Italian American Umpire; Dick Stello (1968-1988)

Richard Jack Stello was born on July 20, 1934 in Massachusetts. He was raised in an orphanage & then on a New England farm, with afmily whom beacme his own. He later attended Merimack college, and began his career as a stand up night club comic. He went into the Air Force and was stationed in Toyko, Japan in the 1950’s. It was there he became interested in umpiring & enrolled in George Barr umpire school. In the early to mid sixties he umped in the Florida State League, Texas League & then the International League. He was promoted to the National League in 1968, the Year of the Pitcher.

Stello was the second base umpire when Lou Brock broke Maury Wills single season stolen base record in 1974. He got to Umpire the classic 1975 World Series between the Red Sox & the Reds, taking the home plate duties for Game #4 in Cincinnati. In 1981 he umpired his next World Series, and was behind the plate for Game #6 as the Dodgers beat the A.L. New York team. Stello also worked two All Star Games his first in 1977 &his second as the first base umpire in the 1987 All Star game.

In 1974 Dick Stello married the Polish American actress Chesty Morgan, who became known as Lillian Stello. She got her name from her tremendous 70” all natural breasts, that at one time were in the Guinness Book of Worlds Records, as being the largest on record for any film star. She began her career as a burlesque queen and then a B movie actress starring in sexploitation films in the early seventies. The two eventually divorced.

Passing: In 1988 Stello was talking with a friend, in between two parked cars on State Road 33, just North of Lakeland, Florida. Another car struck the vehicles in the rear and Stello was crushed & killed instantly. He was only 53 years old & at the time, still an active umpire.