Ed Muransky
Encyclopedia
Edward William "Ed" Muransky (born January 20, 1960) is a former professional American football
offensive tackle who played for the Los Angeles Raiders
of the National Football League
(NFL) and Orlando Renegades
of the United States Football League
(USFL). He was a member of the Super Bowl XVIII
Champion Raiders. Prior to this he was an All-America
n and Academic All-American athlete who played for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
during the 1979
–1981
seasons.
After retiring from football he became a business partner and advisor to Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., former San Francisco 49ers
owner. As DeBartolo became more involved in the casino industry, he relied on Muransky as a confidant. Muransky testified under a grant of immunity as a government witness in the March 2000 trial of Louisiana
Governor
Edwin Edwards
, mainly about what DeBartolo had confided to Muransky. DeBartolo was the only extortion
victim who claimed to have been extorted directly by Edwards, but Muransky could not provide direct testimony about private meetings between DeBartolo and Edwards. Muransky has continued to pursue business interests even after the controversies about DeBartolo have waned.
where he was affectionately known as "Big Ed" by family and teammates. He was a three-year varsity letter
man and two-year starter as an interior lineman at Cardinal Mooney. In 1976, he won All-Steel Valley, All-NEO
, and All-State honors, and received the Mack Truck Award, given annually to the most outstanding high school lineman in the Youngstown area.
Highly recruited by numerous "blue chip" schools, Muransky chose to play collegiate football at the University of Michigan. He lettered
for three years at Michigan, where he wore #72, and earned All-Big Ten
honors in 1980 and 1981. Muransky started 33 straight games at offensive tackle for the Wolverines from his sophomore through senior years, 1979–1981. The 6 inch, 320 lb (145.1 kg; 22.9 st) lineman was a key member of the 1980 Wolverines, coach Bo Schembechler
's first bowl-winning team. In fact, he started all twelve games at right tackle. This includes the 1981 Rose Bowl
against the Washington Huskies football
team won by Michigan 23–6. The game was Schembechler's first bowl victory, and the coach was carried off the field on Muransky's shoulders. Muransky was named to the Associated Press
, UPI, and The Sporting News
All-America
n teams in 1981 and also garnered "Academic All-American" his senior year. He was part of a 1981 team that had five All-American honorees (Anthony Carter, Butch Woolfolk
, Bubba Paris
and Kurt Becker
).
before the 1979 Rose Bowl. Muransky later recalled: "Bubba Paris
and I were two happy freshmen eating together at the Lawry's Beef Bowl event before the 1979 Rose Bowl Game. After we had enjoyed our fourth plate of prime rib, mashed potatoes, corn and Yorkshire pudding, Bubba asked what the record was, and they said 7 cuts. Bubba continued for 3 more cuts, and I continued for four, totally under the Bo Schembechler radar screen. When they delivered the 8th cut to me, the media started to gather around my table, Bo walked by and let me know what he was thinking without ever saying a word. Afterward, a Paris-Muransky night out ended with some pizza. The next morning in practice, Bo made an example of Bubba and me. We never ran so much in our lives as we did that day. We were in every play of scrimmage and then we ran sprints." When the Wolverines returned to Pasadena for the 1981 Rose Bowl, "Bo made it a point to come to the back of the plane and talk to me and Bubba Paris
. He wanted to let us know that my record from a couple years earlier would not be in jeopardy because we were going to be sitting with him at the Lawry's Beef Bowl. He said he was going to limit each of us to two cuts of prime rib." Schembechler had his own take on the story: "I let 'em eat because they were freshmen. They weren't gonna play anyway."
: "I was in the theater watching it, not knowing what was going to happen. It was kind of interesting with all of (the characters) watching (the 1980 Michigan-Michigan State
game). It was pretty cool. Watching [quarterback] John Wangler go back was pretty cool. For a split-second as they're going back, I'm thinking to myself, 'Oh my God, I pray to God I'm not holding or I missed a block for a sack or something on the big screen pass.' But it was a good block, and it was a fun moment. Any time I hear 'The Big Chill,' it's good memories."
