Rocco B. Commisso To Be Enshrined In The Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
10/9/2018 1:14:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Columbia alum and former men’s soccer player Rocco B. Commisso ‘71SEAS ‘75BUS will be inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame during an event held in Chicago on Saturday, November 3rd.
NEW YORK – Columbia alum and former men's soccer player Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS will be inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame during an event held in Chicago on Saturday, November 3rd.
The Mediacom Founder, Chairman and CEO is slated to be enshrined alongside former New York Yankee Manager Joe Girardi, MMA legend Gina Carano, and famed Illinois high school basketball coach Gene Pingatore. Joining the celebration will be some of America's most recognizable sports personalities, including Tommy Lasorda, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, and Mike Piazza.
The 41st Annual Induction and Awards Gala takes place at the Hyatt-Regency in Chicago.
Commisso began his career at Columbia in the fall of 1967 after growing up in Calabria, Italy, and migrating to New York at the age of 12. On the pitch, Commisso went on to earn All-Ivy League honors three times in his career. In his senior season of 1970, Columbia went 9-4, as Commisso captained the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Upon his 1971 graduation from what is now the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Commisso began his career at Pfizer, before returning to Columbia Business School and earning an MBA in 1975. After working at Chase Manhattan Bank and Royal Bank of Canada, he became the Executive VP, CFO, and Director of Cablevision in 1986. Commisso grew Cablevision from the 25th largest cable company in the country to the 8th, with over 1.3 million customers before its merger with Time Warner.
In 1995, Commisso founded Mediacom Communications Corporation, helping to bring television to the smaller and underserved American communities in the Midwest and Southern states. The company went public in 2000 and now has over 4,600 employees, is the fifth largest U.S. cable company serving 1.4 million customers and has annual revenues of $1.9 billion.
Along with his business acumen, Commisso has stayed close to the Columbia program while becoming a fixture in the New York City soccer scene. He served as the Chairman of Friends of Columbia Soccer from 1978-86, before the home venue was named in his honor in 2013. After being honored at the New York City Soccer Gala in 2015, and at the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, Commisso purchased the New York Cosmos in 2017.
Under Commisso's leadership, the Cosmos organization has been a key partner in Street Soccer USA's efforts to bring a wide range of free programs teaching life skills through the game of soccer to youth and young adults in low-income communities across the country. In addition, Commisso has poured significant personal and corporate resources into funding educational opportunities for young people. Through Mediacom's World Class Scholars Program, September 11th Memorial Scholarship Fund and Entrepreneur of Tomorrow Award, he has provided college scholarships to more than 1,700 students nationwide. In 2014, he established the Rocco B. Commisso American Dream Fund at his high school in the Bronx – Mount Saint Michael Academy – to ensure that the school can continue to recruit and educate deserving young men for generations to come.
What they are saying about Rocco B. Commisso...
"We are extremely proud of Rocco's induction into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Rocco has secured his rightful spot of this over 40-year old institution, and joins other great Italian sports figures including Joe DiMaggio, Vince Lombardi, Mario Andretti, Phil Esposito, Bobby Valentine and Jim Valvano. Rocco enters the NIASHF as member of the 2018 class that includes another NY great – Joe Girardi, who secured his place in sports history as a player and coach of the NY Yankees. This latest induction for Rocco stands as a testament to his continued commitment to soccer, which is capped by his unmatched support of the Columbia soccer program and strong leadership of the iconic New York Cosmos."
– Former Columbia All-American Amr Aly '85CC and former All-Ivy League selection Charles Balsamo '96CC
"We are so very excited for Rocco and his family to receive the nomination of induction into the NIAHOF. As we at Columbia have learned over time, Rocco is so instrumental in all that he does and in the communities he touches. I am certain that this nomination is among his family's greatest honors. We look forward to celebrating this momentous event with Rocco and his family."
– Columbia Men's Soccer Head Coach Kevin Anderson
"This is another tremendous honor for a Columbia University graduate who has meant so much to our athletics program. Throughout his successful playing career and his accomplished business career, Rocco Commisso has never forgotten where he came from. We are forever grateful of his generosity to Columbia Athletics, and wish him the sincerest congratulations on being enshrined in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame."
