Mickey Lione Jr. Fund

WELLINGTON MARA AWARDS

Contact: Jerry Lione
203 966-2973

Joe "Junie" Deleo is our 2009 Mara award winner. Junie has coached the Clairol team in Springdale Little League for the past 48 years, 933 games, with five city and 12 league championships. More importantly, Junie's selfless approach and dedication to youth sports is consistent with the ideals that both Wellington Mara and Mickey Lione Jr. represented.

Joe Deleo "Junie" Receives Wellington Mara Award for Coaching - presented by Bobby Valentine - Youtube Video

Junie DeLeo Wins Lione Fund, Wellington Mara Coaching Award
Stamford Advocate
Copyright Southern Conn. Newspapers, Inc.
By Rich DePreta - Staff Writer
12/04/2009 09:55:57 PM EST

Sheila Mara presents Junie DeLeo with the 2009 Wellington Mara Volunteer Coaching Award, established by the Mickey Lione Jr Fund, at the Eighth Annual Bobby Valentine Celebrity Wine & Food Event at the Greenwich Hyatt. They are joined by Bobby Valentine, Jerry Lione (MLJF President) and Dave Ruden (MLJF Mara Committee Chairman).

STAMFORD -- Joseph "Junie" DeLeo has been coaching the Clairol team in the Springdale Little League since 1967.

He has coached all these years with the blessing of his wife, Sandra.

He coaches the youth of Stamford because it is the right thing to do.

"I love baseball. And as a kid growing up in Stamford in the 1950s, I was fortunate to play for so many tremendous coaches," DeLeo said. "There was Red Ballo and Latchey Conetta (Federal Little League East Side Cardinals), Paul Rosum Sr. (Babe Ruth). Buddy O'Meara (Stamford High School junior varsity), Paul Kuczo (Stamford High varsity), Jack Lockery (Stamford High varsity), Sharkey Laureno (American Legion) and Bob Attanasio (American Legion).

"When Norm Filmer first asked me to help him coach the Clairol team, I wanted to do for others what all those great coaches in Stamford did for me."

After nearly 827 games and helping 625 players over 42 seasons, DeLeo is still coaching.

And on Jan. 11 at the eighth annual Bobby Valentine Celebrity Wine and Food Experience at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, the Mickey Lione Jr. Fund will say thank you to DeLeo for his decades of service by presenting him with the Wellington Mara Youth Coaching Award.

"I'm overwhelmed. When I received the phone call about the award, I was shocked," DeLeo said. "The DeLeo and the Lione families go way back. So this honor means everything to me."

As part of the award, the Springdale Little League will receive a check for $2,500 courtesy of the Lione Jr. Fund.

DeLeo can cite chapter and verse the accomplishments of both Mickey Lione Sr. and Mickey Lione Jr.

"Mickey's dad took the 1951 Stamford team to the Little League World Series," DeLeo recalled. "In the championship final against Texas, Andy Wasil was Stamford's starting pitcher. Wasil walked the first two batters. So manager Mickey Lione Sr. brought in Bill Pustari from first base to relieve and Wasil went to first base. Pustari got the three outs in the first inning while Wasil was at first base and calming his nerves down. Wasil went back on the mound for the second inning and pitched great the rest of the game and Stamford won the title.

"The Little League World Series committee was so mad they passed a rule the next season that once a pitcher was taken off the mound, he couldn't return to pitch later in the game," DeLeo continued. "We always called it 'The Mickey Lione Sr. rule.'"

It wasn't surprising to DeLeo that many of Lione Sr.'s best qualities were exhibited by Mickey Lione Jr. Lione Jr. fashioned a legendary resume while coaching baseball, boys ice hockey and football at Trinity Catholic High School.

"In 1950, junior high was Grades 7-9 and high school was Grades 10-12. As a sophomore in high school, I was pitching and got promoted to the varsity team at mid-season," DeLeo said. "Mickey Lione Jr. was a senior playing third base. I was making my first varsity start. But because I was a sophomore I had to carry all the equipment on to the bus. Then Mickey sat down and talked to me during the entire bus ride. As a senior he certainly didn't have to do that but it kept me calm.