, and Bo left it to them to motivate the rest of the team. Muransky issued a challenge to the offense on the night before the following week's game: "I looked at everyone and said, 'If we continue to play as great individuals, we'll continue to lose. If we start to play as a great team, we'll start winning." The next day, the Wolverines beat Notre Dame
, 25–7.
in the 1982 NFL Draft, and he played in 24 games for the Raiders from 1982–1984. The Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles to play the 1982 NFL season
. Thus, although he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, he played his NFL career with the Los Angeles Raiders. In his second season in the NFL, he won a Super Bowl
ring with the Raiders' 1983 Super Bowl Championship team. He played all 16 regular season games for Tom Flores
' Raiders that season. The team went 12–4 during the 1983 NFL season
and produced eight Pro Bowl
ers. Muransky played for an offensive line that included Pro Bowlers Henry Lawrence
and Todd Christensen
. The team was led that season by quarterback
Jim Plunkett
and future Hall of Famer
Marcus Allen
, who rushed for nine touchdown
s, caught two and threw three on a 4–7 passing performance. Muransky described the Super Bowl experience as a "whirlwind" with "two weeks of hype like you've never seen." He recalled: "It was a big deal because offensive linemen weren't making what they make today. That year, I made $77,000, which was a pretty decent contract at the time. But if you won the Super Bowl, you won $64,000. So it wasn't peanuts. I remember walking off the field after that, thinking to myself, 'I have a Super Bowl ring for the rest of my life.'" Although Muransky was cut in for a Super Bowl gameshare, he was not on the official gameday roster.
Although the Raiders only won one Super Bowl with Muransky, they had great success. In his rookie season, they were 8–1 in the strike-shortened season. This was the best record in the American Football Conference
and tied for the best in the League. The team, however, was upset by the 6–3 New York Jets
in the second round of the 1982-83 NFL Playoffs
. The 1984 Raiders went 11–-5 and also made the 1984-85 NFL playoffs
. The Raiders teams of Muransky's years went 31–10 in the regular season and 4–2 in the playoffs under Flores.
of the USFL. He played and started 14 of the Renegades 18 games under Lee Corso
. The team was not as successful as the Raiders and went 5–13. When the league folded, he decided to retire and enter the business world.
at WYTV
in Youngstown. He later became CEO and chairman of his in-laws' insurance agency, Gallagher Pipino, Inc. He is married to the former Christine Pipino and has three children.
empire and former owner of the San Francisco 49ers
. For a time, Muransky was the CEO of the DeBartolo Property Group, and the two partnered in numerous business ventures, including a chain of ice cream franchises known as "Ed and Eddie's Homemade Ice Cream," real estate ventures and pizza. DeBartolo ventured into the casino business against the wishes of his sister, Denise DeBartolo York
and hired family contact, Muransky to head DeBartolo Entertainment. Eventually, Muransky who is said to have a keen business sense, became DeBartolo's most trusted advisor, which caused a rift with Carmen Policy
, 49ers president.
In 1997, Muransky became involved in DeBartolo's efforts to open a riverboat gambling casino in Louisiana. The project required approval of the state gambling board and resulted in a highly publicized bribery scandal that ended with the conviction of former Louisiana
Governor Edwin Edwards
on 17 counts, including racketeering, extortion
, mail fraud, and wire fraud. In order to secure licensing of the casino, Edwards and associates allegedly solicited bribes from DeBartolo, including a briefcase filled with $400,000. Of the many who claimed that they were extortion
victims, DeBartolo was the only one who claimed to have been extorted directly by Edwards. Muransky was able to describe his relationship with DeBartolo but could not provide testimony about private meetings between DeBartolo and Edwards.
