Several Midwest Clubs have held “seminars” and
promoted them to high school committees as well as Lions, Kiwanis, and other types
of Clubs.
I see a real opportunity to promote our sport during these times. Let us all have a positive attitude and hopefully when things improve we can retain many of those novice
players and keep them as members both in the clubs and the USBF. Why not try some
innovative and unusual tournaments? I have recently participated in “Candlelight
Bocce”, “Disco Bocce” and even
“Swapping Partners Bocce”!! These events create excitement, are a novelty and results
show an increase in attendance.
If you would like more information on hosting one of these events, send me an email
and I will get you all the details. dannygw@comcast.net
Next year the scheduled World Championship is a Club tournament. For clarification
purposes, in order to participate in the U.S National Tournament and qualify for the
World’s, a Club Team must meet the following requirements:
1) The Club must have been a registered member of the USBF for the year 2009 and
2010 minimum.
2) Any player on that Team must have been on that Club’s membership list for at least
2 years
3) There is no restriction for male or female participation. Example: the Team can be
made up of 4 men, 3 men/1 woman, or even all women. However, all teams will play
for their respective Club and there will be no other division for the Club Championship.
Please be advised that next year is the North American Championship and we need to
qualify teams for that event also. Therefore, I strongly recommend that all interested
Someone You Should Know!!
ladies’ should form a Team to play in a Women’s Division event that will be used to
qualify the number of teams needed to play against Canada. We are also considering a
Men’s qualifier in addition to the Club event. It is the USA’s turn to host. Even though
the St. Louis Bocce Club will be hosting the Nationals, they are the front runner to also
host the North American Championship. Hopefully by the end of this year we will have
confirmation from them.
Your board is constantly working to increase membership, improve our rules, and
generate excitement in all areas of the USA. I have been working with several
companies seeking sponsorships, scholarships, and any type of contribution to be
used for promotion and support of our programs. I wish everyone the healthiest and
happiest Holidays possible and look forward to seeing everyone in St. Louis!
Danny Passaglia
USBF President
Women Compete As Equals
By Jo Ann Jacobs
In 2007 one of our team members didn’t think we should enter the A Division open
and try to compete against all those great A Division men teams. - so we entered the
B Division. Placing first in the B Division at the 2007 Nationals was a great accomplishment and a huge win for our women’s team. Winning the gold in the B Division made
it mandatory to enter the A Division in 2008 and not even realizing we were the only
women’s team entered in the A Division open. Our 2007 team also won the Gold in
the B Division in Raffa. I believe that was also the first time ever that the same team
won the B Division Gold in Open and Raffa.
After winning the gold in this years 2009 open A Division it confirmed that women can
be fierce bocce competitors. Our team is extremely proud of the achievement we have
made. With these wins over the last few years we have noticed more women competing in local tournaments. We hope that this trend is occurring in other states across
our country.
In the future we would love to witness a women’s team like ours bringing home the
Gold in Raffa Team Division at the Nationals.
Tournament Committee Comments
By Ron Jacobs
The Tournament Committee for the Nationals at Campo di Bocce was Ron Jacobs,
Diana Pellegrini, Mike Grasser, Robert Della Croce with our President, Danny Passaglia
running the computer.
Ben Musolf and his crew did an outstanding job having everything in place with the
scheduling of games, the nice scoreboard and scorecards ready for us. He said the
Tournament Committee did help him as he was plenty busy having to play and run
his business by taking the pressure off him of scheduling the games and posting the
scores along with getting Certified Referees in each game. Which reminds me how
much help having the Referee Class gave us enough Certified Referees to put in each
game. I think this made the games run much smoother and we had the Official Punto
Raffa Volo Rules posted for any question that any player would need to justify any decisions made during play.
I think we need to have better guidelines put in place before each National Tournament as to: where the State Flag is acceptable, the uniform to be worn, whether shorts
are acceptable, if any kind of denim can be worn and what the penalty will be if the
guidelines are not followed. There seemed to be some entries that did not understand
some of this. I think all entries need to have a clear understanding of this.
2009 Most Inspirational Player - Joe Saccone. Joe is 95
and still an active bocce player. The award was given out
during the Open Western Sector Tournament that was
held on August 1st. Presented by Jerry and Vern
USBF Officers
Danny Passaglia, President
Homer Glen, Illinois
dannygw@covad.net
Peter Rabito, Vice President
Huntington, New York
americanbocce@optonline.net
Mario Veltri, Treasurer
Pleasanton, California
mfveltri@comcast.net
Colleen M Randazzo, Secretary
Martinez , California
rzldzlr4@pacbell.net
I personally feel the Tournament Committee is a good thing for each National, but only
if the host club wants this type of help.
A special thank you to Diana, Robert, Danny and Mike.
USBF Directors
Guy Desantis,
Eastern Sector President
Yonkers, New York
yonkersbocce@aol.com
Mario Pagnoni, Eastern Sector Vice-President
Methuen, Massachusetts
Mario@joyofbocce.com
Dr. Angel Cordano, Eastern Sector Representative
St. Petersburg, Florida
boccelima@tampabay.rr.com
Ron Jacobs
Western Sector Representative
Stockton, CA
ronjo9445@comcast.net
Larry Cerechino Western Sector Populous
Greshane, OR
LorenzoDiFauale@msn.com
Benedetto Nicosia Western Sector Populous
San Jose, CA
ben.nicosia@gmail.com
Vern Cooper
Western Sector President
Fair Oaks,CA
verncooper@comcast.net
Diana Pellegrini Western Sector Populous
Fairfax, CA
paesana@comcast.net
Jerry South Western Sector Vice President
Mill Valley, CA
jersouth@comcast.net
Rick Wagstaff Western Sector Populous
Pine Grove, CA
semprebocce@volcano.net
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United States National Tournament
The final result and the players
that will represent the USA/
USBF next year at the World
Championships are Maria
Narayan, Jorge Moreno and
Joey Bernardi. Best of luck to
them and congratulations on a
job well done.
The awards dinner was held
on Saturday night and well
attended. Treated to a delicious
buffet, great wine, and lots of
bocce conversation, many new
friendships were established
and old ones rekindled.
Awards were presented to Tom
Albanese and Ben Musolf as
hosts of the event and John
Ross in recognition of his work
as Past USBF President. Also, the
Referees were presented with
their certificates earned during
the Certification clinic. Even
though the quarter finals were yet to be played, many players showed their dance
moves and entertained the audience with their non bocce steps! Music, wine and food
flowed into the early morning and it was a relaxing, fun evening. The 2010 National
Championships will be held in St. Louis, Missouri at the fantastic Italia America Club
of St. Louis. Not only do they have 5 synthetic courts, gorgeous banquet facility, and
enormous community support, the area of the “Hill” boasts some of the finest dining in
the Midwest. Let’s hope you can all “Meet me in St. Louie, Louie!!!”
