Former Hobokenite named to Ithaca Hall of Fame

Although he has spent the better part of his life living in Shelter Island, N.Y., Sam Curko fondly recalls his days as a youngster growing up in Hoboken. Curko arrived in the mile square city as an 11-year-old from his native Croatia, but it didn’t take him long to become a fan of the town. “I was totally in love with Hoboken,” Curko recalled. “I gained a lot of street smarts growing up in Hoboken. Watching my father work as a long shoreman provided me the incentive to succeed. And my incentive came in the game of football.” Curko played football for the old Demarest High School (currently known as Hoboken High) in some of its glory days. He graduated from Demarest in 1959 after having served as captain of the Demarest team in 1958, playing guard and fullback for the Red Wings. He was a teammate to some of the school’s all-time greats like the Lisa brothers, Bobby and Jimmy; and a Hoboken legend named John McMullen. “We were all Joe Marino players,” Curko said. “And we all played with tremendous pride. I was always the kind of guy who put my teammates first, and I was lucky to play with some of the best. You had to love the game of football to play for Joe Marino. He was one of the toughest coaches around. But I always pledged my allegiance to my buddies in Hoboken.” After graduating from Demarest, Curko was fortunate enough to receive an athletic scholarship to Ithaca College, to continue his football career. “There was a baseball scout from Jersey City named Mel Logan who took a liking to me,” Curko said. “And there was a member of the Board of Education named Harold Butler who helped me. They introduced me to the director of the physical education school at Ithaca, so that’s where I went.” Curko was able to continue his athletic brilliance with the football team at Ithaca, where he earned All-America honors in 1963, a year where he was also the team’s captain and Most Valuable Player. Twice, Curko earned All-East Coast Athletic Conference honors. In 1965, Curko had a chance to play professionally with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League, but decided to play with the Jersey Jets, the Atlantic Coast Conference affiliate of the AFL’s New York Jets. “I wanted the chance to play for the Jets’ taxi squad,” Curko said. “I already had established my football career, but it was a chance to be reunited with my friend Bobby Lisa. I came from a small school, but I was getting the chance to play with and against guys from Michigan, Notre Dame, all the big schools.” Curko remained with the Jets’ farm team for five seasons, but then gave up the hope of playing professionally. He became a coach and teacher, spending two years in Mount Vernon before settling at Southold High School on Long Island, where he spent the next 25 years as a wrestling, football and lacrosse coach. “Instead of concentrating on playing, I spent my time working on getting my Master’s degree and working on being a better teacher and coach,” Curko said. Three years ago, Curko retired from coaching and teaching and figured that his athletic days were all a part of history. Until he received word recently that Ithaca, the school that named him among the school’s best players in the decade of the 60s, was finally inducting him into the Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame. Curko was one of nine former Ithaca athletes to receive the honor. “I was so proud to receive the award,” said Curko, now 59 and still residing in Shelter Island, N.Y. “It was a chance for me to remember my playing days and all the fun that I had playing the game. I have a lot of great memories of my playing days.” Now that he’s retired, Curko spends most of his time fishing, hunting and operating a small farm on his land. Married for 29 years to wife, Marion, Sam has two grown daughters, Heidi and Gretchen, and a son, Erik, who is 13. “It’s the kind of life I had when I was growing up in Croatia, before I came to Hoboken,” Curko said. Still, Curko fondly remembers his days in the Mile Square City. He still has family members in Hoboken, namely his daughter and son-in-law, who own and operate Louise and Jerry’s Tavern on Washington Street. His cousin, Anthony Curko, is the secretary of the Board of Education. “I always try to check in with my buddies in Hoboken, the old Bloomfield Street gang,” Curko said. “I was so proud of this award that I wanted to share it with my friends in Hoboken, my teammates from Demarest. I do owe everything I have to Hoboken.”