Dave Umbrello
“I’m just a humble guy who loves the game of bowling, that’s made my life wonderful. I don’t know what I’d do without the game.”
- A lot of people like to ask how old you were when you started bowling, which you can answer if you’d like, but when did you really start to get serious about it? What was the turning point for you?
EARLY HISTORY
I got turned on to bowling with ABC Wide World of Sports every Saturday. My brother and I would watch bowlers like Earl Anthony, Mark Roth, and Dick Weber, which kind of got me into bowling at around age 12.
At 16, I was getting serious and going to leagues (minimum age allowed in adult leagues at the time). I walked over a mile on Saturdays in Waltham, MA to get to the bowling alley! My mother didn’t drive and my Dad was a police officer. Not a lot of ways to get there otherwise. Really got me into it because otherwise why would I want to walk a mile on Saturday morning! (laughs).
What was really neat is that soon I met Mrs. Jacobson who knew all the details of bowling. My first year of really getting into bowling I had a high average of 167 (with the rubber balls, lacquer lanes ) where you had to have your own style to carry. [throw the same shot every time]. Jacobson was very instrumental for me and my beginning career. This was in the “128 Ten Pins” alley.
I used to drive around and bowl all around New England. I had this love of participating in a team (football too). I think it’s very interesting that bowling gives an opportunity for individuality and teamwork: I had to learn to be a good sport and adjust with people’s personalities to blend together to be champions. You want to win in a league, or a tournament, so that was my frame of mind.
FAMILY
My son, Corey, participates with the Professional Bowler’s Tour (PBA), and his fiancé is also participates with the Women’s tour and is an assistant coach for Texas Stephen F. Austin (SFA) College. Corey is helping now them out with coaching and drilling, too. It’s kind’ve come full circle. But my whole family bowls! My daughter Meghan just got back into bowling and is averaging 180-190 and my wife Karen is an avid bowler as well. She did the Nationals and is a lifetime bowler as well. She just recently shot a 299 in the past few years. (She originally threw a back up ball, and she wanted to change it, and she did!)
Son Corey Umbrello, July 10-11 2021 NEBA champion, Chicopee, MA.
One of the biggest things for me and my relationship with my wife was that I knew I could never give up this game, and had to find somebody to understand ups and downs.
Can’t win all time, can’t bowl good all the time and you have to deal with that. It’s been what, 43 or 44 years in the sport. It’s because of my relationship with my wife and kids that allow me to do this. It’s a privilege to do this. Just last night, it dawned on me how much fun this is for me. It used to be my job to be on top, but now I just have fun with it.
- Who are some of the most influential people in your bowling history, coaches, peers, etc.?
INFLUENCES
Mrs. Jacobson was influential in grooming me into the bowler that I am. I learned a lot too from my father as a police officer, and learned to question everything. I especially used to hang out with a Group of 3 people – one is a personal friend and met him at the bowling alley in Brighton, Hans Fecho, a right-handed bowler and he just introduced himself saying “Hey let me show you something!” So he became involved with me and became my coach. A lot of people in the left-handed circle said a right-hander couldn’t teach a left-hander (boy were they wrong).
THE DREAM TEAM
We created a team that we called a “Dream Team” and would go all over New England and bowl just about anybody. We’re 19-year old and weren’t afraid to go anywhere to bowl. Part of the Dream Team, Don O’Malley, Jim Gravely, and Hans Fecho were all dedicated bowlers that wanted to go on tour. Jim Gravely was an African-American left-hander (who passed away recently) and we started learning the game together as left-handed people. Our team was versatile and talented and we could challenge anybody. They definitely turned me on to tournament bowling.
When I was a kid and watched bowling on TV I had a fantasy that I wanted to be on TV, but realized it’s a lot of work! It took quite a while to get to that point where I was winning big tournaments over time, not professional, but big money tournaments! It took me a long time, and there’s a lot of luck in all this too. I bowled with Paul Moser who was the first New England bowler from MA to win Brunswick World Open. [See below video on Moser vs Anthony in PBA Open].