The Future of Bocce
Ben Musolf Western Sector Populous Director
San Jose, CA
Benjamin@campodibocce.com
Brain Polantz, Mid West Sector Populous
Beachwood, Ohio
bpolantz@hotmail.com
Michael Croce Western Sector Populous Director
Stockton,CA
Cherrypitter@aol.com
Michael Constantini, Mid West Sector Representative
Iron Mountain, Michigan
pmr@uplogon.com
Frank De Santis Western Sector Populous Director
Southern, CA
FEslaw@hotmail.com
Robert Della Croce, Mid West Sector President
St.Louis, MO
rdc1002@sbcglobal.net
Michael Grasser, Mid West Sector Vice-President
Sylvan Lake, MI
boccemg@msn.com
Honorary Director
Steve Mariucci
Past Presidents
John Ross (2004-2008)
heresjohnny@earthlink.net
Mike Conti (1996-2004)
usbocce@aol.com
Ken Dothee (1988-1996)
usbocce@pacbell.net
Mario Massa (1986-1988)
Chris Gerardo (1975-1986) deceased
The United States Bocce Federation is a nonprofit charitable
corporation and is a member of the Federation Internationale de
Boules and the Confederizone Boccistica Internazionale. The USBF is
the official governing body for Bocce in the USA.-
United States Bocce Federation
United States National Tournament
Page 4
Page 5
2009 World Volo Championships
against the Italians, who had won the previous 2007 world
title. The Italians proved to be a tough match as they prevailed; but only after Marco’s continual shooting of pallino’s
to save frames. The loss sent the US to an elimination match
against an impressive Argentinean team comprised of 2008
Pan American Doubles Champion Guillermo Montemerlo
and 2009 World Precision Champion Raul Basualdo. The
Argentineans jumped out to an early lead, but the Cuneo’s
persevered and battled to within striking distance in a close
loss.
In the Precision-Throw, Benji Tosi looked to beat his record of
18 points from the previous World Championship. In the first
round Tosi made 13 points; which were enough to advance
to the second round. But it was there that he mustered 9
points in a round where 14 was the lowest advancing score.
Tosi finished 16th overall out of 33 countries.
The 2009 Men’s World Bocce Championship took place from September 28th – October 4th in Macon, France. At a cost of $750,000, it was
the largest Volo World Championship to date, with 130 players from 33
countries competing in 6 events. The opening ceremony featured a parade of nations followed by dancing gymnasts and 4 motorcycle daredevils simultaneously riding around a giant steel globe! This region is a
busy area for bocce and boasts many world champion clubs and players,
with the area of Lyon itself claiming about 400 individual clubs.
In the Combination (Point and Shoot), Tosi had a good first
match against Andreas Wormuth of Germany and won 18-11.
His next game was a loss to Bepo Moras of Australia 18-13.
The loss put Tosi in a rematch against Germany where he
won 16-11. The victory advanced him to the next round of
16 where he was matched up against the veteran and past world cham-
The tournament took place at a local convention center where the
courts were built onsite for the event. Fresh asphalt was laid for 16
courts and then dirt was spread out over the courts and watered each
morning. Due to the water and abundance of loose dirt, they were the
slowest courts at a world championship in recent memory. These courts
made it great for shooters to hit “ferma’s” by leaving their thrown ball on
the court after a successful hit. Many players had to adapt their strategy
to the slow and heavy pointing surface.
Players for the US Bocce Team were Marco Cuneo, Benji Tosi, and Delio
Cuneo; who claimed the top scores in the ranking system at the 2009
US National Bocce Championships at the Aquatic Park Bocce Club in
San Francisco last June. Coaching the US team was Bascir El Hariri, a
second time US coach and category “A” Italian player and certified coach
in the Slovenian Federation. The Chief of Delegation was Keith Tate of
the Martinez Bocce Federation. Keith has also acted as Delegate at the
1999 World Championships in Lyon, France and the 2009 Pan American
Championships in Lima, Peru.
In Doubles play, uncle and nephew tandem Delio and Marco Cuneo
opened in the toughest bracket of the tournament, against Morocco.
The Cuneo’s came out on top of a good, long game and earned a match
pion, Eric Lotto of Monaco. The game was close for the first four frames,
but Lotto slowly pulled ahead and won the match 25-16. Tosi finished
9th overall out of 33 countries.
In his first Singles match Marco Cuneo let an early lead slip
in a loss to the Russian Stanislav Ivanov 13-7. His next game
came in a dominant win over Finland’s Veli-Matti Lyyra 137. The win gave Marco a rematch against Russia where he
prevailed in convincing fashion 13-4. In the next round of 16,
Cuneo lost to the great Abed Dahmani from Algeria 13-2, who
had twice claimed silver at previous World Championships. In
the end Cuneo finished 9th overall of 33 countries.
Final 2009 World Bocce Championship 1st Place Results:
Combination, France,
Fabrice La Posta
Relay, France,
Fabien Amar & Patrick Alcaraz
Doubles,
Slovenia,
Davor Jansic & Dejan Tonejc
Progressive Throw, Slovenia, Ales Borcnik
Singles,
Italy,
Denis Pautassi
Precision Throw, Argentina, Raùl Basualdo
Continued on next page
Page 6
United States Bocce Federation
2009 World Volo Championships
2009 World Bocce Congress
The first order of business was to elect a new FIB president to replace
long time president Alfonse Lagier Bruno. The congress selected Christian Lacoste of France as the new FIB president and Aleksander Anzur of
Croatia and Pier Giorgio Bondaz of Italy as Vice-Presidents.
Since it has already been decided that the next World Championship in
2011 will be in Feltre, Italy, the next order of business was to decide the
location of the 2013 world championships. In the end, after a heated
debate, Zagreb, Croatia won out over Gap, France.
Campo di Bocce
Campo di Bocce
of Los Gatos
of Livermore
Events we have hosted:
2000 Friendship Games with
China, Italy, France & USA
2002 National Bocce
Championships
2006 North American
Championships
Forthcoming 2007 National
Bocce Championships
Madden-Mariucci Celebrity
Bocce Tournaments
 Fine Italian Dining  8 World-Class Courts 
565 University Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
(408) 395-7650
FAX (408) 395-7596
175 E. Vineyard Ave.
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 249-9800
FAX (925) 249-9804
www.campodibocce.com
Page 7
How Hard Can It Be? Bocce Fans Put a Quasi-Healthful
Spin on Happy Hour
and wandering around for an hour
during the games, the movement
The time has come starts to add up on a pedometer.
“It gets us outside on weeknights
to stop mockhaving fun when otherwise we’d be
ing Washington’s
sitting at home,” said Mike Ferguson,
young professionals for acting like a 25, who has played for three years.
bunch of elementa- “It’s a physical happy hour. Well, a
ry school kids -- and semi-physical happy hour.”
mock them instead
for acting like gray- Sounds smart to personal trainer
Suzanne Reilley, whose “Recess”
haired gentlemen
with a fondness for sessions in Meridian Hill Park cater
to folks who prefer to work out with
red sauce.
games rather than “exercises.” They
warm up by flinging a Frisbee, then
Kickball may still
move on to silly stuff like blob tag:
b+9e kicking
When the person who is “it” taps
around town, but
someone else, they both become
these days the
“it,” so an ever-increasing arm-in-arm
game with buzz is
mass runs around to catch other playbocce. This ancesers. “Regular lifting and running can
tor of bowling got
get repetitive and serious. We have
its first popularity
boost from soldiers enough of that in our lives,” she says
of her approach. “We’re just playing
of ancient Rome
and letting go.”
tossing stones to fill the downtime between battles. Over the millennia, their descenTo adapt bocce to her purposes,
dants developed the game into a diversion ideal for lazy summer afternoons: Roll
balls toward a small white target ball (the pallino, or sometimes pallina) while sipping Reilley would add cardio: Whichever
team sprinted faster to collect its balls
chianti. Whoever gets closer wins.
after each round would earn extra
points -- and burn extra calories.
