Buzz Fazio

Basil "Buzz" Fazio (February 7, 1908 – February 15, 1993) nicknamed the "Buzzer" was a pioneer and early American bowling star during the mid-20th century.

Known equally for his fierce competitiveness and audience pleasing theatrics, Fazio’s professional career spanned from the early 1940s to the late 1960s.

The six-time ABC (American Bowling Congress) and two-time PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) champion began his career during bowling’s golden era of "Team" play.

Born in Aultman, Ohio, near Akron, Fazio was brought to Detroit in 1947 to join the fabled Stroh’s Beer bowling team. The diminutive Fazio, who stood but 5’ 6" and weighed near 140, captained Stroh’s for nine seasons and continued the team’s tradition for success started by his predecessor and fellow Hall-of-Famer Joe Norris.

During the 1950s, the Fazio led Stroh’s Beer squad, featuring Lee Jouglard, Tom Hennessy, Pete Carter, Tony Lindemann, and Ed Lubanski, captured numerous tournaments including the BPAA Team Championships in 1952, 1953 and 1954.

In 1955, at age 47, Fazio won the ABC Masters Singles Championship. Incredibly, he converted two 7-10 splits on his way to that victory. He nearly duplicated his Masters championship 13 years later in 1968 when, at age 60, he was runner-up to Pete Tountas. Fazio also teamed up with Stroh’s teammate Tony Lindemann to win the BPAA Doubles Championship three times (1951, 1952 and 1954).

During the 1950s, before the formation of the PBA, Fazio and his contemporaries competed on TV shows like Make that Spare, Bowling for Dollars and Championship Bowling, the latter of which was hosted by Detroit legend Fred Wolf. Among the many bowling highlights in his career, Fazio was the first to roll an 800 series on live TV (802), and was the first-ever to roll a 300 game in the finals of the BPAA All-Star (predecessor to the U.S. Open). He also won seven consecutive televised matches in Chicago in 1955.

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Wikipedia