The NIASHF began in 1977 as the Italian American Boxing Hall of Fame in Elmwood Park, IL, then expanded to all sports, and now  has built a huge collection of Italian American sports photos and other memorabilia, including Mario Andretti's Indy 500 race car, Rocky Marciano's first heavyweight championship belt, Vince Lombardi's last coat worn as coach of the Green Bay Packers, and swimmer Matt Biondi's Olympic gold medals. Today, the NIASHF counts more than 200 inductees. Across Taylor street stands a  bronze Joe DiMaggio statue poised in a mighty batting stance at Joe DiMaggio Piazza.

27 years ago the NIASHF launched an annual fundraising dinner benefiting local youth programs. The first dinner brought together celebrities including 23 former Italian American boxing world champions; among them were Rocky Graziano, Jake LaMotta, Sammy Angott, and Willie Pep. The event also posthumously honored Rocky Marciano, Primo Carnera, and Tony Canzoneri.

This important Italian American Museum seems to have been running its operation with its heart, rather than its brain. Instead of contributing $6 million to scholarship programs that promote diversity and education, and offering the hall for community events free of charge, admirable, but putting itself in Financial trouble. 

With its bronze Joe DiMaggio statue poised in a mighty batting stance across the street, and thousands of sports memorabilia treasures displayed in its sweeping exhibit spaces, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (NIASHF) at 1431 W. Taylor St. is a community asset. In the current troubled economy, however, it is facing foreclosure, so community activists are working hard to save it.

Bridgeview Bank declined to comment on the foreclosure, but the civil lawsuit the bank filed July 27 alleges Taylor Bishop LLC (the company that was set up to hold the organization?s assets) is in default on three loans totaling more than $9.4 million.

According to the lawsuit, Taylor Bishop LLC now "wrongfully detains the memorabilia",  which, it states, were used as collateral for the loans. The bank is demanding the collection, which the lawsuit estimates is worth $5 million; the suit includes a 32-page attachment listing the NIASHF items. Hall founder and chairman George Randazzo said, "We are not leaving Taylor Street. This is only making us stronger. We?ve been meeting with the City and with the Italian American community leaders, and the people at Bridgeview Bank actually have been very helpful in working through this situation.

?We have a very diverse community, but as long as we can continue to identify as Little Italy in University Village, everybody can share in a wonderful cultural thing, and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is a great part of it",Randazzo said.

Raising funds
The NIASHF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds through various membership/support levels; admission fees; special events; a museum store; and a development initiative seeking charitable gifts, grants, and bequests. The organization?s Tommy Lasorda Golf Open, held Aug. 23 this year, is a major annual fundraising event.

?We have high hopes that the golf event will be part of an influx of funds that will help get us out of the ?emergency room,?" said lifelong community activist and NIASHF supporter Oscar D?Angelo.

?We are looking at two levels of addressing this problem",shortterm and long-term. Museums of all kinds, all across the land, are suffering now in these economic times. But out of crisis and adversity will come some exciting new opportunities and solutions.

?This is a wake-up call".  D?Angelo continued. "The Italian American community cannot afford to lose this fine edifice. It represents the way poor people got themselves through hardship and up the ladder of success. Italian American sports heroes are part of the American dream, and the hall of fame has done so much over the years to support children with scholarships and support organizations by donating items for their events".

The NIASHF supports community outreach and has contributed more than $6 million to scholarship programs that promote diversity and education.

?The current economic climate has led to difficulties at many Chicago institutions, and the NIASHF is no exception",  said Dennis O?Neill, executive director of the University Village Association (UVA). "It would be a major blow to Taylor Street and this community if the NIASHF were to close".

According to O?Neill, "The UVA has worked closely with George Randazzo at the NIASHF to develop a plan to save the hall.This plan involves a capital campaign that Mr. Randazzo and others involved in the hall are putting together as well as exploring uses for some of the unused space in the hall.

?The importance of the NIASHF to Taylor Street, the Italian American community, and the City of Chicago is recognized by Aldermen Robert Fioretti and Daniel Solis as well as others at City Hall, and they are doing everything they can to save this wonderful asset in our community",  O?Neill noted. "The NIASHF was designed by well-known Chicago architect John Vinci, and it and the Joe DiMaggio piazza across Taylor Street have become a focal point on Taylor Street."

The UVA and other organizations have used NIASHF meeting spaces for special events. Said O?Neill, ?George Randazzo has always made it a point to open the hall for community events free of charge. The very successful fundraiser for the Andrew Jackson Language Academy and a community meeting on the Chicago Housing Authority Plan for Transformation hosted by the UVA are two recent examples" 

Huge collection
Since the NIASHF began in 1977 as the Italian American Boxing Hall of Fame in Elmwood Park, IL, Randazzo has built a huge collection of Italian American sports photos and other memorabilia, including Mario Andretti?s Indy 500 race car, Rocky Marciano?s first heavyweight championship belt, Vince Lombardi?s last coat worn as coach of the Green Bay Packers, and swimmer Matt Biondi?s Olympic goldmedals.

In addition, 27 years ago the NIASHF launched an annual fundraising dinner benefiting local youth programs. The first dinner brought together celebrities including 23 former Italian American boxing world champions; among them were Rocky Graziano, Jake LaMotta, Sammy Angott, and Willie Pep. The event also posthumously honored Rocky Marciano, Primo Carnera, and Tony Canzoneri.

In the years that followed, celebrities from all walks of life have come to the annual induction ceremonies, including President Jimmy Carter, who unexpectedly attended in 1980 to offer his congratulations and address the crowd. Today, the NIASHF counts more than 200 inductees.

In 1988 the NIASHF moved from its original headquarters in Elmwood Park to Arlington Heights, and in 1998,with the help of Phoenix Suns Chairman/CEO Jerry Colangelo (a 1994 inductee and Chicago Heights, IL, native), officials began planning amove to Taylor Street. Colangelo helped assemble a leadership committee of prominent Italian Americans involved in business and sports throughout North America.

In 2000, officials dedicated the Taylor Street facility, which includes a ballroom, performing arts center, exhibit gallery, rooftop terrace, and piazza. The organization also is developing a second floor exhibit hall.

http://www.gazettechicago.com/index/2010/09/
national-italian-american-sports-hall-of-fame-
playing-hardball-with-its-future/
 

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