"I went out to the mound and I pitched a no-hitter. After the game, Mickey said 'Congratulations Junie, but you still have to carry the equipment back to the bus.' Mickey had that special touch with people even then."

All those days that his dad, Jake DeLeo, served as Junie's catcher in the backyard ultimately paid huge dividends.

As a lefty hurler with a vast assortment of breaking pitches, DeLeo left his mark while pitching at Stamford High, one year at St. Basil's Prep and with Stamford American Legion teams.

"That American Legion squad, I was the only 15-year-old pitcher. I won the state semifinal game in relief. I won the state final the next day as a starter," DeLeo recalled. "That was a special state championship for me because I was pitching against 17- and 18-year-old players. At the Northeast Regionals, we faced Trenton, N.J. I pitched against (former New York Yankees lefty) Al Downing and lost."

DeLeo's time at St. Basil's Prep was short but extremely productive. A good word about his pitching prowess and his academics helped DeLeo to the University of Dayton from 1960-64.

His senior year pitching at Dayton, DeLeo blanked unbeaten Central State, 7-0, before a bevy of pro scouts. DeLeo ultimately signed with the New York Mets and pitched in Class D ball in Greenville, S.C. for one season.

DeLeo returned to Stamford and went to work at Clairol in Fall 1966.

"Norm Filmer was my first boss at Clairol. He hired me and then I didn't see him for about three months," DeLeo said. "One day, they told me to go to Norm's office. I called my wife and said 'I think I might get fired.' But Norm just asked 'Could you help me coach Clairol's Little League team?'''

The rest, as they say, is history.

Eddie Mailhot (13 years) and Eddie Condon (21 years) are DeLeo's current assistant coaches.

"We work on the idea of 'One coach, one message.' " DeLeo said. "Eddie Mailhot works with the hitters. Eddie Condon works on the fielding. I work with the pitchers. The one thing we all do is teach the kids to play with sportsmanship.

"I've never wanted to coach at any other level although I've been asked to many times," DeLeo continued. "My answer is 'If I do my job correctly here, the kids will be ready when they get to Babe Ruth League.' Our job is to prepare the kids to play on the big diamond. Teach them the fundamentals to be successful. Cutoffs, bunt situations, be able to read signs from the third base coach. Kids do listen when they're Little League age."

DeLeo's teams (520-307 overall) won league titles in five decades. Championships came to Clairol in 1966, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1989, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2008.
Titles are nice but fun is a higher priority.

"In 1974, our team was 20-0 but it wasn't fun for me or the kids. All those years we've gone 10-10 were great. We all had fun," DeLeo said. "The things I like best is when I coach two generations of a family. The sons are just like their dads were when they played for me. And I never get tired when kids come back and say 'My Little League years were the best years of my life.'"

As a pitcher, DeLeo loved all challenges on the mound. There was one battle, however, he lost.

"It was early in my college years at Dayton," DeLeo said. "I was home for the summer and coach (Sharkey) Laureno calls. He wants me to pitch batting practice because his age 13-to-15 Babe Ruth All-Star team will be facing a lefty pitcher the next day. So I go to Cubeta Stadium and I'm throwing curves and changeups. Breaking balls. And I'm getting kids out.

"Then Sharkey comes out to the mound and tells me to pitch full throttle against this 13-year-old kid at the plate," DeLeo continued. "So I throw my full complement of pitches. And the kid is hitting everything. I can't get a single pitch by him. The kid's name is Bobby Valentine. You could see the talent then. When he got to the major leagues, I didn't feel so bad about not getting him out."

Billy DeVito, left, is presented with a check for $2,500 in his name that was donated to DeVito's National Lione Little League. Sheila Mara (center), the daughter of the late Wellington Mara, presented the check on Oct 21 to DeVito on behalf of the Mickey Lione Jr. Fund. National Lione league president Sharon Coppola is at right.

NATIONAL LIONE LITTLE LEAGUE'S BILLY DEVITO NAMED 2ND WELLINGTON MARA AWARD WINNER

October 21, 2008

Billy DeVito was named the second winner of the Wellington Mara Youth Coaching Award. DeVito has coached in the National Lione Little League for a total of twelve years. He first coached when his nephews played in the league in the late 1980's and for the last seven years as his own children started playing Little League baseball. Billy coaches a Majors team during the season and has been a head coach for National Lione All-Star and Friendship teams for the last five years.

