When News 12 Sports Director Bill Gonillo passed away suddenly in September 2008, the Fairfield County sports community lost one of its greatest treasures. At 44 years or age, Gonillo left us much too early, but he also left behind a standard of excellence for all his fellow media colleagues to follow when covering local sports as he did for 12 years at News 12.

To keep Gonillo’s memory alive and provide a model reminder of his work ethic, the Fairfield County Sport’s Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation created an annual award in Gonillo’s name. The Sports Foundation recognizes members of the media that emulate Big Bill’s passion for local sports and provide a supportive voice for the sports community in the county.

Click on the tabs below to see the Gonillo Local Sports Media Award recipients from each year.

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Damian Andrew

DamianheadcropDamian Andrew, who joined the local Fairfield County sports desk in October of 2006, is a two-time Emmy Award winner. Bill Gonillo played a major role in Andrew’s career as he served as a mentor when Damian first arrived at News 12. When Gonillo passed away he left big shoes to fill and in the nine years since Andrew has fully lived up to the standards his good friend set by continuing to provide outstanding coverage of the entire county sports scene. Prior to arriving at News 12 Connecticut, Andrews was the Sports Director at Capital News 9 in Albany, NY, for nearly five years.
News 12

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Len Gambino

lengheadcropLen Gambino was the voice of Stamford local sports on WSTC for 27 years beginning in 1969. His work included weekly high school game coverage as well as  many years of the FCIAC football championships from Stamford’s Boyle Stadium. Gambino also broadcast youth tournaments like the Senior Babe Ruth League World Series, while also hosting one of the first sports talk call-in shows in that now popular genre.
WSTC

Leo Motyka

leoleemooreheadLeo Motyka, best remembered by his on-air moniker of “Lee Moore,” was Norwalk’s sports radio personality throughout the 1960’s and ’70’s on WNLK where he was sports director for 17 years. His broadcasts of the Home Oilers, Norwalk’s successful semipro hockey team, were one of many local events he brought to his listeners. In more than 30 years of radio work in the county, Moore also did sports reporting at WMMM in Westport, WREF in Ridgefield, WLAD in Danbury and WNAB in Bridgeport.
 WNLK

Bob Ritzert

RitzertheadbestBob Ritzert was a veteran play-by-play sportscaster in Bridgeport for more than two decades as sports director at both WICC and WNAB. He was best known as the longtime voice of Fairfield University basketball beginning with the 1971-72 season and through the early 80’s. Ritzert also was the primary announcer for the Bridgeport Jets Atlantic Football League semipro games, where he was joined by Leo Motyka as an on-air partner for several years.
 WICC/WNAB

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Sandy Sulzycki

????????????????????????????????????Sandy Sulzycki, a longtime member of the sports staff at the Connecticut Post, has been named the 2014 Bill Gonillo Local Media Award winner.Sulzycki is in his 43rd year working for the Bridgeport newspapers, first at the Bridgeport Post/Telegram and now the Connecticut Post. He has kept the county’s sports history alive through his weekly nostalgia column “The Week That Was” for close to 35 years. The column highlights some of the top games, athletes and teams from the past six decades.He also periodically writes a “Where Are They Now” feature and posts photos of old teams or groups in a “Those Were The Days” section. Sulzycki, who lives in Milford, has also been a voting member of the commission’s committees to select its Hall of Famers.
Connecticut Post

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Ehalt, Bob

2013 Gonillo AwardThe 2013 winner is Bob Ehalt, a sports staff member at the New Haven Register. Ehalt, who resides in Shelton, has worked at state newspapers for nearly 35 years. After starting his career at the Norwalk Hour in 1978, he joined the Stamford Advocate in 1984 and spent more than two decades there. He has been a voting member of the Sports Commission’s Hall of Fame selection committees since its inception and contributed annual profiles of the Hall of Famers for the dinner program books. Ehalt has worked in the sports department of the Register since 2008.
New Haven Register

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Fierro, David

2012 Gonillo AwardThe 2012 winner is David Fierro, a sports reporter for the Hearst Newspapers’ Greenwich Time. Fierro has worked at the Greenwich Time since 2003. During his stint there he has covered sports on all levels, primarily high school and collegiate. He has written numerous stories about the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame and Sports Commission events. Prior to arriving at Greenwich Time, David worked as a sports writer at The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y., from 1995-2003.
Greenwich Time

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Murphy, Tim

 2011 Gonillo AwardThe 2011 winner is Tim Murphy of Hersam Acorn Newspapers. Murphy has been the sports editor of both the Wilton Bulletin and the Ridgefield Press since 1991. He has won 12 New England Press Association awards, including two-first place honors in 2010. Murphy also acts as one of the local representatives for the Commission, coordinating the selection of the Wilton Sportsperson of the Year since its inception in 2005. Tim has been on the FC Sports Hall of Fame committee as a voter since 2005 as well.
Hersam Acorn Newspapers
Wilton Bulletin
Ridgefield Press

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Renner, Tom

2010 Gonillo AwardThe 2010 winner is Tom Renner of Main Street Connect, an online news and information organization that covers 10 different county communities. Since February, Renner has directed sports coverage for all 10 local websites. Tom worked at the Stamford Advocate from 1987-2009 and served as Assistant Sports Editor before becoming the Sports Editor in 2007. He also acts as one of the local representatives for the Commission, coordinating the selection of the Darien Sportsperson of the Year.
Main Street Connect

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Albano, George

2009 Gonillo AwardThe 2009 winner is George Albano of the Norwalk Hour. Albano has been a dedicated advocate of local youth sports, and has been a friend to the Sports Commission since its inception. He also acts as one of the local representatives for the Commission, coordinating the selection of the Norwalk Sportsperson of the Year.
Norwalk Hour

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Daily Newspaper – Connecticut Post (Bridgeport)
Weekly Newspaper – Minuteman Papers (Westport and Fairfield)
Sports Radio – WSTC/WNKL (Stamford and Norwalk)