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Bishop Guilfoyle Academy’s athletic director retires

Monday Spotlight

To Joe Landolfi, the summer of 1962 was when his family's basketball hoop was installed in their backyard.

He remembers removing the grass while his mother packed down stones and pebbles before a few guys working at Leonard S. Fiore installed the blacktop, a pole with arms and a plywood backboard.

He used that hoop to practice basketball for Altoona Catholic High School -- now known as Bishop Guilfoyle Academy -- the same school he eventually became the athletic director of about 50 years later. He spent six years helping Bishop Guilfoyle student athletes achieve success on the court and outside the classroom before officially retiring on July 31.

School pride runs deep for Landolfi, as he believes Bishop Guilfoyle gave him a great foundation as a child and something to build on as an adult.

"I always carry an affinity for the purple and gold," he said.

Born and raised in the city, Landolfi quickly became the man of the house at 10 years old when his father passed away. After that, his mother raised Landolfi, his two brothers and his sister by herself.

As a family, they attended Catholic Mass together and shared an affinity for sports. Landolfi was mainly interested in baseball and basketball, but he was a standout player in the latter.

While attending Altoona Catholic High School, he played on the boys' basketball team, which took home a 1967 Catholic State Championship during his junior year.

Three years later, the team, with his brother, Bob, won the 1970 Catholic State Championship for Altoona Catholic High School again, making the Landolfi boys the only brothers in Blair County to win a state championship.

"We only played one year together in high school, but in the playground we always played together," he said.

Traveling off the court

The University of Massachusetts Amherst recruited Landolfi for its boys basketball team, where he played alongside longtime Philadelphia 76ers player Julius Erving, also known as Dr. J.

Landolfi described Erving as one of the nicest and quietest young guys anyone could imagine.

During their first years of college together, Landolfi said that Erving still had no idea what he could physically do, mentioning the peach fuzz on his face.

"As he physically matured and grew bigger and stronger, the rest of us were like, 'Whoa, look out.' Because he was just on a whole other level ... We literally watched him become Dr. J," Landolfi said.

Playing guard for his college basketball team, Landolfi valued the camaraderie that came along with an organized sports team, especially because many of the players were from out of state.

The team "gives you a family when you're far away from your own family," he said.

Landolfi graduated from The University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor's degree in business administration and secured an insurance job for Kemper Insurance in the state.

He worked 25 years with the company, raising three children.

It was a while before Landolfi returned to Pennsylvania, as he moved around for new job opportunities within insurance companies: he lived in Boston, Massachusetts, for 17 years; Chicago, Illinois, for 12 years; Northern Wisconsin for three years and Atlanta, Georgia, for a year.

In 2002, Landolfi stopped in Altoona to visit his mother and brother, Guy, while traveling to Rochester, New York, for a new job opportunity in an internet-based platform.

While spending time with his family in Central Pennsylvania, he said, "My brother was like, 'Why don't you stay here?'"

And just like that, Landolfi worked from home, and he was back in Altoona for good.

Purple and Gold

Landolfi put his hat in the ring for Bishop Guilfoyle's athletic director position and secured the job in the summer of 2020.

With years of administrative experience under his belt, an appreciation for the school and athletic experience, he felt confident about running its athletic department.

Bishop Guilfoyle Principal Michael Cacciotti said Landolfi bleeds purple and gold.

"He was a good fit for us because he loves the school and what it stands for, and he was so committed to us," Cacciotti said.

For the next six years, Landolfi worked with administrators and coaches in pursuit of a better student-athletic experience, while maintaining positive relationships with the students.

Landolfi is also credited with putting Blair County Hall of Fame nomination packages together for past BG athletes, Director of Advancement Lisa Georgiana said.

She said he went above and beyond to put these packages together, as it wasn't a requirement as the athletic director.

"He didn't have to take the time to gather information, but he knew it was the right thing to do," she said.

Other noted accomplishments of his include expanding the Laurel Highlands Athletics Conference, building up their women's basketball team, reviving their boosters club and instituting a culture where academics and character matter for student-athletes.

Landolfi said he retired knowing that student-athletes will "grow up to be better people for participating in athletics."

"I grew up with the attitude that people should be better for me having been in their life," he said. "If I haven't made a positive impact on somebody, then I'm just taking up space."

Walking through Bishop Guilfoyle's halls with Landolfi on Friday morning, administrators, staff and students greeted him with hugs, high-fives and waves.

"We're going to miss him, no question," Cacciotti said.

His successor, AJ Labriola, worked side-by-side with Landolfi since January, preparing for Landolfi's retirement by receiving in-house experience. As a kid, Labriola went to basketball clinics with Landolfi, so he was already familiar with his mentor.

Working with him over the past eight months, Labriola said he learned from Landolfi how to become a people person as an athletic director, which is something Labriola defined as the foundation of success.

"I can't thank him enough," Labriola said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

The Landolfi file

Name: Joe Landolfi

Age: 76

Hometown: Altoona

Education: Sacred Heart Catholic School, Altoona Catholic High School (1968), bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1972)

Family: siblings, Bob, Jean and Guy; children, Courtney, Rob (Chicago), Matt (deceased)