Lou Pagliaro

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Lou Pagliaro
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born(1919-05-05)5 May 1919
Died8 July 2009(2009-07-08) (aged 90)
Medal record
Representing  United States
World Table Tennis Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1938 Men's team
Silver medal – second place 1947 Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 1947 Men's singles

Louis Pagliaro (May 5, 1919 – July 8, 2009) was an American table tennis player who won the United States national championship on four occasions, include three consecutive years in the 1940s. His small stature — he was just over five-feet tall and weighed under 120 pounds in his prime — and exciting style of play led to such nicknames as "Bullet Lou", "Dynamite Louie" and "Giant Killer", he was said to have "the hardest forehand in table tennis".[1]

Pagliaro was born on May 5, 1919, in Manhattan to Italian immigrants. Growing up on the Lower East Side, Pagliaro learned to play table tennis as an 8-year old after walking into a Boys' Club of New York location in the area. He showed early proficiency in the sport, quickly defeating the older children who had taught him how to play.[1]

As a 14-year-old, Pagliaro, representing the Tompkins Boys Club, won the Metro Junior Championship held at the

Swaythling Cup, the sport's world championships.[3][4] By April 1938, Pagliaro was ranked third nationally by the United States Table Tennis Association, behind Sol Schiff and George Hendry.[5]

He won his first national title in 1940, defeating defending champion Sol Schiff.

General Motors Building at the 1942 national championships, held in Detroit, Pagliaro retained his title with a 21–12, 22–20, 21–17 win over Charles Burns, but lost with partner Jim Jacobsen in the men's doubles finals in four games to Ed Pinner and Cy Sussman.[7][8]

He toured with the

iron works, where he remained until he retired in 1984.[1]

Coming out of retirement, Pagliaro won the 1952 national championship tournament held in C[10]leveland, defeating defending champion Dick Miles, a player whom Pagliaro had previously coached.[11]

He was inducted in 1979 into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame.[1][12]

Personal

Pagliaro always thought of himself as a table tennis player. He hated the term "ping-pong", a term that he said "sounds sissy" in a 1942 The New Yorker magazine article. "Ping-pong, ping-pong — my God, what kind of game is that?"[1]

Pagliaro died on July 8, 2009, in Staten Island. He was survived by three daughters, a son, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He had been married to the former Josephine Modica for 49 years, until her death in 1988.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hevesi, Dennis. "Lou Pagliaro, National Table Tennis Champion, Dies at 90 ", The New York Times, July 13, 2009. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  2. ^ Staff. "SCHIFF CAPTURES TITLE.; Beats Goldman In Metropolitan Junior Table Tennis Final.", The New York Times, May 28, 1933. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  3. ^ via Associated Press. "U. S. MEN ADVANCE AT TABLE TENNIS; Take Three Matches in World Tourney as American Women Drop Two of Three Tests", The New York Times, January 25, 1938. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  4. ^ via Associated Press. "U. S. Women Bow to Unbeaten Czechs, 3-0, In Match for World Table Tennis Title", The New York Times, January 27, 1938. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  5. ^ via Associated Press. "SCHIFF RANKED AT TOP; Heads List in U. S. Table Tennis--Miss Fuller a Leader", The New York Times, April 7, 1938. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  6. ^ Staff. "PAGLIARO RETAINS TABLE TENNIS TITLE; Miss Green Also Triumphs in National Tournament", The New York Times, April 5, 1941. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  7. ^ via Associated Press. "KEEP TABLE TENNIS TITLES; Pagliaro and Miss Green Victors in National Singles Finals", The New York Times, April 13, 1942. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  8. ^ Staff. "Sport: Who Won, Apr. 20, 1942", Time (magazine), April 20, 1942. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  9. ^ Staff. "TROPHIES DONATED TO AID WAR EFFORT; Handball, Table Tennis, Track Athletes Give Up 21 Metal Prizes at Pastime A.C. W.A. STUMPP OFFICIATES He Receives Contributions on Behalf of the Bronx Salvage Committee -- Shea Attends", The New York Times, June 4, 1942. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  10. ^ "Bob Olinger as I Knew Him", My Girlhood Among Outlaws, University of Arizona Press, pp. 183–191, 2021-11-09, retrieved 2023-04-23
  11. ^ via Associated Press. Staff. "PAGLIARO DEFEATS MILES; Wins U. S. Table Tennis Title From Player He Coached", The New York Times, April 1, 1952. Accessed July 14, 2009.
  12. ^ Boggan, Tim. "LOU PAGLIARO--PART I", USA Table Tennis, 1999. Accessed July 14, 2009.
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