Gonillo
leaves us stories to smile about
Connecticut
Post (
Author: CHRIS ELSBERRY celsberry@ctpost.com
FAIRFIELD - As the story goes, back in the mid- to
late-80s, New Haven men's basketball coach Stu Grove had worked out some kind
of deal to get a couple of his team's games broadcast on the local radio
station, WELI-AM. And the very first game was against New Hampshire College ...
in Manchester, N.H.
"Bill Gonillo was going to
be doing the game for WELI," Jack Jones, Fairfield University's sports
information director, is remembering. "And I was in my first or second
year at New Haven as SID. Bill said, 'Let's drive up there together,
we'll carpool ... it'll be fun.' So I go with him.
"So, he does the game and afterwards, I go into the SID's office there to
make my phone calls and about 20 minutes later, when I come out ... no Bill.
"I look down this one hall ... no Bill. I go down another hall ...
no Bill. I go outside ... no car. I go back into the office and ask if anyone's
seen him and someone says that they thought they saw him packing up his radio
gear like a half-hour ago. So, I'm thinking, 'He's gone ... he's forgotten
about me and he's left.' "The (New Haven) team bus has already left and
now, it's like close to 11 o'clock at night. I don't know what to do. I have to
get back to New Haven. There weren't cell phones to try and call him back then.
I probably can't rent a car. What am I going to do?
"So, I take one more swing around the gym and I see these double doors
that I hadn't seen before. So I open them and now I'm in the Penmen Club Room
and there's Bill, sitting with a huge plate of potato salad, talking
with New Hampshire coach Stan Spirou. Now, Bill had never met Stan
Spirou before that night and there they are, eating and talking like their best
buddies. I go, 'Bill, what the heck are you doing?' And Bill
goes, 'Jack, relax, sit down, have some food. I'm talking with my friend Stan.'
"He doesn't know anyone there. He's never been there before, yet, he's sitting
with the coach, having the time of his life. That was just Bill. There
were never any barriers with Bill Gonillo."
Sadly, stories are now all we have left from Bill Gonillo, the
News 12 sports director. He passed away last Sunday from, according to News 12,
complications in his long fight with diabetes at the age of 44. But like Gonillo
always could, these stories can't help but bring a smile to your face.
"The (New Haven) Ravens were hosting the Class AA all-star game at Yale
Field and I was covering it for Channel 12," Marc Robbins is saying.
"Of course, Bill is just there, hanging around, eating,
occasionally holding the microphone for me. And he sees Mike Torrez (the Boston
pitcher who gave up the game-breaking, home run to New York's Bucky (bleeping)
Dent in the 1978 playoff game at Fenway) and he goes, 'Hey, there's Mike
Torrez, let's go talk to him' and I'm like, 'Not now, Bill.'
"And this goes on for about four times, 'Hey, there's Mike Torrez.' And he
keeps trying to drag me over to him, so finally I have to say, 'Bill,
I'm a Red Sox fan. I can't stand Mike Torrez. I'll go talk to the hot dog guy
before I talk to Mike Torrez.' And it was like the light bulb clicked on over
his head, and he said, 'Oh, I get it.'"
And there's another story involving the Yankees and the Red Sox, this one
courtesy of WVOF-FM radio man Bob Heussler.
"Myself, John Stashower (who's now at WFAN) and Bill were working
at WELI and we go to a game at Fenway Park. We're sitting out in the bleachers
and, of course, Bill is wearing a Yankees shirt. The fans are getting
all over him, but Bill is just loving it, standing up, pointing to the
shirt and saying, 'OK, bring it on.'
"During the game, some beach balls are bring batted around and one lands
in Gonillo's lap. He stands up and gives it one of those huge,
underhanded volleyball-like punches and the ball flies out of Fenway Park. It
was disappears. Gone. Over the wall. The entire bleachers gasps and goes
silent. And Bill just stands there, like 'what?' Boy, did he get booed
after that. But to Bill, it was all fun."
The great thing was, everything was fun to Bill Gonillo. All we
have left are the stories now, so remember them. Just like Bill always
could, they'll put a smile on your face.
Contact Chris Elsberry at celsberry@ctpost.com