Vince Papale

No. 83
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1946-02-09) February 9, 1946 (age 66)
Place of birth: Chester, Pennsylvania
Career information
College: St. Joseph's College
Debuted in 1976
Last played in 1978
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (1976–1978)
Career highlights and awards
Philadelphia Eagles 75th anniversary team
Career NFL statistics
Receptions 1 Receiving yards 15 Fumble recoveries 2 Stats at NFL.com

Vincent Francis Papale (born February 9, 1946 in Chester, Pennsylvania) is a former professional American football player. He played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League. Papale was the inspiration for the 2006 movie Invincible.

High school years[link]

Papale attended Interboro High School, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track and field. In his only year of varsity football, Papale won All-Delaware County Honorable Mention honors. In track, he was a standout pole vaulter, triple jumper, and long jumper. He began competing in track during his senior year at Interboro. He won the District I (Philadelphia suburban area) large-schools championship in pole vault, then finished fourth in the state meet. Papale's best pole vault that year was 12 ft 9 in which edged him into the top 10 all-time PA high school vaulters

College[link]

Papale attended Philadelphia's Saint Joseph's University on a track scholarship (the university did not have a football team). As a junior, he won a United States Track & Field Federation (USTFF) college development pole vault at Madison Square Garden (February 10) with a vault of 14 ft 6 in. He never placed at IC4A or Penn Relays. Papale did score in the Middle Atlantic Conference championships (University Division, which included La Salle University, Temple University, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, University of Delaware, Bucknell, Gettysburg College, American University, West Chester University).

His college track statistics:

Sophomore Year (1966)

Second in Pole Vault (winner 14'-3")

Second in the triple jump (winner 45'-3")

Junior Year (1967)

Senior Year

Third in the pole vault (winner Peter Chiniese 15'-1¾")

First in the long jump (22'-1¼")

First in the triple jump (46'-6")

He graduated in 1968 with a MS degree in Marketing/Management Science.

Professional[link]

Vince Papale's post-collegiate football career began with the Aston Green Knights of the semi-pro Seaboard Football League. At that time, Papale was a teacher at Interboro High school and was coaching the junior varsity football team when he successfully tried out for the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League as a wide receiver. In his first season with the Bell, Papale caught nine passes for 121 yards, averaging 13.4 yards per catch. In 1975 Papale caught only one pass, but it was for a forty-nine yard touchdown. In both seasons with the team, Papale was a special teams standout.

His performance with that team earned him a meeting in 1976 with head coach Dick Vermeil of the Philadelphia Eagles after general manager Jim Murray got him an invitation to a private workout held by Coach Vermeil.

Papale, at 6-feet 2-inches (1.88 m) and 195 pounds (88.5 kg), eventually made the team, thereby becoming, at age 30, the oldest rookie in the history of the NFL to play without the benefit of college football experience (other than kickers). He went on to play wide receiver and special teams for the Eagles from 1976 through 1978. During that time, he played in 41 of 44 regular season games (regular seasons being 14 games in 1976–1977 and 16 games in 1978) recording two fumble recoveries and one 15-yard reception. He was voted Special Teams Captain by his teammates and "Man of the Year" by the Eagles in 1978 for his many charitable activities. A shoulder injury ended his career in 1979. After retiring from the NFL, he worked as a TV and radio broadcaster for eight years, then became a commercial mortgage banker.

Papale, who earned the nickname "Rocky" (after the Sylvester Stallone character) while playing with the Eagles, is the subject of the Disney movie Invincible, starring Mark Wahlberg. He was also reportedly the inspiration for the 1998 Tony Danza movie, The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon.^[1] In addition, Papale's legend was cited as a factor in the Eagles' signing of construction-foreman/tight-end Jeff Thomason for 2005's Super Bowl XXXIX.^[2]

Diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2001,^[3] Papale has recovered from the disease, to become a spokesman encouraging people to get regular check-ups. He has appeared in commercials for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital encouraging others to be tested.

Currently, Papale is the regional director of marketing and senior account executive for higher-education marketing at Sallie Mae. He resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, with his wife Janet and two children, Gabriella and Vinny, and remains a diehard Philadelphia Eagles football fan. He is also currently listed as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Philadelphia Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association.

