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Joe  MUSUMECI

 Nato nel 1921 a Brooklyn, Joe Musumeci è stato un Tenete Colonnello dell'Aviazione americana che è passato alla storia del bridge dopo essere andato in pensione nel 1960, quando fu chiamato dal petroliere Ira Corn a fare da coach alla formidabile squadra degli Aces di Dallas.

 Nel 1930 si arruolò nella Air Force e e si sposò con Lucy che gli avrebbe dato tre figli. Imparò il Bridge sotto le armi e quando si congedò si inserì nell'organizzazione bridgistica della città dove era andato a vivere: San Antonio.

 Joe, che era un valente giocatore, era anche socio del grande Bobby Wolff in un bridge club della città di San Antonio in Texas. Quando Ira si rese conto che per allenare proficuamente la squadra che aveva creato nel 1968 aveva bisogno di un giocatore che fosse esperto di logistica ed organizzazione oltre che capace di tenere in riga dei super campioni come quelli che aveva messo insieme, proprio su suggerimento di Bobby, chiamò come coach degli Aces, l'intransigente colonnello Joe.

 Così sei mesi dopo la sua fondazione, Musumeci, si trasferì a Dallas con la moglie Lucy e rinforzò il famoso team tanto da essere una delle chiavi del loro successo.

Joe fu il coach della squadra che riuscì a battere per la prima volta il portentoso Blue Team nel 1976 ed il capitano non giocatore di quella che vinse il titolo nel 1983.

Joe è anche noto per aver curato, assieme a Wolff e per oltre 30 anni, le colonne di "The Ace on Bridge".

Scomparve nel 2004 a Richardson presso Dallas dove viveva con la moglie Lucy a seguito delle complicazioni dovute ad un attacco di cuore.

Joe Musumeci was born in Brooklyn, NY on September 10, 1921. He left New York in the late 1930’s to join the Air Force and marry Lucy. He accomplished both and was soon involved in World War II, when his first order of business was to go to Officer’s Training School.

He came out with his commission as 2nd Lieutenant and was sent to the European War zone where he learned to play bridge. After the war, he was stationed in San Antonio at Kelly AFB where he had achieved the rank of Major, but more importantly he had become a leader with the San Antonio Bridge League.

He not only was one of the best players in town (along with Benny Fain and Harold Rockaway), he also served as President of the organization and was responsible for organizing most of the tournaments.

 He was everything to be proud of, a fine player, actively ethical (my role model for what that should be), loved the game and was always recruiting new players. After some time in San Antonio he was restationed in Formosa (now Taiwan).

In 1960, Joe (by this time a Lieutenant Colonel) called saying he was going to retire from SAC (Strategic Air Command) and was contemplating retiring in San Antonio if he open a bridge club together the big champion Bobby Wolff.

Two weeks later Lucy gave birth to their 3rd child, Joe, Jr. on September 14.

Eight years later, in February of 1968, Wolff persuaded Moose to go to Dallas to join Ira Corn with his new project of forming the Aces.

Moose went on to be the coach of the  winning Bermuda Bowl team (Dan Morse, Captain) in 1976, the first year the legendary Italian Blue Team had been beaten.

He then captained the US team to a thrilling victory in 1983 in Stockholm winning on the next to last hand (176 board match) when the great Giorgio Belladonna and Benito Garozzo had a mix up and reached a slam off two aces.

He was bright, witty, full of life and character, compassionate and loyal. He was a tremendously effective writer, excelling in clarity and brevity.

Joe was worldly and yet never lost his attraction as a common man.

He saw through phonies, was blessed with a wonderful wife, Lucy, who doubled as a gourmet cook and a loving mother and companion. They had three children, Mary Ann who died too young many years ago, Jim who teaches finance at Southern Illinois University, is a statistician, and plays a lot of good bridge, and Joe, Jr. who has made an enormous success as a chemical engineer.