THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2020
Explorer
AGENTSof
CHANGE
Explorer THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
COMMUNICATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER The Spring 2020 issue of the Explorer (titled Agents Of Change), will only be available online. No issues will be printed or mailed to homes. A monthly Alumni eNewsletter along with a number of other alumni communications will only be available in a digital format and will be sent via email. It is critical for the Office of Institutional Advancement to have and maintain your current email address, so please make certain that your information is current and encourage your fellow alums to do the same. Please send any changes to Mrs. Cathy Winning at winning@lschs.org so your alumni record can be updated accordingly. Communication with La Salle College High School has never been easier. We want to hear from you and want you to hear from us.
SPRING 2020
President Brother James L. Butler, FSC Principal Michael A. O’Toole ’68 Vice President of Institutional Advancement Daniel L. McGowan Editor Christopher M. Carabello ’82 Contributing Writers Jonathan P. Allison Robert L. Stott ’06 Robert T. Szostak, Esq. ’72 Editorial and Production Assistance Cathleen P. Winning Photography Sam Fritch Getty Images Lifetouch Photography, Inc. Michael S. Opielski Design Burns Design Group Printing Garrison Printing Company Address Explorer La Salle College High School 8605 Cheltenham Avenue Wyndmoor, PA 19038 215 233 2350 phone 215 836 4502 fax alumni@lschs.org www.lschs.org
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La Salle College High School. The Explorer welcomes letters to the Editor concerning alumni, school, and other topics covered by and in the magazine. The Editor of the Explorer reserves the right edit and make all decisions regarding the content and
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information published in the magazine.
WHAT’S INSIDE FEATURES
20 THE EITC
ARTICLES
AGENTSof
CHANGE 8
THE RENAISSANCE MAN
16
THE COMPLETE PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS
4 SNAPSHOTS
22 PHOTO GALLERIES
30 NEWS NOTES
DEPARTMENTS
2 LET US REMEMBER (LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT)
36 WE WELCOME AND REMEMBER ( B I R T H S A N D D E AT H S ) ON THE COVER H A L L O F F A M E I N D U C T E E S A N T H O N Y J . M A G I N N I S ’ 7 6 A N D S T E P H E N P. M O U N T A I N ’ 7 2 M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T L A S A L L E C O L L E G E H I G H S C H O O L , A C A T H O L I C I N D E P E N D E N T, C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L F O R Y O U N G M E N O F VA R I E D B A C K G R O U N D S , I S C O N D U C T E D I N T H E T R A D I T I O N O F S A I N T J O H N B A P T I S T D E L A S A L L E . T H R O U G H A B R O A D A N D B A L A N C E D , H U M A N A N D C H R I S T I A N E D U C AT I O N , L A S A L L E COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL GUIDES EACH STUDENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS UNIQUE GOD-GIVEN T A L E N T S A N D F O S T E R S A C O M M I T M E N T T O A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E , S E R V I C E , A N D L E A D E R S H I P.
DEPARTMENTS
L E T
U S
R E M E M B E R
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT No more Masses, and no more restaurants, no more theaters, no more
DEAR ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS: At about 6:55 AM on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Father Carl Janicki (an alumni uncle, BTW), said something from the altar at Saint Genevieve’s Church that he has probably said thousands of times in over 25 years as a priest, “The Mass is ended. Go in peace.” Suddenly, even though
bars, no sporting events worth paying attention to. Presidential debates and WWE alike without audiences (hard to tell them apart without the different crowds they draw). From origins somewhere in the exotic animal markets of China, life had thrown us a curveball.
there were only about a dozen of us in the church, all the air seemed to be
And that curveball hit the Class of 2020 in a particularly stinging way. A
sucked out of the room. A brief unnatural pause ensued before the small
year or so before he died, the Reverend Col. Edmond Speitel ’43 told me
congregation responded with a decidedly un-heartfelt “Thanks be to God.” That’s because the statement was really true. The Mass had ended. Not till tomorrow, as usual for this crowd, but sine die, as those with an affinity for courtroom or parliamentary procedure would want to put it. In a 1960s boyhood, we were periodically threatened this would come to pass if we didn’t learn our times tables, earn our merit badges, eat our green beans, and obey the nuns. But in 2020, it actually happened. There weren’t going to be any more Masses. But the difference was that the Red Army hadn’t surged up Broad Street and sent all the priests to labor in the salt mines (presumably somewhere near Scranton). A microscopic virus had done this.
a story about how the older members of his class were sent down to West Catholic in the summer before senior year to take the make-up versions of essential 12th grade classes – English, Mathematics, Religion. The reason? To ensure that when they were pulled out of school by the draft upon turning 18, they had sufficient credits to be counted as high school graduates and qualified to begin university studies when (if) they returned from the war. In the three-quarters of a century since this practice was dropped, no senior class has seen their La Salle experience disrupted until the Class of 2020. For these young men, experiences like the musical, the prom, the Mother/Son dinner, the final Kairos, possibly even commencement itself: perhaps the safest thing so say is that they’re being juggled while the closure is on. Even if this situation pales by comparison to being sent off to war, it is a considerable disruption of a time most of us remember as one of the most pleasant quarters of our sixteen or more years of formal education.
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These young men may not enjoy the full schedule of events, but what
These are not the best of times. That’s not an earth-shattering revelation,
they won’t lose is the relationships. Those continue despite the distance
whether you are a senior lacrosse player aimlessly hitting a ball against the
and isolation – perhaps more easily than ever before because of social
wall of his house or a 70s grad watching his 401K and 403B go gentle into
media. As we go through these challenging months, that reality remains
that good night (Well, really it hasn’t been that gentle.). These are not the
unchallenged. It’s not the courses, the sports, the band competitions,
best of times, but these are the best of men. La Salle men. On that we can
the glitzy musical, or the high-minded speeches at the NHS Induction or
rely; on them we can rely; on each other we can rely. And we do.
Commencement that make La Salle what it is. It’s the relationships. Some have just been formed this year by the Class of 2023 and their parents.
Fraternally,
Others actually go back to the time of the Second World War at 1240 North Broad Street. Thus, perhaps, it’s not entirely accidental that we honored three men whose careers have demonstrated the centrality of relationships at our recent Alumni Hall of Fame. Steve Mountain, ’72, Tony Maginnis, ’76,
BROTHER JAMES L. BUTLER, FSC PRESIDENT
and Joe D’Angelo, ’63, a sports agent, an entrepreneur, and a teacher par excellence: at the heart of their success is the ability to build lasting relationships characterized by integrity and trust, forthrightness and generosity, openness and dependability. Each has sustained the vitality of his relationships with his classmates while being of service in the wider community. All have chosen a path a bit different from what might have been predicted on graduation day, but none has forgotten his start at La Salle.
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HIGHLIGHTS
S N A P
S H O T S
FIRST SEMESTER
CLASS OF 2023
COLLEGE INTERVIEW DAY
La Salle College High School opened its doors on August 27, 2019 for the start of the school’s 161st academic year. 290 boys from local middle and elementary schools were welcomed to the Class of 2023 by the faculty, staff, and administration with various orientation activities. The students were greeted at the entrance of the school by Brother James Butler, FSC, Principal Michael O’Toole ’68, senior members of the Student Council, the Explorer mascot, and the sounds of the Pep Band.
On October 1, 2019, the Class of 2020 participated in the school’s annual College Interview Day. Held in the school gymnasium, admissions representatives from over 50 colleges spanning the entire East Coast attended the event. Seniors were scheduled for individual appointments with the colleges of their choice. In the exchange, seniors presented their transcripts, had the opportunity to provide additional personal information, and asked questions about the colleges and universities.
NEW MOTHERS’ TEA
GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Mothers’ Club welcomed new mothers to the La Salle community on September 22, 2019 at the annual New Mother’s Tea. Over 225 mothers in all – 200 of them who were new to La Salle – attended the event that was held in the gymnasium. Brother James Butler, FSC, Principal Michael O’Toole ’68, and Mothers’ Club President, Mrs. Mary Jean Carabello, spoke to the mothers regarding different aspects of life at La Salle College High School. The mothers enjoyed light refreshments and came away with many new acquaintances.
