RIP Gus Alfieri

Became friends with Gus about 10 years ago after joining a sports book club that Gus had started about 10 years earlier. Gus claimed it was the only sports book club in the country. He was one of if not the finest person I have ever known and I am very saddened by his loss. Condolences to his lovely wife Janet his children and his legion of friends and admirers. RIP 🙏🏾 🩷
 


QUEENS, N.Y. (Jan. 2, 2024) – The Red Storm basketball program, along with the entire athletic department and university community, mourns the passing of St. John’s Hall of Famer Gus Alfieri.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Jan. 4 from 7-9 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 5 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Branch Funeral Home in Smithtown, N.Y. A funeral mass will take place on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church in Commack, N.Y.

Alfieri, who was a part of the recently inducted St. John’s Hall of Fame Class of 2023, starred for the men's basketball program under legendary head coach Joe Lapchick. A Long Island native, Alfieri helped St. John’s to its 1959 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship. In the NIT title game, Alfieri scored 15 points and guided the Johnnies to a 76-71 victory over Bradley in double overtime on March 21, 1959, at Madison Square Garden.

Over his three seasons as a varsity letterwinner, Alfieri averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 72 career appearances. Alfieri also shot 43.6 percent from the field during his career.

Following his successful playing career at St. John's, Alfieri went on to become one of Long Island's premier high school coaches, running the All-American Basketball Camp for more than 50 years. Alfieri also transitioning to the sideline at St. Anthony's High School in 1968. He guided the program to a pair of New York State Championships, four NSCHSAA titles and 328 wins as head coach by the time of his departure nearly two decades later in 1986. St. Anthony's inducted Alfieri into its Hall of Fame and re-named its court after the Red Storm's newest Hall of Famer in 2016.

Alfieri also encapsulated the legacy and history of his legendary head coach in his book, "Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball." Immortalizing the 50-plus years of contributions Lapchick made on and off the court to the game of basketball, Alfieri wrote through the lens of his mentor, taking in the accounts of more than 250 interviews from esteemed individuals around the game, including Lou Carnesecca, Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Knight and John Wooden.
 
paultzman said:


QUEENS, N.Y. (Jan. 2, 2024) – The Red Storm basketball program, along with the entire athletic department and university community, mourns the passing of St. John’s Hall of Famer Gus Alfieri.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Jan. 4 from 7-9 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 5 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Branch Funeral Home in Smithtown, N.Y. A funeral mass will take place on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church in Commack, N.Y.

Alfieri, who was a part of the recently inducted St. John’s Hall of Fame Class of 2023, starred for the men's basketball program under legendary head coach Joe Lapchick. A Long Island native, Alfieri helped St. John’s to its 1959 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship. In the NIT title game, Alfieri scored 15 points and guided the Johnnies to a 76-71 victory over Bradley in double overtime on March 21, 1959, at Madison Square Garden.

Over his three seasons as a varsity letterwinner, Alfieri averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 72 career appearances. Alfieri also shot 43.6 percent from the field during his career.

Following his successful playing career at St. John's, Alfieri went on to become one of Long Island's premier high school coaches, running the All-American Basketball Camp for more than 50 years. Alfieri also transitioning to the sideline at St. Anthony's High School in 1968. He guided the program to a pair of New York State Championships, four NSCHSAA titles and 328 wins as head coach by the time of his departure nearly two decades later in 1986. St. Anthony's inducted Alfieri into its Hall of Fame and re-named its court after the Red Storm's newest Hall of Famer in 2016.

Alfieri also encapsulated the legacy and history of his legendary head coach in his book, "Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball." Immortalizing the 50-plus years of contributions Lapchick made on and off the court to the game of basketball, Alfieri wrote through the lens of his mentor, taking in the accounts of more than 250 interviews from esteemed individuals around the game, including Lou Carnesecca, Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Knight and John Wooden.
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Gus was also a core player for the St. Francis High School teams which
were very strong back when.
He was/is a model of what class is.
 
Very proud that we got Gus into the HOF just a couple of months ago. Looie has urged the committee to induct more athletes while they are here to enjoy it. For these men and women it's always a special night, beyond special actually.

Typically former players focus less on their stats and accomplishents of what they did for sju and often speak about what sju did for their lives.

Gus was not expected to speak because he was so infirmed. The AD instead prepared a beautiful video tribute to him when his induction occurred. Perhaps energized, Gus gestured for the mic, and from his wheelchair spoke passionately about his life and time here.

These events are just awesome and remind me just why I love St. Johns so much. We are part of an enormous family of really good people, and could go on and on about Gus and what he did after his playing days.

RIP to one of the really great people to grace our halls.

A very special thank you to JSJ.
 
Gus always used to come to Coach Carnesecca’s yearly basketball Alumni Mass and breakfast. Such a nice man. Glad they placed him in the HOF. BTW, we hired his son Ronnie to be our first video operator in the mid 1980’s when we changed over from film to video tape. Ron also graduated SJU in the old Athletic Administration program and is now a very successful sporting goods/apparel exec in California.
 
Alumni Hall said:
Gus always used to come to Coach Carnesecca’s yearly basketball Alumni Mass and breakfast. Such a nice man. Glad they placed him in the HOF. BTW, we hired his son Ronnie to be our first video operator in the mid 1980’s when we changed over from film to video tape. Ron also graduated SJU in the old Athletic Administration program and is now a very successful sporting goods/apparel exec in California.
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Ron was always hanging around practice when I was at St. Anthony's, always will remember him a s a good dude
 
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