STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Staten Island Baseball Oldtimers will honor five household names in the local sports community when it hosts the 7th annual awards breakfast on Oct. 18 at LiGreci’s Staaten in West Brighton.
The breakfast, which is co-sponsored by Dr. Daniel Messina of Richmond University Medical Center, will commence at 10 a.m.
SIBO will honor five individual winners at this year’s event: College of Staten Island head baseball coach Mike Mauro (3rd annual Anthony Varvaro Legacy Award); Bobby Glennerster (Outstanding Achievement Award); Port Richmond varsity baseball and girls’ varsity basketball coach John Sce and long-time coach and former Advance/SILive.com sportswriter Larry Anderson (Lifetime Achievement Awards); Bobby Casanovas (Paul Rogalli Community Service Award).
SIBO president John Mattera has always marveled at the rich history Staten Island’s baseball community and believes this year’s honorees have made numerous contributions to it.
“I always look forward to this event because I’m a Staten Island sports guy and I feel really good about the people we’re honoring,” said Mattera. “You feel good because they’re being rewarded for the contributions they’ve made to the community.
“Coaches put in a lot of time and they deserve the recognition.”
For those interested in purchasing tickets to next month’s breakfast, please contact Tony Navarino at 917-607-7408. You may make checks payable to: Staten Island Baseball Oldtimers; C/O Tony Navarino; 38 Vincent Ave., S.I., N.Y. 10306.
Tickets are $65 for adults and $40 for children 12 and-under.
For a synopsis of the award winners, please scroll down.
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Anthony Varvaro Legacy Award: Mike Mauro
Mike Mauro, who has an extensive athletic résumé as both a player and coach, was named the third recipient of the Anthony Varvaro Legacy Award.
The award is based on service, character and dedication.
Mauro was a star baseball player for both McKee and John Jay College. He was signed by the Detroit Tigers after college and played rookie and Class-A ball in the minor leagues before enjoying immense success in the highly competitive Twyford-Muche League.
He assisted former Tottenville varsity baseball coach Tom Tierney Jr. at both New Utrecht and Tottenville. Then, and after assisting ex-CSI head baseball coach Bill Cali for a year, he took over the Dolphins’ program in 2009. He guided CSI into Division II play and has enjoyed immense success at the Willowbrook school throughout his career.
But the former city police officer has also volunteered for numerous fundraisers, charitable events and worthy causes through the years and it’s one of the reasons why he was selected for the prestigious award.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Larry Anderson
Larry Anderson was among the last of the three-sport athletes at Curtis High School, and one of the best: a two-time all-city centerfielder, MVP of the football team, and do-everything point guard before anybody thought to call it that; and the winner of the 1960 Rabbit Maranville Award as the top student-athlete in New York.
In the Journal-American All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, he singled on the first pitch of the game against a future Cy Young Award winner, Mike Marshall … and stole second on the next pitch against Bill Freehan, a future five-time Gold Glove winner.
Anderson was captain of a powerhouse baseball team at NYU, and a walk-on with the basketball team that included future pros Happy Hairston and Barry Kramer and Stan McKenzie, and was ranked No. 1 in the country — in his third-best sport.
He transitioned to a career as a teacher, coach and role model, winning three Island championships in eight seasons as the basketball coach at Curtis, guiding the Wagner College baseball team to its first NCAA tournament berth, and showing generations of younger athletes that being a competitor and a gentleman were not mutually exclusive.
Anderson was also a long-time sportswriter for the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com’s sports department.
Lifetime Achievement Award: John Sce
John Sce began coaching high school sports in 1996, and he hasn’t looked back as he’s enjoyed a 29-year career that started in Brooklyn and has now been on Staten Island for nearly a quarter-of-a-century.
Sce was a pitcher for the College of Staten Island, and in 1996 he became the varsity baseball coach at Midwood High School in Brooklyn. He coached the Hornets for six seasons.
In 2003, Sce took over Port Richmond’s varsity baseball program. Then, in 2010, he was named the Raiders’ girls’ varsity basketball coach and he’s held the positions for both programs ever since.
Last fall, Sce was named the recipient of the Cadets Alumni Association Service Award for being a distinguished Cadet Alumnus. The award recognizes exceptional service to the Staten Island community, as well as his unwavering perseverance.
Outstanding Achievement Award: Bobby Glennerster
Bobby Glennerster was a standout baseball player at both St. Joseph by-the-Sea and the College of Staten Island.
When he decided to become a coach for the sport he loved, he branched out to different levels of the game. Glennerster has heavy involvement in the local travel baseball community and he also coached at Great Kills Little League.
After a five-year stint as an assistant at the CSI, he took over St. Peter’s varsity baseball team in the summer of 2017 and has lifted the Eagles’ program to unprecedented success since.
In fact, not only did he guide the Eagles to back-to-back CHSAA Archdiocesan titles in 2023-2024, but the school’s lone CHSAA city championship in 2024 as well.
Earlier this year, he was one victory away from leading the Eagles to the city championship round for a third straight season.
Paul Rogalli Community Service Award: Bobby Casanovas
When you hear the name Bobby Casanovas, you can’t help but think of long-time baseball umpire and basketball referee. In fact, he’s been umpiring for a whopping 43 years and refereeing for 29 years.
Casanovas, who is a very active member of the SIBO, is the PSAL’s umpire-in-chief and head assignor these days as well.
But you’ll also find him volunteering his services for numerous worthy causes, fundraisers and charitable events, including as an umpire.
Casanovas has also taught the finer points of umpiring at various clinics through the years.