On October 1, 2019, the Golf team successfully defended their title by winning the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. Matt Lafond ’20 was the individual champion and the Explorers’ overall score of 460 at Blue Bell Country Club was 12 strokes better than Saint Joseph’s Prep and 56 strokes better than Archbishop Wood. It was the 5th consecutive year that La Salle has won the Philadelphia Catholic League Golf Championship and 17th time since 2000. The following week, the Explorers repeated as District 12 Champions. Two days later, La Salle defeated the District 11 champions from Emmaus High School at LuLu Country Club to advance to the Pennsylvania State Finals in York, PA, where they lost to Fox Chapel High School and finished the season with a record of 24-1.
OPEN HOUSE Almost 500 families toured the buildings and campus during the Open House on September 29, 2019. Personalized tours were conducted by Student Ambassadors, which allowed for smaller groups to visit particular areas of interest. Music filled the air as over 100 musicians performed throughout the day. All nineteen athletic teams were located in the gym along with the academic departments, and over 50 clubs and activities were represented in the Glaser Center. Trolley’s with student tour guides provided tours of the school’s 84-acre campus.
GOLDEN EXPLORERS RETURN TO CAMPUS Almost 100 Golden Explorers – alumni who graduated more than fifty years ago from La Salle College High School – returned to campus on October 2, 2019 for the annual Golden Explorers Luncheon. The day began with Mass celebrated in the Marian Chapel by Reverend Anthony Janton, AFSC ’69 and was followed by a brunch in the auditorium. Reunions were celebrated by the Classes of 1949, 1954, 1959, and 1964. The day provided an opportunity to catch up with old friends and classmates, reminisce about the glory days at “20th and Olney,” and learn about the exciting things going on today at their alma mater.
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FRESHMAN BRANCH-OUT DAY
HELP SPREAD THE WARMTH
On October 15, 2019, the freshman class (Class of 2023) participated in Freshman Branch-Out Day. Over 275 students, along with almost 200 of their fathers and 30 members of school’s faculty and staff, performed a day of service at 21 different “underserved” sites in the Philadelphia Area. This year marked the 17th consecutive year that the freshman class at La Salle College High School has “branched out” in service to the community. In total, over 500 members of the La Salle community collectively provided over 1,600 hours of service to these organizations. The day concluded with a discussion about the integral role community service plays in the Lasallian mission and a challenge to the freshman to find their role in that mission.
Each Tuesday evening, a group of upperclassmen participate in Homeless Outreach, bringing a hot meal and clean clothes to those in need in Philadelphia. As the colder months approach, these people need clothes and blankets to keep them safe and warm. The Ministry and Service Team hosted a drive October 21-25, 2019. Donation boxes were located outside of the Main Office and items such as blankets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, new socks and underwear, gloves, and duffle bags were collected and donated to local people in need.
HONORS CONVOCATION La Salle College High School held its annual Academic Convocation on October 17, 2019 and awarded a Scholastic “L” to 289 First Honor Students – 112 seniors, 87 juniors, and 90 sophomores – who distinguished themselves by attaining a final grade point average of 3.75 or above and no grade below a “B-” at the conclusion of the 2018-2019 academic year. In addition, 180 boys – 78 seniors, 58 juniors, and 44 sophomores – were recognized for having a final GPA of 4.0 or higher at the conclusion of the 2018-2019 school year.
ONE ACT PLAYS The Theater Program at La Salle College High School performed seven different one act plays – including two student-written and student-directed shows – as part of the school’s 6th Annual One Act Play Festival held in the auditorium October 25-26, 2019. Directed by Mr. Michael McCabe ’08, Mr. Jack Mills ’13, and Mr. Michael Sabatino, a group of 26 actors and actresses staged two performances of the plays.
CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS The Cross Country team captured the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship on October 19, 2019 for the fifth consecutive year and 12th time since 2003 by scoring 19 points as Ethan Maher ’20 captured individual honors with a time of 15:59 at Belmont Plateau. The following week, La Salle had its seven runners finish 1 through 7 and repeated as District 12 Champions to advance to the Pennsylvania State Championship in Hershey, PA, where they finished in second place behind Downingtown West High School.
SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS It took 80 minutes of regulation, two overtimes, three well-placed penalty kicks, and not one but two goalies, as the Soccer Team defeated Roman Catholic 2-1 on October 26, 2019 to capture the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. La Salle shutout Northeast High School 4-0 the following week to win the District 12 Championship and advance to the Pennsylvania State Tournament, where they lost to North Penn High School in the Semi-Finals.
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HIGHLIGHTS
S N A P
S H O T S
FIRST SEMESTER
JUNIOR CLASS CELEBRATES LEADERSHIP
SENIOR MOTHERS TRIM TREE
On November 10, 2019, over 260 members of the Class of 2021 along with their families, attended the Brother Edward Gallagher, FSC Leadership Liturgy. Named in honor of Brother Edward Gallagher, FSC who twice served as Principal of La Salle College High School (1966-69 and 1972-77), the event marked the transition to leadership for the junior class. The day began with a Mass celebrated in the gymnasium by Reverend Michael Olivere ’79 and concluded with a leadership pledge along with the blessing and presentation of the Class of 2021 Leadership Pin along with class rings for those who purchased them.
Over 225 mothers of seniors gathered in the auditorium on December 3, 2019 to decorate and light one of the many Christmas Trees on campus during the Christmas Season. This annual tradition where each mother (or grandmother) hangs a Christmas ornament inscribed with the name of their son brought together mothers from the Class of 2020 for a special moment to commemorate their son’s time at La Salle College High School. A reception was held, and the evening concluded with a candle ceremony and special prayer.
EVERY CAN COUNTS The Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit Saint Vincent’s Parish in Germantown and La Salle’s Pheed Philly service initiative wrapped up on November 26, 2019. A record 28,588 cans and nonperishable food items were collected by the La Salle community and were used to benefit families in need around the Thanksgiving holiday and throughout the year. A Thanksgiving Prayer Service organized by the Mission and Ministry Leadership Team was held in the gymnasium on Tuesday morning, November 27, 2019 and attended by the entire student-body. Students packed the food into boxes and prepared it for transport to the pantry at Saint Vincent’s Parish in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, which serves those in need in North Philadelphia. Additional cans were delivered to the Mission of Saint Joan of Arc in Kennsington. On December 3, 2019, members of the Mission and Ministry Leadership Team delivered 12,500 non-perishable food items to the 93.3 WMMR tent at the Wells Fargo Complex in support of Preston & Steve’s Camp Out For Hunger, which directly benefits Philabundance.
SOUNDS OF THE SEASON The Music Department at La Salle College High School performed their annual Christmas Concert to a capacity crowd in the auditorium on December 9, 2019. Over 600 people attended the concert, which featured almost 200 musicians in eight different ensembles, performing fifteen numbers. The Concert Band, with over fifty musicians, was accompanied by the String Orchestra and a choir comprised of over 70 boys from La Salle College High School and girls from Gwynedd Mercy Academy and Mount Saint Joseph Academy. Together they performed Holiday Favorites and White Christmas.
The following week, on December 16, 2020, the Choral Program treated the audience in the auditorium to fifteen arrangements featuring the voices of over 90 young men – the largest number in the history of the program – in the three ensembles under the direction of Mr. Mark Norman, who performed numbers that included Hallelujah, Do You Hear What I Hear?, Mary, Did You Know?, Carol of the Bells, and Believe.
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MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS
SCHOLARSHIP RECEPTION
During the morning hours of Christmas Eve, over 180 students (30 Santas and 154 elves) – representing 17% of the student body – delivered presents to the homes of 90 pediatric oncology and hematology patients from Saint Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The day marked the 19th consecutive year that La Salle College High School has partnered with Committee to Benefit the Children to bring the “Miracle of Christmas” to these children and their siblings. Over $18,000 was raised from the La Salle community to purchase gifts that were wrapped, tagged, bagged, and delivered to over 250 children on the morning of Christmas Eve. Additional gifts were donated by families who “adopted” patients and their siblings. Over 65 parents and alums accompanied the students as they made deliveries into twelve counties in two states. The students sang songs (some even played instruments) and brought joy to every home. The event received extensive media coverage from 6abc news with reports airing throughout the day and evening.
La Salle College High School awarded 66 scholarships to 8th grade boys and, on January 9, 2020, the La Salle community hosted these young men along with their parents and a favorite teacher from their grade school, at a Scholarship Reception. The guests were addressed by current seniors Collin Price and A.J. Carabello. The scholarship recipients and their families were hosted at their table by a current senior and junior along with a member of the faculty/staff. Almost 60 of the scholarship recipients will be attending La Salle College High School as members of the Class of 2024.
