TONY & DOMINIC SGRO

 

A father's Christmas gift to his two determined little sons fueled a lifelong affair with music and a way of life for Wellsville natives Dominic and Tony Sgro.

After Frank Sgro gave his sons,   just 6 and 4, harmonicas for Christmas, the brothers were further inspired by the Borrah Minevitch Harmonica Rascals of movie fame and became masters of the instrument. From local performances in the 1950s to winning regional talent contests, the Sgro Brothers were booked by agents in the Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Akron areas. They worked with such stars as Tony Bennett and the Four Freshmen, to name but a few.

A pivotal moment for the Sgro Brothers came in 1951 when they met and auditioned for "Little Johnny Puleo," star of the Borrah Minevitch Harmonica Rascals. A contract was offered but Tony, a high school sophomore, declined so that he could graduate.

Later, the brothers joined the Marine Air Reserve and then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. The brothers were made part of the Marines' Special Services and performed in the Marine Corps Band. The USMC sponsored the Sgro Brothers in a 52-week nationwide radio show, where they were known as "The Marine Corps Own Harmaniacs." They appeared on shows such as the Herb Shriner Quiz Show, Arthur Godfrey Talent Show and the Easter Parade of Stars. Their career highlight came in an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Upon discharge in 1955, the brothers went to New York to record for RCA Victor. They then were offered a contract with the renamed Johnny Puleo's Harmonica Gang. As part of the "Gang," they played the Tropicana in Havana, Cuba, and in Las Vegas, the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood with Dean Martin, the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Hollywood with Frank Sinatra and the London Palladium, where they did a command performance for the Queen of England.

The Sgro Brothers left the group to settle with their families (they had married sisters, Lucy and Angela DiNardo of New York) in Elmira, N.Y. They purchased a restaurant/night club, where they performed every Friday and Saturday evening. During that time, they were invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and on Ralph Emery's "Nashville Now Prime Time TV Show" - the first harmonica players to do so. In addition to appearing on several cruise ship lines, the Sgro Brothers also performed at the White House for President George W. Bush in June 2004.

Tony's wife, Lucy, died in 1988. On Jan. 19, 2002, he married Dorothy Demyan.

Dom and his wife, Angela, have three daughters, Mary Angela, Madonna and Martha Anne, and 11 grandchildren.

THOMAS V. CHEMA

MARTY E. ADAMS

A penchant for industry knowledge and a keen sense of timing have propelled Jefferson County native Marty E. Adams to the top position of Sky Financial Group's $15.7 billion financial services company.

Adams, now chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sky Financial Group, began his banking career as the main office manager of Citizens Banking Company in Salineville, Ohio, in 1977. Ultimately, he rose to the positions of president and CEO of Citizens Banking Company and its parent company, Citizens Bancshares in 1987.

Following a merger of equals between Citizens and Mid Am, Inc., in 1998, Citizens Bancshares Inc. was renamed Sky Financial Group, Inc., and Adams was named president and chief operating officer soon therafter.

At that time, he also became a director of the Sky Financial Group board. In 1999, he was president and chief executive officer of Sky and chairman of the board in 2000. Under his leadership, Sky has grown from $200 million in assets to its current size of almost $16 billion. By the third quarter of 2006, after Sky's planned acquisition of Union Federal Bank, its asset size will grow to approximately $18 billion.

Active in his community with many board, local chambers and service organizations, Adams is a member of the board of trustees of Mount Union College and the foundation board of West Liberty State College. He also is a member of the NASDAQ Stock Market Issuer Affairs Board.

Adams holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration from West Liberty State College. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Franciscan University. In addition, he graduated from the Ohio School of Banking/Ohio University and the Herbert V. Prochnow Graduate School of Banking/University of Wisconsin.

LARRY F. KANNAL

Intent on walking in Christ's path, Larry F. Kannal says his greatest challenge in life is to motivate others to reach their full potential. Born and reared in the Columbiana area, Kannal has lived in Kent, Ohio, since 1967 when he took a position with State Farm Insurance Co. He has been an agent with State Farm the past 39 years.

Additionally, he is the owner of two "Dutch" restaurants in Ohio.

