Gene Melchiorre
Encyclopedia
Eugene "Gene" "Squeaky" Melchiorre (born August 10, 1927) is a retired American
basketball
player. He was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and was the first overall pick in the 1951 NBA Draft
, although he never played a game due to his ban from professional basketball for point shaving
.
, to a gardener who moved his family there from Joliet
in 1936. Though short stature and having pigeon toes, Melchiorre excelled in nearly ever sport he tried. He was a starting wingback on the Highland Park football team, a basketball player, a baseball player, a tennis player and, in his later years, a golfer. After joining the Army
, Melchiorre joined the basketball team at Fort Sheridan, known as the Ramblers, that won 58 out of 63 games during his two-year tour (1945–47).
in the 1947-48 to 1950-51 seasons. Standing only 5'8" and weighing 175 lbs, he was famous for his passing abilities and his ability to score almost at will. During his tenure, Bradley won 119 games while losing only 22. He participated in both the NIT and NCAA Tournament
in 1950, in which Bradley lost to CCNY in both games. During one NIT game in 1949, Melchiorre scored 71 points, a tournament record that stands to this day.
He was named to the Missouri Valley Conference
first team three times, and in his junior year made the all-NIT team. For the 1951 season, he was an Associated Press
, United Press International and Colliers Magazine first team All-American and selected by the magazine, Sports Album, as one of the two best offensive players in the country. He was also a letter-winner on the Bradley baseball team, and he received a degree in business administration.
scandal in 1951 which brought seven schools and 32 players from around the US to face charges on violations of the New York state penal code. On July 24, 1951, Melchiorre and four of his teammates admitted taking bribes to hold down scores against St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1951 and against Oregon State University
in Chicago
.
Melchiorre and two of his teammates pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor
in New York. Though the players faced three years in prison, the assistant District Attorney
praised the trio's cooperation, and they were given suspended sentences.
He was also a member of Sigma Chi at Bradley University.
. He was selected as the first overall pick in the draft
by the Baltimore Bullets
. Melchiorre would never play a minute of NBA basketball, however. Not long he admitted his role in the scandal, NBA President Maurice Podoloff
banned all players involved in the point shaving scandal, including Melchiorre, from the NBA for life.
and the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and was the first overall pick in the 1951 NBA Draft
1951 NBA Draft
The 1951 NBA Draft was the fifth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 25, 1951 before the 1951–52 season. In this draft, ten remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse...
, although he never played a game due to his ban from professional basketball for point shaving
Point shaving
In organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one...
.
Early life
He was the fifth of six children born in Highland Park, IllinoisHighland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
, to a gardener who moved his family there from Joliet
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
in 1936. Though short stature and having pigeon toes, Melchiorre excelled in nearly ever sport he tried. He was a starting wingback on the Highland Park football team, a basketball player, a baseball player, a tennis player and, in his later years, a golfer. After joining the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, Melchiorre joined the basketball team at Fort Sheridan, known as the Ramblers, that won 58 out of 63 games during his two-year tour (1945–47).
College
Melchiorre played guard for Bradley UniversityBradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
in the 1947-48 to 1950-51 seasons. Standing only 5'8" and weighing 175 lbs, he was famous for his passing abilities and his ability to score almost at will. During his tenure, Bradley won 119 games while losing only 22. He participated in both the NIT and NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1950, in which Bradley lost to CCNY in both games. During one NIT game in 1949, Melchiorre scored 71 points, a tournament record that stands to this day.
He was named to the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
first team three times, and in his junior year made the all-NIT team. For the 1951 season, he was an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, United Press International and Colliers Magazine first team All-American and selected by the magazine, Sports Album, as one of the two best offensive players in the country. He was also a letter-winner on the Bradley baseball team, and he received a degree in business administration.
Point shaving scandal
Melchiorre was involved in a massive point shavingPoint shaving
In organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one...
scandal in 1951 which brought seven schools and 32 players from around the US to face charges on violations of the New York state penal code. On July 24, 1951, Melchiorre and four of his teammates admitted taking bribes to hold down scores against St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1951 and against Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Melchiorre and two of his teammates pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
in New York. Though the players faced three years in prison, the assistant District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
praised the trio's cooperation, and they were given suspended sentences.
He was also a member of Sigma Chi at Bradley University.
NBA
After completion of his four years at Bradley and a suspended sentence for the point shaving scandal, Melchiorre entered the 1951 NBA Draft1951 NBA Draft
The 1951 NBA Draft was the fifth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 25, 1951 before the 1951–52 season. In this draft, ten remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse...
. He was selected as the first overall pick in the draft
NBA first overall draft pick
The National Basketball Association's first overall pick is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during the annual National Basketball Association Draft. The first pick is awarded to the team that wins the NBA Draft Lottery; in most cases, that team had a losing...
by the Baltimore Bullets
Baltimore Bullets (original)
The Baltimore Bullets were an American Basketball League team, and later, a Basketball Association of America , and a National Basketball Association team based in Baltimore, Maryland...
. Melchiorre would never play a minute of NBA basketball, however. Not long he admitted his role in the scandal, NBA President Maurice Podoloff
Maurice Podoloff
Maurice Podoloff was a U.S. lawyer and basketball and ice hockey administrator. He was the first president of the National Basketball Association...
banned all players involved in the point shaving scandal, including Melchiorre, from the NBA for life.
Later years
He married Kay Boles in 1951. He returned to his native Highland Park in the mid-1950s, at first working in the Post Office. He then moved into insurance and appliance sales, women's wear and finally started his own small trucking firm. He was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of FameChicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
The Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, located in the Hawthorne Race Course, in Stickney/Cicero, near Chicago, Illinois, honors sports greats associated with the greater Chicago area. It was founded in 1979 as a trailer owned by the Olympia Brewing Company parked at Soldier Field in Chicago. The...
and the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame.