Special Acknowledgements

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Dr.  Schwarz earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of  Rochester where she also completed her residency and a fellowship  in-movement inherited neurological disease. She is an Associate  Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester and specializes in  a variety of neurological disorders with additional expertise in  movement disorders including tremors as well as Traumatic Brain Injury,  Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.
 

In 1994, after lengthy testing, Dr. Schwarz along with Neuropsychologist, Dr. Peter B. Sorman and the Neurology Team at the University of Rochester Medical Center diagnosed me with Dementia  Pugilistica and Parkinson's syndrome.

I continue to be thankful for the support, time, and care that I have  received from Dr. Schwarz and the University of Rochester Neurology Team and don't know where I would be today and know  that I would have not made it to this point without their guidance. 

Carmen  Basilio is an inspiration and personal friend to me. Carmen was the  Welterweight and Middleweight Champion of the World (1955-57), 1957  Hickok Belt Award recipient, US Marine War Veteran, devout Catholic, and  model for American youth.
 

Carmen was one of  the most recognized and respected athletes in the world in the 1950's.  Growing up in the 50's and early 60's, I remember there were two  athletes WE ALL wanted to emulate; Mickey Mantle and Carmen Basilio----I  chose Carmen Basilio.
 

Carmen inspired me  to become a boxer, that all began way back in 1957. I was 6 years old  hanging out in my Grandfather's Italian Restaurant on Exchange Street in  Geneva, NY. Every Friday night the bar room would be packed with  patrons watching the Gillette Friday Night Fights on the 20" Admiral TV  above the bar. My father, who was bar tending, would try to get a better  picture by adjusting the rabbit ears on top of the TV. The guys would  get anxious and yelled to dad "Angelo....hurry up...Carmen Basilio is  fighting tonight!" Finally dad got the picture adjusted and I watched as  the crowd in the bar room roared with every punch Carmen threw. The  only time it got quiet was when the Gillette Razor and Schultz &  Dooley Beer commercials came on between rounds. That night made such  an impression on me. After the fight, I ran to the basement,  filled up a  laundry bag with linens, jumped onto a pickle barrel, tied the laundry bag to a steam pipe and started using it as a punching bag. My  Grandmother walked in and asked me what I was doing. I told her,  "Grandma, I'm Carmen Basilio" and she said "never mind that boxing stuff, you better go to College, now go  help your Grandfather in the bar room."
 

My admiration for  Carmen has stayed with me all of these years. In my eyes, he's the  toughest fighter "pound for pound" of all time.
 

On days where my  dementia rears it's ugly head and I am scheduled for a speaking  engagement, I look to Carmen for the strength and inspiration to get me  through the session.
 

I will always cherish the friendship I have with Carmen and his wonderful wife, Josie. 

I thank God every day for the support of my wife, Patti. She has been by my side through thick and thin and finds ways to deal with my condition. She has sacrificed a great deal but I have never once heard her complain. She  has persevered through my paranoia, insomnia, mood changes,  forgetfulness and my anxiety and frustrations from not being able to  function normally. 

Monsignor Kelliher was a well known retired Roman Catholic Priest in the Buffalo area. 

I met him in the late '60's while training at Singer's Gym in Buffalo. Monsignor became a mentor and good friend who kept me grounded, was concerned for my well being and encouraged me. He was a wealth of knowledge and I looked to him often for advice. He was honest and I could count on him to tell me the truth, even if it wasn't something I wanted to hear. 
 

He nicknamed me, the Paladin Kid after a popular 1960's TV Western Show, "Have Gun, Will Travel". The main character, Paladin, was a gentleman hired gunman. Monsignor would say I was just like the hired gunman; a gentleman, traveling long distances and taking on any fight even on short notice. The nickname stuck and I quickly became, The Palidan Kid, "Have Glove, Will Travel".
 

I will always be grateful for his friendship and support. He taught me the importance of a being good role model for the younger generation to emulate and taught me the true meaning of integrity and honesty.  

Senator Nozzolio has  been a strong advocate for the Finger Lakes Region,  representing the  54th Senate District in the New York State Senate. While attending  Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls, he was a standout athlete in football  and lacrosse. He also lettered in crew and sprint football at Cornell  University.  He earned a Bachelor's degree in Industrial and Labor  Relations, and a Master's degree in Public Administration and  Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. Senator Nozzolio also  earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Syracuse University College of  Law. Senator Nozzolio served as a JAG officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves  and is currently a Commander in the New York Naval Militia.

Senator Nozzolio has been a New York State Senator for the 54th district, since 1992.  Prior to his election to the New York State Senate,  Senator Nozzolio served for 10 years in the New York State Assembly  where he was chosen to serve as Deputy Minority Leader. His  service and accomplishments to New York State have been impeccable. I  have known the Senator for many years and I knew we shared the same  passion for the safety and welfare of our youth.  I also knew that he  would be the man to get passed into law concussion protocol that all New York State schools would have to adhere to.  
 

Senator Nozzolio and I spent many hours discussing concussion issues.   In July of 2011, Senators Michael Nozollio and Kemp Hannon were  instrumental in getting passed into law, (S.3953) The Concussion  Management Awareness Act. 
 

This law requires.................
All coaches, physical education teachers, nurses and certified trainers to complete a state-approved course bi-annually.
 

