Where Are They Now?

Ever wonder what happened to a classmate or someone after not seeing them for many years? This is the first of a new series of Reporter features called, "Where are they now?" Each month the Reporter will feature a story on an East Providence native who long ago moved away and hasn't been heard from much in Townie land. Feel free to email the author with suggestions for someone you might like to read about.

A Townie and Proponent of Gun Safety Laws Nationally:
Ralph Fascitelli has been away from East Providence, RI for some forty years. A stand out three sport athlete at EP High School, he was somewhat conflicted during this past Super Bowl. An avid Patriots follower while living in New England, Fascitelli became a big Seahawks fan since living in Seattle, Washington for the past 28 years. "I always cheer for the Patriots unless they're playing the Seattle Seahawks," Fascitelli tells his EP friends. A person who played the game at a high level in high school and college, Fascitelli defends Pete Carroll's controversial Super Bowl pass play to end the game. "I don't have a problem with the call, there was only time for two running plays or one pass play and two running plays. If Kearse gets off the line and Lockette held his position there would be no interception," rationalizes the former Townie grid iron star.

Although he does concede that the "best alternative would have a been a Wilson bootleg in hindsight!" Several of Fascitelli's Townie friends keep in touch with him and have good naturedly sounded off about the Pats win. "Ralph, it's time to move on my friend," says Billy Glynn an EP classmate now living in Denver, Colorado. "I will agree with your Monday morning call and have utmost respect for the Hawks except for some," chides Glynn. "Just because Marshawn (Lynch) doesn't talk to the media, doesn't mean that he is inarticulate or not thoughtful when he does speak. The fact that his teammates love him speaks volumes," says a carefully spoken Patriots, now Seahawk fan, Fascitelli.

A Great Townie and Ivy League Student-Athlete:
Ralph Fascitelli graduated from EPHS in 1970. For all three years in high school he was a top student-athlete playing football, baseball and was captain of the wrestling team. He was also Student Council President and was voted as 'done most for the class'.

He next graduated from Yale University in 1974 where he continued to combine academic and athletic excellence. He played linebacker for the Yale freshman football team that won the Ivy League Championship. Fascitelli made the travelling squad on Yale's varsity team as a sophomore on a team that had two NFL all pros; Dick Jauron and Gary Fencik. "I switched over to rugby in my junior year and played and then coached for 15 years with teams at Yale, the Providence Rugby Club and UCLA," he told The Reporter during an interview for this story. In 1977, Fascitelli earned his MBA at UCLA.

During that time Fascitelli spent the summer of 1976 back in Rhode Island and then was hired in 1977 by Proctor & Gamble (P&G) based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For some ten years he was the corporate marketing executive for P&G and then was Director of Marketing for H.J Heinz, moving to Los Angeles, California. In 1987, he moved to Seattle for good. Fascitelli founded and ran for 12 years a Seattle ad agency, Imagio, that was twice ranked by INC magazine as the fastest growing ad agency west of Mississippi. He sold the company to advertising giant J.Walter Thompson from New York City in 2005. Thus began a new chapter in the very successful and exciting life of Ralph Fascitelli. "Since 2005, I have divided time between a strategic consulting practice with high tech start-ups in the Pacific Northwest and serving as Board President of Washington Ceasefire, a 31 year old non-profit dedicated to reducing gun violence," he said. Fascitelli is concerned and very passionate about putting an end to gun violence in the United States. He has been interviewed on many national and global media outlets, on gun issues, including NBC, CBC, BBC, Al Jazeera, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, to mention some major outlets. "Our group recently produced the Seattle International Smart Gun Symposium in January, 2015, he said. "Technology is the best option to reduce the almost 31,000 gun deaths annually, more people now die from gun violence than from car accidents," said Fascitelli. The recently held symposium was the largest gathering this year on the critical topic of gun violence. It attracted stakeholders from across North America and Europe.

