BY JASON COHEN
For two decades Richie Farino
was part of the Waterbury
Roller Hockey League and
Warriors Football League. He
coached and served in administrative
Sadly, the Bronx native who
dedicated much of his life to
youth sports passed away Dec.
19 at age 71 from COVID-19.
Farino, who resided in
Pelham Bay, had relocated to
Florida after retiring from
NY Telephone several years
ago. He is survived by his wife
Jenny and sons Ritchie and
Eric. His third son Jason is deceased.
Jerry Demers, founder of
the Warriors Football League,
spoke fondly about his friend.
“We were work partners
and we got along very well,” he
stated. “I couldn’t have done it
(football league) without him.
He was a great help to the program.
Farino started out as a
coach and all three of his children
played as well. Eventually,
after his boys got older he
joined Demers and helped run
the league for 20 years.
According to Demers, Farino
was a good coach and a
disciplinarian who did not let
the kids fool around.
The two were not just colleagues,
but friends for 40
years – on Sundays the coaches
came to Farino’s house to
watch football and hang out.
Demers noted that when
Farino joined him in the administrative
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role he helped
update the program by using
computers.
“I don’t know if I would
have been able to do that manually
with 600 kids,” Demers
said.
George Havranek knew
Farino more than 35 years.
They were colleagues at NY
Telephone and coached roller
hockey together.
Farino introduced him to
the league and Havranek is
glad the two met. Havranek
eventually discovered that
Farino was a Purple Heart recipient
from the Vietnam War,
which Farino rarely spoke
about.
“The children always came
fi rst,” he stressed, adding “the
sports were a mode of teaching
them lessons.”
Havranek described the
departed as a role model and
humble.
“It wasn’t about creating
NHL players,” he explained.
“Richie was about creating
quality adults.”
Bobby Morris was friends
with Farino for 36 years and
coached football and roller
hockey with him. He recalled
the last time they spoke was
the Friday before his death.
He never expected that to
be the case. Morris will sorely
miss Farino. Morris recalled
that they always wished each
other happy birthday and
even if they went a while without
talking their relationship
was always good.
Morris told the Bronx
Times when he fi rst heard Farino
passed it was like a punch
in the gut. Now he is trying to
remember the good times they
had together.
“He wound up being as
much of a big brother to me as
my own are,” Morris said.
Longtime youth football and
roller hockey coach passes away
Warrior Football FamilyBack Row:
John Argiento Sr., Chris Argiento,
Steve Fabrizi, Carlo Volpe and
Louie BonannoFront Row: Mike
Pisaniello, Richie Farino Sr., Jerry
Demers, Greg Weber Sr. and Bob
Morris Photos courtesy of Bob Morris
Back Row: (left to right) Mike Pisaniello, Jerry Demers, Richie Farino Sr.
Seated: Bob Morris
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