Tucci: I was pretty lucky. I had some good teachers interna-
tionally. I had good referees help me get started. Billy Lied said that I should pick the best referees, watch them, watch their facial expression, watch their positioning. I also had Steve Evanoff take me under his wing and treat me like a son. He put me in events like the World Cup and other major competitions. My first event with international rules was in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and was the Trials for the Junior Worlds which were going to be held in Miami. It was a marathon event, with sessions like 12 hours long. When you got done, you were very tired. Chuck Almeida, who started when I did, and I would change into our uniforms on the plane and go right to the gym to officiate at many of these events.
USA Wrestler: What was your first World Championships level event as a referee and what were your memories of that experience? Tucci: They were in Gotteborg, Sweden, a Greco World Championships in 1977. At the time, Greco was in Gotteborg and freestyle was in Lausanne, Switzerland. They used the same officials for both events. In Sweden, I was the only American there. I refereed and thought I did a good job. We took the train down to Lausanne. That was the year Stan Dziedzic won his World title. At the end, I got the Outstanding Official award, and they gave me a pewter cup. It was before they handed out golden whistles. I did at least three finals at that event. It was a changing of the guard. Steve Evanoff was showing me around and saying I was one of his guys.
USA Wrestler: The first Olympic Games which you were selected to work were the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Russia. Explain your decision to honor the U.S. government boycott of the Games and not attend alongside the American athletes? Tucci: The U.S. referees were Jerry Wager, Larry Warren,
Steve Evanoff and I. At the time, there wasn’t a tryout like they do now. The U.S. named its officials. We did the Olympic Trials, which was a good event. Afterwards, President Carter said the U.S. would not participate in Moscow. We got a letter that said it only applied to athletes and said the officials could go. To me, part of the championships is to be there with your country. For me, it was a no-brainer. I wouldn’t go. It was the same for Jerry Wager, who didn’t go. Evanoff and Warren went. That was their personal choice. I still have my credential from those Games which came to me in the mail.
USA Wrestler: The first Olympic Games you worked as a ref- eree were the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. What are your memories of that entire experience? Tucci: It was Evanoff, Almeida and I at that event. Many peo- ple don’t know that I almost got thrown out. ABC was doing the Games, and Russ Hellickson asked if I could go through the scoring system so people at home could see the rules. We also had a FILA meeting. I said something to one of the refs, who said there was no problem. Jon Schaus came down and said I had to go to the meeting right away because they would throw me out of the Games. I got a tongue-lashing from (FILA President) Milan Ercegan. 1984 was a very good Olympic year, not only with the results of the U.S. wrestlers. The hospitality was great. It was only my second time in California and we went all over the place. The people from the community took officials to their homes to give them an American meal. I ended up going, and the guy was a great host. They didn’t have that at any other Olympics.
USA Wrestler: Are there any specific championship matches
that stand out in your mind during your career as a mat official, and what makes them stand out in your mind? Tucci: The World Championships in Kiev in 1983. The Russians had shot down a Korean airline, and they weren’t allowing any flights into Russia. Stan Dziedzic, Bobby Douglas, Chuck Almeida and I had to go to Budapest, Hungary. We had to take the train in. I got interrogated at the border. What I remember from the Championships was the bad feelings about the U.S. boycott. Dave Schultz won the World Championships that year. The place was packed. They were playing our nation- al anthem, and 15,000 people were there standing with respect for an American wrestler. It was one of my outstanding moments as an official. We got the first flight out of Kiev to Zurich, which made us happy.
USA Wrestler: You have been president of the U.S. Wrestling
Officials Association since 1988. What are the organization’s greatest achievements during your tenure? Tucci: I was Vice President to Jon Schaus. In 1988, he said he didn’t want to run. I was thinking I didn’t want to be presi- dent. After some people said I would do a good job, I ran and won. What I am most proud of is the performance of our officials on the national level, like at the U.S. Open or in Fargo, and on the international level. The officials would come back from over- seas and say they were involved in many of the finals. Foreign leaders would say the officials we sent did a good job, and were the most fair. Our education system puts them in positions they need to be in to continue the tradition of being the best in the world.
USA Wrestler: Do you have any idea how many different nations you have visited to serve as a wrestling official? Do you enjoy international travel and learning about the different cul- tures? Tucci: Somebody else asked and I started counting, and its over 100 countries. Some don’t even do much wrestling any- more. I couldn’t name them all. I have had over 100 different World Championships on all levels also. In the beginning, it was new and very good. It is fun to experience new cultures. You experience things you don’t see much about in our country. As I get older, I still enjoy it. It is still very hard on my family. I have two teenage boys now and I am gone so much. I don’t like long trips. It has been a good experience all around. I have friends in many countries. When it is over, I will miss the wrestling, but I will miss the people the most.
USA Wrestler: The rules of international wrestling changed
often. What is the biggest challenges in staying on top of the rule changes and maintaining a level of excellence? Tucci: It takes a lot of work. Nobody’s perfect. Mistakes will be made. The challenge is to correct them when you can. To stay on top, you have to be a student. You have to watch videos. You have to go to international events, the countries where wrestling is No. 1. You experience and watch the officiat- ing there. The fans are educated and know the rules. I under- stand what FILA is trying to do with the rules. They want to put out something that people want to watch. They are working with the rules to make them more fan friendly. I don’t necessarily agree with all of them, but we are governed by them. I can make recommendations and I do. But it is up to the people in charge to make the decisions.
USA Wrestler: As an international referee, you can’t work matches for athletes from your own nation. Explain the relation- Continued on page 37
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