MEN OF INTELLECT The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that fourteen seniors from La Salle College High School were recognized by the National Merit Program. Four students have been named Semifinalists in the 2020 competition for National Merit Scholarship Awards and ten additional young men were recognized as Commended Students.
Giving Trees with tags for both children gifts and clothing/toiletries for adults. On Christmas Eve, twenty-five students and five adults delivered over 500 toys to families identified by the Philadelphia Department of Recreation’s “Tot Recreation Program”.
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B Y R O B E R T T. S Z O S TA K , E S Q . ’ 7 2
THE RENAISSANCE
MAN
STEVE MOUNTAIN ’72 IS A SPECIALIST IN RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT. HE MAKES EVERYONE AROUND HIM BETTER THROUGH HIS UNSTOPPABLE POSITIVE ENERGY, IRRESISTIBLE INSPIRATION AND HIS EVER-EVOLVING FUND OF ENORMOUS EXPERTISE IN MULTIPLE COMPLEX SUBJECTS WITH UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO ALWAYS DOING THE RIGHT THING.
Steve is that rare breed of man who always places others above himself. He elevates everyone he knows to their greatest human potential. A master of behavioral self-control, when Steve Mountain brings people together, he gives them his gifts of balance, truth and respect, connecting with them, as he makes them stronger and more committed to the common greater good.
Steve flies under the radar. As one of La Salle’s most skillful promoters, business advisors and professional athletic and entertainment management agents on the local and national scene, he suggested unworthiness of Hall of Fame recognition because “certainly there must be others more deserving than me.” Never one to exalt himself, Steve’s humility is his hallmark that makes him so esteemed.
Steve was born in 1954, the youngest of eight children. Raised in the Rhawnhurst section of Northeast Philadelphia, he attended Resurrection of Our Lord Parish Grade School. For Steve, his elementary years are the foundation of his intense sense of loyalty, trust and affection for his true friends in life as well as his love for sports and competition. To this day, he regularly gets together with what he calls his “K-Class”, 19 grade school pals, all of whom he deeply admires for their wonderful family relationships. Steve strongly believes “you must be grounded and never forget where you came from.”
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STEVE WAS A CYO GUY WHO WANTED TO GO TO FATHER JUDGE HIGH SCHOOL. THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING. STEVE’S MOTHER, MARY, KNOWN IN THE MOUNTAIN FAMILY AS THE “QUEEN BEE”, WOULD HAVE NO PART OF IT. In 1967, when Steve was entering 8th Grade, Mrs. Mountain became La Salle’s librarian “to get my Brother Mike (’71) and me in, and there was no other option. We were going to La Salle.” Although the Mountain brothers would spend five overlapping years at La Salle, their mother would run its library and teach research and study skills until her retirement thirty years later. Steve freely admits that this was the best single decision anyone ever made for him. He also confirms that his “Judge guys” were and remain his closest mates despite his youthful aversion to La Salle. When Steve entered La Salle a stranger in a strange environment with no friends and typical trepidation of any freshman leaving the comfort of their grade school and neighborhood pals for “this very diverse and rather intimidating school filled with the best kids from all Philadelphia neighborhoods,” he vividly remembers being greeted by Paul McGurkin and Steve Javie. “These guys embraced and welcomed me from day one. I knew of Steve who had an aura of greatness already from Saint Philip Neri, but Paul made everything instantly fun and we haven’t stopped laughing 50 years later. I came in still depending on my friends from home. Within a year, La Salle was my home, and so many of my classmates are my chosen brothers for life. Back then, I wanted to prove myself and I turned to my passion – playing sports.”
Before Steve could suit up for football, he underwent the obligatory physical. “Here I was, all about sports, and I was diagnosed with a bad heart, a congenital heart murmur. All I wanted to do was play football and baseball and I flunked the physical. My mom pulled the car over and we cried together for an hour. I became the football team manager. And, against doctor’s orders, I played CYO basketball and I kept it from her. I expediently persuaded another friend’s mom to wash my uniform for me. We go and win a championship and my mother sees it in the Parish bulletin. Of course, she snapped out on me, but I got her to compromise. She said ’if you can find a doctor to clear you, you can play.’” With that, Steve unwittingly embarked upon his long journey of sports athletic management as an agent for himself. “I found a doctor in Chestnut Hill who passed me as a sophomore, and I made the varsity baseball team as a catcher.” Steve went on to start at Cornerback in football and center field in baseball (he was elected Team Captain his junior year) and he became a track and field standout in the 100 and 220 events, participating in a State Championship his junior year. “Our senior year in football, we beat Father Judge and we were one win away from winning a Catholic League Championship, only to lose to Kenrick in the final minute.” Football under Tex Flannery and Dave Diehl and baseball under Ned Carney engrained in Steve his passion for team over individual. “There is nothing like the team, your buddies, the friendships you develop, the hanging out together, the silence before the game and the halftimes and the celebrating or crying at the end.” It also introduced him to some of his best friends today, especially Bobby Mizia ’72 (La Salle Hall of Athletes Inductee), the amazing two-way starter in the backfields with Steve and baseball catcher and “the best athlete of our senior class who went on to star at Temple.” They forged an unbreakable bond on and off the field that stands as a remarkable example of the treasured Lasallian traditions forever in our hearts.
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In 1972, on the West Chester University football field, the next most important chapter in Steve’s storied life was opened. Cornerback Steve Mountain met undersized linebacker Pasquale “Pat” Croce. Life would never be the same again, ever. “I have many friends, but none like Pat. Here he was, 6’1”, 150 lbs. He got everybody’s attention. No fear. No joke. He would hit you 1000 times over and get up and do it again, tough as nails black belt crazy. at earned everybody’s respect in minutes. Everybody took notice. But it wasn’t until after we graduated that we became the best of friends – the one you can rely on and count on no matter what. Pat is a genius who makes things way better than you expect. He is a ’Midas touch’ guy who is truly my closest friend. He inspires me and changed my life. We are brothers.” After West Chester, Steve became the Executive Director of the Philadelphia-area Big Brother/Big Sister Association. No surprise that his first job focused on his passion for helping youth get and stay balanced. Steve also coached freshman and JV football at La Salle. “You can never give back enough.”
STEVE WANTED TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL “BUT I WAS POOR AND NEEDED TO WORK.” BETWEEN 1976 AND 1994, HE MANAGED AND WAS THE BOOKING AGENT FOR A CHAIN OF LEGENDARY NIGHT CLUBS KNOWN AS CABARET. THESE CLUBS FEATURED MORE THAN 500 NATIONAL ACTS AS WELL AS REGIONAL AND LOCAL ACTS PLAYING ALL FORMS OF MUSIC. In 1983, at the age of 29, Steve founded Cornerstone Management, the bedrock of his entertainment management agency that ultimately expanded to include professional athletes. “I went with original bands, not cover bands. It was a wild ride back then, but I mellowed after all the spectacle ended.” The Cabaret years instantly launched Steve Mountain to the top. Concurrently, he met his true love, Cindy, Pat Croce asked
“Mount-man” to be his personal manager and Steve positioned his talented local client band, “The Hooters”, to be first act at Live Aid. “Cindy came to one of the clubs on a Saturday afternoon to visit her brother who was a musician in a band called the All Stars. It was 2:00 pm she was 19 and the rest is history. She stabilized and grounded me. Although we choose to make ourselves who we are, Cindy helped me find my way and she just makes every day better. Every day she does something special for somebody else. We’ve done it together. Cindy is the most unbelievable mother and wife. I am so blessed.” Cindy and Steve have three great boys. Steve lights up like a Christmas tree when he talks about them. Bryan, followed by Kyle, are renowned hockey players, each taking different but similar paths. Bryan is in his last year of law school and is a practicing agent at Cornerstone, drawing upon his experience from D-1 hockey and the lifelong tutelage of his father. Kyle has a M.A. in Communication from La Salle University and is the Assistant Athletic Director and Head Men’s Hockey Coach at Neumann University. His goal is to coach at the highest level. Derek, the youngest, attended the Haverford Middle School. “When it came time to choose a high school, Cindy loved La Salle, but Derek chose to stay at the Haverford School. He became the football team captain. They won two championships. He also lettered in basketball and track and was the captain for both.” An All-Inter-Ac Scholar Athlete, Derek went on to play football at Holy Cross University at the highest level, winning the 2019 Patriot League Championship. “He is a 6’5”, 250-pound tight end with a 40” vertical and a 4.6 forty. No tight end has done a 40” vertical in the last three NFL drafts.” Kyle will have two pro days in late March, one at Holy
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Cross and the other in Philadelphia. Steve, no doubt will attend, “not as his agent,” but as his proud dad. The Mountain boys did not fall far from the tree. Circling back to 1985, while managing Pat Croce and his new physical therapy practice, Cornerstone, the Cabarets and numerous bands, Steve brokered a deal with Bill Graham, the San Francisco promoter and key organizer of Live Aid, to give his client, The Hooters, the opening act at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Live Aid was a colossal dual-venue concert at JFK and Wembley Stadiums that raised upwards of $127 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. This epic event was a collaborative effort culminating in one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time with an estimated audience of 1.9 billion across 150 nations. On a steaming hot July 13, 1985, 100,000 fans attended at JFK with a lineup including Madonna, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones members, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronny Wood, Tina Turner, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Black Sabbath, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin with Phil Collins, The Four Tops, George Thorogood, the Pretenders, Santana, The Cars, Eric Clapton, Patti La Belle and Hall & Oates. Sir Paul McCartney and David Bowie headlined in London, along with Queen who performed their classic Bohemian Rhapsody as Steve Mountain from Rhawnhurst looked on backstage. Mount really hit it big, but his true expertise was yet to unfold. “Croce is the most enthusiastic person I know – anything he gets involved with is almost certain to be a success. When Pat asked me to be his personal manager, he was a physical therapist in the basement of Haverford Community Hospital. He said to me ’I want to be a hero. I have a message. I need your help.’ He knew about the business of being
’Pat Croce’ and I knew about the business of media promotion including TV, radio and the many connections and relationships I formed through Cabaret and then Cornerstone. Pat started with a bit called ’Fitness’ that aired on TV in return for some time to talk about his business. He became the personal trainer for Julius Irving, Mike Schmidt, Lance Parrish, Dave Poulin and many others. I got out of the clubs by age 33 and would work out with the players. One of them, Flyers Right Winger, Tim Kerr, asked me to represent him and I finally agreed. We expanded Pat’s sport’s therapy practice into a chain of 41 Centers in 13 States, and I expanded my agency to the point where we have represented hundreds of players, coaches, managers and entertainment personalities.”
