Vincent Spezzano

My dad did not graduate from Geneseo, but dated and married a Geneseo Alumna, Marjorie Elliott Spezzano. He was invited to speak at a Geneseo commencement. It held one of our favorite stories. When Dad was scheduled to speak, there was someone on campus that was breaking into dorm rooms and stealing women’s underwear. On the front page of the Lamron (Geneseo’s campus paper), my father’s picture was prominently displayed and below the fold was the article about his speech. Next to his picture, above the fold, the headline read “Underwear Man Caught” making it appear as if my father was the Underwear Man. We had that front page framed and it hung proudly in their home and eventually in my mother’s room at the memory care facility she lived in until her death in 2017.
I would love the recipients of his scholarship to know that Vince Spezzano was an extraordinary man. He was funny, successful, smart, and driven. He was a talented and fearless journalist who grew in the ranks at Gannett—he wore many hats…Promotions Guy, Publisher, Regional VP, etc. He stood 5’3” but was a giant! He grew up in Retsof, raised by two wonderful first generation Italian Americans. Mom and Dad were married just short of 51 years before his death on December 10, 1999. He has won countless awards, and has many accomplishments to his credit. I am attaching his “Who’s Who in America” bio.
As you probably have figured out already, I’m very proud of my Dad and for the many ways he not only enriched my life, but countless strangers’ lives who have been lucky enough to receive the fruits of his success through such Scholarships.
-As told by Judy Barnum