![]() He made speeches at every opportunity, effusive with charisma and optimism. The boy from Queens, New York endeared himself to the fanatical supporters of Wolfpack basketball. NC State played in the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of the most prestigious conferences in all of college basketball. That success led to Jim being named head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University. He moved on to coach Bucknell University and then Iona College, where he led the Gaels to two NCAA tournament appearances, their first ever. He coached Johns Hopkins University to their first winning season in 24 years. He was named Senior Athlete of the Year as a player at Rutgers University. Beside each item, he listed a time frame in which to accomplish each goal – added together, his timeline totaled thirty years. Play college basketball, become an assistant coach, become head coach at a small school, become head coach at a major university, win a game in Madison Square Garden, win an NCAA National Championship. In 1963, when he was 17, he made a list of goals on an index card. He was both popular and a talented athlete, playing three sports at Seaford High School on Long Island. Jimmy was charismatic, so much so that there were rarely any negatives as the result of his shenanigans. He was the most mischievous, the nonstop talker and the one who would carry out crazy antics. ![]() Jimmy, the middle boy, was born in March of 1946. The boys had a love of sports both as fans of their beloved Yankees and participants, especially playing basketball. They were a loving Italian family, never hesitant to hug and kiss each other – the words “I love you” flowing freely. Rocco and Angelina lived in Queens, New York where they raised their three sons, Nick, Jim and Bob.
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