Removal of any athlete believed to have suffered a concussion and no entry of that individual into that game.
 

Athletes are symptom free for at least 24 hours before they practice or play.
 

Written permission from a licensed physician before an athlete returns to school sports activities.
 

This  law significantly helps to ensure that no athlete accidentally slips  through the cracks and into harm's way.  I commend Senator Nozzolio for  his diligence and hard work and am grateful for his support and  friendship. 

Dr. Jason Feinberg, attended Hobart College, earning a B.S. in Chemistry, Magna cum Laude; Syracuse Health Science Center 1989-1993 with an MD awarded in May 1993; completed Internal Medicine Residency at Naval Hospital Oakland, California 1993-1995 and  University of California, San Francisco 1995-1996. 
 

During his time at Hobart College, he was a 4 year standout first baseman  on the Hobart Baseball Team from 1986-1989.  Dr. Feinberg was my general practitioner for  six years, when I was going through a very tough time. He was always very patient and considerate  of my condition.  I confided in him more than I would have in most  anyone else.  He helped to bring me out of seclusion. Dr. Feinberg helped get me started on the right tract to bring concussion awareness to the schools and for that I will be forever grateful to him.  

I had the privilege of training under the wing of former heavyweight  contender, Chuck Jennings at the Neighborhood House Gym in Elmira, New  York and the Camp McCormack Gym outside of Ithaca, New York in the late  '60's.  
 

I have great respect for Mr. Jennings and credit him with teaching me  the value of treating everyone equally.  His heavyweight heart came true  to form as he founded The Glove House Organization, which helped  troubled youth find stable homes.  Mr. Jennings would always say, "With a  little love and kindness, you can change a boy's life".  His words and  example still influence and inspire me today. 

He was a man of great wit and wisdom and a real gentleman.  His lessons  of work ethic and focus have benefited me far beyond my days in the  ring!   I had the privilege to train at the renowned, Gramercy Gym in  Manhattan with instruction from the highly respected, Al Gavin who had  worked the corners of many world champions. 
 

Mr. Gavin brought instruction to a new level and taught me the  importance of paying attention to detail.  His famous quote was, "Detail  is what separates the best from the rest!"
 

Andy Siegel is a New York City personal Injury attorney who has dedicated his career to representing survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI)  He understands the struggle these courageous individuals endure while restructuring their lives to recover a sense of normality in the wake of sudden tragedy.  I will be forever grateful to Andy for authoring my book, Second Impact, The Ray Ciancaglini story.  When you are a survivor of traumatic brain injury, there is a certain "language" you speak, which is foreign to most.  But Andy was fluent and understood my existence from the first instant.  I am grateful that he shared my story in such a compelling and true-to-life manner and I will always hold his friendship in the highest regard.  

My grandfather was more like a father to me.  We were VERY close.  He loved boxing and although he wasn't a boxer himself, he knew a lot about the game.  His favorites were Marciano, Carnera and Basilio.

I think deep in his heart, he wanted me to become a boxer, but my mother and grandmother were so opposed to boxing that I think he feared going against their wishes.  Like any other parent, they had high hopes for a more lucrative and less dangerous career.

Grandpa came to the United States when he was 21 years old and landed on Ellis Island.  He went to work right away in Bronx, NY as a mason.  After one year of living in New York City, he headed upstate and made Geneva, NY his home.  He met my grandmother here and with the money that he saved from being a mason, he scraped together enough money to open the first Italian Restaurant in Geneva.  The year was 1923.

Grandpa didn't know any English, but learned the language quickly with a thick Italian accent.  He was very astute and as he would get dressed to start his day, he always dressed properly, wearing a dress shirt and tie.  No matter what his plans were for the day, cooking, clowning around or even out hunting, he always donned a shirt and tie!

In the basement of our restaurant, we would put on big pizza mitts, set an old spring wound timer on the pickle barrel for 3 minute rounds with another timer set at 1 minute for between rounds.  He use to tell me all the time in his Italian accent, "ya cantta hit nobody froma far away.  Ya gotta geta little close."  As we would spar, he would always say, "getta little close.  Getta little close!"  He also taught me, "ya gotta knockem a out witha every punch.  Usa botha hands."  Every time I would drop my left hand, he would tag me with a right saying, "Keepa the lefta up!"

My grandfather taught me right from wrong and I will always cherish his love and support!

I was the middle of 5 children, the oldest boy.  My mother did it all!  While my father was busy with the family restaurant, it was my mother that took care of us all.  It was my mother that first taught me how to throw a baseball and encouraged me to join Little League.  It was my mother who went to school when my grades started to plummet because of my second impact injury.  It was my mother who made all of my friends feel welcome when they came over to play.  It was my mother who was the rock!

I actually had very little support from my family during my boxing career.  Everyone just seemed too busy!  I guess that made me less aware of just how my mother was feeling and I regret not being more sympathetic for her feelings.  One night, after a tough fight, I cam home with injuries to my face.  Both my eyes were black and swollen.  She was startled when she saw me and through her tears said, "Raymond.  I brought you into this world a very healthy baby and it hurts so much to see you destroying yourself."  I replied, "Mom, everything is going to be ok.  This is just part of the game."

Until I had my own children, I never realized what she was going through.  I now know that it broke her heart.