by Nicholas Philippou
 Vinnie Aceto hosts On The Sidelines, every Thursday on radio station NY 91.5 FM. His radio show covers all of New York City High School sports inside and out. When speaking with Vinny Aceto, Alum from the Class of 1980, it was plain to see a great sense of pride and gratitude for his college. His love for sports lead him along his current path and to a job that he truly loves. His love for sports also propelled him to Kingsborough Community College. While at KCC he would be introduced to a great professor who would help throughout Vinnie’s life, Nick Morrow. Professor Morrow showed him the way towards his future career in Sports Broadcasting. What Professor Nick Morrow did was simple and life changing for Vinnie. Morrow had heard about a new program, a Sports Management program at St. John’s University in Queens. He told Vinnie that it would be a perfect fit for him and he should apply. Vinnie agreed, and explained beaming to me, “that was all I needed.” “Nick Morrow was like a guardian angel to me,” said Aceto.
He was that professor who took the time to do more than just teach. He cared enough about Aceto to point him in the right direction. At the time St. John’s had one of the only Sports Management programs in the country that program would became Vinnie’s lighthouse in the academic ocean. He was at Kingsborough with the sole purpose of getting good enough grades that St. John’s would welcome with open arms. It wouldn’t be easy. “I had always been an average student, you know, seventy-five, seventy seven average in high school.” Vinnie remembered how after high school, “There was a stigma against Kinsborough, that it was considered a party school in those days.” While he was in school he was going to make the most of his opportunity and get into that Sports Management Program. He figured once he got there, getting into a world of sports, which he coveted, would be a matter of a time. “Every morning I would take the B-1 bus to Kingsborough’s parking lot,” said Aceto.
He acknowledged that the focus he had in life then was different than anything he had ever felt. He would get into the Sports Management Program at St. John’s in 1980 and with that same focus he would graduate from St. John’s on the Dean’s List. Once he graduated he learned, as all college students eventually figure out, it doesn’t get easier after graduation. While he was in school he had interviewed for a number of internships including one for the North American Soccer League working for Vince Casey. He didn’t get the internship at the fledgling soccer league. Some time passed and Mr. Casey left the soccer league for a new position.
Vince Casey remembered the young man with a passion for sports and called him one day, asking if he would like to work a New York Ranger game. Casey told him he was going to work directly for legendary Ranger and US Olympic Coach Herb Brooks that night, keeping the goalie chart for shots on goal.
That night Vinnie Aceto started an eleven-year career working for the NY Rangers. He would serve as a statistician for sports media, and was the press box announcer. In his time with the Rangers, Vinnie met Alex Best, who would later guide him to his position at Radio NY. Vinnie’s passion for sports made him a perfect fit for the small public radio station. While he had no experience on radio at the time. Vinnie is now the host, producer, writer, and editor for his show.
He is also responsible for managing the station and running all of the programming over the airwaves. He covers all of New York City’s top sports teams and athletes. He interviews the head coaches, assistants, and of course the players. “This time of year is wall-to-wall football,” Vinnie energetically explained his show’s focus right now. He has great pride in the work he does. He loves getting out into the community and meeting the athletes and their coaches. It’s their commitment that captivates him now. Affectionately he described high school sports as, “so pure.” Vinnie doesn’t know it, but so is love for what you do.
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