MA REPUTATION AND CANDLEPIN
Back in the day, American Bowling Congress frowned upon 10 pin MA bowlers who were known for candlepin. This motivated our Dream Team quite a bit to be respected bowlers from MA. Then we had another bowler named Wayne Webb. He was called the “Green Machine” because the man knew how to win money! [See below source on Wayne Webb]
His family owned a bowling alley. He was one of the first family people that originated in MA that gave 10 pin bowling a name in MA. If you beat Wayne, you had beaten somebody special! My team would drive down on Friday night to compete with the best bowlers in MA. We did something called “action” bowling where money was involved. These bowlers who played in MA came from all over because that type of competition got you ready for the tour.
So many different ways of motivating yourself. If you pay attention to what you’re doing you don’t have to worry about others’ styles. I’m the type of person that will put my hand out if you beat me, or if you don’t, because I don’t put bowlers down. I don’t do it. Learn to have fun. Anyway, those guys I mentioned were very influential to me, and they might not even know that! We had quite a time.
There were other people, but these were the people that got me to where I am today. I’ve met a lot of interesting people in my time including a lot of New England bowlers who run NEBAs and Regionals that are very in tune to make sure game stays alive. Still all a part of the game.
Daughter Meghan and wife Karen Umbrello. Photo courtesy of FB.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Back in my day we had tournaments called Eastern Massachusetts Bowling Associations and Essex County Bowling Associations, our local tournaments. I have 10 in Eastern MA Bowling Associations, and 12 in Essex County from 1978-1989. NEBA is a whole different animal, like in baseball, with different teams, they are like AAA Major League Baseball. With bowling, you have PBA, then Regionals in areas like East Coast, MidWest, then West. Have to earn your way to it. So the titles I was telling you about are kind of like AA (like Worcester Woo Sox for baseball reference). In league bowling, back in the day in the 80’s and 90s, we would get sponsorship from like Bud Lite and Miller Lite, to sponsor a league.
Once we were also able to buy an insurance policy for $10,000 to throw a 300 game. Let, me tell ya, that year was unbelievable! They all tried, and they couldn’t do it. You’re in the 10th frame, and need strikes for $10,000, a lot of bowlers don’t know what to do, have to be in that a lot to succeed in that position. When I bowled action, I didn’t want to lose my money you know, so I learned to bowl under any circumstance. In that league, we had one more week left. In Shrewsbury, that last week, I took a ball that I hadn’t used in over 2 years, and I went out and threw the 300 in last game of year and won the $10,000! Half that money went to league, and half went to me.
- What was one of your most memorable bowling moments?
LILAC OPEN
I’m going to tell you about one that people still can’t believe, I still can’t believe myself. It was in NY at the Lilac Open, which was a PBA stop. I ended up in that Dream Team…they dragged me up there. Took me 3 years going up there before I felt comfortable in that house and understood it. Then the 4th year, I went off! I had 4 300’s, 3 800 series, I won the doubles, and all events, and by the time I added it all up I won $18,000 and averaged a crazy 250!
Meghan Cormier (Umbrello) with Dave at perfect 300 game at Gardner Ten Pin home alley. 4/24/23 (courtesy of FB)
- How do you feel about pro bowlers?
THOUGHTS ON PRO BOWLERS
In my hey day, I might have competed with the pro bowlers, however I happily started a family. Some people who saw my potential were disappointed, however, I decided to make a family commitment. Those guys who are out there, if you’re lucky enough to find the sponsorship, that’s a very special thing. If you’re special enough to be out there, you should be committed 150% to your craft. I have all the respect for those guys because I know how hard this is, and what you have to do to get there.
People when they see them shouldn’t be jealous and instead say you know what, they’ve crafted themselves to be at the top of the mountain and not a lot of people get there. If you’re starting, take a look at how far you want to get because that’s going to drive you to get better and better. Those pro bowlers, have done the same thing and have people driving them to be the best they can be. It’s all about respect for the game, and how far do you want to take it. Learn the ball, conditions, drill, and all the things it takes to get to the top, and I have all the respect in the world for them.
PBA 1981 Rolaids Open, Paul Moser vs Earl Anthony
- Do you remember Bowlero Worcester when it was AMF Auburn, or even before that? What was it like and how would you like to see the alley grow?
BOWLERO WORCESTER
This is a tough one because I’ve seen a lot of managers, and corporations, and it’s a special animal to run a bowling center. It’s about pleasing everybody and customer service, understanding the conditions to do the lanes, and making everybody happy which is an impossible thing to do, especially when people say “these lanes suck!” Have to take time out to look at lanes and adjust to it.