STEVE BUILT HIS REPUTATION AS AN AGENT YOU CAN COUNT ON – AN AGENT WHO IS NEVER MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PLAYER. STEVE CIVILLY DOMINATES AS HE BRINGS HIS BRAND OF TEMPERED EGO WITH QUITE VOICE OF REASON AND TRUTH TO THE TABLE IN GOOD FAITH, SOMETIMES LOADED WITH EXPEDIENT EMBELLISHMENT FOR HIS CLIENTS. ALWAYS FLEXIBLE WITH AN UNQUENCHABLE THIRST TO WIN, HIS PRESENT/PAST CLIENT LISTS SPEAK VOLUMES. STEVE IS A WALKING ROLODEX AND HUMAN OUTLOOK PROGRAM, CONNECTED WITH THE WHO’S WHO OF HIS PROFESSIONS.
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“My philosophy has always been the same, it’s always about the player or client and never about me. If they want an agent that prepares them to be better, to be physically and emotionally ready for what they are getting into and to do their job, and who always takes the pressure off of them so they can play at their highest level, that’s me.” At Cornerstone, Steve has stressed and continues to mandate excellent communication, personal service and individual attention as the lifeblood of a successful client-agent relationship. As with all things he does, Steve promises unconditional commitment with complete honesty and reliability to maximize potential and achieve success. Ultimately, Steve’s dream is to help his clients achieve their dreams. Steve is a self-taught, relentless and extraordinary negotiator with the knowledge, training and experience of some of the most formally educated accountants and transactional attorneys who specialize in mergers and acquisitions. Steve also has significant expertise in anatomy, biomechanics, sports medicine, orthopedics and physiatry. In 1992, Steve founded MT Consulting. Affiliated with Cornerstone Management, MT Consulting is a full-service business and consulting brokerage firm concentrating on the sale of healthcare practices including Physical Therapy, Dermatology, Pediatric Therapy, Urgent Care, Physician Services, Orthotics and Prosthetics and dentistry with more than 300 sales transactions. It is preeminent. Between 1989 and 1993, Mountain was instrumental in the sale of Croce’s company, Sports Physical Therapists, Inc., to a firm that eventually merged with Nova Care, Inc. for almost $50 Million. MT Consulting has since evaluated, analyzed and advised over 1,000 privately-owned businesses, completing over 300 merger and acquisition transactions totaling over $500 Million in 40 States. Today, Steve Mountain and his company are recognized as one of the most, if not the most experienced analysts in the physical therapy industry as a broker in healthcare practice sales.
Meanwhile, in 2001-2002, Steve founded Summit Sports Training Centers to complement both his sports agency and his personal dedication to the health and well-being of the youth in the Community with locations in Villanova, Aston, West Chester and Cherry Hill. Steve saw that “young athletes were not being trained at the highest level. I built Summit with focus on the development of the athlete’s mind as they trained their body. It’s not about getting a kid into college or the NFL. It was about taking anybody and helping them, not to be a star, but to give the young athlete what they needed to be the best they can be.” Steve also placed his trainers in several high schools (including La Salle) and colleges and even worked with the Sixers. By then, Croce had become the President and part owner of the 76ers when they went from last place in 1996 to the NBA finals with Allen Iverson in 2001 under Coach Larry Brown and General Manager Billy King. Having learned from Croce the importance of motivating people and getting the most out of them while making them “feel great,” for over a decade, Summit taught anyone of any age or ability to develop and use their bodies in the same way Steve would train any of his Pros. Steve closed Summit in 2013 and he now funds a “private gym for my friends and family” in Bryn Mawr, still equipped with state-of-the-art machines and the best trainers in the field.
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During the Summit years, at the end of 2007, Bobby Mizia was stricken with a pernicious spinal cord infection that he says today “paralyzed my whole core.” About Bobby, Mount will tell you: “Miz is the strongest man I know and love. He is a triumph of the spirit and an inspiration to everyone who knows and meets him. He transformed my life. His energy and courage drive me with pride and compassion to treasure him and everything in life and never take anybody or anything in life for granted. He is our champion of our Class of 1972 and part of my soul. We are brothers.” Throughout the paralyzing acute illness phase to his current plateaued condition, Mizia and Mountain have been inseparable. Aside from the life care expenses, Steve visited Bobby every day. “He wasn’t allowed to shave because he was on blood thinners, but he had me shave him every day. We had to laugh about it to get through it. You make fun of yourself in life.” About Steve, Miz will tell you: “Steve worked for everything he got. Everything. Now he’s done everything for me. He’s done so much and means so much to me that I can’t put it into words. He’s done so much for my life to make it easier. I call him – he does it. If I’m down in the dumps, he gets me up. He’s so positive. He is my real friend who saved me.” Steve would agree: “Bobby never complains. He never says anything negative about his situation that happened so fast. Every day is a challenge and he dominates it. He may say it’s a bad day or he feels bad, but never ’why me.’ He’s as tough as it gets like the leather bag that keeps getting hit. He has tons of friends. I want to be there for Bobby without sorrow. I just want to be with him.”
Steve Mountain is classic, and he is timeless. He is the prolific prototype for La Salle’s Graduate Profile: A man of intellect and accomplishment, faith and compassion, service and justice, and integrity and respect. As an accomplished Brother’s Boy, he credits La Salle “for molding me as a good husband and father with a commitment to service, diversity and leadership. I am thankful for the opportunity to have such a great network and I always strive to be more conscious of others with a shared commitment to mutual respect. At La Salle, you make friends that last a lifetime. And, you learn that you can never give back enough. You learn what it means to be a gentleman.” Steve truly bridges the Lasallian generations. Steve takes the podium to receive this tribute as a person whose expertise, skill set and knowledge span so many fields. We thank him as the cornerstone of the Class of 1972 who has reached the summit. As La Salle’s Renaissance Man, on behalf of La Salle, we embrace him for motivating all of us, and countless others, to reach our highest peak through hard work, persistence, sustained balance, faith in God, country, family and friends. We owe him a debt of gratitude for showing his La Salle family that when fun and levity are combined with strength and wisdom, we create and sustain our true connections toward extraordinary and lasting relationships without artificial guardrails. And, we congratulate Cindy, Bryan, Kyle and Derek who are the unifying force behind Steve and his Lasallian legacy.
