1988
Alumni Profile
Brendan Gallagher was honored for
FRANK RAGUSA '11 “If you look at the people who have accomplished outsized success in any industry, it was their creativity and commitment to excellence that drove them forward,” Frank Ragusa mused shortly before his graduation from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. As the winner of the 2015 Dean’s Award for Excellence, Wharton’s highest undergraduate honor, he is well on his way to emulating his role models. The Bay Ridge native’s passion for finance translated into an extraordinary college career, marked by his co-authorship of a major corporate bankruptcy case that has already been requested for use at Harvard Business School, Duke Law School, and the University of Virginia. He also served as a teaching assistant in multiple courses, including a Wharton Executive MBA course, where he taught the aforementioned case to graduate students. “I have always been interested in capital markets and investing,” said Mr. Ragusa, who majored in economics and concentrated in finance. “Even when I was very young, I read the business section of The New York Times, but I don’t think I understood the full extent of what finance really is until I came to Wharton.” This fall, he will start his career as a real estate private equity analyst at The Blackstone Group, the influential global investment and equity firm. He is thrilled to begin the next stage of his life in his native city—and true to form, he has set high expectations for himself. “The most successful people are successful on many dimensions—they are healthy, they nurture good families, they are passionate and high-achieving in their careers,” he said. “This was an insight that I recognized during my college career, and I made a personal commitment to strive in many dimensions of my life.”
his service to the Emerald Association of Long Island at the organization’s 176th Annual Emerald Ball on February 7. His sons Aidan ’17 and Brendan ’18 are thriving at Xavier.
Dr. Gustavo Lozada became the associate program director of the Tufts anesthesiology residency program on July 1. He is also the regional anesthesia and acute pain service director at Tufts Medical Center. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Dr. Lozada taught science at Xavier from 1993–95. He credits those years with spurring his passion for medical resident education. “I am very grateful for the years I was a teacher at Xavier,” he said, “as they fostered a profound interest in education.”
1989 1984 Andrew Corrigan is celebrating his
12th year as an independent financial advisor with American Portfolios Financial Services in Flushing, N.Y. 1985
Joseph McCarthy ’89 and Demien Farrell ’91
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36 XAVIER MAGAZINE
James DePierro enjoyed his 30th reunion celebration this May. He is very proud of his seven children— Jonathan ’04 , who is pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology; Justin, a high school varsity football coach; James, a student at the University of Notre Dame; Jordan; Jason; Joseph; and Julianna. He and his wife, Kristen, celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary this year. Pete Hopper produced a two-man
play, Gray Horse, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in the West Village in late August. The play focused on two cousins returning from war.
William Gibleski lives in Howard Beach, where he is chef/manager at Russo’s on the Bay. He has worked at Russo’s since November 1992. His wife, Diane, is a dental assistant. Their son, Billy Jr., just finished his freshman year at Scholars
Academy High School, while their daughter Christina just completed the sixth grade. Peter Seccia , a partner at Goldman Sachs and former Play Rugby USA board member, was presented the inaugural Founders Award at the Play Rugby USA 10th Anniversary Gala Benefit on May 12. The honor marked his longtime support of the organization and his deep commitment to developing youth through rugby.
1986 The efforts of John Crotty to support community gardens in the Bronx earned him recognition in a New York Times article in June. Last year, he and a fellow affordable housing developer invested in Small Axe Peppers, maker of the coveted Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce—a staple at city farmers’ markets, in Bronx shops and restaurants, and in local Whole Foods stores. Tony Gonzalez recently celebrated nine years with the FBI. He is currently assigned to the Operational Projects Unit at the FBI Laboratories in Quantico, Va.
Joseph McCarthy and Demien Farrell ’91 hosted the Xavier rugby
team at Común, Farrell’s restaurant in San Diego, during the team’s trip to California in April. McCarthy’s iPourIt pour-your-own beer technology is utilized at Común.
Christopher Spataro continues to practice law out of the South Bend, Ind., office of Faegre Baker Daniels. He attended New York University and earned his law degree at the University of Notre Dame Law School. Mr. Spataro was recently elected president of the board of the Volunteer Lawyer Network, which promotes pro bono legal services in northern Indiana. Peter Mazurczyk enjoyed running into Xavier students in Rome in April.
1991 Duncan Bahr published his first nov-
el, Dead Man’s Hill: Hell’s Kitchen Adventure, earlier this year. Now based in Apopka, Fla., he also continues his pursuit of the theater and recently appeared in Arsenic and Old Lace, Barefoot in the Park, Henry V, and others.