But while it still has legions of devotees in Europe (and elsewhere around the globe),
bocce’s American fans have traditionally been of the old, male and Italian variety. And
Funnily enough, that’s not so far off from a real event in international bocce competito witness a game outside a city’s Little Italy neighborhood? Fuggettaboutit.
tions. For “rapid shooting,” each player has five minutes to hit a target from one side
So you might have been surprised if you had accompanied me to Capitol Hill’s Garfield of the court, dash the 88 feet to the other side, throw again at a different target and
repeat in an attempt to get the highest number of accurate shots.
Park a few weeks ago to see eight games occurring simultaneously.
By Vicky Hallett, of the Washington Post
“There’s so much physical endurance involved. You won’t see many players over 30 do
it,” Guy De Santis, president of the Eastern Sector for the United States Bocce Federation, explained to me during what was certainly the most informative discussion I’ve
ever had about the sport. Did you know, for instance, that the international bocce
community regards the courts at Detroit’s Palazzo di Bocce as one the best in the
world? And that the West Coast dominates the American bocce scene?
She celebrated by high-fiving and butt-smacking with teammate Dave Rosenblum,
Anyway, De Santis, who lives in Yonkers, N.Y., is thrilled to hear about the game’s popu39, while performing hand gestures probably unknown to even the most expressive
larity in Washington and hopes to check in on the league soon. “There’s a tremendous
Sicilians.
push to get more young people involved,” he says.
But he’s not suggesting that the older crew put down their balls and cede the sport to
Stewart, now a die-hard bocce-holic, had never even heard of the game before pals
the next generation. The 49-year-old De Santis credits bocce with honing his hand-eye
cajoled her into joining the booming D.C. Bocce League (http://www.dcbocce.com;
registration for the summer season ends Monday). In five years, the group boasting the coordination and maintaining mental acuity and strategy.
motto “Our balls are harder” has expanded from 50 players to nearly 1,000. And not a
His father (gold medalist in 1969 in Calabria Italy), who has had problems with blood
single one of them is an elderly Italian man, according to co-founder Sarah DeLucas.
clots
in his legs, is under doctor’s orders to spend time on the courts. “So he goes and
They range in age from 21 to 50, with the average in the late 20s.
plays three hours a day; he enjoys himself and keeps himself healthy,” De Santis says.
The thrill of hobnobbing and postgame boozing undoubtedly accounts for some of
But there’s a problem with this charming health-care plan: a lack of bocce courts.
those numbers, but a large part of the appeal lies in the sport’s accessibility. “It’s a
Washington has just two open to the public (both in Garfield Park, constructed by
game anybody can play,” DeLucas says. “No one’s going to yell at you that you didn’t
the D.C. Bocce League), which is why most league games are played on grassy fields.
catch the ball.”
With tufts of greenery and uneven surfaces interfering with throws, it’s tough to truly
And mastering the balls can do the body some good -- emphasis on the some. “The
master the sport. (The traditional material is crushed oyster shells, although the top of
equipment is freaking heavy,” noted DeLucas, who has the toned arms to prove it.
the line is now considered to be a pricey polymer that’s poured as a liquid to ensure
(Gear for a four-person team, including pallino, comes to about 20 pounds.) Stewart
took a swig of her beverage and joked that “it’s definitely a workout of the liver.” “You’re complete flatness.)
standing in the sun, so Vitamin D,” offered Katie Reidy, who’s playing with the league
But now that people are going public with their pallinos, the ball is rolling. One of the
for the first time this year.
next restaurants scheduled for the up-and-coming H Street strip in Northeast is Vendetta, an Italian joint with bocce courts out back. The owners plan to open next year.
Admittedly, crisscrossing the court and hurling a two-pound ball occasionally isn’t
exactly boot camp. But between heading to the fields to play (and then away to drink) And I’ll bet there are nearly 1,000 people hoping they hit that target.
“I need to assess the situation,” Deb Stewart, 37, reported to her teammates (the Funky
Cold Pallinas) as she stepped up for her turn, gripping a green ball. She stared ahead,
assessed and released, knocking an opponent’s ball out of position and claiming two
points for the round.
Bocce in New York
United States Bocce Federation
Page 8
Bocce Club of Greater New Orleans Is Coming Back
by Bob Agnelly
I remember when I returned home a week after hurricane Katrina ravaged our city.
Like most residents, my wife and I left town for Katrina and we wound up in Pensacola,
Florida at my brother-in-laws house. He shared his home with fifteen other relatives
and friends who exited the city in haste. The minute I learned electric power was
restored to my house, my wife and I gathered our belongings, and we were off to New
Orleans. Interstate 10 was closed at Slidell because large sections of the bridges over
Lake Pontchartrain were destroyed. We detoured to Covington and returned to Metairie via the Causeway. We were told that only emergency vehicles were being allowed
and sometimes on Sunday evenings. We are using a number of methods to recruit:
1.
We are advertising for members on New Orleans.com. Their staff writer wrote
and excellent blog titled,” THE BOCCE CLUB OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS INVITES YOU
TO JOIN THEIR RANKS.” It is a good story with pictures, and I invite anyone interested to
read the article.
2.
Our new president, Salvatore Bonomo along with members Bob Sagona and
Vincent Liberto promoted an open house where we gave away free beer to induce
interested citizens to visit our club. This event was so successful in attracting new
members, we plan to hold more open houses in the future.
3.
For the past four years we are holding a spaghetti
and homemade Italian sausage dinner as a fundraiser. We call
it “Spaghetti and Bocce.” Not only does the event help us earn
needed revenue for the Club, it helps generate new prospective members.
4.
We have placed a large banner in front of our building inviting people to visit and play bocce.
5.
Bob Sagona had business cards printed and placed
them on counters of retail outlets selling Italian food. The
card invites people to call us and to join the fun and to join
the Bocce Club.
6.
I am personally promoting a tournament among
my professional business organization that has several chapters in the Greater New Orleans area. This tournament will
probably take place in January. Hopefully, it will expose more
people to the sport and produce a few more members.
While we still have a long way to go in recruiting new
members, we have a plan and a few excited and energetic
members who are actively promoting our club. Our numbers
are slowly increasing as more people move back to our area
and we are actively recruiting. We are currently looking for a
sponsor to help fund a big money tournament to be held at
the Bocce Club. We believe it will be a win-win sponsorship
with nationwide advertising exposure that will attract quality
teams from around the nation. Besides, most people only
need an excuse to visit New Orleans.
into the city, but we were allowed to proceed by an army national guardsman. Once
we entered Metairie, our first stop was the Bocce Club.
The exterior of the clubhouse showed signs of damage with bricks, rocks, parts of the
building façade and sheet metal lying around the parking lot. I opened the front door
and saw much of the suspended ceiling on the floor and water damage in abundance.
Upon further inspection, I found a roof hatch had blown off and rain had poured into
the building. I later found the hatch in the vacant lot next to the Club. It was bent and
damaged, but was repairable. I straightened it to the point where I could put it back
where it belonged. We had only wind and rain damage and that was refreshing. While
flood water did extensive damage to the Holiday Inn motel across the avenue form the
Club, as well as other surrounding buildings, the Bocce Club’s floor elevation was high
enough to avoid flooding.
The damage I described was all repairable over a next few weeks. The damage hurricane Katrina did to our membership has taken much longer to repair. Because of the
extensive flooding to the Greater New Orleans area, over 50 % of our membership
had relocated outside of our area. We no longer had adequate membership to hold
leagues. Our income to cover the overhead for our Clubhouse with three air conditioned indoor Bocce courts was no longer adequate. It was obvious that if our club was
to survive, those of us who remained after Katrina, had to do more. Of course, many of
us had our own damage to repair, and time and effort was limited. Our membership,
which numbered less than thirty (30) people, made a decision that we would keep the
Club opened three days a week and to start recruiting new members.