STEVE RETURNED TO LA SALLE TO SERVE AS AN ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH FOR DREW GORDON, FIRST AS AN OFFENSIVE BACKS COACH AND LATER BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL. “I LEARNED FROM THE KIDS AND REALIZED EVEN MORE WHAT A TERRIFIC COMMUNITY LA SALLE IS TODAY. I HOPE THE PLAYERS GOT AS MUCH FROM ME AS I GOT FROM THEM.” EXPLORER THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2020 15
BY ROBERT L. STOTT ’06
THE COMPLETE PACKAGE EXPLORER THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2020 16
FOR TONY MAGINNIS ’76, THE ROAD TO HIS INDUCTION INTO LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL’S HALL OF FAME IS ONE PAVED WITH THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF HARD WORK, A FEW LUCKY BREAKS (HIS WORDS), AND A NATURAL WILLINGNESS AND DESIRE TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING NEW. That latter aspect of Maginnis’ life is one that has regularly played a leading role, from his time walking the halls of the Wyndmoor, PA, campus, to his early career, to his current role as CEO and Owner of Global Packaging — a world leader in flexible packaging for the personal hygiene industry, among many other products. A Flourtown native, Maginnis learned to get involved early and often at La Salle. Though, as he tells it, he really wishes he would’ve done even more. A two-year member of the football program, Maginnis opted to hang up his helmet after his sophomore year, despite earning himself a Most Improved Player honor in his time playing for the Explorers.
“ALL THAT MEANT WAS THAT I STUNK WHEN I GOT THERE,” HE SAYS.
After wrapping up his second and final year of football, Maginnis caught wind that hockey was coming to La Salle. “The first team we had at La Salle was when I was a sophomore in 1973,” he says. “I can still remember we practiced at 4:30 in the morning up at the Wissahickon Skating Rink in Chestnut Hill, and we had our games over at Winter Sport in Willow Grove. We were just a club back then, and I remember, several times my junior and senior year we had players who were the coaches if there were times the coach couldn’t make it to the game or practice.” Despite the club sport environment, Maginnis said the experience was one that made a tremendous impression on him. “It was like a lot of things in life — you get into them and you don’t realize that you’re in a situation where you have to do a lot of things for yourself if you want to make it worthwhile,” he says. “It taught me to understand that you had to take the bull by the horns. We had a few guys on the team that wanted to make sure that the team succeeded — myself being one of them — and we went at it pretty hard to make sure that that happened.” That work ethic carried over into the rest of Maginnis’ time at La Salle.
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THE COMPLETE PACKAGE
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He recalled how so many members of the faculty left a similarly strong impression on him as a young man — in particular Marty Stanczak, Joe Colistra, and Dave Diehl, along with Brothers Gene Graham, Ed Conway, and Ed Gallagher — providing valuable life lessons.
A LOT OF THINGS LA SALLE DID WHILE WE WERE THERE, WE DIDN’T REALIZE, AS STUDENTS, THAT WE WERE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THEM DOWN THE ROAD,” MAGINNIS SAYS. “BUT THINGS LIKE JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU PAID ATTENTION AND GOT THE MOST OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE — THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE FACULTY AND STAFF TRIED TO IMPRESS UPON US, AND IT WORKED. After graduating from La Salle in 1976, Maginnis went on to obtain a BA in Business Administration from Saint Michael’s College in Burlington, Vermont. Immediately after, he returned home to work with his father where he got his start in the pre-press printing business. He worked there for three years before deciding to go out on his own and start his own printing business.
Maginnis and his partner John Holt purchased Cage Graphics in the mid-1980s, a company that, at the time, mainly worked on one-color and two-color ad work for agencies in New York and Philadelphia. But then a technology known as the desktop computer came along and forced Maginnis and Cage Graphics to evolve. Another segment of their business involved pre-press work that concentrated on flexographic work — basically flexible packaging that was supplied to companies like Hershey for their candy bags, Depends for diaper packaging, Tastykakes packaging, and Topps trading cards. “We got involved in a lot of different packaging sort of by accident, which forced us into a niche business that not many people in the Philadelphia area had a lot of interest in,” Maginnis explains. “We sort of ended up in the right place at the right time.” Cage Graphics eventually sold, and Maginnis and Holt moved to purchase Global Packaging, a firm they had become involved with as a client. Outside of his professional success, Maginnis has dedicated countless hours to serving on various boards of directors, including Mount Saint Joseph, La Salle College High School, Saint Michael’s College, as well as President of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club for over 20 years. He credits his desire to give back his time to what he experienced and learned at La Salle. “La Salle taught me a lot about being involved, about paying attention, about putting time in for good causes,” he says. “The hockey club was one of those things — it wasn’t a humanitarian cause, but it was a cause that required a lot of effort. So, it sort of became something that you learned by doing. You put your time and your efforts in somewhere and you were rewarded with the feeling of accomplishment. So the boards that I’m involved in, it’s something that you kinda keep pushing and you see the results pay off for some incredible causes.” In 2017, Maginnis was awarded The Distinguished Service Award by the Golf Association of Philadelphia, and he currently serves as the Chairman of the Whitemarsh Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Open Space in Montgomery County. Despite all his accomplishments and accolades, Maginnis remains humble. “I went to school with a number of guys that could be in that Hall of Fame as well, and they’re all important parts in this,” he says. “Everybody who walks through those halls, graduates, and then comes back and tries to give anything back at all to this school, they’re all hall of famers.” Maginnis and his wife Eileen remain active in giving their time to various causes and in their careers. They reside in Ambler, PA and are the proud parents of three children — Megan, a Mount Saint Joseph’s graduate who now works for Amazon’s digital ad sales team; Patrick, who works with dad; and Kevin, who is working towards a law degree.
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SUPPORTING LA SALLE THROUGH EITC/OSTC AN OVERVIEW: EDUCATIONAL INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) AND OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT (OSTC) • LAUNCHED IN 2001, allows tax credits for businesses that contribute to a scholarship organization. • TAX-CREDITS EQUAL 75% of business contributions up to a maximum of $750,000/ TAXABLE YEAR, and can be increased to 90% of the contribution, if the business agrees to provid the same amount for two consecutive years. • At least 80% OF THE CONTRIBUTION must be dispersed as financial aid to students who qualify based on income guidelines set by the State of Pennsylvania. • OSTC HAS THE SAME GUIDELINES AS EITC, but students receiving funds must also live in low-achieving school districts, as defined by State of Pennsylvania.
UTILIZING PERSONAL CREDITS (SPECIAL PURPOSE LLCs) • In 2015, Harrisburg passed legislation that allows the formation of special purpose LLCs for the sole purpose of turning your personal tax liability into EITC/OSTC financial aid dollars. • La Salle partners with two LLCs – the Business Leaders Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) and the Foundation for Catholic Education (FCE). The minimum capital contribution is $1,000 PER MEMBER. • The first capital contribution of the 2-YEAR COMMITMENT IS DUE AT SIGNING. The second-year capital commitment is repeated in a similar manner the following year.
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“I was thrilled to find a way to give back to La Salle College High School in a way that would have such a large impact with only a small sacrifice on my end. We, the alumni, parents and friends of La Salle have the opportunity to make a Lasallian Education possible for the best possible candidates, of varied backgrounds, by contributing to the EITC/OSTC program. This program is the best kept secret in Pennsylvania in my opinion. The Application is simple and the reimbursement came without any hassle, I’d be happy to recommend it to anyone and would encourage all who read this to consider a commitment of any size, knowing that your hard-earned money will be used appropriately, responsibly and for those who will truly appreciate it. Even better, it only costs you about $6 to donate $100 to an organization that can truly change the life of a young man. I know – it did for me.” CHRISTOPHER J. WILLIAMSON, JR., MD ’99
IMPACT ON LA SALLE •
35%of students receive financial aid.
• Financial aid through EITC/OSTC totaled $1.4M, thanks to the generosity of 81individuals and business supporters. • This money provided immediate financial aid, and thanks to these programs, made a Lasaillian education a reality for so many of our young men.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? JOIN AN LLC Support La Salle through EITC/OSTC through the Business Leaders Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) if your PA tax liability is $5,000 or more, or through the Foundation for Catholic Education (FCE) if your liability is $1,000 or more.
NEXT STEPS Contact Brett Foley ’00 at (215) 402-4812 or foleyb@lschs.org.
UTILIZING PERSONAL CREDITS (SPECIAL PURPOSE LLCS)
1 Make a 2-year commitment to help fund the LLC. the first capital contribution upon 2 Make signing the agreement. Receive tax credits equaling 90% of your 3 contribution amount. 4 Apply tax credits to your PA tax liability. the same procedure in your second 5 Repeat year of commitment.
