4 TEXT 70for70 to 41444 to Donate Queens Centers for Progress Evening of Fine Food
Evening of Fine Food Special Guest Celebrity
Gerry Cooney, Fo r mer P r o fes s io na l B o x er & Au t h o r
Gentleman Gerry:
A Contender in the Ring, a Champion in Recovery
In the wild and wicked world of boxing, Gerry Cooney is a rarity: a fighter who has
enjoyed success in and out of the ring. As a world-class heavyweight, Cooney advanced
to number-one contender. In 1982, he challenged Larry Holmes in one of
the most anticipated title fights in history. As a businessman, Cooney has promoted
championship boxing shows, owned share of several minor league baseball
teams, and founded F.I.S.T. (the Fighters’ Initiative for Support and Training), a
non-profit organization which helped boxers make the transition from the ring to
the real world by providing job readiness, training, and career assistance.
Cooney was born in New York City on August 24, 1956, and raised in Huntington,
Long Island. His amateur boxing career was highlighted by a pair of New York
Golden Gloves titles and an invitation to the 1976 Olympic Trials. His overall amateur record was 55-3.
Standing 6’6” and scaling 225 pounds, Cooney turned professional in 1977. He won his first 25 bouts, including
knockout victories over former world champion Ken Norton and perennial contenders Ron Lyle and Jimmy
Young. On June 11, 1982, before a crowd of 32,000 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Cooney faced the unbeaten
WBC World Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes in a title fight of such magnitude that it was hyped
on the cover of “Time”. Cooney fought valiantly before suffering defeat in round 13. The rest is history!
Today, Gerry lends his support to various charities and is sought out to tell his story. He is a vocal advocate
speaking out against drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence and the co-host of a boxing radio show
“Friday Night at the Fights” on Sirius radio. In his free time Gerry enjoys golf and teaches boxing. Cooney
resides in New Jersey with his wife, Jennifer. They have 3 children.
Executive Director
Terri Ross
President
Margaret MacPherson
Vice Presidents
Joseph A. Cristiano
Leonard T. D’Amico
Hon. David Elliot
Hon. Tarek M. Zeid
Active Past Presidents
Hon. George E. Berger
John J. Governale
Hon. Natalie Katz Rogers
Michael Macaluso
Jack M. Weinstein
Secretary
Patricia Coulaz
Treasurer
Thomas N. Toscano, Esq.
Board of Directors
Gerald J. Caliendo
Raymond Chan
Anthony S. Cosentino
Franz Gritsch
Hon. Raymond J. Irrera
James Kilkenny
William D. Martin
Robert McKim
Josephine Miele
Margaret Zarzana-Vitale
Director of Development
Wendy B. Phaff
BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS