“E” Club to Honor Nuzzo Family at Annual Dinner on Nov. 21

Special to The Advocate

The Everett “E” Club kindly requests that you join us to honor the Nuzzo family at our 53rd annual dinner on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at Spinelli’s Lynnfield. The Nuzzo family is a longtime, well-known Everett family that exemplifies what a scholar-athlete and Everett Pride is all about. For many decades, each member of the Nuzzo family has made an impact both on and off the playing fields. Members of the family have brought joy to so many lives, in so many ways. From the many Super Bowl rings to the personal athletic accomplishments, to serving as a member of the City of Everett government or police department, serving as a youth athletic coach or even just being a fan of every Everett sporting event, each and every one of them have made major impacts on the lives of many people. Now, this is our turn to say thank you to this amazing family. Please come and join us in recognizing the Nuzzo family at our November dinner.

The Honorees

Frank “Papa” Nuzzo was a first-generation Italian-American. His parents, Luigi and Antonietta, immigrated to Everett from Avellino, Italy. He was the second youngest of 13 children. Frank was a lifelong Everett resident until his passing on October 21, 2017, at the age of 83.

Frank graduated from Everett Vocational High School. At that time, Everett had a city football league. Different sections of the city had their own football team, and Frank played for the Wildcats. While in high school and shortly thereafter, Papa Nuzzo took a liking to boxing. After high school, he worked as a Foreman for the Bridge Maintenance Crew for over 25 years.

In February of 1954, Frank married Mary Grace Carideo, also a lifelong resident of Everett. Together, they had four children: Frank Jr., Debra, Louis and Joseph. All of Frank’s sons were members of the Everett Crimson Tide Football program. Louis was a team captain in 1975 and helped lead the Crimson Tide to a 9th Greater Boston League championship with an 8-2-0 record. That year, Louis and Joseph combined for 14 TDs, 3 conversions and 90 total points. Joseph added another 4 TDs and a conversion, 26 points, in his 1976 senior year campaign.

He loved watching his beloved Everett Crimson Tide football team. As a young father, Frank would pack up his children and travel near and far to watch the Crimson Tide compete every weekend in the fall. What made it more special was having his sons and three grandchildren be part of the historic football program. He would never miss a practice, never mind a game. He would pack a cooler full of Gatorades to pass out to the players and take a seat high in the bleachers, watching the team practice from afar. And, on game days, he could be found in his infamous top corner seat in the visitors’ bleachers. Win or lose, he would always be one of the first to give words of wisdom to the young men. Coach John DiBiaso honored Frank’s commitment to the program with the Fan of the Year Award.

Frank Nuzzo, Jr. was a member of the 1969-1973 Everett Crimson Tide football teams. In 1970, as a sophomore, Frank scored 10 TDs and had a 2-point conversion for a total of 62 points, which was the best effort by a sophomore running back since Bobby Leo in 1960. That year, he also had 2 long TD runs (59 and 60 yards) called back against Chelsea. As a sophomore, Frank won the prestigious Jeffrey Jewelers Award, which was given to the most outstanding player on the team.

In 1971, Frank guided Everett in winning their seventh GBL championship since 1955, with a 6-2-1 record. That year, Frank had 13 rushing TDs and a 2-point conversion for a total of 80 points, which led the entire GBL. In 1972, Frank again led Everett to a GBL championship, which would be the program’s 8^th since 1955. As a Senior, Frank scored 11 TDs, for a total of 66 points. He was named to The Boston Globe’s All Scholastic teams on both sides of the ball. He was a first team defensive player as a defensive back, and second team offensive player as a running back. Frank’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown helped Everett stun the Medford Mustangs.

Frank was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round of the 1973 MLB June Amateur Draft, where he played 3B. He played 2 seasons with the Cardinals minor league affiliate before retiring from the sport in 1974.

After baseball, Frank worked for Air Canada as the Senior Aircraft Service Coordinator for over 31 years. After retiring from Air Canada, he became the Director of Code Enforcement for the City of Everett and held the position for over 14 years. Frank was also a longtime Alderman of the City of Everett – for over 29 years. For many years, Frank has helped coach his three sons as they played for the Everett Eagles, Everett Little League Baseball and Everett Babe Ruth League Baseball. He is considered one of the most influential coaches by many of his former players.