A riveting public speaker, he has been involved locally with the Tri-State Promoters, the East Liverpool High School Alumni Association and the Blue & White Touchdown Club. He also has been an ardent and generous supporter of the Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame.

As a motivational speaker, Kannal seeks to stimulate and awaken minds to reach their fullest potential. He believes the best way for each individual to do so is to set a goal and then move towards it with a positive mental attitude and a healthy self-image.

A past president of the Christian Business Men's Committee and a trustee of the Gospel House in Bedford, Ohio, Kannal is a charter member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Kent State University. He also is a past president of Gideons of Portage County.

Married to his wife, Donna, for 49 years, they are the parents of four children and grandparents of nine.

Winner of the 2006 Hall of Fame Family Heritage Award

BOYCE/LANG FAMILY

The Boyce name is well known in the area with good reason - members of the family have been on the scene since the town of East Liverpool was established.

Although the actual date and events surrounding the town's founding are vague, 1798 generally is listed as the year of its establishment. Records show that a Robert Boyce arrived in the area in 1798 along with Thomas Fawcett, who is credited with founding the town.

Robert E. Boyce, a descendant of Robert Boyce, was once of the finest communicators in East Liverpool history. The Boyce Family held the principle share in the former Harker Pottery in nearby Chester, W.Va. Following graduation from East Liverpool High School, Robert E. Boyce matriculated to Alfred University in upstate New York, where he was class president, later serving as trustee and was granted an honorary degree for service to the university.

With the declining ceramic university plunging deeper into despair in the 1950s, the personable Boyce was asked to replace Tom Fisher as president of the First National Bank in 1958 - a request he pondered but ultimately fulfilled given the downslide at Harker's.

Moving from pottery executive to running a financial institution was easy for Bob Boyce. Much like any successful leader, he simply moved his system of motivating people, shrewd money management and his ability to "walk with kings, never losing the common touch" from Harker's to the East Fifth Street bank.

Always active in community affairs, he skillfully guided the local hospital through two major fund-raising campaigns and was instrumental in bringing a variety of industrial and transportation venues to the region. His collaborations with local auto dealer Mike Turk and foundry operator Bill Barker were fruitful ventures resulting in an upgraded Columbiana County Airport and the establishment of a major porcelain operation in nearby Newell, W.Va.

There is no way to measure Bob Boyce's personal contributions of time and money to these projects, a debt that could never be repaid. He ranks high on the list of outstanding citizens in East Liverpool history.

His family includes his two children, Cynthia Sheehan and Robert "Bo" Boyce.

Another First National Bank mainstay was attorney Francis Lang, coincidentally, a brother-in-law to Bob Boyce having married his sister, Rachel Lang, in 1934.

Francis Lang was a native of Manchester, Ohio, and came to East Liverpool to practice law. He met his future wife at the First Methodist church, where her father, Charles Boyce, taught the Asbury Power Sunday School Class to reportedly as many as 400 men each week.

Lang immersed himself in a multitude of projects, including high positions with the Jaycees, Boy Scouts, Rotary International and all Masonic bodies. He became the first president of the Ohio Junior Chamber of Commerce, received the Scout's Silver Beaver award and was named a 33 rd degree Mason.

In addition, for many years, he served as the lead attorney for the estates of virtually all the "Who's Who" in East Liverpool and was the driving force for the Lake to River Highway, now Ohio Route 11.

He was a long-standing director of the First National Bank and was on the board when his son, Charles Boyce Lang, was named to succeed his Uncle Bob as president in 1972. Charlie, also an attorney, left the bank when it merged with Bank One in 1984, forming his own successful endeavor under the banner of First National Community Bank in 1987.

Like his father, Charles Lang became an East Liverpool mainstay. Both men were Paul Harris Fellows with Rotary International, having served as district governors with the organization, as did another son, James Lang.

A daughter, Mary Sue Lang, an incredible talent in her own right, also followed the family tradition of community service as well as dedication to the First United Methodist Church. She, as were her father and brother before her, became a highly qualified attorney, after receiving her initial degree in art from Ohio Wesleyan University.

The theme of the Boyce/Lang family remains as that of Rotary International, service above self.

 

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