What is a Smart Gun?
"Smart guns are firearms that can only be fired by an authorized user and thus could help reduce the over ten thousand children and teens injured by firearms annually," explains Fascitelli. "A smart gun can only be fired by the authorized user because of a variety of technology constraints including biometric RFID (radio frequency scanners) and password protection He cites data from the American Academy of Pediatricians. "Since in most states persons are not allowed to own a handgun until age 21, I see this as critical technological progress that would help," he added. Supporters of this technology point out that if a legally purchased gun gets into the wrong hands or is stolen, etc., it won't work. It couldn't be discharged without clearance via a radio frequency chip or in many cases, your fingerprints. "I just watched a special on ABC regarding this. I do not have children yet but I will be purchasing one of these units in the next few months. Couldn't ask for a better product to keep families safe and still protect the young children in the house. Amazing product!" said a blogger on a Smart Gun web site. Yet other comments questioned the reliability or cost of the technology.

Smart guns offer the promise that many accidental or suicidal firearm events by underage children and teens not legally eligible to operate or own a handgun will be prevented. According to new research published in the February 2014 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, approximately 7700 children and teens in the U.S are treated annually for firearm injuries. Some 6% of those treated succumb to their injuries in addition to approximately 3000 more children and teens who die at the scene. 75% of gun injuries occurring to children ten and under are considered accidental (Journal of Pediatrics).

Most of the objections on smart guns comes from the NRA and Second Amendment groups on philosophical and technical grounds, according to Fascitelli and others. Specifically there are concerns by gun rights advocates that smart guns could facilitate a national registry of gun owners and enable an eventual government takeaway. Gun rights advocates are also concerned with any lag times or risks from any technology intervention in the discharge of a firearm. Several manufacturers including German based Armatrix and Ireland-based TriggerSmart already have smart gun technology available for sale though there is no gun dealer willing at this time to go against the NRA and promote it. Several other US manufacturers are close to having a commercially available, first edition product ready.

"Ralph was a very bright kid and great athlete," said former EPHS football coaching icon Bill Stringfellow. Fascitelli played under Townie coaching legends Stringfellow and Jim Deffley. "He wanted to be a quarterback but was so tough and strong we put him in as a linebacker, " recalled Stringfellow. "That was a great era in Townie history. We won a few state championships and had very bright, talented athletes. Kids like Fascitelli, Caruolo, Pass, Klar , Anterni, Stone, Hanoian and other guys," reminisced Stringfellow. "Many of them went on to Ivy league and great schools. They all did so well." Stringfellow also remembered how Fascitelli's father was an all-stater in high school football and went on to star at Springfield College.

While keeping busy in Seattle, Washington, Ralph Fascitelli keeps an eye on New England and his beloved East Providence, RI. He sympathized with the cold snowy winter that the region endured. "Really I can't remember anything like those past five weeks of snow you had when I was growing up there," he told us in our interview last month (February). "I check the weather reports and it does seem despairing, but spring is just four week away!" he offered.

"I was born and raised in Riverside, a block from Crescent Park behind Oldham School. My Dad taught in EP schools for over 40 years and was the teachers union president twice. Some of my greatest role models are several great teachers and coaches from EPHS and Riverside Junior High. They include Chuck Vermette, Bill Stringfellow, John Veader and Clarence Curran. I thank them all," he said. Fascitelli is married to Shannon Fascitelli who grew up in Seattle and sells real estate for Sotheby's. He has a 30 year old son, Nicholas, who is a TV writer, most recently for TBS show Sullivan & Son. And a 28 year old daughter Kara, an entrepreneur. Both live in Hollywood.

Indeed, Ralph Fascitelli of EPHS, Yale University and UCLA, had some great role models and mentors from East Providence. As we see it here, Mr. Fascitelli has certainly been a wonderful role model in his own right, for the many he has touched throughout this nation. He is truly Townie Pride personified. (bobrodericks@gmail.com)