Robert Luongo ALS Fund Charity Banquet draws celebrities

The Seventh Annual Robert Luongo ALS Fund Charity Banquet was held at Nanina’s in the Park in Belleville on Jan. 27.
The fund and banquet, which drew 587 attendees, was held in memory of Luongo, a former Belleville High School standout athlete. The fund is established by Major League Baseball umpire and Nutley resident Phil Cuzzi and has raised money for Luongo’s daughter, Dominique, and also for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis victims and their families.
The keynote speaker was former Major League Baseball manager Lou Piniella. Another featured  speaker was NBC announcer Bob Costas. The auctioneer was actor Steve Schirripa, who starred in the HBO series “The Sopranos.” Comedian Uncle Floyd also performed.
The celebrity attendees included former heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes, former heavyweight boxing contender Gerry Cooney, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey, former Yankee player Rick Cerone, MLB umpire Jerry Crawford and former New York Giant tight end Bob Tucker, as well  numerous other members of Cuzzi’s current and former MLB umpiring crews.