The Nuzzo family is honored at E Club of Everett Dinner
By Cary Shuman
The E Club of Everett held its Awards Dinner Nov. 21 at Spinelli’s, Lynnfield.
Highlighting the program was the honoring of the Nuzzo family, including legendary Everett High School athlete Frank Nuzzo Jr., his wife, Diane Nuzzo, and their three sons, Everett Police Officer Frank Nuzzo III, Matt Nuzzo, and Brian Nuzzo.
Master of ceremonies Josh Del Gazio told the large crowd that the Nuzzo family was “Everett Royalty” and that praise is worthy for perhaps the greatest sports family in the history of the city.
Frank Nuzzo Jr. was an All-Scholastic football and baseball player at Everett High before before being drafted by Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals.
His sons, Frank III, Matt, and Brian, carried on the family’s tradition of nonpareil excellence during their superlative multi-sport careers for the Crimson Tide, beginning with the older brothers’ streak of three consecutive Division 1 Super Bowl championships.
All-Scholastic Frank Nuzzo III’s 97-yard return of an interception in a 13-7 victory over St. John’s Prep in the Super Bowl may be the single biggest defensive play in the history of Everett High football. For some reason, unlike the [Gennaro] Leo “Leap” for a game-winning two-point conversion in a Super Bowl, Frank’s history-making INT has yet to receive the all-time, catchy label of distinction it deserves. Maybe the “Marciano [Stadium] Miracle.”
Coach John DiBiaso tabbed Matt Nuzzo as the Tide’s starting quarterback as a freshman and he became a captain and a three-time Globe and Herald All-Scholastic. In baseball, Matt was a four-year starting shortstop. One daring play may best summarize Nuzzo’s amazing baseball career and the exhilarating style of leadership, confidence, and poise he brought to the diamond. With Matt on third base in a tense, “winner-take all” late-season showdown with Arlington for the GBL title, a groundball was hit to shortstop, who looked Nuzzo back to third and threw to first base. Matt took off for home plate and used an aggressive, head-first slide to elude the catcher’s tag and score what would be the go-ahead and winning run in the game. An excellent student, Matt followed his brother, Frank III, to prestigious Brown University where he became a three-time All-Ivy baseball player and a Major League draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays organization where he played four seasons of professional baseball.
Of course, Brian Nuzzo had the biggest shoes to fill of all time, and he certainly rose to those considerable expectations, beginning in Pop Warner football and continuing through his own All-Scholastic career as a captain, linebacker [Del Gaizo called Brian “a ferocious force” at the position] and two-time Super Bowl champion. Like his older brothers, Brian excelled collegiately as well, becoming a starting linebacker at Cisco College in Texas.
If there were an Everett High School Hall of Fame, Frank Nuzzo Jr. and his three immensely talented sons would be first-year inductees.
And in a heartwarming gesture of support, several of Diane Nuzzo’s colleagues in the Everett School Department attended the ‘E’ Club Dinner and congratulated her on the recognition of her family’s achievements in athletics and academics.
In his gracious remarks on behalf of the family, Frank Nuzzo Jr. said, “I wasn’t planning on speaking tonight but this has been quite an evening. I’m so happy that my family could be here and share this with us all. The ‘E’ Club is obviously a very special organization, and I wish them the best. This has been a very special night. I just wish that my parents (Frank Nuzzo and Mary Grace (Carideo) Nuzzo) could be here to witness this. But I consider you all friends and I wish you all the best.”