Marking Clifton History
The Pezzanos in 1999, from left are Chuck Jr., Curt, Craig, Clay, Chuck Sr.
First Family of Bowling The Pezzanos have long been bowling’s first family in Clifton. The clan was headed up by Chuck Pezzano Sr., a member of both the Professional Bowlers Association and American Bowling Congress Halls of Fame, two of the highest honors the sport can bestow. Chuck Pezzano Sr. was the first national collegiate bowler to bowl an 800 series while a student at Rutgers University in Newark. He captained some of the most successful teams in New Jersey history and was one of the 33 pioneers who formed the Professional Bowlers Association in 1958.
62 August 2015 • Clifton Merchant
A sportswriter who specialized in bowling, Pezzano Sr., wrote for more than 50 publications around the world and 12 books on the sport. He took part in more than 1,000 network TV bowling shows and served as president of the New York, National and World Bowling Writers Associations. His bowling skills and contributions to the sport earned the 40–plus year Clifton resident election to seventeen halls of fame. Sons Chuck Jr., Craig and twins Curt and Clay have carried on their father’s tradition. All were varsity bowlers at Clifton High School. While at Clifton High, their teams won league, county and state championships. Clay posted the highest average ever for a high school bowler at that time, 205 in 1980. Meanwhile, Curt rolled a 299 single game. Curt was named all–county four times and Clay three. They were also named high school athletes of the year by the North Jersey Old Timers. Chuck Jr. went on to star at Pace University, Curt at the University of Miami and Clay at William Paterson University.
Now, Chuck Jr. conducts the Junior Bowlers Tour, a tournament group in which young bowlers can win scholarships. Craig operated the bowling pro shop at the recently closed Van Houten Lanes. Curt is the general manager of a bowling center in Delaware, while Clay was an outstanding pro until sidelined by back surgery. The Pezzanos are in the bowling record book as a family, the first father and four sons to all have rolled a sanctioned 300 game. The tradition continues with Amanda Pezzano, daughter of Chuck Jr., who made the all–country bowling team as a freshman at Hawthorne High School. When Bowlero (now Fette Ford) and Astro Bowl (then RizzutoBerra) opened in the 1950’s, they drew much attention and publicity as the leading bowling centers in the area. Chuck Pezzano, the most famous and prolific bowling journalist of all time, passed away in January, 2015 at the age of 86, but his bowling legacy continues with the work and success of his sons and his granddaughter...