References[link]

External links[link]

• IMDB link to Invincible
• Papale feature at Eagles Website
• Vince Papale's Official Website
• Eagles Fly for Leukemia
• Career Statistics at pro-football-reference.com
• July 26, 2006 USA Today article, including photo
• Vince Papale's interview with John Kline and Elevation Radio

Mark Wahlberg
Wahlberg at the 2011 Time 100 gala
Born	Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (1971-06-05) June 5, 1971 (age 41) Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Other names	Marky Mark Monk D
Occupation	Actor Producer Rapper (former)
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Rhea Durham (m. 2009–present; 4 children)
Relatives	Donnie Wahlberg, Robert Wahlberg (brothers)

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971) is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1989 debut as frontman with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90's. Wahlberg is well known for his roles in films such as Boogie Nights (1997), Three Kings (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001), Rock Star (2001), The Italian Job (2003), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Four Brothers (2005), The Departed (2006), Invincible (2006), Shooter (2007), and The Fighter (2010), Date Night (2010). He has also served as the executive producer of the TV series Entourage, Boardwalk Empire and How to Make It in America.

Early life[link]

Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest of nine children,^[1] with siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died in 2003 at age 44), and Donnie. His father was of half Swedish and half Irish ancestry, and his mother is of Irish, English, and French Canadian descent.^[2] Maternally, Wahlberg is distantly related to author Nathaniel Hawthorne.^[3] Wahlberg's mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and Wahlberg's father, Donald Edward Wahlberg, was a Teamster who worked as a delivery driver. His parents divorced in 1982.^[4] Wahlberg had a Roman Catholic^[5][6] upbringing and attended Copley Square High School (but never graduated) on Newbury Street in Boston.

Racist assaults and attempted murder charges[link]

Wahlberg claims to have been in trouble 20–25 times with the Boston Police Department as a youth. By the age of 13, Wahlberg had developed an addiction to cocaine and other substances.^[7][8] At 15, he harassed a group of black school children on a field trip by throwing rocks and shouting racial epithets.^[9] When he was 16, while high on PCP, Wahlberg approached a middle-aged Vietnamese man on the street and, using a large wooden stick, knocked him unconscious (while calling him "Vietnam fucking shit"). He also attacked another Vietnamese man, leaving him permanently blind in one eye, and attacked a security guard (using foul language).^[10][11]

For these crimes, Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to two years in jail at Boston's Deer Island House of Correction, of which he served 45 days.^[10][12] In another incident, the 21-year-old Wahlberg fractured the jaw of a neighbor in an unprovoked attack.^[13] "I did a lot of things that I regretted and I certainly paid for my mistakes," Wahlberg says. "You have to go and ask for forgiveness and it wasn't until I really started doing good and doing right, by other people as well as myself, that I really started to feel that guilt go away. So I don't have a problem going to sleep at night. I feel good when I wake up in the morning."^[14]

^[15]

Career[link]

Music[link]

Wahlberg first came to fame as the younger brother of Donnie Wahlberg of the successful 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. Mark, at age thirteen, had been one of the group's original members, along with Donnie, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, and Jonathan Knight. However, he soon quit. It was his departure that eventually allowed Joe McIntyre to take his place as the fifth member of the group.

Wahlberg began recording as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, earning a hit with "Good Vibrations" from the album Music for the People. The record was produced by brother Donnie and later hit No.1 on The Billboard Hot 100, later becoming certified as a Platinum single. The second single, "Wildside," peaked at No.5 on Billboards Hot Singles Sales chart and at No.10 on The Billboard Hot 100.^[16] It was certified as a Gold Single. Marky Mark opened for the New Kids on the Block during their last tour. The second Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch LP, You Gotta Believe, was not as successful as the prior, yielding only a minor hit single in the title track. Wahlberg later collaborated with the late reggae / ragga singer Prince Ital Joe on the album Life in the Streets. The project combined rap and ragga vocals with strong eurodance music (as in the singles Happy People, German No.1 hit United, Life in the Streets, and Babylon) courtesy of Frank Peterson and Alex Christensen as producers.