We have grown slowly to where
we are today. We now have Bocce
Leagues on Thursday evening and
we offer open play on Wednesday
Page 9
That Italian Game - Bocce Thrives at Italia America Bocce Club
By Jim Merkel jmerkel@yourjournal.com of the Saint Louis Suburban Business Journal
Giuseppe Numerosi holds the ball between his legs and tosses it toward a smaller ball
on the other side of the alley. Giuseppe, who is 30 months, smiles as his ball strikes the
side of the alley.
Not long before that, Aldo Della Croce, who is 78, directed his ball slowly and much
more accurately toward a small ball down the alley at the Italia America Bocce Club,
2210 Marconi Ave. Della Croce was a primary founder of the bocce club in 1975 and
the Third Annual Aldo Della Croce Bocce Tournament is named after him.
The annual tournament will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. November 7 and from 9 a.m. until
completed November 8 at the club. It will be open to the public. There will be no entrance fee. People will have to stand to see the events. It’s expected to bring 25 teams
from around the Midwest to a venue that is as Italian as veal parmigiana.
“Besides restaurants, It’s the second most recognized thing of the Italian culture,” John
Denando, 66 a member and former board member, said. He’s an active member of the
club.
According to the United States Bocce Federation, the game originated more than
7,000 years ago in Egypt. The object of the game is to roll the bocce (BOW-chi), a 4 1/2
inch ball weighing about three pounds, toward a 1 3/4 inch ball. The smaller ball is
rolled down the alley first, to serve as a target.
formation of the club in 1975.
“If you don’t speak English, where are you going to go?” Della Croce said. “We got the
idea, why don’t we play bocce?” The club started at Manchester and Sublette Avenues
and moved to its current location in 1993. It has about 300 members, who pay a $430
initiation fee and yearly family membership fee is $300. For more information, go to
www.stlcobbe.com or phone 773-5574. “People think it’s a social a game and a drinking game, which it is, but it’s also a competitive game,” said Denando said.
The competition will show itself this weekend, when $4000 in prize money will be
offered to 25 teams of four each. Teams also will assemble June 21-27, 2010 when the
United States Bocce Federation holds its national championships at the local club. This
will be the fifth time the national championships will be here. “People will come from
all over the county,” Robert Della Coce, 44 said.
Little Giuseppe Numerosi will be the fourth generation of his family to roll a ball down
the court, his grandmother, Tammy Numberosi said.
Giuseppi started playing as soon as he could walk, his grandmother said “He’d fall
and get his hands dirty and grandma would come and clean his hands, “ Tammy said
Tammy Numerosi predicts her grandson will do great things. “I’d love him to go to the
nationals,” she said.
Della Croce, a sculptor who came to this county in 1958, was the main force behind the
DONNA ALLEN, FIRST WOMAN VOTED ONTO USBF WALL OF FAME
In their annual
meeting in June,
the USBF Board of
Directors overwhelmingly voted
Donna Allen onto
the National Wall
of Honor. Donna
thereby became
the first woman to
receive the USBF’s
highest honor.
Passion is the
single word that
best describes
Donna Allen’s devotion to the sport
of bocce for some
35 years. It began
in 1974 when
Donna was elected
to the Martinez
Bocce Federation
Board of Directors.
Three decades later
Donna remains a
member of that
Board. During
that time she has
performed all and
more of the tasks
you would expect
of a veteran director
including serving as secretary for several decades, putting together numerous regional
tournaments, organizing the successful and long running Northern California Championships and serving as the chief organizer of the highly acclaimed 1996 National
Championships, one of the best attended in USBF history. She has also assisted in the
creation of many of the new bocce clubs in the area by providing background information, direction and invaluable advice.
In the late ‘70’s and early ‘80’s women were simply not allowed to play bocce in many
of the clubs in Northern California. Donna accepted an invitation to join a men’s volo
team and became the first woman to regularly play that game in tournaments in the
area. As a direct result, over the next few years, women were gradually accepted on
the courts causing one newspaper to dub her the Jackie Robinson of bocce.
In the early ‘80’s Donna was elected to the USBF Board of Directors where she served
for almost 15 years. During that time and thereafter Donna’s contributions to bocce
were invaluable. She served both unofficially and officially as the Federation Secretary.
She took it upon herself to promote new membership and stay in touch with current
members. She responded to hundreds of letters and phone calls annually. Individual
and club membership grew to an all time high at the time as a result of her efforts.
Additionally she organized for the public a number of regional bocce demonstrations
along with the first and wildly successful tournaments in Las Vegas, Reno and Laughlin,
Nevada, all for benefit of the USBF. Additionally on multiple occasions, Donna toured,
at her own expense, various parts of the country identifying bocce clubs, putting
together the “yellow pages” of bocce clubs, and soliciting new members while always
promoting bocce and the USBF. Further, at the time, no U.S. manufacturer produced
an official sized bocce. Donna traveled to the east coast and met with two corporate
CEOs and convinced them to begin making a 107mm ball.
Donna served as the head of the U.S. delegation at the first International Woman’s
punto raffa volo competition in 1993. Throughout her tenure on the Board, Donna
assisted the U.S. delegation in some 15 different international competitions. She
may however, be best known for her extraordinary efforts in creating “United States
Bocce”, the official magazine of the USBF. In this immensely difficult job where most
well intended editors don’t survive longer than a few years, Donna served for 19 years.
During that time she spent yet additional untold hours soliciting stories, taking photos
at most California and USBF tournaments, writing stories, publishing articles about
various technical aspects of the sport, gathering and recreating news articles from
around the country, and soliciting and publishing the results, with photos, of most U.S.
tournaments. The publication’s graphics and subject matter were superb prompting
the Italian Bocce President in 1992 to opine that “United States Bocce” was one of the
three best bocce magazines in the world, along with the French and Italian publications. Shortly thereafter, the Australians offered another complement by creating a
very similar magazine giving thanks and credit to Donna for her work.
In the last 35 years, there is likely no one, other than USBF Founder Chris Gerardo, that
has spent more time or labor and offered more love, devotion and yes, passion, for the
sport of bocce than Donna Allen, a most worthy addition to the USBF Wall of Honor.
Page 10
United States Bocce Federation
Sector Reports
MIDWESTERN SECTOR REPORT NEWS
Please visit our website at www.memphisbocceclub.com for pictures of past events
and news on upcoming events.
Many thanks to Teresa Wagstaff, the quiet lady professional for her contributions to
the sector and USBF. We look forward to seeing her at many more future competitions. We also lost two populous directors from the Western Sector. Steve Mariucci was
appointed as an honorary member to the National board and Maria Naryan resigning
due to personal reasons. After talking to several people I appointed Nancy Halverstadt
from East Portal Bocce Club Of Sacramentto to the position of Secretary. I think she
will be a great asset to the Western Sector and I look forward to working with her. With
the two populous director positions open I felt this was a good opportunity to receive
input and representation from other areas of the Western Sector. After traveling to
tournaments both north and south Of Sacramento and talking to USBF members in
Oregon and Southern Ca. my first choice was Larry Cereghino from the Paesano Club
in Gresham Oregon. Larry will be a great voice for the USBF members from his area,
and we all look forward to working with him.My other choice was Frank DeSantis from
Southern Ca. Frank is an attorney with a busy schedule but has assured me he will
attend all the meetings. All the response from Southern Ca. has been positive and we
look forward to input from down south. This has been an exciting first year as Western
Sector President and I look forward to the next three. Jerry and I would like to thank all
the members of the Western Sector for their support and look forward to 2010.