Muransky testified under a grant of immunity as a government witness in the March 2000 trial of Edwards. Among other things, Muransky testified to the following: he "had a violent reaction" when DeBartolo told him that Edwards demanded money during a meeting in Baton Rouge
in 1997; he "went ballistic" when DeBartolo told him about the $400,000 payment and the requests by the former governor that he be given one percent of the gross at the boat or 25 cents for every patron; he told jurors he felt he needed to protect DeBartolo from Edwards because DeBartolo lacked the keen business acumen of his late father, Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr.; he discussed DeBartolo's exasperation at Edwards' solicitation of cash. According to Muransky, DeBartolo complained about Edwards and his associates: "They don't quit.";
and when asked if there was anyone else in DeBartolo's organization making $50,000 per month (an amount allegedly requested by Edwards), Muransky testified: "Maybe Steve Young, Jerry Rice
," referring to the star player on the 49ers.
of the DeBartolo Corporation after reaching a plea agreement which left him (DeBartolo) a convicted felon and precluded him from serving on the corporate board. Eventually, after DeBartolo became involved in the corruption
, he turned over control of the 49ers to his sister. DeBartolo and Muransky reportedly went through an acrimonious breakup in 2002. Following the break with DeBartolo, Muransky moved with his family back to Youngstown.
In 2007, Muransky, as owner of Muransky Co. and Southwoods Surgical Center in Boardman, Ohio
, filed for monetary damages and dissolution of a joint venture intended to open a full-service, for-profit hospital in southern Mahoning County. Muransky told The Vindicator
: "I'm very disappointed for this community. There was an absolute opportunity to grow the health system ... In a few years, we are going to find ourselves having to drive to Akron and Pittsburgh and Cleveland for health care because it is no longer available here. I'm dumbfounded it has come to this." Muransky said one of the reasons he came back to Youngstown was to use his skills to give back to the community.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle who played for the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and Orlando Renegades
Orlando Renegades
The Orlando Renegades were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-In Washington:-1983 season:...
of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(USFL). He was a member of the Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
Champion Raiders. Prior to this he was an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and Academic All-American athlete who played for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
during the 1979
1979 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season saw the Alabama Crimson Tide bring home a national title with a perfect 12-0 season. The title was Alabama's 11th claimed, though the number is disputed. It was their 6th Associated Press awarded title....
–1981
1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, taking the national championship after a victory over traditional power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied...
seasons.
After retiring from football he became a business partner and advisor to Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., former San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
owner. As DeBartolo became more involved in the casino industry, he relied on Muransky as a confidant. Muransky testified under a grant of immunity as a government witness in the March 2000 trial of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Edwin Edwards
Edwin Edwards
Edwin Washington Edwards served as the Governor of Louisiana for four terms , twice as many terms as any other Louisiana chief executive has served. Edwards was also Louisiana's first Roman Catholic governor in the 20th century...
, mainly about what DeBartolo had confided to Muransky. DeBartolo was the only extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
victim who claimed to have been extorted directly by Edwards, but Muransky could not provide direct testimony about private meetings between DeBartolo and Edwards. Muransky has continued to pursue business interests even after the controversies about DeBartolo have waned.
Cardinal Mooney High School
Born in Youngstown, Muransky played football for Cardinal Mooney High SchoolCardinal Mooney High School
Cardinal Mooney High School is a coeducational Catholic high school in Youngstown, Ohio.-History:Cardinal Mooney was founded in 1956 and is run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. In the early 1950s, the Diocese of Youngstown recognized the need to expand Ursuline High School and to build...
where he was affectionately known as "Big Ed" by family and teammates. He was a three-year varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
man and two-year starter as an interior lineman at Cardinal Mooney. In 1976, he won All-Steel Valley, All-NEO
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
, and All-State honors, and received the Mack Truck Award, given annually to the most outstanding high school lineman in the Youngstown area.