He was also featured in the Black Label Society music video for "Counterfeit God", as a stand-in for the band's bassist.^[17]

Advertising[link]

Wahlberg first displayed his physique in the Good Vibrations music video and most prominently in a series of underwear ads for Calvin Klein shot by Herb Ritts, following it with Calvin Klein television advertisements.^[18] Magazine and television promotions would sometimes feature Mark exclusively or accompanied by model Kate Moss. Annie Leibovitz also shot a famous session of Mark Wahlberg in underwear for Vanity Fair's annual Hall of Fame issue.^[19] He also made a workout video titled The Marky Mark Workout: Form... Focus... Fitness (ISBN 1-55510-910-1).

Film[link]

Wahlberg at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.

Wahlberg dropped the "Marky Mark" moniker and began an acting career, making his debut in the 1993 TV movie The Substitute. His big screen debut came the next year, with the Danny DeVito feature Renaissance Man. A basketball fanatic, he caught the attention of critics after appearing in The Basketball Diaries in 1995, playing the role of Mickey alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, in a film adaptation of the Jim Carroll book of the same name. He also starred in the 1996 James Foley thriller Fear.

He has earned many positive reviews after successful movies like Boogie Nights as Dirk Diggler, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, The Italian Job, and Four Brothers. His performance in I ♥ Huckabees was voted best supporting performance of the year in the 2004 Village Voice Critics Poll. Wahlberg was originally cast as Linus Caldwell in Ocean's Eleven; Matt Damon played the role instead. The two later worked together in The Departed.^[20] Wahlberg was also considered for a role in the film Brokeback Mountain. It was originally intended to star him and Joaquin Phoenix, but Wahlberg was uncomfortable with the film's sex scenes and his role ultimately went to Jake Gyllenhaal.^[21]

Wahlberg starred in the American football drama, Invincible, based on the true story of bartender Vince Papale. He is also the executive producer of the HBO series Entourage which is loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood. He also appeared as a foul-mouthed Massachusetts State Police detective in Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed thriller, The Departed in 2006, which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and an NSFC Best Supporting Actor award. Wahlberg has confirmed that he was approached to star in a sequel to The Departed, but it is still early in development. The sequel would reportedly revolve around the Staff Sergeant played by Wahlberg.^[22]

Wahlberg at the Shooter premiere in London, March 2007

Wahlberg at the premiere of Max Payne.

To prepare for his role in Shooter, Wahlberg attended long-range shooting training at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute near Pahrump, Nevada, and was able to hit a target at 1100 yards on his second day, a feat which usually takes weeks to achieve.^[23] He has said in a number of interviews that he will retire at the age of 40 to concentrate on parenthood^[24] and professional golf. However, in early 2007 he indicated that the latter was no longer the plan as "his golf game is horrible".^[25] He played Jack Salmon, a leading role in Peter Jackson's film of The Lovely Bones.^[26] In 2007, he starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix in We Own the Night, a movie about a family of police officers in New York City.

He starred in M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening as Eliot Moore, which premiered in movie theatres on June 13, 2008. The same year, he played the title role in Max Payne, based on a video game of the same name. While promoting Max Payne, Mark became involved in a playful feud with Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg and threatened to "crack that big fucking nose of his." Samberg had done an impression of Wahlberg in a Saturday Night Live skit titled "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals."^[27][28] However, Wahlberg later appeared in a follow-up skit parodying both the original skit, Samberg's impression of Wahlberg, and his own threats to Samberg.^[29][30]

Personal life[link]

Family and relationships[link]

In the early '90s, Wahlberg dated former child actress Soleil Moon Frye.^[31] Wahlberg and model Rhea Durham have been together since 2001 and were married on August 1, 2009 at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills. The couple have four children, Ella Rae (born September 2, 2003), Michael Robert (born March 21, 2006), Brendan Joseph (born September 16, 2008) and Grace Margaret (born January 11, 2010). In a 2011 interview with USA Weekend, Wahlberg stated that he had taken his children to visit his old Dorchester neighborhood, saying "I want them to know that not everyone is as fortunate and how important it is to work hard and give back."^[32]