Submitted by Mike Vanelli
Vern Cooper, President and Jerry South, Vice President
The Memphis Bocce Club held a Spaghetti Dinner and open play bocce on May 5 to
raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Italy. This event was a huge success as
we sent a check for $920.00 to the Italian American Museum Earthquake Relief Fund.
The Memphis Bocce Club and the local chapter of Unico National sponsored a Bocce
Tournament on August 22nd to raise money for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer research. We were able to send a check for $1200 to this worthy cause. We also served an
all you can eat barbecue buffet that was cooked by our members to help raise money.
The Memphis Bocce Club will be traveling to St Louis on Nov 7 to participate in Aldo
Della Croce Memorial Bocce Tournament. We will also be traveling to Cleveland, Ms on
Nov 15 to play in the Frattelanza Cup Bocce Tournament. This is a competition between the Memphis Bocce Club and the Knights of Columbus Bocce Club in Cleveland.
Midwest Sector 2009 Summer Report from
Dickenson Area Bocce Association - DABA
EASTER SECTOR REPORT NEWS
DABA entered the 2009 summer Bocce season comprised of two main leagues and
12 weekend tournaments. The league play consisted of 2 men’s divisions of 15 teams
competing on alternate days each week. The coed league was comprised of 14 teams
which competed each week. A one day tournament for each league completed the
summer league play. All games utilized the six permanent courts located at the Ray
Mariucci Bocce Facility at the City Park located in Iron Mountain, Michigan.
There were 12 tournaments held through out the summer, predominately on weekends, which consisted of a number of senior level and open level competition events
encompassing a wide range of games and age groups. DABA also held the U.P. Open
(Upper Peninsula) which was comprised of a number of teams from different areas in
the state competing for the title of U.P. Champion.
DABA also conducted a training session on a portable court set up on the main street
of Iron Mountain during Italian Fest in order
to promote the sport of
Bocce in our community.
Our winter league is held
indoors, most recently
in a gymnasium, utilizing portable courts. The
League will commence in
late January and usually
involves 6 or more teams.
Michael Constantini
Midwest Sector Director
WESTERN SECTOR NEWS
This year’s (15th annual) New York Citywide tournament attracted the most teams
ever for this competition (ninety plus) from the NYC tri-state area.
I was able to participate in the preliminaries on Saturday. I refereed most of the
games on Sunday which included quarter finals , semis and finals. It was a very enjoyable experience watching some of the most talented players in the area compete for
the bragging rights of the city’s largest participating tournament. The team representing Manhattan won 1st place, Team Queens and Team Staten Island won 2nd and 3rd
place respectively. This tournament has increased in popularity and participation each
and every year.
East coast bocce is on the rise. I see more organized leagues and tournaments applying USBF rules.
Leagues are forming and are growing in popularity in areas such as:
DC Bocce League (900+ members)
Located in Washington, DC.
Norristown Bocce league
Located in Norristown, PA. Host of numerous tournaments during the summer
months
South Hampton Bocce League
Located in Southampton, NY.
The Stamford Bocce League
Located in Stamford, CT. The City of Stamford has eight lighted bocce courts at Scalzi
Park located on Bridge Street. League play occurs throughout the summer months.
Skippack Bocce League
Located in Skippack, PA.
And many more.
Way out west we have enjoyed a 45 tournament seaon, which included 28 open rule
tournaments, 14 punto, raffa, volo and one brass ball volo event. In addition, about
80 players participate in evening raffa leagues in Livermore and Stockton IAC(Cherry
Lane). Contrary to conventional wisdom, some 10 beginners in Livermore started out
in raffa rather than the usual open- rules-to- raffa progression.
Starting in January 2009, the Yonkers/Mount Vernon Bocce Club which is the only
indoor facility in the NYC area will be organizing the 1st annual winter bocce league.
With great pride, Livermore hosted the National Tournament in which Western Sector
players dominated, sweeping the women’s singles, under 21 singles, and the men’s
singles except for the gold. For the first time in tournament history a women’s team
won the gold medal in open rules play. There were three western gals and one from
Chicago.
Guy De Santis
Eastern Sector President
Maestro referees for the sector, Ron Jacobs (Stockton IAC) and Benedetto Nicosia
(Campo di Bocce Los Gatos) conducted a training course and certified 17 referees.
They note that the player-referee loop is reinforcing since the referees, particularly the
less experienced in raffa, move up quickly on the learning curve and become better
players. (No one else is closer to any particular game.) Further, they benefit from the
stress and difficulty of a close game and become more appreciative of the referee’s
position when they are in the player’s role. Bottom line is less harangues and greater
respect for the referees. Grazie mille to Ron and Bene for their efforts.
Recently, Teresa Wagstaff hung up her note book, pen and computer and retired from
her long service as secretary for the Western Sector. She started playing bocce in 1989
and two years later was appointed secretary, a position she has held for 18 years while
serving under 4 presidents. Teresa also wore a second hat as secretary of USBF from
2006 to 2008. There was a dark period during her tenure as sector secretary when a
separatist movement occurred and old friendships became strained. But as she aptly
noted, the organizational changes in the USBF and the underlying bonds of friendship
and respect among the players brought the sector back together, making us stronger
than ever.
Teresa was drawn to volo early on, then segued to raffa, and WOW! met a guy named
Rick at a 1994 volo tournament.....a true bocce romance story! Teresa holds 7 gold
medals in USBF competition and has represented our country three times in world
championships. finishing #8 among 21 players in 1997. She is very proud of the emergence of raffa and the increasing number of women competitors during the past 10
years.
As President of the Eastern Sector, I will be visiting some of these facilities sometime in
the near future in order to promote the USBF’s long term goals.
From the Inside Looking In
-Christian Emanuel
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.
Contact: cge212@nyu.edu, (516) 426 7560
I wouldn’t say that we’re trying to completely change the way people view Bocce, but
we would be lying if we not going to give you something to think about. As a “School
Project” for New York University’s Kanbar Institute for Film and Television, a Bocce
Documentary was an idea that I fell in love with after one phone call and one day of
shooting. My first conversation with Peter Rabito was the opening of many doors into
the world of Bocce, and a right of passage as a documentary filmmaker to have unlimited and enthusiastic access to a diverse cast of characters. Having known little about
bocce at the start of this project a month ago, I am now a Rookie on the Yonkers/Mt.
Vernon roster and am involved in something that is more than just a “School Project.” The final product of this film will bring viewers into the world of Bocce, toppling
stereotypes and building new conceptions about a game that I, and my co-director
Justin Nappi have come to love. None of this would be possible without Guy Desantis
and Peter Rabito who have opened all of the doors for us and have trusted us with this
project. Because of them, we are on the inside, looking in. Stay tuned for updates and
videos that will be shared with the Bocce community online in the coming months!
Page 11
2010 WESTERN SECTOR BOCCE SCHEDULE
United States Bocce Federation
Membership required at these tournaments
Day
Date
Location
Tournament
Contact
Phone No.
Sat
Jan. 9th
Campo Livermore
WESTERN SECTOR WINTER MEETING
10am
Vern Cooper
(916) 961-2404
Sat.
Jan. 30th
IAC Stockton
RAFFA 3 PLAYERS
Romano Lotti
(209) 951-8256
Sat.
Feb. 13th
Campo Los Gatos
OPEN 2 MEN 2 WOMEN
Ben Musolf
(408) 857-0074
Sat.
