Gennaro, Salvino, Matzelle earn highest BWAA honors

Joe Gennaro of Dallas, Carmen Salvino of Chicago and Al Matzelle of Milwaukee will be honored June 27 in Las Vegas as winners of the Bowling Writers Association of America's most prestigious awards for 2006.

Each award was determined in balloting by the BWAA membership.


Gennaro, a veteran editor and publisher of the weekly Dallas Bowling News for 49 years, was voted the Mort Luby Sr. award, which elects the octogenarian to the BWAA Hall of Fame.

Salvino, a long-time professional bowler and goodwill ambassador, is the recipient of the prestigious John O. Martino award, which is presented to an individual, company or organization that has devoted time, energy and talent for the betterment of the sport.

Matzelle, a guiding force in the creation of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame and another octogenarian, will receive the Rip Van Winkle award presented to an individual for an achievement or contribution to the sports that occurred 20 or more years ago.

All three will be honored at the Columbia 300/BWAA Awards Dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in conjunction with Bowl Expo.

Gennaro has missed only three issues since 1949, all caused by family illness. His paper has promoted junior bowling programs as well as covered the top events in bowling both nationally and locally. He handles all the advertising for the paper and personally delivers the papers weekly to his customers.

Salvino, 72, is a member of five halls of fame including the United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association halls, and is one of the most colorful players in televised bowling history, including his early years on Chicago television. He became famous for his "Equation," an unusual engineered revision of the bowling stance and ball delivery that stressed accuracy. Salvino produced his own line of bowling balls and still experiments with cover stocks and other chemical compositions. He writes an online instruction column for Bowlers Journal International and is a USBC Gold Level coach and PBA consultant.

Matzelle served as American Bowling Congress Executive Director from 1971-1977, but he is being honored for moving from his home in Milwaukee to St. Louis in 1980 to plan and organize the creation of the Museum. During the next four years he worked with the ABC, WIBC and BPAA to make it happen and was in charge of the shrine when it opened in 1984. He remained in the position until a director and staff were selected and trained. He worked closely with long-time friend Bruce Pluckhahn, who became the first museum curator, before retiring again and returning to Milwaukee.