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HIGHLIGHTS
P H O T O
G A L L E R I E S
HALL OF ATHLETICS INDUCTION OCTOBER 5, 2019 The 8th Annual Hall of Athletics Induction was held on Saturday, October 5, 2109 and featured the induction of four athletes: Craig Conlin ’85, Kevin B. Dougherty ’00, Philip T. Lynch ’96, and Charles J. Zapiec ’67; two coaches: Peter R. Sigmund ’85 and Mark F. Valenti ’65; and two teams: the 1980-81 Baseball Team and the 2006-07 Wrestling Team.
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HOMECOMING OCTOBER 5, 2019
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HIGHLIGHTS
P H O T O
G A L L E R I E S
AUCTION – CALIFORNIA DREAMIN NOVEMBER 2, 2020
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HIGHLIGHTS
P H O T O
G A L L E R I E S
DINNER DANCE FEBRUARY 2, 2020
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P H O T O
G A L L E R I E S
COMMUNION BREAKFAST AND HALL OF FAME INDUCTION MARCH 1, 2020 The Alumni Association at La Salle College High School held their annual Communion Breakfast and Hall of Fame Induction on Sunday, March 1, 2020. The day began with Mass, which was celebrated by Reverend Anthony W. Janton, AFSC ’69. At the conclusion of Mass, the William J. Whelan ’55 Alumni Service Award was presented to Joseph F. D’Angelo, EdD ’63 by William E. Murphy ’96, Vice-President of the Alumni Association. Following breakfast, Stephen P. Mountain (presented by Pat Croce) and Anthony J. Maginnis ‘76 (presented by Paul J. Maginnis ’77) were inducted into the La Salle College High School Hall of Fame. Brother James Butler, FSC, President of La Salle College High presided over the ceremonies and presented the awards.
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HIGHLIGHTS
N E W S
N O T E S
1940s JOHN KWOKA ’48 is in this 90th year and still kicking and active in eight organizations including church, veteran, and social activities.
1950s JOHN GRANOZIO ’52 has been living in Charleston, SC for twelve years and he is enjoying the slower pace. JIM OSBORNE ’56 writes that Shane Osborne ’19 will be the last Osborne registered at La Salle College High School for several years. The Osborne Family has been part of the campus since 1952. JIM MCGILL ’57 and his wife, Andrea, are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. ROBERT M. SMITH ’59 writes that he has nine grandchildren.
1960s OLIVER “BUD” ROMAN ’60 is retired and living in Jacksonville, FL, but still consults for the mineral exploration, mining, and environmental industries. LOU BECCARIA ’63 was recently appointed by the Chester County Commissioners to be a Commissioner on the Chester County Housing Authority.
PAUL LASKOW ’66 was recognized with the US Rowing Sportsmanship award for his behind the scene work on getting the Schuylkill River dredged. With many years of silt build up in the Schuylkill River, the iconic racecourse’s lanes became more uneven over time, with safety issues becoming a concern. Threats of events having to change venues presented themselves, and the Schuylkill Navy River Restoration Committee (SN RRC) stepped into action to dredge the river. The committee, chaired by Paul Laskow, served as a core steering team and brought together the best talents and insights from a diverse group of leaders from across the Schuylkill River community.
“There cannot be a more basic, indeed, mundane task than working to maintain a public resource, the Schuylkill River, that provides the opportunity for AUGUSTIN J. SCHWARTZ III, MD ’63 retired after rowing at all levels,” Laskow said. “Therefore, it is 45 years of practicing Hematology and Medical very gratifying to have this endeavor involving a team Oncology in West Palm Beach, FL. of individuals, some inside and others alongside the Philadelphia rowing community, recognized by the KEVIN E. KEEGAN, ESQ. ’65 retired from the broader rowing community.” With help from the City Massachusetts Bar Association after 39 years of Philadelphia, its Parks and Recreation Department, of practice in banking, insurance, and wealth the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia management. District Office, individual donors and numerous Philadelphia universities, it was announced that the Schuylkill Navy River Restoration Project would be moving forward.
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GERRY AUBREY ’65 and members of the Class of 1965 recently celebrated a reunion at the Jersey Shore.
CHRISTOPHER SZAL ’73 writes that his daughter, Alexa Jo, was married to William Sabate on November 2, 2019.
GLENN L. FRICKE ’65 took over and developed a shelter for men and women in West Chester, PA. He is retired and living in Lewes, DE.
JOHN F. BURNS ’75 retired from Spectacor Management Group after 37 years.
THOMAS J. BALDINO ’67 retired from full time teaching at Wilkes University in May of 2019 after teaching full-time since 1978. JOE HARTNETT ’69 and several classmates attended the game between the Phillies and Cleveland Indians to celebrate the retirement of Dennis Lehman ’69, who spent fifty years in Major League Baseball between the Phillies and Indians organizations.
JOSEPH A. CHECCHIO, DDS ’75 opened a new practice in Mullica Hill, NJ that will focus on reconstructive and implant dentistry. DON RONGIONE ’75 is celebrating 38 years with Bollman Hat Company, where he has served as President and CEO since 2002. Founded in 1868, Bollman is America’s oldest hat maker. JOE HAND, JR. ’76 and Joe Hand Promotions, the Bucks County provider of live content to public venues, has joined with a Las Vegas company to distribute a nationwide service that streams betting information into bars, along with exclusive content aimed at younger audiences, such as eSports. The tech company, KonekTV, is founded by two Penn grads and is partly financed by 76ers managing partner Josh Harris.
1980s ANTHONY CLEMENTE, JR. ’80 and his wife, Onikepe, are blessed to be parents of 8-year old triplets. JOHN M. ZERR, ESQ. ’80 serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Invesco’s Americas operations and was recently asked to lead Invesco’s Canadian business as President and CEO of Invesco Canada.
1970s GERALD T. HATHAWAY ’72, a partner in the New York City office of the law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, has been appointed to the Advisory Board of the New York University School of Law Center for Labor and Employment Law. NICHOLAS RONGIONE ’72 is the proud grandpop of three little guys – two born in the last year.
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HIGHLIGHTS
N E W S
ALTON A. SIMPSON, PHD ’83 wrote and produced the film Who is Jose Luck? that was in the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and streams on Amazon Prime. He has written, produced, and directed films that were in the NYC and Philadelphia 48 Hour Film Festivals and produced commercials that have been on Comcast. He has written and produced music that has been used in commercials and streamed over 1 million times on Spotify and Apple Music as well as created and produced a stop motion film called Marvel Vs DC that was in the Phoenix Comic Con Film Festival. His comic Vampires of New Jersey was developed with Marvel artist Mahathir Buang who drew Silver Surfer. His new comic series, Blackjack, is about a grounded sci fi superhero whose powers change without his control, so he goes on a cross country trip to find out why. It is like X-Files meet’s Unbreakable. All his comics are part of a shared universe so crossovers can happen at any time
N O T E S
JOHN J. STAUB ’84 obtained his M.S. in Cybersecurity from La Salle University.
JOHN GRADY ’85, who spent 21 years with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, including the last eight as its President, is departing from the economic development agency to join Wexford Science and Technology. Grady will serve as a Senior Vice President for the Baltimore-based development company that is involved in several projects in Philadelphia including creating mixed-use community called uCity Square with the University City Science Center. The company has also worked on projects with the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine, Drexel University, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. PIDC is an economic development organization formed decades ago by the city and Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia to help encourage investment, business growth, and development activity that leads to job creation and neighborhood revitalization. Grady started at PIDC in 1998 after a stint with what is now known as the Cooper’s Ferry Partnership. The Philadelphia Navy Yard was among the projects he was involved with from the beginning of his tenure at PIDC. He oversaw the transition of the Navy Yard to city ownership and ultimately its successful redevelopment. He took over the head job at PIDC when Peter Longstreth retired in 2011. Grady’s responsibilities included helping to shepherd commercial and industrial real estate development throughout the city and managing complex publicprivate financing and development projects. During his tenure as president, PIDC has issued 500 loans totaling more than $150 million that affected 97% of the city’s zipcodes.
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BRIAN H. LANGE, ME, PE ’88 was recognized with an Alumni Award from Villanova University for Professional Achievement. He has spent the past 27 years with Merck & Co., holding leadership roles in engineering, quality, labor relations, and vaccine manufacturing. He is currently Associate Vice President – Global Supply Chain Operations.