His father, a US Army veteran of the Korean War, died on February 14, 2008.^[33]

Religion[link]

Wahlberg is a committed Roman Catholic,^[34] who attends daily Mass, credits his faith and a priest from his childhood for helping him turn his life around, and recognizes the seriousness of his faith.^[6]

Charity work[link]

Actively involved in charity, Wahlberg established the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation in May 2001 for the purpose of raising and distributing funds to youth service and enrichment programs.^[35]

Wahlberg is also active with The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. In an interview, Mark said that it's important to let the homeless know that people care about them and are working to help the impoverished get back on their feet.^[36]

Tattoos[link]

Wahlberg has four tattoos done by various artists including Paul Timman.^[37] The tattoos include Sylvester the cat with Tweety Bird in his mouth on his ankle, a design of his initials "MW" with his surname "Wahlberg" on his upper right arm, and a Bob Marley tattoo with "One Love" on his upper left arm.^[38] The final tattoo, which Wahlberg holds as his most meaningful, is the rosary tattooed around his neck, with a crucifix and the words "In God I Trust" resting over his heart.^[38] On January 9, 2012 Wahlberg was a guest on The Late Show With David Letterman. He spoke about his tattoos and stated he is in the process of having them removed. Initially he was told it would take 8-10 laser treatments however he required over 30 treatments and is still in the process of getting them removed. He cited his career and children as the reason for the removal of the tattoos. His first tattoo was as a young teenager and it was of a shamrock. Because it was not professionally done, he said the shamrock was not straight and had the Tweety Bird tattoo placed over it after arriving in Los Angeles.

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mark Wahlberg

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mark Wahlberg

• Mark Wahlberg at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Mark Wahlberg in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2009)

Pasquale "Pat" Croce (born November 2, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American entrepreneur, sports team executive and owner, author, and TV personality.

Croce began his career as a physical therapist and was an athletic trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers for more than 10 years, originally hired to help thin 7'6" center Shawn Bradley bulk up.^[1] He founded Sports Physical Therapists in 1984 and grew the business into a chain of 40 centers spanning 11 states before selling it in 1993 for $40 million.

He became president of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team in 1996 as part of a group led by Flyers founder Ed Snider and Comcast Corporation that bought the team. Under their ownership, the Sixers went from last place in 1996 to the NBA Finals in 2001. He appeared on the cover of Success magazine as the first trainer to rise to an ownership position with a professional sports team. He has also been featured in Inc. and Sales & Marketing Management.

His second book I Feel Great and You Will Too! was an autobiography that chronicled (among other things) his years at West Chester University and University of Pittsburgh, meeting his wife Diane Croce, starting his own business, purchasing the Sixers, and his 1999 motorcycle accident. The book is laced with career and personal advice Croce has gathered through his life. Following its release, the book made the New York Times Best Seller list.^[2] Croce has written other self-help books--110% (2001); Lead Or Get Off The Pot (2004); Pat Croce's Victory Journal (2002); and the Do It Now! Journal (2004)--three of which topped the New York Times best-seller list.

Croce is also the author of several books on pirates, including Pirate Soul (2006) and My Pop Pop Is A Pirate (2008). More recently, Croce has written and released an illustrated book, Blackbeard, and The Pirate Handbook (both released in 2011). He is currently working on a series of historic fiction books based on the lives of pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan.

Since leaving the 76ers, Croce was a television commentator on The NBA on NBC and was a Tae Kwon Do commentator for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. In 2004, he hosted his own syndicated self-help television show, Pat Croce: Moving In, which premiered on September 13, 2004 and was canceled in 2005.^[3]

In January 2005, he opened the $10 million Pirate Soul Museum in Key West, Florida. The museum features authentic pirate artifacts, many from Croce's personal collection. In February 2006, he opened the pirate-themed Rum Barrel restaurant next to the museum. It was announced in February 2010 that the museum is being moved to St Augustine, Florida. The museum opened on December 8, 2010.