I gotta tell ya, Eric Mahoney, is probably by far, the best manager that I’ve seen in that building. And I don’t say that because he’s my friend, I say that because I was a bowling propietor and manager, and it isn’t easy. Have to please the public AND please your boss, and have to squeeze it together in a nice mixture or “soup” for everybody. Each time he was there, leagues were good and machinery okay, even with ups and downs. People tend to forget it cost money to buy parts. People don’t see the corporate side, they’re making money but not as much as you think. Eric is definitely the best that that alley’s ever seen.
- Who are some of the current or former employees you’d like to acknowledge for their service to the center?
ERIC MAHONEY AND THE VERDINIS
I would mention Eric and then also Barbara and Henry Verdini who run the Worcester USBC with Lauren Emo who is on the State Board. They have been part of Worcester forever who love the game and run it the right way. There are a lot of people in Worcester when it comes to acknowledging. All the USBC who produce the bowling in the area. They do it in their own time. Nobody pays them. You have to have the love of the game, you know? Worcester and Gardner people have helped carry the bowling name from house to house. Like Mrs. Jacobson, she had the love of the game, but not so much the politics of it. I always mention her because she was very special to me.
In Boston, they had a lot of good tournament people who helped keep game alive. Back in my day, there were 30 or 40 centers from Gloucester to the Cape. Our Gardner association is really a part of Worcester but not acknowledged and should be a part. It’s actually run pretty well, all the good bowlers, are a part of that association. I don’t want to sound bias but I did run that bowling alley for 12 years and I have been around long enough to know that they care. These associations have a lot of people that care about the game and try to pass it on, like the individual and state hall of fames. Which I was lucky enough to be inducted into. 2017 Hall of Fame – Dave Umbrello – Performance
- If you could be remembered for ONE thing regarding bowling, what would it be?
TEAMWORK, INDIVIDUALITY, & COMPETITION
In high school, the administration didn’t want to be responsible for the bowlers. Henry and Barbara were the best team for getting high school bowlers [together]. I had my own program to get the kids to the alley and coordinate the parents to pick them up. I love the game so much I wanted to give back to teach bowling, how to be fair, and also establishing a special needs groups. I wanted to teach the kids how to be individuals, [have] teamwork and compete as a single person. We ended up winning the state championship a couple times.
It wasn’t all about bowling and winning money, but about giving game back to people who didn’t think they could do it. On my high school teams, Chris Corella, Robby Raime, my son, and at least 6-7 people other high school bowlers went on to bowl at a very high level. I take pride in that accomplishment to [help them] see the opportunity and go on and still bowl and compete.
Sometimes, I also like to go to the rack and take a house ball, a ball that doesn’t fit, and bowl with it with them for laughs so I went out and shot a 300 in league on SuperBowl Sunday after having surgery! It’s hard enough to bowl a custom ball with 3 holes drilled into it.
Wayne Webb “Green Machine”
SUPPORT WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT AND FINAL THOUGHTS
I got into a rut recently, to the point where you know, I’m getting older, I’m not throwing those games I used to, had a little “pity party”, but I went on to FB and apologized to my team. But I must have gotten like a THOUSAND comments on my page saying how much I’ve meant to them and their game. Now, I’m on a tear and averaging again around 230. Whatever was going on, maybe around my birthday and getting old, but I just shot 299 the other night so it’s still there. Just takes a little while. I’m just a humble guy who loves the game of bowling, that’s made my life wonderful. I don’t know what I’d do without the game. It’s a great thing, and if I can throw some bowling cheer then I do. I try to be as standup as I can win or lose. Sometimes God throws you a bone, and I might have not gotten famous on tour, but certain things I’ve done that people still shake their heads!
I’d like to give an honorable mention to Stephen Budwick from Gardner 10 pins whom I worked for and helped round my business sense of bowling management. He was a big influence in helping me design and develop a high school bowling program in Gardner, MA.
Sources and Photo Credits: https://www.bowlneba.com/news/corey-umbrello-champion-at-savage-arms-open/
(Below 1981 PBA Rolaids Open – Paul Moser vs Earl Anthony, left-handed bowlers)
https://alchetron.com/Wayne-Webb
*Trained technicians are still needed
Striking Leaders 
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