By: Cynthia Williamson
LAMBERTVILLE – He founded the Lambertville Ramblers and Little Ramblers youth football program in 1968.
He was former head coach of its midget division until his retirement in 1997, bringing to a close more than 30 years in the football program.
In 1978, he lead his team to capture the league championship, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps. One of the players on that squad, Blaine Stintsman, now is head coach of the Ramblers’ flag division.
Oct. 4, the Ramblers’ founder and former head coach, Joe "Puggy" DiSalvi, was among the first of 15 individuals inducted into the Warren County Football League Hall of Fame when the league held its annual all-star game at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg, N.J.
The Hall of Fame was started this year to commemorate the program’s 50th anniversary. The Ramblers have been a member since 1969.
"I just didn’t know what to say," Mr. DiSalvi, 74, said. "One thing I’m proud of is that I got acknowledged."
Mr. DiSalvi was nominated by the Ramblers’ President Robert Pierman, also a former coach and long-time member of the organization.
"I nominated Puggy because he was the obvious choice," Mr. Pierman said. "He is one of the founders if not the founder. He got the idea, and everybody jumped on board."
Warren County Football League President Ted Vegh said the organization is shopping around for a location to permanently display the Hall of Fame plaque.
He said more than 100 nominations were made for the award. Each of the 15 inductees was awarded a plaque, he said.
"Puggy has been an integral part of the league," Mr. Vegh said. "The Ramblers overall have been a very successful and very strong supporter of the league over the years."
When Mr. DiSalvi is asked how he got the idea to start a youth football program, he takes a step back in time to the 1940s and his own athletic career.
A lifelong city resident, Mr. DiSalvi attended the old Lambertville High School where he was noted for his athletic ability. But following a disagreement with the baseball coach, he walked out of the school toward the end of his sophomore year.
"I was bullheaded," he admitted.
His decision to quit school was only temporary. By September, he was back in the classroom, although not yet eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities. A coach from the nearby Pennington School in Hopewell Township heard about his situation and approached him after school one day about playing for his team.
"He had seen me play Trenton Catholic, and we disgraced Trenton Catholic," Mr. DiSalvi recalled.
After one Latin class, he headed for practice.
At his first game with Pennington, Mr. DiSalvi recalled he had his "hands on the ball four times" and scored four times. But his athletic career at the private college preparatory school was short-lived.
"My brothers were in the service, and, like a dope, I joined the Army," he said. "I didn’t finish high school."
Mr. DiSalvi was destined to play football. When he was a youngster, a brother, Raymond, now deceased, gave him the nickname, "Pug," due to his resemblance to the late Jack "Pug" Manders of the Chicago Bears.
"Everybody in the world called me ‘Pug’ until I went into the Army," he said. "I had about five cracked noses, and after that, they kept calling me ‘pug nose.’ Then it became ‘Puggy.’"
He was discharged from the service in 1947, the same year he married his wife, June. The couple has six children: four sons and two daughters. Mr. DiSalvi’s oldest son, Ron, is a former Ramblers’ coach. Another son, Dino, played for the Ramblers.
Even as an adult, Mr. DiSalvi never lost his enthusiasm for the gridiron. In 1949, he joined the Ramblers, a semi-pro football team based in Lambertville that had been in existence since the 1930s.
The sport was so popular the town had enough men for two teams, known as the "Up Towners," and the "Down Towners." Mr. DiSalvi played for the downtown team.
Many local residents played for the Ramblers, including Solebury Township Police Chief Duffy Mangan, former Lambertville Police Chief Frank Masterson Jr., and city resident Winnie Schmutz.
Through his affiliation with the Ramblers, Mr. DiSalvi became acquainted with former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Wayne Milner, who was prospecting him for the squad.
Meantime, Mr. DiSalvi injured his leg, which required surgery and rehabilitation, effectively ending his dream of big-league play.
"I missed some great opportunities," he said sorrowfully. "I always had hopes of playing pro football."
Years later, Mr. DiSalvi and Howard "Bubby" Gailloux decided the Lambertville area needed a youth football program and made plans to start one.
"People thought we were crazy," Mr. DiSalvi recalled.
The pair forged ahead and organized the Ramblers and Little Ramblers in 1968. The official team colors are red and blue but, due to a supply problem, the team initially wore black and blue uniforms.
The Ramblers played an independent schedule the first year and joined the Warren County league the following season.
"We got mangled our first year in the league," Mr. DiSalvi recalled. "After the second, third and fourth years, we had championship teams."
He still attends most of the Ramblers’ home games at Ely Memorial Field in Lambertville, which always revives memories. The Ramblers’ semi-pro squad also played there.
"I love football," Mr. DiSalvi declared. "I’ll always love it. I can’t help it. I still wish I could get out there."
