by Jack Ginnetti
Marlborough, MA — The New England harness writers will pay homage to the late newspaperman and chapter president Ralph Grasso at their 50th anniversary awards program on October 23 at the Courtyard Marriott in Marlborough.
In addition, nine local contributors to the sport are among the honorees. They include Ralph English, Tom Kyle, Ralph Seymour, the DiAntonio family, John Hogan, Richard Sebeika, Jim Winske family, John Ginnetti Jr., and Stephen Quinn.
Grasso spent 40 years in the news business and was sports editor and executive editor, servicing the Marlborough Enterprise-Sun and the Maynard weekly communities.
His crisp and accurate reporting of sports enabled many an athlete in the Marlborough-Hudson region to further their education through athletics.
After leaving the newspaper business Grasso became director of the city’s cable system and moved on to become the director of the Marlborough Boys’ Club.
The father of six boys also worked in the publicity department at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H., and had newspaper harness picks at Foxboro using the name ‘Andy Capper.’
His fondness for harness racing was well documented by his peers at USHWA’S chapters and on the national level. In 1976 he was named president of the United States Harness Writers Association, the only New England chapter member to be so honored.
Married to the former Mickey Byra of Marlborough, Grasso died in 1997, leaving behind a lagacy few of us could measure up to.