University of Michigan
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
for three years at Michigan, where he wore #72, and earned All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
honors in 1980 and 1981. Muransky started 33 straight games at offensive tackle for the Wolverines from his sophomore through senior years, 1979–1981. The 6 inch, 320 lb (145.1 kg; 22.9 st) lineman was a key member of the 1980 Wolverines, coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
's first bowl-winning team. In fact, he started all twelve games at right tackle. This includes the 1981 Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
against the Washington Huskies football
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
team won by Michigan 23–6. The game was Schembechler's first bowl victory, and the coach was carried off the field on Muransky's shoulders. Muransky was named to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, UPI, and The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n teams in 1981 and also garnered "Academic All-American" his senior year. He was part of a 1981 team that had five All-American honorees (Anthony Carter, Butch Woolfolk
Butch Woolfolk
Harold E. "Butch" Woolfolk is a former American football running back and kick returner who played in college for the University of Michigan and in the National Football League for the New York Giants , Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions . Woolfolk attended Westfield Senior High School in...
, Bubba Paris
Bubba Paris
William "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl...
and Kurt Becker
Kurt Becker
Kurt Frank Becker is a former professional American football player who played guard for nine seasons for the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams. An offensive guard at the University of Michigan, Becker started in 36 consecutive games...
).
"Beef Bowl" Record Holder
Muransky also set the all-time "Beef Bowl" record by consuming 16 pounds of prime rib at Lawry'sLawry's
Lawry's The Prime Rib is a high-end, gourmet restaurant chain. The original location on Restaurant Row on La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, was founded by Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp and opened in 1938...
before the 1979 Rose Bowl. Muransky later recalled: "Bubba Paris
Bubba Paris
William "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl...
and I were two happy freshmen eating together at the Lawry's Beef Bowl event before the 1979 Rose Bowl Game. After we had enjoyed our fourth plate of prime rib, mashed potatoes, corn and Yorkshire pudding, Bubba asked what the record was, and they said 7 cuts. Bubba continued for 3 more cuts, and I continued for four, totally under the Bo Schembechler radar screen. When they delivered the 8th cut to me, the media started to gather around my table, Bo walked by and let me know what he was thinking without ever saying a word. Afterward, a Paris-Muransky night out ended with some pizza. The next morning in practice, Bo made an example of Bubba and me. We never ran so much in our lives as we did that day. We were in every play of scrimmage and then we ran sprints." When the Wolverines returned to Pasadena for the 1981 Rose Bowl, "Bo made it a point to come to the back of the plane and talk to me and Bubba Paris
Bubba Paris
William "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl...
. He wanted to let us know that my record from a couple years earlier would not be in jeopardy because we were going to be sitting with him at the Lawry's Beef Bowl. He said he was going to limit each of us to two cuts of prime rib." Schembechler had his own take on the story: "I let 'em eat because they were freshmen. They weren't gonna play anyway."
Big Chill Cameo
Muransky is also remembered for a cameo appearance in the 1983 film The Big ChillThe Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
: "I was in the theater watching it, not knowing what was going to happen. It was kind of interesting with all of (the characters) watching (the 1980 Michigan-Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
game). It was pretty cool. Watching [quarterback] John Wangler go back was pretty cool. For a split-second as they're going back, I'm thinking to myself, 'Oh my God, I pray to God I'm not holding or I missed a block for a sack or something on the big screen pass.' But it was a good block, and it was a fun moment. Any time I hear 'The Big Chill,' it's good memories."
Quitters
The Wolverines were the unanimous pre-season Number 1 pick in 1981 but lost their opener to Wisconsin 21–14. In the team meeting the next day, Schembechler walked into the room and wrote "Ed Muransky" and "Stan Edwards" on the chalkboard, and then barked out, "The rest of you are quitters. I want nothing more to do with you," and left. According to the coach, Muransky and Edwards were the only two who played with intensity against WisconsinWisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
, and Bo left it to them to motivate the rest of the team. Muransky issued a challenge to the offense on the night before the following week's game: "I looked at everyone and said, 'If we continue to play as great individuals, we'll continue to lose. If we start to play as a great team, we'll start winning." The next day, the Wolverines beat Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, 25–7.