2000s WILLIAM J. PHELAN IV, ESQ. ’00 has been appointed as the President of the Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA) Board of Directors. Bill is a parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Havertown and resides there with his wife and two children.
REVEREND MICHAEL A. TIDD, OSB, EDD ’88 is Headmaster at Delbarton School, Morristown, NJ.
“This is such an exciting time in Philadelphia with the installation of Archbishop Pérez as our new Archbishop. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to lead the Catholic Charities Appeal Board of Directors as their new President. The Catholic Charities Appeal is truly the backbone to DREW MORRISROE ’92 has been appointed to the so many amazing organizations and programs in this Enterprise Board of Trustees of Thomas Jefferson Archdiocese, supporting thousands of our neighbors University and Jefferson Health. He serves on the in need. I look forward to working with Appeal finance, enterprise risk, and executive compensation/ supporters and beneficiaries to give hope to those human capital committees as well as the Thomas who need it the most and to help bring the CCA to Jefferson University Academic Board. Drew is our younger generations.” President & CEO of CTN Solutions, an IT service provider based in Blue Bell, PA. The 25-year Bill has advanced from a member of the Board of old firm provides IT managed, cloud, and cyber Directors, to President after dedicated years of security services, as well as IT staffing to mid-sized service. As the youngest Board President in the businesses and non-profit organizations. Catholic Charities Appeal history, Bill will faithfully lead the way through this new chapter within the JOHN GIANSANTI ’95 and his wife, Regina, reside Archdiocese with reinvigorated passion for the in Voorhees, NJ with their three children: Isabella, Catholic Charities Appeal mission. Julianne, and Joseph. Bill is the Lead Litigator for the Philadelphia office of Cordell & Cordell, PC, focusing on family law. He graduated magna cum laude from The Catholic University of America where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations and then a Master of Arts in Congressional and Presidential Studies. He earned his Juris Doctor, with a certificate in Law and Public Policy, from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. Bill has received multiple awards and accolades for his legal skills, he presents and is published frequently in his field, and volunteers on multiple alumni and education boards. He joined the Catholic Charities Appeal Board of Directors in 2016.
1990s
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HIGHLIGHTS
N E W S
MATTHEW GLEASON ’04 was married on December 7, 2019 to Leah Berry at The Cira Centre in Center City Philadelphia and spent his honeymoon in Panama City and Costa Rica. JAMES MURPHY ’05 is a Post-Doc Fellow at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. RAYMOND P. SUBERS ’05 married Rebecca Simon in July of 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. Ray was recently promoted to Vice President at Entertainment Market Research Consultancy.
N O T E S
2010s STEVE WASYLENKO ’11 married Lindsay McLaughlin on November 29. 2019. The groomsmen and best man included: Nick Sabia ’11, Brendan Kretschman ’11, Steve Sinnott ’10, Steve Wasylenko ’11, Dan Wasylenko ’12 (Best Man), Brennan Woods ’11, and Brendan Lyons ’11.
ANDREW GLEASON ’06 is working in a Music Library in Los Angeles, CA and performing and touring with the band “Young Creatures”.
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DARNELL B. ARTIS ’12 is a member of the worldfamous Harlem Globetrotters. This is the third season with the Globetrotters for Darnell who made the team after a very successful college career at Division III Gwynedd Mercy University. He says the fact that he’s a Globetrotter still seems a bit surreal. “Even now, even for the first two years, I would see my pictures and be like, ’Wow, I really play for the Harlem Globetrotters.’ This season, this is the first time I’ve been doing radio and TV and stuff. I just see these interviews and watch the interviews afterwards, watch the news, and it’s still crazy to me a little bit. I’m really a Harlem Globetrotter sitting here talking to you right now. This is crazy, this is amazing, you know, just working so hard to get here. It’s surreal,” Artis said.
PATRICK L. DUFF ’14 accepted a new position as a Support Coordinator for people with Intellectual Disabilities with Lenape Valley Foundation. RYAN BAKER ’18 attained Dean’s List (College of Engineering) and University Honors for the Fall of 2019 at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. He’s been selected for internship with Vanguard in Malvern, PA during the summer of 2020. CAMERON DESHNAD ’19 was selected to be the Class of 2023 Honors Program Representative at Iona College.
Artis enjoys the basketball but he says being a Globetrotter goes beyond just the game. “When you’re an athlete, a professional athlete at that, people already look up to you and expect you to be a certain type of role model. But when you’re a Harlem Globetrotter, there’s another level of expectation, and that’s my favorite part of it, just the way the kids react when they see the Harlem Globetrotters logo or see the ball. When you go up to them, how happy they get, that’s the best part for me, the kids and the fans’ interaction,” he added. EXPLORER THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2020 35
DEPARTMENTS
W E
W E L C O M E
A N D
R E M E M B E R
BIRTHS AND DEATHS AS OF MARCH 15, 2020
WE WELCOME JACK KEENAN ’06 and his wife, Erin, welcomed a daughter, Quinn Elizabeth, on January 2, 2020.
WE REMEMBER EUGENE P. HUGHES, SR. ‘42, father of Edward ’67, Eugene ’67, Robert ’70, Timothy ’72, Thomas ’73, Christopher ’76, Brian ’78, and Donald ’80; grandfather of Patrick ’97, Timothy ’99, Edward ’01, Robert ’03, and Kevin ’08. JOHN M. DIGRAZIA ’47 FRANCIS W. NEWS ’47 WILLIAM A. LA PLANTE ’48 JOHN P. MCELVENNY, JR. ‘50, grandfather of Kevin Gatti ‘10; brother of Bernard ‘51. A. EDWARD ALLINSON ’52 DONALD J. KIESER ’52, father of Donald ’75 and Scott ’83; brother of Ellwood (Dec’d.) ’46 and C. William ’48. REVEREND WILLIAM F. RYAN ’53 JOSEPH J. KOLB ’54, brother of Reverend James M. Kolb, CSP ’58. WILLIAM J. REYNOLDS ’54 JOHN J. “JACK” LEE ’55, father of John ’81. EDWARD W. SCHMID, JR. ’56 GEORGE T. BAUDER ’57 ROBERT J. DURNEY ’57 FRANCIS “FRANK” HETHERINGTON ’57 EDWARD P. RUSH ’57 W. RICHARD HOSTER ’59 DANIEL J. LEINHEISER ’59 ROBERT F. STRANIX ’59, brother of Edward Stranix ’61. GEORGE M. DICK ’60 RICHARD J. KILFEATHER ’60, brother of Edward Kilfeather ’57 (Dec’d.). RALPH C. PALMER ’63 PETER J. REGAN ’64 JOHN C. HILINSKI ’65, brother of Andrew ’71. WILLIAM J. GIBBONS, MD ’66, father of Brian ’06, brother of Thomas Gibbons ’69 and John ’75 Gibbons and Past Parent Mrs. Margaret Gottschalk. LOUIS A. RIEFFEL, ESQ. ’67, father of Kevin ’02; brother of James ’84. WILLIAM. M. DRAYTON ’68, father of David ’02. JAMES F. MCCROSSEN ‘69 MICHAEL J. GALLAGHER, DDS ’70, son of James ’43; father of Shawn ’99 and Bryan ’01; brother-in-law of Joseph McMenamin ’70.
JOSEPH G. GAWINSKI ’70 REVEREND BENEDICT ’BENNY’ EDWARD KAPA ’70 STEPHEN J. BURNS ’74 WILLIAM J. (BILL) SMART ’77, father of William, Jr. ’03, Daniel ’07, and Thomas ’08 and the late Brian M. Smart ’12. TREVOR T. VOGT ’96, son of the late Frederick ’63; brother of Frederick ’91. PATRICK J. CURRY ’03 JOHN D. MCBURNIE, JR. ‘07
JAMES J. AHERN, JR., father of Sean ’02, Conor ’04. and Brendan ’08. MARGARET MARY ASMAN, mother of David ’78, Gregg ’81, and Thomas ’84 Asman. SUZANNE TERESA AZZARANO, grandmother of Erik ’14, Nickolas ’19. and Kristian ’21 Azzarano. KATHLEEN A. BOOTH, mother of Matthew ’90. JOHN A. BOTTINGER, father of John ’86. GERALDINE BRACKEN, mother of Kevin Bracken ’94. FRANCES BRETT, mother of James Brett ’73.
SAMUEL GABRIEL, father of Samuel Gabriel, Jr. ’80; grandfather of Brian Ruhling ’04.
