Their ferocity is exactly what introduced him so you’re able to St. Dominic. It absolutely was a small college, which have doing 150 kids inside for each group, and not a timeless strength. However the recreations coach, Tom Capozzoli, had been at the St. Dom’s for about a dozen age, and today he had a star member-their young buck Tony, who had acquired the federal Punt, Solution & Kick title 2 years in a row. The athletic company decided to attract players who let the new Capozzolis profit a title in advance of Tom resigned. Hodne try among them, as well as a great teammate in the Levittown Red-colored Devils take a trip people, Dave Smith. Hodne was not even Catholic. He had been simply rangy and criminal, a keen intimidator.
One to recalls a mentor being fired once he attempted to alert Hodne’s parents regarding their son
It absolutely was kept at the Knights out of Columbus Hallway; the fresh football members installed as much as a huge round table, exposing for every other. Hodne wound up doing something they mention even now. He drawn a https://lovingwomen.org/fi/filipina-morsian/ girl in the dance under the table while his teammates stayed in the seats-an act you to definitely generated his character in a number of house, along with certain residence undid hers. “Becoming really truthful to you, we all directed the newest fist at the their particular,” states Marge Galtieri, a St. Dominic supporter and another out of Hodne’s class mates. “We judged their own. But perhaps i judged their particular wrong, studying the events of your following the years.”
And in the past, I experienced they happening
Hodne is of Wantagh, an easily center-category city involving the nothing packages regarding Levittown and satisfaction away from Robert Moses’ sight about boardwalk out of Jones Coastline. He had a difficult-functioning father, an enchanting and stylish mommy, and you can sisters that have exactly who he had been close. He turned into a practically all-Long Area linebacker whose really title rattled opponents. But in ninth degree, Todd Hodne are an excellent polarizing figure from the St. Dominic, since in ninth levels, Todd Hodne is speaking of damaging the legislation. He brought their knife to college and you will, centered on Poggioli, “definitely” left the latest home in his fists when he, since an effective freshman, battered an older who challenged your. The guy including bragged regarding the stealing vehicle stereos and you may carrying out burglaries. Their teammates listened, in addition they must decide whether or not to trust your and you may just what doing when they did. Dave Smith was the fresh son of an effective Nassau County officer, of course, if they were all sophomores, the guy told his father one to Hodne is breaking into mans houses. Smith’s dad contacted Hodne’s local precinct, and therefore investigated. The outcome, states retired officer Wear Smith, was you to Hodne, at the fifteen, are “custodialized” from the teenager fairness department off Nassau State and you will forced to return the brand new music gizmos he had taken. The fresh input made lasting opponents out of Hodne and you may Smith, both into the linebackers on the St. Dominic Bayhawks. But it neither deterred Hodne nor threatened their standing to the people.
Quite a few of Hodne’s teammates think about Tom Capozzoli many times using up to have your that have university directors. Ralph Willard, who had been the latest sports director at that time and you may continued to educate baseball having Rick Pitino in the Louisville, states, “I don’t contemplate around getting any issues with Todd, the truth is. I just think about just how he struck.”
St. Dominic won the official Catholic Twelfth grade Sports Group tournament within the 1975, into the Tom Capozzoli’s final season once the head mentor. Their young man Tony, a senior, are titled earliest-class Procession All the-American, and he committed to Penn State due to the fact good quarterback and you may a kicker. Todd Hodne, Dave Smith and you can John Poggioli had an additional seasons to each other, and although Hodne and you can Smith used to have a great fistfight on university stairways, Hodne and you can Poggioli was basically seen as best friends. In truth, Poggioli said he remained regarding relationship given that the guy don’t see getting away. He had been interested in Todd Hodne and then he try afraid of Todd Hodne into the equal level, and you will Hodne generated your pay everytime Poggioli attempted to arise regarding significantly less than his sway. When Poggioli is actually a beneficial junior, he advised Hodne he you’ll check out for the college or university play; Hodne responded of the sneering, “You’re no star,” and you may throwing a pail away from drinking water into the his lead. Whenever Poggioli had a good smash towards a great girl named Janet, the guy won’t challenge query their own away given that Hodne, even in the event perhaps not their boyfriend, got advertised their particular. “Within my few years on St. Dominic, nobody requested me aside as they was very scared of Todd,” Janet Shalley recalls today. “I can just time boys off their colleges. “