Los Angeles Raiders
Muransky was selected in the fourth round (82nd pick) by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1982 NFL Draft, and he played in 24 games for the Raiders from 1982–1984. The Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles to play the 1982 NFL season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. Thus, although he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, he played his NFL career with the Los Angeles Raiders. In his second season in the NFL, he won a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
ring with the Raiders' 1983 Super Bowl Championship team. He played all 16 regular season games for Tom Flores
Tom Flores
Thomas R. "Tom" Flores is a retired American football quarterback and coach. Flores and Mike Ditka are the only two people in the National Football League history to win a Super Bowl as a player, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach...
' Raiders that season. The team went 12–4 during the 1983 NFL season
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
and produced eight Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
ers. Muransky played for an offensive line that included Pro Bowlers Henry Lawrence
Henry Lawrence
Henry Lawrence may refer to:* Henry Lawrence , President of the English Council of State during the Protectorate* Henry Montgomery Lawrence , British soldier and statesman* Henry F...
and Todd Christensen
Todd Christensen
Todd Jay Christensen is a former professional American football player and a current sports broadcaster for the MountainWest Sports Network.-Early life:...
. The team was led that season by quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
and future Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
, who rushed for nine touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, caught two and threw three on a 4–7 passing performance. Muransky described the Super Bowl experience as a "whirlwind" with "two weeks of hype like you've never seen." He recalled: "It was a big deal because offensive linemen weren't making what they make today. That year, I made $77,000, which was a pretty decent contract at the time. But if you won the Super Bowl, you won $64,000. So it wasn't peanuts. I remember walking off the field after that, thinking to myself, 'I have a Super Bowl ring for the rest of my life.'" Although Muransky was cut in for a Super Bowl gameshare, he was not on the official gameday roster.
Although the Raiders only won one Super Bowl with Muransky, they had great success. In his rookie season, they were 8–1 in the strike-shortened season. This was the best record in the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
and tied for the best in the League. The team, however, was upset by the 6–3 New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 1982-83 NFL Playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1982-83
The NFL playoffs following the 1982 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVII.A players' strike reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff format , just for this year. Division standings were ignored...
. The 1984 Raiders went 11–-5 and also made the 1984-85 NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1984-85
The NFL playoffs following the 1984 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XIX.The two wild card games were held on different days because both venues were in the Pacific Standard Time Zone. The NFL did not schedule prime time playoff games on the east coast until 2002. Normally, playoff games started at...
. The Raiders teams of Muransky's years went 31–10 in the regular season and 4–2 in the playoffs under Flores.
USFL Orlando Renegades
After playing for the Raiders, Muransky signed with the Orlando RenegadesOrlando Renegades
The Orlando Renegades were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-In Washington:-1983 season:...
of the USFL. He played and started 14 of the Renegades 18 games under Lee Corso
Lee Corso
Leland "Lee" Corso is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football through NCAA Football 11...
. The team was not as successful as the Raiders and went 5–13. When the league folded, he decided to retire and enter the business world.
Business career
After his football career ended, Muransky worked briefly as a sportscasterSportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
at WYTV
WYTV
WYTV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Mahoning Valley of Northeastern Ohio and Northwestern Pennsylvania that is licensed to Youngstown. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter on Shady Run Road in Boardman Township...
in Youngstown. He later became CEO and chairman of his in-laws' insurance agency, Gallagher Pipino, Inc. He is married to the former Christine Pipino and has three children.