If you ask Frank Jr. what was the best part of his involvement in Everett football, he would say it was watching his three sons play for the historic program. He admired the teams his sons played for and really enjoyed watching those young men grow. He enjoyed watching the talented group of players during the 2000-2008 years. He also appreciates how his children were able to be so successful under the leadership of the legendary coach John DiBiaso.

In October 1982, Frank Jr. married his wife, Diane, a Malden girl whose father also followed the Crimson Tide program. Frank Jr. and Diane met at Jacob’s Ladder in Revere, Mass. That night Diane walked up to Frank Jr. and asked if he was Frank Nuzzo; Frank Jr. responded with “no,” and the rest is history! Together they had three sons: Frank III, Matthew and Brian. For over 28 years, Diane has been a member of the Everett School Department, holding the title of Paraprofessional. Considered the backbone of the Nuzzo clan, Diane is known in the city as a strong, independent woman who’s always looking to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. She was one of the few parents who helped serve game day pasta dinners to the football team, and she did so for many years. She spent hundreds of hours helping her children get to and from school and practices, helped them apply and receive many local scholarships, and she was always available to assist when called upon. Without Diane, Frank III, Matthew and Brian would not have been as successful as they were. Not only was she successful in raising three amazing men, but she was a mother figure to many members of the Crimson Tide football family throughout the years.

Frank Nuzzo, III was a member of the 2000-2003 Everett Crimson Tide Football teams. Frank was a three-year starter at Running Back and Linebacker and left a mark on both sides of the ball. On offense he rushed for well over 2,000 yards, while adding 1,000 yards receiving, while only playing in the first half of many games. Even more impressive was the 40 total touchdowns over his career. He led the team in tackles and sacks while a member of the Tide defense. He also recorded many interceptions, with none more memorable than the unforgettable 97-yard interception he returned for a touchdown in the 4th Quarter of the 2002 Super Bowl against the rival St. John’s Prep.

Frank was named captain his senior year. He was also a two-time Globe/Herald All-Scholastic and a 3-time GBL All-Star. Frank was named The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Gatorade Player of the Year in his senior year. These personal accolades are great, but to Frank, nothing surpasses his three Super Bowl championships, where he helped lead the Tide in victories over Bridgewater-Raynham, St. John’s Prep and Marshfield. In these games, Frank rushed for a combined 200 yards and scored three times, one of them being an interception returned for a touchdown. He dominated these games on both sides of the ball.

More impressive than his football accomplishments was his success in the classroom. He maintained a 3.9 GPA at Everett and was a member of the National Honor Society. Frank was an “E” Club Scholarship recipient in 2004. Frank was also a four-year starter of the Everett baseball team, which he captained his senior year. Frank had many college offers, including Harvard, Yale, Brown, Stanford, Penn State and Northeastern.

Frank went on to continue his football and academic career in the Ivy League at Brown University. There he was a member of the football team for three years, but was forced to retire in 2007 due to multiple injuries. He was a member of one Ivy League Championship Team, which was Brown’s first outright Ivy League championship since 1878, and he graduated in 2009.

After spending time as a business owner of Greater Boston Fitness, Frank joined the Everett Police Department in 2018 and has served the great city of Everett since. Frank married his wife, Stella, in 2016 and together they have two children, Frank IV and Antoina, and a French bulldog named Roma. They now reside in Stoneham.

Matthew Nuzzo was a member of the 2001-2004 Everett Crimson Tide Football teams. He was tapped to be the first-ever freshmen starting Quarterback for the Crimson Tide under the John DiBiaso regime and recorded a 44-2 record as a starter. During his career, Matt recorded 321 carries for over 2,300 yards and 29 touchdowns. He added 2,268 yards passing with 31 passing touchdowns.

Matthew led the Crimson Tide to four Greater Boston League championships. He was also successful in leading his team to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, ending his career with a 3-1 record in the championship game, winning in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Like his brother, Matthew was asked to captain the Crimson Tide in his senior year. He was a three-time Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic and a four-time GBL All-Star. In 2004, like his brother, Matthew was named The Boston Globe Player of the Year.