Feb. 27th
IAC Stockton
OPEN 2 MEN 2 WOMEN
Romano Lotti
(209) 951-8256
Sat.
March 27th
IAC Stockton
RAFFA 3 PLAYERS 2 Men 1 Woman
Romano Lotti
(209) 951-8256
Sat.
April 3rd
East Portal Sacramento
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
Vern Cooper
(916) 961-2404
Sat.
April 10th
Campo Los Gatos
OPEN 4 PLAYERS Los Gatos Bocce Club
Bill Schlaefer
(408) 379-9409
Sat.
April 17th
IACC South City
OPEN 3 PLAYERS
Aldo Peruzzi
(650) 583-8904
Sat.
April 24th
Campo Livermore
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Sun.
May 2nd
PIASC San Mateo
RAFFA 3 MEN PLAYERS
Adriano Undorte
(650) 591-3318
Sun.
May 2nd
PIASC San Mateo
OPEN 4 WOMEN PLAYERS
Rose Viscuso
(650) 349-7732
Sat.
May 8th
Waterloo Stockton
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
David Canclini
(209) 957-3314
Sat.
May 15th
Fairfield
OPEN 4 WOMEN PLAYERS
Wayne Little
(707) 864-1023
Sat.
May 15th
Aquatic Park
VOLO 2 PLAYERS
Benji Tosi
(415) 238-2995
Sat
May 22nd
East Portal Sacramento
RAFFA 3 PLAYERS
Vern Cooper
(916) 961-2404
Sat.
May 29th
Carmel Valley
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
Giovanni Napoli
(831) 521-5092
Sat.
June 5th
IACC South City
RAFFA 2 WOMEN PLAYERS
Ginger Hanley
(650) 271-6009
Sun.
June 6th
IBS Sutter Creek
OPEN 4 PLAYERS At Least 1 Women
Rick Wagstaff
(209) 296-6151
Sat.
June 12th
IAC Stockton
RAFFA 3 PLAYERS Western Sector Champ.
Romano Lotti
(209) 951-8256
Sat.
June 19th
IACC South City
OPEN 4 WOMEN PLAYERS
Gene Semenza
(650) 872-0192
Mon-Wed
June 21st-23rd
IABC St Louis, Mo
USBF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OPEN
Robert Della Croce
(314) 351-9895
Thur-Sat
June 24th-26th
IABC St Louis, Mo
USBF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRV
Robert Della Croce
(314) 351-9895
Sat.
July 10th
Marin San Rafael
OPEN 2 MEN PLAYERS
Diane Pelligrini
(415) 485-5583
Sun.
July 11th
Paesano Club Oregon
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
Larry Cereghino
(503) 201-4585
Sat.
July 17th
Fairfield
OPEN 4 PLAYERS John Magnetti Memorial
Wayne Little
(707) 864-1023
Sat.
July 24th
IAC Stockton
RAFFA 1 MAN 1 WOMEN
Romano Lotti
(209) 951-8256
Sat.
July 31st
Campo Los Gatos
RAFFA 1 MAN 1 WOMEN The Little Johnny
John Ross
(408) 354-0625
Sat.
August 7th
Marin San Rafael
OPEN 2 WOMEN PLAYERS
Diane Pelligrini
(415) 485-5583
Sat.
August 14th
IACC South City
OPEN 4 PLAYERS Western Sector Champ.
Alvaro Bettucchi
(650) 871-9278
Sat.
August 21st
Campo Los Gatos
RAFFA 3 PLAYERS Los Gatos Bocce Club
Bill Schlaefer
(408) 379-9409
Sat.
August 28th
East Portal Sacramento
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
Vern Cooper
(916) 961-2404
Sat.
Sept. 18th
IAC Stockton
RAFFA 1 MAN 1 WOMEN
Romano Lotti
(209) 951-8256
Sun.
Sept. 19th
PIASC San Mateo
OPEN 4 PLAYERS At Least 1 Women
Rose Viscuso
(650) 349-7732
IACC South City
RAFFA 3 PERSON
Alvaro Bettucchi
(650) 871-9278
25th ITALIAN AMERICAN GAMES
Rick Wagstaff
(209) 296-6151
Sat.
Sept. 25th
Sun.
Sept. 26th
Sat.
Oct. 2nd
IBS Sutter Creek
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
Sat.
Oct. 9th
Marin San Rafael
OPEN 4 PLAYERS
Diane Pelligrini
(415) 485-5583
Sun.
Oct. 10th
IACC South City
VOLO 2 PLAYERS
Ale Bettucchi
(650) 697-7702
Sat.
Oct. 16th
East Portal Sacramento
RAFFA 3 PLAYERS
Vern Cooper
(916) 961-2404
Sat.
Nov. 6th
Waterloo Stockton
OPEN 2 MEN 2 WOMEN
Sat.
Dec. 4th
IAC Stockton
OPEN 2 MEN 2 WOMEN
Romano Lotti
Board Approved
(209) 951-8256
NYC Tournament Pictures
Guy refereeing
Team Staten Island
Team Manhattan
Page 12
United States Bocce Federation
Bocce Insights
An interview with Germana Cantarini Italy’s #1 Female Player
1) How old were you when you
started playing Bocce?
GC: I started playing when I was
7yrs old
5) What kind of music do you like?
GC: I like Italian pop music and in particular
Vasco Rossi, the Italian rocker!
6) What is your favorite meal?
GC: I really like red meat on the grill.
Especially a Florentine Steak!
2) What made you want to play
and who was your greatest
influence?
GC: My parents had a bar with
3 courts, my father and brother
played all the time so they
influenced me the most. I tried
playing slowly at first but then
decided to leave the dolls alone
7) If you could meet someone famous, who
would that be?
GC: I would like to meet Vasco Rossi or
Richard Gere
and play bocce.
3) What do you do when you are not playing?
GC: I own a local hair salon. I manage it without
help, so it keeps me busy. In my free time, I like
to relax and train at the same time by running
to the stores in town for shopping. Or else I try
to make “quiet time” with my husband Paolo
and my little dog, Minou! I also like to cook!
4) How long have you been married and how
does your
husband
feel about
your
playing
bocce all
the time?
GC: I have been married for 9 years. My husband
usually travels with me and gives me moral
support and a feeling of security during difficult
moments in a game.
8) What is your greatest strength when
competing in a tournament?
GC: I think my strong point is lagging
especially when I have the first ball and get
close to the pallino.
9) Do you have a “bucket list”? In other
words, a list of things you would like to do
in life?
GC: I would love to repeat all the titles I
have won: 6 Italian Singles, 2 World Singles,
3 World Team, 3 European Team, and
especially my 2 Gold medals from the Mediterranean games! Those are great moments
that I would dream of doing all over again!! The one special wish would be to travel the
world with Paolo on vacation. How about it Danny? see you
in Ecuador?
10) Words of advice for beginning players?
GC: For any beginner, I would say, try to train with a
champion or someone with a lot of experience. Also, have
a lot of patience and never get discouraged!
Ciao e grazie!
Western Sector Open Championship
By Diana Pellegrini
The Western Sector 4- Person Open Tournament was held on August 1st, 2009 at Marin
Bocce in San Rafael, CA. Twenty teams entered, and there was fierce competition, as
well as some incredible matches. (See photos below)
Marin Bocce is a beautiful facility with eight outdoor courts and two indoor courts.
The facility was formed by a small group of local citizens who approached the city of
San Rafael, and asked if they could use a portion of Albert Park for bocce ball. They
were given a land use permit, and through countless hours of hard work, dedication
and many fundraisers later, they opened Marin Bocce in 1994.
