December 11, 2014 - (Monticello, NY). Having
reached a 50 year milestone working in the harnessracing industry (with 34
years serving as Monticello Raceway’s publicity director), today John Manzi announced his retirement effective December 19th, 2014. Commenting on his
retirement, Manzi stated, “Every race has to come to an end. And after five
decades of answering the call to the post, the time is right for me to relax a
little and enjoy my golf clubs and my grandchildren. After seeing so much being
at the helm of the Monticello Raceway public relations office for many years,
one thing remains supremely important to me. It’s all of the good people I have
met and the friends I have made.” While he is
officially retiring, Monticello Raceway management and John Manzi have agreed
that he will continue to write articles for the track and from time-to-time he
will offer assistance to racing operations office.
Laurette Pitts, Executive Vice President,
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Empire Resorts, Inc.,
owner of Monticello Raceway, stated, “John Manzi is simply an industry legend.
Through good times and bad, John played a pivotal role in promoting the harness
racing sport. Utilizing his unique brand of creativity, he generated an
incalculable amount of good will and positive exposure for Monticello
Raceway. While his booming laugh and
friendly smile will be greatly missed, we understand his desire to enter this
new phase of his life.”
Manzi began his harness racing
career in 1958, three years before he would graduate from Monticello High
School, when he began working as a trainer at the stables his family owned
locally. Manzi consequently began his racing career where he won seven out of
eight of his first races at local county fairs.
In 1974, after living and racing all over the East Coast, he got a chance
to come back home when he became the assistant to Monticello Raceway Racing
Secretary. Two years later, after a brief stint as Racing Secretary, Manzi was
assigned to Monticello Raceway’s office of publicity and public relations. In
1980 he was promoted to the position of publicity director.
From racing elephants, to camels,
to elephants against camels, to having a former New York Giants football player
race against a horse, Manzi built an impressive legacy of garnering attention
for Monticello Raceway.
Monticello Casino and Raceway
Assistant General Manager Shawn Wiles commented, “Everyone in our industry
knows about John’s uncanny ability to generate positive publicity. What few
people know is that apart from managing the big publicity events for our track,
John is a universal ambassador for the entire harness racing sport.”
A tireless fundraiser, Manzi
has helped numerous industry organizations offset day-to -day expenses through
his benevolent efforts. He has been the impetus for money raised and donated to
the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, the Goshen Historic Track, the
Saratoga Harness Hall of Fame, the Standardbred Retirement Fund and the Harness
Horse Youth Foundation. As a driving force in the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of
the United States Harness Writers Association (“USHWA”), he runs its annual
banquet that honors their local horsemen and then uses the proceeds to fund
numerous other worthwhile causes throughout the year.
Besides his promotional work of the sport at Monticello
Raceway, he has done publicity for the New York Sire Stakes and other New York
State races and worked for Bruce Hamilton when he was the executive director of
the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State. He is also the publicist for the
Billings Amateur Driving Series and the North American Amateur Drivers
Association. He is a former national president of both USHWA and the Harness
Publicist Association.
Manzi's exceptional efforts have
not gone unnoticed through the years. He is a member of the Communicator's Hall
of Fame in Goshen and has received the Proximity Award from USHWA, the Pinnacle
Award from the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, the Appreciation Award
from Harness Horsemen International, the Laurel Award from New York City USHWA
and was named USHWA's Person of the Year in 1992.
“I can’t thank Monticello Raceway
management enough for all the wonderful years I’ve spent here.” Manzi added. “I
grew-up in the area, graduated from Monticello High School in 1961, and always
had a special feeling in my heart for Monticello Raceway; like ‘it was my own
race track’.
Some say I’ve been good for the
raceway, but I say the raceway has been good for me. I couldn’t have been more
dedicated if I had owned the raceway myself.”
The entire Monticello Casino and
Raceway management team and employees thank John for his years of dedicated
service and wish John a long and healthy retirement.