Work with Eddie DeBartolo and the Edwards trial
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Muransky became the most trusted advisor and business partner of Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., heir to a real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
empire and former owner of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. For a time, Muransky was the CEO of the DeBartolo Property Group, and the two partnered in numerous business ventures, including a chain of ice cream franchises known as "Ed and Eddie's Homemade Ice Cream," real estate ventures and pizza. DeBartolo ventured into the casino business against the wishes of his sister, Denise DeBartolo York
Denise DeBartolo York
Marie Denise DeBartolo York is the former owner and current co-chair of the San Francisco 49ers. She is the daughter of late construction magnate Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. and the late Marie Patricia Montani DeBartolo....
and hired family contact, Muransky to head DeBartolo Entertainment. Eventually, Muransky who is said to have a keen business sense, became DeBartolo's most trusted advisor, which caused a rift with Carmen Policy
Carmen Policy
Carmen Policy is an attorney and American football executive who is best known for his front office work for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s and 1990s. Policy, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1983 as vice president and counsel...
, 49ers president.
In 1997, Muransky became involved in DeBartolo's efforts to open a riverboat gambling casino in Louisiana. The project required approval of the state gambling board and resulted in a highly publicized bribery scandal that ended with the conviction of former Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Governor Edwin Edwards
Edwin Edwards
Edwin Washington Edwards served as the Governor of Louisiana for four terms , twice as many terms as any other Louisiana chief executive has served. Edwards was also Louisiana's first Roman Catholic governor in the 20th century...
on 17 counts, including racketeering, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, mail fraud, and wire fraud. In order to secure licensing of the casino, Edwards and associates allegedly solicited bribes from DeBartolo, including a briefcase filled with $400,000. Of the many who claimed that they were extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
victims, DeBartolo was the only one who claimed to have been extorted directly by Edwards. Muransky was able to describe his relationship with DeBartolo but could not provide testimony about private meetings between DeBartolo and Edwards.
Muransky testified under a grant of immunity as a government witness in the March 2000 trial of Edwards. Among other things, Muransky testified to the following: he "had a violent reaction" when DeBartolo told him that Edwards demanded money during a meeting in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
in 1997; he "went ballistic" when DeBartolo told him about the $400,000 payment and the requests by the former governor that he be given one percent of the gross at the boat or 25 cents for every patron; he told jurors he felt he needed to protect DeBartolo from Edwards because DeBartolo lacked the keen business acumen of his late father, Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr.; he discussed DeBartolo's exasperation at Edwards' solicitation of cash. According to Muransky, DeBartolo complained about Edwards and his associates: "They don't quit.";
and when asked if there was anyone else in DeBartolo's organization making $50,000 per month (an amount allegedly requested by Edwards), Muransky testified: "Maybe Steve Young, Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
," referring to the star player on the 49ers.
Post-trial business
DeBartolo had Muransky placed on the board of directorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the DeBartolo Corporation after reaching a plea agreement which left him (DeBartolo) a convicted felon and precluded him from serving on the corporate board. Eventually, after DeBartolo became involved in the corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, he turned over control of the 49ers to his sister. DeBartolo and Muransky reportedly went through an acrimonious breakup in 2002. Following the break with DeBartolo, Muransky moved with his family back to Youngstown.
In 2007, Muransky, as owner of Muransky Co. and Southwoods Surgical Center in Boardman, Ohio
Boardman, Ohio
Boardman is a census-designated place in Boardman Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, just south of Youngstown. Boardman is considered to be a moderately affluent community and is one of two major retail hubs in the greater Youngstown area...
, filed for monetary damages and dissolution of a joint venture intended to open a full-service, for-profit hospital in southern Mahoning County. Muransky told The Vindicator
The Vindicator
The Vindicator, also known at times as The Youngstown Vindicator, is a daily newspaper serving Youngstown, Ohio and the Mahoning County Region as well as southern Trumbull County and northern Columbiana County. Founded in 1869, the newspaper currently has a circulation of 62,100 daily and 87,000...
: "I'm very disappointed for this community. There was an absolute opportunity to grow the health system ... In a few years, we are going to find ourselves having to drive to Akron and Pittsburgh and Cleveland for health care because it is no longer available here. I'm dumbfounded it has come to this." Muransky said one of the reasons he came back to Youngstown was to use his skills to give back to the community.