Matthew had a successful baseball career as well. He was a four-year starter at shortstop for the Crimson Tide under Coach Jake Falvey. Matthew was able to help lead his teams to four consecutive playoff appearances. Due to his success on the baseball diamond, he was able to win the Greater Boston League All-Star award three times.

Matthew’s academic career was just as impressive as his athletic career. He maintained a 4.3 GPA throughout high school, while also being inducted into the National Honor Society. Matthew was an “E” Club Scholarship recipient in 2005. He had many college offers, including Brown, Cornell and Yale.

Matthew was able to continue his academic and athletics career at Brown University, joining Frank in the fall of 2005. At Brown, Matt was a two-sport athlete, for both baseball and football for two years. After his sophomore year of football, within which he played in seven games, scoring two TD, he decided to focus solely on Baseball.

At Brown, Matthew played in 168 games. He finished his career with a .317 batting average, 20 home runs, 124 RBIs, 121 runs, 41 doubles and 5 triples. He was named to the All-Ivy First team three times and named to the All-New England team two times. The 2007 season was a successful one for both Matthew and his team. While Matthew led the Bears with a .371 batting average, the Bears won the Ivy League, which was Brown’s first Ivy League championship since 1952. The 2007 Bears made the NCAA baseball tournament, where Matthew collected 3 doubles and 2 RBIs. In his Senior year, Matthew was named team captain and team MVP in the 2009 baseball season. Matthew also had three successful Cape Cod League baseball seasons, where he was only one of five players to hit a home run in his first at bat as a member of the Cape Cod League, and one of three to do so on the first pitch, next to Kevin Youkilus and Carlton Fisk.

Matthew was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 24th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He spent four seasons in the Blue Jays Minor League system. He played in 148 games, holding a .258 career batting average, with 118 hits, 64 runs, 6 home runs, 7 triples and 53 career RBIs. He retired during the 2012 Spring Training.

After baseball, Matthew joined the New Balance Sportswear team, and he has been with the company since 2013. Matthew manages the Baseball and American Football Footwear Businesses for the company, where he works closely with athletes like Shohei Ohtani, Francisco Lindor and Marvin Harrison, Jr. Matthew married his wife, Lauren, in 2019. Together they have two sons, Jordan and Tyson. They now reside in Topsfield.

Brian Nuzzo was a member of the 2005-2008 Everett Crimson Tide Football teams. As a three-year starter at linebacker, Brian was a two-time Super Bowl champion – and the only Nuzzo to win a championship at Gillette Stadium. Brian and the Crimson Tide defeated the Brockton Boxers 35-6 in 2006 and Dartmouth 36-28 in overtime in 2007. Following his father’s and older brother’s footsteps, Brian was also named senior captain of the 2008 Crimson Tide football team.

Although Brian played most of his career on the defensive side of the ball, he is credited with 2 scores. Like his father, Brian returned an interception for a touchdown against Medford his sophomore year. Then, as a Junior, Brian caught a 25-yard pass for a score against Manchester, New Hampshire West.

As a true Nuzzo, Brian always seemed to make big plays when it mattered the most. He had over 100 tackles in both his junior and senior years. He also added 9 interceptions, with 5 of them being returned for touchdowns. In 2008, he returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in a win against Xaverian his Senior year.

Over his career, Brian was instrumental in leading the Crimson Tide defense to many wins. He was a very versatile player who could play all three linebacker positions, as well as safety, when needed. In the 2007 season opener against Leominster, Brian was named Defensive Player of the Week – leading the Everett defense to a 34-0 shutout against Leominster. He was a three-time GBL All-Star and a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic. Brian was also selected to play in the Agganis All-Star Game in his senior year.

After he graduated from Everett High School, Brian attended Cisco College in Cisco, Texas. There he played linebacker for the Wranglers. Brian then came back to Massachusetts, where he became a laborer for Local Union 22.

For tickets call or text Carl Colson 617-650-0469.  E-mail us at: EClubofEverett@gmail.com.  Or visit the Everett E club’s website: WWW.ECLUBOFEVERETT.COM