He has also served on the National Lione Board of Directors over the last six years, including two years as League President (2005-2006).

DeVito's dedication to coaching Stamford's youngsters earned him the award, which each year recognizes an exemplary individual who volunteers time and talent to provide opportunities for youngsters in any city-sanctioned, non-profit sports league in Stamford. The award includes a $2,500 contribution to the non-profit organization for which the individual volunteers.

In creating a youth coaching award, the Lione Fund continues to support and perpetuate the values that made Mickey Lione Jr., a longtime youth and high school coach, one of Stamford’s most legendary sports leaders. He believed that the valuable qualities and lessons which can be learned on the field of play, should, if well taught, carry over to all aspects of life. He taught by instruction, but more importantly, by example. The Lione Fund reinforces this ideal and these qualities in the naming of this award after Mr. Mara, who held himself to the highest standards of honor and respect for self, family and community.

October 20, 2008

DeVito to receive Wellington Mara award

By Bob Greeney
Staff Writer, The Advocate

STAMFORD - It is perfectly fitting for several reasons that Billy DeVito is this year's recipient of the Wellington Mara Youth Coaching Award given out by the Mickey Lione Jr. Fund.

It is appropriate, first and foremost, because it is deserved.

DeVito began coaching 20 years ago in the National-Lione Little League, and he has given so many hours to so many youngsters since then.

The Lione Foundation will donate $2,500 to the National-Lione Little League on behalf of DeVito.

"It makes me feel good," DeVito said. "Sometimes (the coaching) gets tedious and it can be a drag. To get recognized for this means somebody is out there saying you're doing a good job. I was having a bad day when I heard about. When I heard about it I said: ‘OK, somebody does recognize this.' It was nice. It gets you through the day and it makes you feel good.

"It's great for our league," DeVito added. "The league is in good shape. I would like to do something special for the kids instead of just throwing it in the fund. Down the road we can figure that out."

The connection with the award being named in honor of the late Wellington Mara, the former owner of the New York Giants, is coincidental because it was 52 years ago when Mara made one of his best trades ever, obtaining Andy Robustelli from the Los Angeles Rams.

Robustelli is "Uncle Bud" to DeVito and his siblings. DeVito's deceased mother, Edith, was Robustelli's younger sister.

Mara's grandchildren, Ryan and Rory Durkin, played in the National-Lione Little League. Their mother, Sheila Mara, was a huge help to DeVito as the league president for several years.

Yet another appropriate coincidence is that DeVito played for teams coached by Lione, who happened to initiate DeVito into coaching.

Sheila Mara will be on hand with Tom Chiappetta, the executive director of Mickey Lione Jr. Fund, to present the check to DeVito Tuesday night.

"Any time we have these types of awards, and it's kind of the same with scholarship winners, there's no loser, but you have to pick a winner out of the outstanding candidates," Chiappetta said. "They all give an incredible amount of time to the youth organizations and the kids in town. Billy has established himself for more than a decade in terms of helping revive the National-Lione Little League. Billy is there at the forefront with his ability, in general, to handle all the responsibilities a coach needs to.

"And he comes from good stock," Chiappetta added. "He was a very successful athlete in town. All those things make him a successful role model for the kids. And you add to it that he coached under Mickey. He was under Mickey's tutelage. When you combine those things, Billy is just a very, very excellent candidate for this award."

DeVito was one of the best players for the Stamford Catholic High School football and baseball teams in the mid-1970s, with Lione his coach in baseball, and he also helped lead Stamford to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series in 1976.

Lione had the knack for being a very successful coach in any sport.

Many associate Lione with his successes as a head coach at Stamford/Trinity Catholic in baseball and football.

But Lione was also successful as an assistant football coach and as a CYO basketball coach.

