Joe Quagliano – Pres / Fabrizio De Robbio – VP
Carmine Gangone – Treasurer / Michael DeSapio – Secretary & Legal Counsel
Joe Favorito / Steve Napolitano / Frank Catalanotto / Marco Landi, FIBS
Dan Bonanno / John Franco / Bobby Valentine
Gianpaolo Manzolillo / Gary Perone / Buddy Fortunato / Mark Cardillo
Joe Maddon
Michael Marchiano / Mico Licastro – Italian Olympic Committee
Rick Werley (Chadler Solutions) / Dom Balsamo / John Genzale
The Italian American Baseball Foundation is a 501c3 charity founded by former MLB player Frank Catalanotto, Mint Pros President, Joe Quagliano, FIBS, executive Marco Landi and restaurateur Carmine Gangone. ( View 501(c)(3) Letter )
The Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) is a community of fans, MLB players and baseball executives that are dedicated to the future of Italian American Baseball in the United States & Italy.
The IABF is committed to bringing awareness of the great game of baseball to Italian youth by organizing baseball clinics and camps throughout Italy. We offer scholarships, financial aid and sponsorship opportunities to Italian youth that qualify to play baseball at a more competitive level in the US. Our goals are not limited to individuals but also restoring / building baseball fields, providing equipment and ultimately a baseball academy with the focus on education and advancement.
The IABF was launched on December 8, 2016 with a fundraising dinner hosted by executive board member Carmine Gangone. The event benefited (FIBS) Federation of Italian Baseball & Softball, Italian Youth Baseball and honored Team Italia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The guest of honor was 2016 Hall of Fame inductee and Italian National Team coach Mike Piazza.
Posted by PROSPORTSRUNDOWN on MARCH 21, 2018
By Danielle McCartan (@CoachMcCartan and Facebook.com/CoachMcCartan)
BERGEN COUNTY, N.J.- A small business owner, Joe Quagliano is living the American Dream while maintaining his Italian roots via “America’s Game”: baseball. Quagliano, following his passion for the game, founded his own company: Mint Pros (specializing in VIP baseball events- bridging fans with their favorite players).
As he told me: “A grandson of Italian immigrants, baseball played a big part in my family. I remember my grandfather telling me that Joe DiMaggio was the greatest and my Uncles arguing with him about Yogi Berra, Scooter Phil Rizzuto, and Mickey Mantle.
Even Joe Pepitone worked his way into the debate! As I grew older, I remember watching and rooting for the Italian-American Players just as my Grandfathers did. My favorite players were: Dave Righetti, Steve Balboni, John Franco, Mike Scioscia, and later, Mike Piazza.”
Enter Frank Catalanotto, fellow Italian-American, a 14-year Major League Baseball veteran, actively involved with Team Italy as both a player and a coach in the World Baseball Classic.
Quagliano told me: “I was talking to Catalanotto one day and we were discussing how we can get Italian kids more involved and knowledgeable about baseball.
We thought about conducting youth clinics in Italy but the expenses for such an undertaking would be more than we were expecting.
Thus the idea of starting a foundation and raising the funds needed through donations and sponsorship became a reality.”
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