JOSEPH P. MILLET, SR., father of Joseph, Jr. ’68, David ’74, and Kevin ’77; grandfather of Joseph Millet III ’06.
MARY T. GALLAGHER, mother of Gerard ’75; mother-in-law of Daniel Fitzgerald ’78; grandmother of Sean ’01, Daniel ’99 and Colin ’04 Fitzgerald and Gerard Gallagher ’12.
EDWARD S. MORTKA, father of Edward ’75 and Michael ’76 Mortka.
MARGARET E. GIVNISH, mother of Thomas Givnish ’69, Bruce Givnish ’73, and David Givnish ’76. PATRICIA GLEASON, mother of Mark ’72 and Craig ’75; grandmother of Matthew’04 and Andrew ’06. EDWARD J. GRADY, father of the late Edward Grady ’70; father in law of Mrs. Pamela Grady; father of Glenn ’78 and John ’84 Grady; grandfather of Mark ’01 and Christopher ’07 Grady. ANN R. HENNER, mother of Michael ’05 and Jason ’05. CORNELIUS F. “NEIL” HOLT, brother of Mrs. Jeanne Holt Brabson. ANNA INNEQUALE, the grandmother of La Salle’s Director of Facilities Ana Smith. KATHLEEN R. JOHNSON, mother of George ’79 and Stephen ’82; grandmother of Dylan, ’09, Kevin ’09, Kyle ’16, and Jaiden Johnson ’19.
MARTHA M. CARLIN, mother of Brian ’05 and Sean ’09.
RALPH J. KELLY, father of Joseph ’84; father in-law of Alfred Menkhaus ’79; grandfather of Shaun ’08, Kevin ’12, and Brian ’20 Menkhaus.
JOAN E. COLANTONIO, mother of the late Joseph ’62 and James ’64.
HARRIET A. KOSLEY, mother of 1SG Leo S. Kosley, USA(Ret) ’65.
BROTHER CARL CLAYTON, FSC
KATHERINE LANDERS, mother of Richard ’74, James ’77 and Joseph ’79 Landers.
JOSEPH J. COLL, JR., grandfather of William Coll ’22; brother of the late Frank Coll ’62; uncle of Gavin ’01 and Matthew ’06 Young. LORRAINE DEMAIO, mother of Stephen ’74 and grandmother of Vincenzo DeMaio ’21; son of current parents Andrea and Victor DeMaio, Jr. DOLORES DOUGHERTY, mother of Neil Dougherty ’72 and Andrew Dougherty ’75; grandmother of Brendan Dougherty ’98. JOHN J. DUFFY, grandfather of Sean ’18 and Jack ’23 Duffy. KATHLEEN PATRICIA ENGEL, mother of Mrs. Kathleen Tavolaro; grandmother of Kevin Tavolaro ’15. THERESE A. EVERMAN, mother of Vincent ’69 and Mark ’79; grandmother of Vincent ’15.
JEAN LEMBACH, wife of the late Philip ’50; mother of Guy ’86. FRANCES M. MAGUIRE, wife of Mr. James J. Maguire (The Maguire Foundation). JOSEPH P. MALLEE, SR., grandfather of Brett Mallee ’19 and Daniel Mallee ’20. JOHN J. MATTHEWS, grandfather of Harrison Sloan ’18. CAROLYN A. MALONE, wife of James P. Malone, Sr. ’53; mother of James. Jr. ’74 and Andrew ’78; grandmother of Patrick ’06 and Colin ’11. FRANCIS (FRANK) J. MARKEY, JR., father of Francis J. Markey III ’70. ROBERT A. MASSINO, JR., father of Robert III ’97 and James ’01 Massino.
PATRICIA MARIE FLEMING, wife of Robert E. Fleming, Sr. ’52.
FLORINDA MCGOLDRICK, mother of James ’90 and Mark ’93 McGoldrick.
ELEANOR FLYNN, mother of Mrs. Marianne Koller; mother-in-law of the late James Koller ’69; grandmother of James ’97 and Kevin ’99 Koller.
MARYANN MCKENZIE, mother of Martin ’85 and Matthew ’86; sister of James McLaughlin ’57; daughter of Bernard McLaughlin ’23.
JANET FOX, mother of Thomas ’03.
MARY P. MEEHAN, wife of Austin Meehan, Jr. ’49 (Dec’d.); mother of Austin ’81, Joseph ’93, and Daniel ’96.
EXPLORER THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2020 36
MARY ELIZABETH CATTIE MURRAY, mother of Gerard F. Cattie, Jr. ’84; grandmother of Benjamin Tursi ’99. ANNE M. NOLEN, wife of Dennis Nolen ’71. WILLIAM F. O’DONNELL III, father of William ’91, Sean ’96. and Dennis ’01. SARAH “SALLY” OSBORNE, wife of James ’56; mother of James ’82 and Gregory ’84; grandmother of Gregory ’18 and Shane ’19. MARK J. PALERMO, father of Nicholas Palermo ’11; uncle of Michael ’07 and John ’12 Palermo. KATHLEEN PALOMBARO, mother of Matthew ’94. MARY MCKEEVER PETTINE, mother of Jack Pettine ’65. NANCY D. PRICE, mother of Daniel ’79 and James ’85 Price; grandmother of Stephen ’12, Brian ’15, and Timothy ’17 Price and Michael ’10, John ’13, and Nicholas ’16 Camusi. ELIZABETH ROAK, grandmother of Robert ’17. VERONICA ROMAN, mother of Andrew ’89. MARTHA SCANNAPIECO, grandmother of Erik ’13 and Shane ’15 Scannapieco. WALTER T. SCHALLEUR, grandfather of Christopher ’90 and David ’99 Schalleur. MARY PAT SEISS, sister of Robert ’09 and Ryan ’14; granddaughter of Robert L. Griffith, Esq. ’62. MARIA C. SPERGER, mother of Reverend Herbert Sperger and Past Parent Mr. Michael Sperger; grandmother of John ’08. THOMAS STACK, father of Thomas ’91, James ’93, and Christopher ’98. DOMINIC TAMBURRI, father of Michael ’80 and Richard ’81. MARY A. TOMLINSON, grandmother of Michael ’06 and Stephen ’10 Donovan and David ’13 and Daniel ’17 Hunt. JOANNE TRAINER, grandmother of Liam ’18 and Dillon ’20 Trainer and Harrison Sweitzer ’22. BRUCE WALTER, father of Jeffrey ’01. FLORENCE WARD JOEL M. ZIFF, Past Trustee of La Salle College High School; father of James ’77, John ’78, Peter ’80, and Michael ’88; grandfather of Brian Ziff ’10.
David T. Diehl ’55
SCHOLARSHIP GOLF OUTING Monday, June 15, 2020 WHITEMARSH VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB Lafayette Hill, PA 19444 TWO SHOTGUN STARTS Morning and Afternoon
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club dates back to 1908. Over the years, it has hosted several Philadelphia Classics and Philadelphia Amateur Championships. With well-groomed fairways and greens, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club offers challenging play for golfers of every skill level. For information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact The Office Of Institutional Advancement at (215) 402-4808 or alumni@lschs.org
Explorer
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LANSDALE, PA PERMIT NO. 93
La Salle College High School 8605 Cheltenham Avenue Wyndmoor, PA 19038 Change Service Requested
HALL OF ATHLETICS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012, LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL INDUCTED THE INAUGURAL CLASS INTO ITS HALL OF ATHLETICS IN AN EFFORT TO HONOR ATHLETIC LEGENDS AT THE SCHOOL.
THE CLASS OF 2020 WILL BE HONORED AT AN INDUCTION CEREMONY THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE FALL OF 2020 IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOMECOMING WEEKEND. Alumni, parents, faculty, students, and friends of La Salle College High School can nominate individual athletes, teams, and leaders (coaches, moderators, athletic directors). The Hall of Athletics Selection Committee will review all nominations solely on accomplishments and performances at La Salle College High School. Accolades achieved following
high school or while not representing La Salle College High School will not be considered. Individual athletes must have graduated at least ten years ago (prior to 2010 for this nominating class) and coaches must have been retired from active coaching for at least one year. The deadline for all nominations is May 3, 2020. An announcement regarding the initial inductees will be made in early June and the inductees will be formally presented in the Summer 2020 issue of the Explorer as well as on the school’s website.
NOMINATIONS CAN BE SUBMITTED ONLINE AT: WWW.LSCHS.ORG/HOA