"My first remembrance of Mickey was when I was in the third grade," DeVito recalled. "I used to go with my brother A.J. to the Sacred Heart (C.Y.O. basketball) practices and Mickey used to let me play defense. Then I remember going to ask if I can help him coach. He said: ‘Sure, I can't pay you but you can come help me coach the defensive backs.' And he took me under his wing. When he coached me as a player it was one way. And when he coached with me as a coach it was a different kind of role. It was nice. The fear of him was kind of gone."

Lione was among many strong mentors DeVito had, in addition to his brothers, his cousins and other coaches, such as Trinity Catholic's former head football coach, Rich Albonizio, who DeVito succeeded when Albonizio took over at Greenwich.
But the biggest influence on DeVito was the foundation established by his parents, Edith and Tony, who have passed away but still have their legacy of being positive role models in the community being carried on by their children.

Edith and Tony DeVito never missed any of their children's or grandchildren's games.
The Trinity Catholic football contests in the late-1990s were extra special because they got to watch their son send plays in to their grandson, star quarterback Brien Magee.
"For me, it was always special to look up and see them during the national anthem," DeVito recalled. "That was kind of my moment with them. To see them standing there was nice."

October 21, 2007

Contact: Jerry Lione
203 966-2973

MICKEY LIONE JR. FUND ANNOUNCES WINNER OF FIRST WELLINGTON MARA YOUTH COACHING AWARD

STAMFORD YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE’S MICHAEL CROCCO NAMED AS INITIAL RECIPIENT

The Mickey Lione Jr. Fund announced today the winner of its first Wellington Mara Youth Coaching Excellence Award. Michael Crocco, a longtime coach for the Stamford Youth Soccer League, has been named the award’s initial recipient. The Mickey Lione Jr. Fund will donate $2,500 to the Stamford Youth Soccer League in Crocco’s name.

In February, the Lione Fund created the award to recognize the dedicated work of Stamford’s best volunteer youth coaches. The award is named in honor of the late Mr. Wellington T. Mara, the longtime owner of the New York Giants.

“Michael Crocco is the ideal person to be named the first winner of the Wellington Mara Award,” said Mickey Lione Jr. Fund executive director Tom Chiappetta. “His more than 20 years of service to the Stamford youth sports community, and his ability to teach youngsters not only the basics of the game, but the equally important elements of teamwork and sportsmanship, make him an excellent choice.”

Crocco’s involvement with Stamford Youth Soccer has come at all levels. He quickly became one of the most effective coaches in the league, and then added on duties as Division Commissioner to help organize and shape the younger division of the league in his mold. He was instrumental in developing the league’s policy for kids 10 and under, that games were not to be scored or have statistics kept so the word fun remains in the forefront.

He also has spent more than 10 years as a league board member as the top travel official. His colleagues note his ability to get his players – both boys and girls – to listen closely to him to learn the nuances of the game is an asset that Crocco has used as an effective teaching tool.

The Lione Fund reinforces this ideal and these qualities by naming this award after Mr. Mara, who held himself to the highest standards of honor and respect for self, family and community.

Established in 2000, the Mickey Lione Jr Fund awards $7,500 scholarships to outstanding sophomore student-athletes at Stamford, Westhill and Trinity Catholic high schools. The fund has granted a total of 27 scholarships, as well as offering financial participatory aid and support to various youth sports programs in Stamford. Nearly $75,000 has been donated and committed to youth sports and educational organizations in the community. That support has allowed close to 750 children to participate in a variety of sports and educational programs.

February 23, 2007

MICKEY LIONE JR. FUND ANNOUNCES YOUTH COACHING AWARD IN WELLINGTON MARA’S NAME

The Mickey Lione Jr. Fund Inc. announced today the formation of an award to recognize the dedicated work of Stamford’s best volunteer youth coaches. The award is named in honor of the late Mr. Wellington T. Mara, the longtime owner of the New York Giants.

Each year the Wellington Mara Award will recognize an exemplary individual who volunteers time and talent to provide opportunities for youngsters in any city-sanctioned, non-profit sports league in Stamford. The initial award includes a $2,500 contribution to the non-profit organization for which the individual volunteers. Details for the nomination process and the time frame for announcing the first recipient will be provided soon.

For more information about the Wellington Mara Award, contact Jerry Lione at 203 966-2973 or Dave Ruden at 216-4502.