Lou Pagliaro
Encyclopedia
Louis Pagliaro 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".
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.
As a 14-year old, Pagliaro, representing the Tompkins Boys Club, won the Metro Junior Championship held at the Bloomingdale's
Midtown Manhattan
location in May 1933, by scores of 21–14 and 21–16. Pagliaro was a member of the United States team that competed starting in January 1938 for the Swaythling Cup, the sport's world championships. By April 1938, Pagliaro was ranked third nationally by the United States Table Tennis Association
, behind Sol Schiff and George Hendry.
He won his first national title in 1940, defeating defending champion Sol Schiff. In his win in the finals of the 1941 national championships, he was forced back as far as 40 feet from the table by finalist Edward Pinner's fast serves and overhead smashes, at one point returning a ball that was three inches above the floor, arced high in the air, hit the net and landed on the opposite side to win the point, taking the title by scores of 21–18, 21–11 and 22–20 to become the first American to win the title in consecutive years. He won for a third consecutive time in 1942. In front of 1,000 fans at the 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.
He toured with the USO
, entertaining the troops during World War II
. He was one of several athletes who turned in their trophies for scrap metal in June 1942 to aid the war effort as part of an effort run by the Bronx Salvage Committee. Unable to make a living in the sport, he left table tennis and was employed at a Brooklyn
iron works, where he remained until he retired in 1984.
Coming out of retirement, Pagliaro won the 1952 national championship tournament held in Cleveland, defeating defending champion Dick Miles
, a player whom Pagliaro had previously coached.
He was inducted in 1979 into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame.
magazine article. "Ping-pong, ping-pong — my God, what kind of game is that?"
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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
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".
Pagliaro was born on May 5, 1919, in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to Italian immigrants. Growing up on the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
, 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.
As a 14-year old, Pagliaro, representing the Tompkins Boys Club, won the Metro Junior Championship held at the Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
location in May 1933, by scores of 21–14 and 21–16. Pagliaro was a member of the United States team that competed starting in January 1938 for the Swaythling Cup, the sport's world championships. By April 1938, Pagliaro was ranked third nationally by the United States Table Tennis Association
USA Table Tennis
USA Table Tennis, colloquially known as USATT, is the non-profit governing body for table tennis in the United States and is responsible for cataloging and sanctioning tournaments within the United States. It was founded in 1933 as the United States Table Tennis Association. In addition to...
, behind Sol Schiff and George Hendry.
He won his first national title in 1940, defeating defending champion Sol Schiff. In his win in the finals of the 1941 national championships, he was forced back as far as 40 feet from the table by finalist Edward Pinner's fast serves and overhead smashes, at one point returning a ball that was three inches above the floor, arced high in the air, hit the net and landed on the opposite side to win the point, taking the title by scores of 21–18, 21–11 and 22–20 to become the first American to win the title in consecutive years. He won for a third consecutive time in 1942. In front of 1,000 fans at the 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.
He toured with the USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
, entertaining the troops during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was one of several athletes who turned in their trophies for scrap metal in June 1942 to aid the war effort as part of an effort run by the Bronx Salvage Committee. Unable to make a living in the sport, he left table tennis and was employed at a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
iron works, where he remained until he retired in 1984.
Coming out of retirement, Pagliaro won the 1952 national championship tournament held in Cleveland, defeating defending champion Dick Miles
Dick Miles
Richard Theodore "Dick" Miles was an American table tennis player who won 10 national championships between 1945 and 1962, more than any other player. After his playing career ended, Miles wrote an instructional guide and continued in his sport by playing match games and doing trick shot...
, a player whom Pagliaro had previously coached.
He was inducted in 1979 into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame.
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 YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine article. "Ping-pong, ping-pong — my God, what kind of game is that?"
Pagliaro died on July 8, 2009, in Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
. 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.