Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame has a stellar crop of inductees and honorees on tap for its 41st annual gala on Nov. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. (312-226-5566)
The NIASHF Class of 2018 includes Gina Carano, Rocco B. Commisso, Joe Girardi and Gene Pingatore. Perry Mandera will be honored as the Sportsman of the Year. The program will be emceed by 2016 Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza and New York Mets Radio Announcer Wayne Randazzo.
Carano is mixed martial arts competitor who compiled a dominating record of 12–1–1 in Muay Thai and a 7–1 in women’s MMA before retiring in 2009.
The owner and chairman of the New York Cosmos, Commisso played soccer for the Columbia University Lions from 1967 to 1970, earning All-Ivy League honors three times.
Joe Girardi played for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals and managed the Florida Marlins and the New York Yankees, earning three World Series rings as a player and one as a manager.
Pingatore has been head coach of the St. Joseph High School basketball program in Westchester, Illinois, for 48 years, leading his teams to 34 state regional titles, 13 state sectional titles, 2 state championships and racking up more than 1,000 wins.
Mandera is CEO and co-founder of the Custom Companies and Logistics.