Did we get the point?
Today the facility continues to grow and flourish with 150 teams, and close to 1,000
players using the courts each week. Marin Bocce is an example of what can be accomplished when a city, and it’s citizens, come together for a common goal.
4th Place Team: Richard Ridley,
Jean Godin, Margaret Shindelus and Gary Dahl
3rd Place Team: John Ross,
Rena Harel, Maria Narayan and
Andrea Ross
The Winners: Tony Randazzo,
Denny Kinstel, Steve Castellano
and Giovanni Napoli
2nd Place Team: David Canclini, Rick Wagstaff. Romano Lotti and
Roy Ramaccioti
Page 13
PIEzano’s Pizza & Pasta of Yonkers and the
Yonkers/Mount Vernon Bocce Club
By Guy De Santis
PIEzano’s Pizza & Pasta of Yonkers and the Yonkers/Mount Vernon Bocce Club last
weekend hosted a Bocce Open rules tournament, one of the first United States Bocce
Federation-sanctioned tournaments in southern New York. Fifteen three-man teams,
supported by spectators
from the tri-state area,
competed on the two
indoor courts at Hartley
Park in Mount Vernon,
which borders Yonkers, for a
combined donated purse
of more than $1,000.
The tournament started
about 9 a.m. Saturday, following opening remarks by
Mount Vernon’s mayor Clinton Young, and lasted until
1
a.m. Sunday. The length of
the tournament represented the quality of players –
left to right Peter Rabito, Guy De Santis, Angelo
Lotto(sponsor) Clinton Young, (Mt. Vernon’s Mayor) ranging in ages from 15 to
88, with several traveling
Angelo Pastore (sponsor)
from as far as Upstate New
York and even San Diego,
Calif. – who pushed many
games to an 11-11 breaking point.
“It’s so important to promote the sport and to introduce it to a younger generation
with a tournament like this,” said Guy DeSantis, president of the Yonkers /Mount
Vernon Bocce Club and the USBF’s Eastern Sector president, who organized the event
with help from club members and USBF vice president Pete Rabito. “We really want to
make the community, surrounding towns and the state aware of bocce, whether it’s
the simple joy of playing a relaxed game or the competitive thrill of playing in quality
tournaments.”
DeSantis mentioned that several of the young players and their friends expressed interest in weekly play, as well as training for future open and international tournaments.
Based on the success of the tournament, DeSantis plans to host four a year, with the
next slated for this spring.
DeSantis also used the tournament to promote the USBF. The $40 entrance fee for
each player included a USBF membership card, along with an all-you-could-eat buffet
catered by the main tournament sponsor PIEzano’s Pizza and Pasta of Yonkers.
The winning teams needed that
nourishment to fuel them deep
into the night and give the
strength to haul away the fourfoot trophies.
First-place trophies and the
$400 purse went to Dino Vitti,
Jack Bilancia, and Gabe Franco.
William Bica, Bob Bohdan and
Tony Pompa took second place
and $300. Gregor Sayet-Bone,
Peter Sayet and J.T. Puryear
captured third and $200. Dan
Piselli, Robert Piselli and Andy
Hart slugged it out for fourth
and $120.
“Events like this are important to both
the federation and local communities
because it introduces the federation
and the game to a broader audience,”
Rabito said. “This also introduces the
game to local politicians, who can act
as a catalyst in helping to develop
youth and senior bocce programs,
which provide an inexpensive form
of recreation.” We as non profit
organization are currently is search
of sponsorships,investors or local
government to help us build a facility
capable of hosting special Olympics,
instructional leagues, and national /
international level tournaments. The
New York tri-state area will never be
able to host such an event without
a facility.” DeSantis added. Please feel
free to contact us at yonkersbocce@
aol.com or (914-310-8814)
2010 United States National Bocce Championships
Bocce with the best! Join us at the Italia-America Bocce Club in St. Louis, Missouri, for the 2010 United States National Bocce Championship. This week-long tournament and related festivities will start June 21, 2010 and continue through June 27. There’ll be a game for everyone, from beginners to pros.
Game formats will include:
• Open Money Tournament. One division only. Four-person teams with an entry fee of $75.00 per person. Cash prizes.
• United States Bocce Federation Open Championship. One division only. Four-person teams with an entry fee of $60.00 per person. Medals will be awarded.
• Club Punta Raffa Volo. All players must belong to the same club. Teams can be made up of men, or men and women. A team may consist of three or four players. The entry fee will be $60.00 per person.
• Women’s Team Punta Raffa Volo. Three or four-person teams must be composed of women only. Members of a team do not have to be from the same club.
Entry fee will be $60.00 per person.
The schedule of events for the tournament is:
Monday, June 21: Welcome reception.
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 22-23: Open Money Tournament and USBF Open Championship.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday: June 24-26: Club and Women’s Punta Raffa Volo. (Play will continue on Sunday, June 27, if necessary).
Saturday, June 26 (evening): Awards Banquet. Tickets for the banquet will be $35.00 per person.
In order to play in the 2010 United States Championship Tournament, a player must have a 2010 USBF membership card. Information on joining USBF, or renewing a USBF membership, can be found at the USBF website, www.bocce.com, The information should also be available at any local bocce club that is affiliated with the
USBF.
Tournament registration information, hotel information and information concerning program book advertisements will be available on the Italia-America Bocce
Club website, www.stlbocce.com., as well as on the USBF website, www.bocce.com., by mid-January, 2010.
Questions about the tournament should be directed to Robert Della Croce, U.S. National Tournament Chairperson, at (314) 477-0154 or by emailing him at
rdc1002@sbcglobal.net.
United States Bocce Federation
3rd annual Marshall Superstore Cleveland
International Challenge Cup of Bocce
Tournament Results
Page 14
Aldo Della Croce Tournament
St. Louis Missouri
By Wayne Farinacci, Tournament Director, mrnach23@sbcglobal.net
by Robert Della Croce
The 3rd annual Marshall Superstore Cleveland International Challenge Cup of Bocce
Tournament was held on August 21, 22, and 23, 2009. The City of Mayfield Heights
bocce venue is perfectly suited to this event. The community’s Unity Days Festival is
held concurrently with the bocce tournament. The eight courts permitted all teams to
complete their games with plenty of time to enjoy all the festivities during the evening
hours. Also, the USBF flag was proudly displayed throughout the tournament. Several
rule changes were also made this year to comply with the USBF standards.
The Italia America Bocce Club-St. Louis hosted the 3rd annual Aldo Della Croce Open
Tournament on November 7th & 8th, 2009.The tournament which had a $4000.00
purse, was sponsored by the Missionary Oblates of the Mary Immaculate. This year 23
teams participated they came from Memphis, Tn., Chicago, IL., Herrin, IL., Kansas City,
Mo.
Round robin was played on Saturday with the top 2 teams from each of the 4 brackets
advancing to the elimination round on Sunday.
Club Molisani, who hosts the Marshall Superstore Cleveland International Challenge
Cup of Bocce, was especially pleased that the tournament has continued to grow and
expand. The tournament has grown from 53 teams in the first year to 72 teams in 2008
and 81 teams this year. Participants included teams from Florida, Illinois, Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Canada, as well as many from Ohio. Teams
continually comment on how smoothly the tournament is run from year to year. Of
course, the teams who make it into Sunday are appreciative that, with a tournament
this size, the finals are concluded by 5:00 - 5:30, which gives out of town teams the opportunity to get home at a reasonable time.