Croce also has interests in Island Dogs Bar in Key West and became majority partner in the iconic Green Parrot Bar, also in Key West, in May 2011.

Croce was one of the four judges for the second season of ABC's reality television series, American Inventor, which ran from June to August, 2007.^[4]

As of January 2010, Croce is on the board of directors for Movitas, a mobile technology company focused on the hospitality industry.^[5]

Croce is currently focused on the success of the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum. The museum is said to house the largest collection of authentic pirate artifacts in the world--more than 800--and has been featured prominently in regional news.

In October 2011, Croce financed and served on the monumental expedition that located the shipwrecks of Sir Francis Drake.^[6]

Books[link]

• Conditioning for Ice Hockey: Year 'Round (co-authored with Bruce C. Cooper) (1983)
• Stretching for Athletics (1984)
• A Baseball Player's Guide to Sports Medicine (forward by Mike Schmidt) (1997)
• I Feel Great and You Will Too! (co-authored with Bill Lyon) (2000)
• 110% (2001)
• Victory Journal (2002)
• Lead or Get Off the Pot!! (co-authored with Bill Lyon) (2004)
• Do It Now Journal (2004)
• Pirate Soul – A Swashbuckling Journey Through the Golden Age of Pirates (2006)
• My Pop-Pop is a Pirate (2008)
• Blackbeard (2011)
• Pirates of St. Augustine (2011)
• The Pirate Handbook (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• PatCroce.com - Official site

Pat Meehan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Joe Sestak
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
In office September 17, 2001 – July 15, 2008
Nominated by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Michael Stiles[1]
Succeeded by	Michael Levy[a]
District Attorney of Delaware County
In office January 9, 1996 – September 17, 2001
Preceded by	William Ryan
Succeeded by	Patricia Holsten[2]
Personal details
Born	(1955-10-20) October 20, 1955 (age 56) Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania[3][broken citation]
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Carolyn Meehan[3][broken citation]
Residence	Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania[4]
Alma mater	Bowdoin College Temple Law School
Religion	Roman Catholic[3][broken citation]
a. ^ Laurie Magid served as Acting United States Attorney until Levy's appointment was confirmed by the Senate.

Patrick Leo "Pat" Meehan (born October 20, 1955) is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district since January 3, 2011. The district includes parts of Delaware County, Chester, Montgomery Counties, Lancaster County, and Berks County. He succeeded Democrat Joe Sestak, who ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.

Congressman Meehan sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, and Homeland Security Committees. On the Homeland Security Committee, Meehan chairs the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

A graduate of Bowdoin College and Temple University, Meehan previously served as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2001–2008) and as district attorney of Delaware County, Pennsylvania (1996–2001).

Early life and education[link]

Born and raised in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania by his parents Leo and Julia, Pat Meehan attended Bowdoin College in Maine and graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor’s of Arts (B.A.). While at Bowdoin, he was a standout hockey player and went on to spend two years in the National Hockey League (NHL) as an official. Meehan attended Temple Law School in Philadelphia, and graduated with his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in 1986.

Pre-congressional career[link]

Early legal career[link]

After college he went to work as an associate at the law firm Dilworth Paxson LLP.

Political activism[link]

Meehan’s career in public service and politics began in 1979 with the Philadelphia mayoral race working for Republican candidate David Marston. A year later he worked on Roy Zimmerman's campaign for Pennsylvania Attorney General. Meehan went on to serve as Special Counsel to Senator Arlen Specter, and later as campaign manager for Senator Rick Santorum, Philadelphia District Attorney Ron Castille, and State Attorney General Ernie Preate.^[5]

District Attorney[link]

In 1995 he was elected the District Attorney (D.A.) of Delaware County as a Republican. During Meehan's tenure as DA, his staff prosecuted several high profile cases including the Du Pont Murder Trial, (a case involving the murder of Olympic wrestler David Schultz by his millionaire benefactor John Eleuthère du Pont) and the 1996 murder of a 22 year-old college student named Aimee Willard (who was abducted from Route 476 and found in an abandoned lot in North Philadelphia).^[5]

While serving as D.A., Meehan set up the Special Victims Unit for Domestic Violence in Delaware County, allowing prosecutions to place without the victims having to testify in open-court and offering protection from the abusers.^{[citation needed]} As D.A. he also focused on protecting youth by expanding the Youth Aid Panel program for first time offenders and creating a truancy project to limit youth-related crime during the day. Meehan established the United States Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) in Pennsylvania. The ICAC is a special unit of detectives that investigate online predators on the web and bring them to justice; it has become a model across the country.

