Anthony W. De Filippo
Posthumous Award
1992 Letterwinner of Distinction
Anthony “Tony” DeFilippo was an outstanding attorney for 50 years in the Elmira, New York area after attaining his law degree from Syracuse University.
A tremendous athlete in his youth, Tony was All-State in basketball and was a key member of his state championship high school team in 1926. He earned a scholarship to Syracuse and remained a staunch supporter of the university through out his life.
“Tony was a fine athlete,” said his coach Lew Andreas. “He was scrappy…a sparkplug…the scrappiest basketball player I ever had.”
In the Elmira community, Tony was known to be a competent and highly respected attorney who studied, prepared himself and knew what his opponents were going to do. It was a modus operandi that came from his years in sports.
According to his family and friends, Tony was a champion of the underprivileged and a considerable percentage of his practice consisted of people who couldn’t afford to pay him up front. “He always looked out for the little guy and didn’t really care much what kind of background they were from or what they could afford to pay,” his son Ted observed. Longtime friends Al Mallette and Marty Harrigan said, “Tony did a lot of things for a lot of people behind the scenes. He was a gentle, loving guy who would bend over backwards to do everything possible to help a friend in need.”
Instrumental in recruiting Ernie Davis, Syracuse’s first and only Heisman Trophy winner, Tony was also Ernie’s personal advisor. He negotiated Ernie’s National Football League contract with the Cleveland Browns-a three year agreement for $65,000 plus a $15,000 signing bonus-which was lucrative contract in 1962,
Tony was active in many civic, charitable and community projects including the Elks, Fur, Fin and Feathers, the Elmira County Club and the Coldbroook Club. He was involved in the Ernie Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Community Foundation of Chemung County and the Ernie Davis Community Center for Elmira. An avid SU sports fan and supporter, Tony was a member of the Varsity Club of Syracuse University for many years.
He is survived by three sons, Anthony, Jr., Frederick J. and Gerald E. DeFilippo of Elmira, several grandchildren and other relatives.