The top 12 teams were paid just under $12,000. The top four were:
Pontelandolfo Club, Waterbury, CN, $4,500
Vaughan Bocce Clubs, Concord, Canada, $2,500
Rainbow Creek Bocciofila #24, Toronto, Canada, $1,500
Giuseppe’s Pizza & Subs, Richmond Hts., OH $750
The top 3 women’s teams from 11 that participated were:
Mrs. & Miss, Rome NY, $750
Amici, Metamora, MI, $350
Toccolana Girls, Rome, NY, $200
The final results of the ADC Tournament:
1st Place: Bocce Express- STL: Greg Della Croce, Michael Della Croce, Giampiero Della
Croce and Steve Treese
Club Molisani members are indebted to Marshall Superstore for continuing to be
2nd Place: Chicago #2- IL: Phil Ferrari, Dino Romanucci, Frank Delucca and Gino Pasthe premier sponsor. Leadership is provided by Tony Melaragno, President of Club
quinelli
Molisani and by Mayor Greg Costabile who continues to provide valuable services to
make sure the tournament is successful. Many out of town team families took advan- 3rd Place: Chicago #1 – IL: Bimbo Bianchi, John Mirefini, Joe Capriati and Bernie Ghilartage of the free pool passes to enjoy the Mayfield Heights pool adjacent to the bocce ducci
4th Place: The Champions – STL: Dave Zona, Susan Zona, Rick Robertson and Joe
courts. Fireworks, children’s rides, demonstrations, the gambling casino, parade, and
food stands were also enjoyed by all. Plans are now underway to provide a permanent Numerosi
5th thru 8th Place:
cover for the courts and pavillion area, which will kick up the venue another notch.
Club Corvo-IL: Danny Passaglia, Teresa Passaglia, Fabio Fin and Mario Massa
Next year’s Marshall Superstore Cleveland International Challenge Cup of Bocce tour- Family Affair – STL: Aldo Della Croce, Daniela Della Croce, John Denando, Donna Robertson and Nicola Cottone
nament is scheduled for August 20, 21, and 22, 2010. If you haven’t attended in the
Highwood Bocce Club-IL: Marzio Piagentini, Walter Ori, Emo Amidei, Tony Biondi and
past, we welcome you to enjoy one of the best bocce tournaments in the Mid-West.
Together with the bocce tournaments in Wickliffe, Ohio and the World Series of Bocce Poalo Giannetti
Russo- KC: Frank Pisciotta, Frank Russo, Jeff Roberts, John Liberto and John
in Rome, NY, avid bocce players have plenty of major bocce tournaments to attend
A.Consentino.
throughout the summer. Of course, finishing in the money isn’t bad either! Much of
the success of the Cleveland International goes to the bocce committee consisting of
The tournament was a great success; we would like to thank all who played in the
Aldino DiFranco, Sergio DiFranco, Lou Fatica, Mario Ferritto, Val Frabotta, Mike Melartournament. The 4th Annual Aldo Della Croce Tournament will be November 6th & 7th,
agno, Pete Melaragno, Tony Melaragno, Vic Melaragno, and Brian Polantz.
2010.
Saturday night we had the Aldo Della Croce Award dinner. This award is given annually to an individual whose character, commitment and dedication to sports, especially
bocce which meets the criteria establish by the ADC committee. The award, though
named the ADC award represents and honors many members of the Italia-America
Bocce Club who gave their time, talent and money to build this wonderful facility
and great venue to promote the game of bocce. The ADC award was given to Michael
Coy from the Margaret Mead Junior High School in Elk Grove, IL. Michael was chosen
for this award because of leadership and dream to start a bocce club at the Margaret
Mead. The after school program has had over 850 students participate in the last 5
years. They play in the gym with courts made out of PVC pipe and carpet. They also
raise money for a variety of charities. Michael also shows them how to be leaders by
having them elect officer, running the matches and refereeing. Michael’s dream of
promoting the game of bocce will continue to grow. Besides this individual honor
bestowed on Michael, the Italia America Bocce Club donated $1000.00 to the Margaret
Mead Junior High School in Michael’s so that the bocce program will continue to grow.
Page 15
John Pirelli Lodge Bocce Classic XV
Sempre Diritto repeated as Champions for Bocce Classic XV
held July 10-12, 2009 at the John Pirelli Lodge #1633 Order
Sons of Italy in America in Kettering, Ohio. Sempre Diritto,
who is composed of captain Frank Fragale Jr. Tony Tallarico,
Tim DiPero and Chuck Pitzer(o) defeated The Brownies team
of Captain Frank Clement, Joe Mosconi, Scott Davis, John
Doepker and Anthony Doepker. Sempre Diritto also won the
inaugural World Cup of Bocce Championship as well. The
Bocce Classic as well as the John Pirelli Lodge wish to extend
our condolences to Sempre Diritto captain Frank Fragale Jr.
who’s father, Frank Fragale Sr. passed away during the tournament. Frank Jr. dedicated the win to his father.
Thanks again to all who helped make the Bocce Classic XV
another successful event.
Waiting For Benji
By David Camardo
On Saturday, August 8th, Vern Cooper and I drove to San Francisco to
pay a courtesy call on Benji Tosi at the volo and bocce courts of the
Aquatic Park Club. As president of the Western Sector of the U.S.B.F.,
Vern felt obligated to meet with Benji and listen to what he had to say
concerning the interests of the volo players of America.
The last year volo was played at the Nationals was at the I.A.C. in Stockton in 2004. Coincidentally, that was the year Vern began playing bocce
in Sacramento. The volo game didn’t disappear from America after
2004. It has been kept alive because there is an International Volo Association to which aficionados of the game can and do belong. Benji and
the friends of volo want it back in the Nationals.
We arrived around 10:00 am and were met by Bob, a member of the
Aquatic Park Club, who was doing the familiar chores of watering and
rolling the two covered oyster shell bocce courts. We introduced ourselves and must have said all the right things because he didn’t send us
away as he did a dozen or so other persons that morning. Curious tourists would wander in past all the signs that said No Trespassing.
I brought along my own set of brass balls so Vern and I began to lag and
shoot on the “open to the sky, borderless volo courts.” Vern had never
played with brass balls before. I had played a few times with Rick Wagstaff at Aquatic Park, The Fratalanza Club in Oakland, and at Orange Park
in South San Francisco. Those three clubs are about it for volo as far as I
know.
It was hot out in the sun so it wasn’t long before we asked Bob if we
could play open bocce on the covered courts with composite balls. At
this point I feel I should tell my readers that Benji, like Godot, never arrived. So the fate of volo in American will have to wait for another day.
And, now comes the best part of our day. While we were playing on the
number one court, here came two members of the club. Bob made the
introductions of Carlo and Mario. These two gentlemen looked like they
could have just arrived from Italy that very day. You know, that classic
look of noble Italians playing bocce. That was Carlo and Mario.
So now we are like four kids, who have just met each other, playing in a
sandbox with our shovels and pails and having fun.
It was Vern and David against Carlo and Mario. These guys had terrible
aches and pains and couldn’t shoot any more.
“So! Mario,” I asked, “Why is it that your arm hurts, and you can’t shoot
anymore yet you never miss a shot?”
“I’m lucky,” said Mario, “I can’t believe it myself that I’m this lucky.”
We played two games. Vern and I wanted another game, another
chance, but Carlo and Mario were exhausted and couldn’t roll another
ball!
“Time to go home,” they said. And so it was that time for us to go home,
too.
Bob was still at his chores when we said good-bye and thanked him for
his hospitality. We’d had enough fun for one day!
Page 16
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