U.S. Attorney[link]

Pat Meehan became the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on September 17, 2001, six days after the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate. Meehan headed an office of over 200 lawyers and staffed backed up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Office. As U.S. Attorney, Meehan has made terrorism, gang-crime, child internet-safety, and public-corruption priorities for his criminal division. Public-corruption in Philadelphia in particular was brought to the spotlight in 2003 when a FBI electronic listening device was found in the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office.

In light of the 9-11 Attacks, Meehan formed the Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF), later renamed the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council (ATAC) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to evaluate and prevent future terrorist attacks. This initiative was done in partnership with local, state and federal law-enforcement and emergency responders. The ATAC has led large-scale table-top and field exercises on biological attacks and the poisoning of the food-supply in partnership with Saint Joseph’s University in order to help Eastern Pennsylvania to prepare for terrorist attacks.^{[6][broken citation]}

Recognizing the expansion of gang-related activity in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, Meehan sought a $2.5 million dollar Department of Justice grant to fight and prevent gang violence for the region. The unique “Route 222 Corridor Anti-Gang Initiative” brought together elected officials, federal, state and local law-enforcement with community groups to fight gangs in a rural area unfamiliar with big-city gang violence. The money was divided among enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation. The program aimed not only to increase arrests, but also to fund school programs and community centers to educate youth about the alternatives to gang life.^{[6][broken citation]}

Continuing the work he began while he was Delaware County D.A., Meehan continued to make child safety on the Internet a priority, sponsoring Internet safety training seminars with Web Wise Kids and visiting local schools. Meehan’s office has prosecuted sub-standard nursing homes and elder care facilities, and nefarious lenders who offered ill-advised loans to disadvantaged homeowners. (Bio) The U.S. Attorney’s Office under Meehan has been nationally recognized for its work in the field of health-care fraud. The office has won more than half a billion dollars in settlements against some of the largest pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers, ensuring better self-policing and oversight by the industry.^{[7][broken citation]}

Public corruption cases

Though he has been active in a wide variety of areas, it has been several high-profile public corruption cases that have put Meehan in the headlines. Philadelphia is well known for its “pay to play” culture that rewards patronage rather than merit. Since taking office, Meehan and his office have been actively prosecuting corrupt Philadelphia city officials. Meehan has said, "Pay to play cannot be standard operating procedure in city government.^[8]”

This was brought to national attention on October 7, 2003 when Philadelphia Police conducted a sweep of Mayor John F. Street’s office and found an electronic listening device. It was later discovered that the “bug” had been planted by the FBI as part of a city corruption investigation. Street was never charged in the investigation. City officials and the mayor were outraged, especially with the timing coinciding with the Philadelphia Mayoral Election on November 4, 2003. Street’s campaign spokesman went so far as to accuse the federal government of attempting to influence the election (which Street ended up winning anyway).^[9] Meehan was applauded in the press and in the city for his handling of the situation, which resulted in twelve indictments including Street confidant Ronald White (who later died before he could stand trial) and city treasurer Corey Kemp who was convicted and sentenced to ten years in federal prison.^[10]

Other city officials prosecuted by Meehan’s office included former city councilman Rick Mariano (who was sentenced to six and half years in federal prison for accepting bribes and attempting to influence city contracts), the President of the Independence Seaport Museum John S. Carter (who was sentenced to 15 years for cheating the museum from $1.5 million), Montgomery County accountant Denis Shusterman (for embezzling $10 million, he received a 14 year sentence),^[11] and State Senator Vincent Fumo (who has recently been convicted on 139 count indictment including fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges carrying a ten-year sentence).^[12]

Private practice[link]

