Tag Archives: Jerry Colangelo

The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame presented multisport luminary Jerry Colangelo with the Mario Andretti Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala and induction ceremony at the Westin O’Hare on Dec. 10. “When the hall of fame needed help making the move to Taylor Street, Jerry Colangelo was there. As we open a new chapter in the hall’s history, Jerry Colangelo is still by our side,” says NIASHF President Ron Onesti. “He has always understood our goal of honoring those sports luminaries who shine such a positive light on the Italian-American experience.” This year’s inductees are Chicago Wolves defenseman …

A standout basketball and baseball player in high school and college, Jerry Colangelo became a multisport luminary thanks to inspiration drawn from his humble Italian roots in Chicago Heights. When Jerry Colangelo was 7 years old, he was given his first basketball, a simple act that ignited the fuse to an extraordinarily successful career in national and international sports. “I smelled the leather, and it was the beginning of a love affair that has lasted a lifetime,” Colangelo tells Fra Noi in a wide-ranging interview about his life and myriad achievements as a player, coach, administrator, owner and overall leader. …