– Campbell Family Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education Peter Pilling
The Mediacom Founder, Chairman and CEO is slated to be enshrined alongside former New York Yankee Manager Joe Girardi, MMA legend Gina Carano, and famed Illinois high school basketball coach Gene Pingatore. Joining the celebration will be some of America's most recognizable sports personalities, including Tommy Lasorda, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, and Mike Piazza.
The 41st Annual Induction and Awards Gala takes place at the Hyatt-Regency in Chicago.
Commisso began his career at Columbia in the fall of 1967 after growing up in Calabria, Italy, and migrating to New York at the age of 12. On the pitch, Commisso went on to earn All-Ivy League honors three times in his career. In his senior season of 1970, Columbia went 9-4, as Commisso captained the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Upon his 1971 graduation from what is now the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Commisso began his career at Pfizer, before returning to Columbia Business School and earning an MBA in 1975. After working at Chase Manhattan Bank and Royal Bank of Canada, he became the Executive VP, CFO, and Director of Cablevision in 1986. Commisso grew Cablevision from the 25th largest cable company in the country to the 8th, with over 1.3 million customers before its merger with Time Warner.
In 1995, Commisso founded Mediacom Communications Corporation, helping to bring television to the smaller and underserved American communities in the Midwest and Southern states. The company went public in 2000 and now has over 4,600 employees, is the fifth largest U.S. cable company serving 1.4 million customers and has annual revenues of $1.9 billion.
Along with his business acumen, Commisso has stayed close to the Columbia program while becoming a fixture in the New York City soccer scene. He served as the Chairman of Friends of Columbia Soccer from 1978-86, before the home venue was named in his honor in 2013. After being honored at the New York City Soccer Gala in 2015, and at the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, Commisso purchased the New York Cosmos in 2017.
Under Commisso's leadership, the Cosmos organization has been a key partner in Street Soccer USA's efforts to bring a wide range of free programs teaching life skills through the game of soccer to youth and young adults in low-income communities across the country. In addition, Commisso has poured significant personal and corporate resources into funding educational opportunities for young people. Through Mediacom's World Class Scholars Program, September 11th Memorial Scholarship Fund and Entrepreneur of Tomorrow Award, he has provided college scholarships to more than 1,700 students nationwide. In 2014, he established the Rocco B. Commisso American Dream Fund at his high school in the Bronx – Mount Saint Michael Academy – to ensure that the school can continue to recruit and educate deserving young men for generations to come.
What they are saying about Rocco B. Commisso...
"We are extremely proud of Rocco's induction into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Rocco has secured his rightful spot of this over 40-year old institution, and joins other great Italian sports figures including Joe DiMaggio, Vince Lombardi, Mario Andretti, Phil Esposito, Bobby Valentine and Jim Valvano. Rocco enters the NIASHF as member of the 2018 class that includes another NY great – Joe Girardi, who secured his place in sports history as a player and coach of the NY Yankees. This latest induction for Rocco stands as a testament to his continued commitment to soccer, which is capped by his unmatched support of the Columbia soccer program and strong leadership of the iconic New York Cosmos."
– Former Columbia All-American Amr Aly '85CC and former All-Ivy League selection Charles Balsamo '96CC
"We are so very excited for Rocco and his family to receive the nomination of induction into the NIAHOF. As we at Columbia have learned over time, Rocco is so instrumental in all that he does and in the communities he touches. I am certain that this nomination is among his family's greatest honors. We look forward to celebrating this momentous event with Rocco and his family."
– Columbia Men's Soccer Head Coach Kevin Anderson
"This is another tremendous honor for a Columbia University graduate who has meant so much to our athletics program. Throughout his successful playing career and his accomplished business career, Rocco Commisso has never forgotten where he came from. We are forever grateful of his generosity to Columbia Athletics, and wish him the sincerest congratulations on being enshrined in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame."
– Campbell Family Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education Peter Pilling
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