On July 7, 2008, Meehan announced to his staff that he would be stepping down from his position. On July 16, 2008, Meehan announced that he was joining the Philadelphia law firm of Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn.^[13]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

2010 election[link]

Meehan began his campaign for Pennsylvania governor in 2008.^[14] On August 7, 2009, however, he announced that he was ending his exploratory bid and would instead run for Congress. Reports indicated that another candidate, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, was too far ahead of Meehan in fund-raising and endorsements.^[15]

Meehan was elected with over 55% of the vote to an open seat in Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district in 2010.^[16] The seat was being vacated by Joe Sestak, who defeated U.S. Senator Arlen Specter in 2010 in the Democratic Party primary, but lost to Republican Pat Toomey in the general election. Meehan ran unopposed for the Republican Party nomination in the May 18, 2010 Republican Primary and defeated Democratic State Representative Bryan Lentz and independent American Constitution Party candidate Jim Schneller in the general election.^[17]

Fraudulent nominating petitions investigation

To appear on the primary election ballot a candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania is required to collect valid signatures of 1,000 registered voters in the congressional district. When evidence of fraud in some of Meehan's petitions was discovered by the Meehan campaign, Meehan alerted the Delaware County District Attorney. Michael Green, the District Attorney and Meehan supporter, turned over the matter to the office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General. Because the Attorney General, Tom Corbett, is the Republican candidate for governor, Lentz requested that the United States Department of Justice take over the investigation.^[18] Paul Summers, a Republican campaign operative and volunteer, was charged with seven counts of forgery and seven counts of making false signatures.^[19] He was convicted on seven of the charges after pleading guilty as part of a plea-bargain deal.^[20]

Tenure[link]

Meehan was sworn in on January 5, 2011. He was appointed to serve as one of just three freshman members on the House Republican Steering Committee, and is one of a select few House freshman to chair a subcommittee. He has joined the Republican Main Street Partnership.^[21]

As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Meehan chairs the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. Chairman Meehan has held hearings to investigate issues such as Iran's ties to terrorism and the risks posed by extremists in Pakistan.^[22]

Meehan voted to repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. As far as fiscal policy, he voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011,^[23] Cut, Cap and Balance Act,^[24] and voted to defund NPR.^[25] Among bills that became law, he voted for the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act^[26] and to extend the Patriot Act.^[27]

Meehan has introduced the Jump Start for Job Creators Act, legislation that would encourage entrepreneurs to create jobs by increasing the maximum tax deduction for small business start-up expenses.^[28] Meehan has led the effort to preserve funding for the V-22 Osprey.,^[29] an advanced military aircraft manufactured in Meehan's district.^[30]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs
  • Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform
• United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
  • United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation
  • United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management

Personal life[link]

Meehan, his wife Carolyn and their three sons live in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.^{[31][broken citation]}

See also[link]

• United States Attorneys
• John Eleuthère du Pont
• Aimee Willard
• Larry Mendte
• John F. Street
• Vincent Fumo

References[link]

External links[link]

• Congressman Pat Meehan official U.S. House site
• Pat Meehan for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs

Federico Buffa (28 July 1959, Milan) is an Italian journalist, writer and television sportscaster.

He has studied sociology at UCLA Summer Session in 1978. He obtained his degree at University of Milan in 1986 (Law). In the same year he wrote his first article for Italian Magazine "Superbasket" (which has been published on September's Number). Two years later he began working as basketball agent and started his career as NBA's commentator for Italian TV. He still works as journalist for Sky Sport Italia and Milan Channel.^[1]

Works[link]

• Black Jesus. Un grande viaggio nel basket americano in 23+1 fermate. Libri di Sport. 2002. ISBN 978-88-87676-10-5. 
• Black Jesus. The anthology. Libri di Sport. 2005. ISBN 978-88-87676-68-6. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Federico Buffa

• Official Website
• http://www.libreriadellosport.it/libri/black_jesus_-_the_anthology.php
• http://laverita.ilcannocchiale.it/post/1275112.html
• http://www.sky.it/tag/home/federico_buffa_1.html
• http://www.tvblog.it/tag/federico+buffa