Bernie Profato

Name: Bernie Profato
Hometown: Niles, Ohio, USA
Birthplace: USA
Judge: Record
Referee: Record
Inspector: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record

Bernie Profato, from Niles, Ohio, was appointed the Executive Director of the Ohio Athletic Commission in September of 2004, replacing Mr. Paul Amadio.

He had served in the United States Marine Corps, and retired from the City of Niles Police Department, where he served for 32 years. He was in charge of the traffic division and an expert witness in traffic crashes for 28 of those years.

He has been a sports official at the high school and college level in basketball, baseball and softball for over 30 years and has been a boxing referee for 18 years, refereeing a number of title bouts in that time.

He has been inducted in the National and State Softball Halls of Fame as an umpire; the Trumbull County Hall of Fame as an athlete and a sports official; and the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame, Legends of Leather Hall of Fame, and most recently, the Ohio State Former Boxers Hall of Fame in boxing.

A former successful amateur boxer with a respectable 54-6-1 record, after his amateur career ended he never wavered from the fight game.

Profato was recently inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates Hall Of Fame. Profato's boxing career started in 1961 He won the 1962 Golden Gloves title at welterweight. He won the 1967 title as a light heavyweight. In 1969 he went for his third title but lost to the noted and one of the best local and national boxers from this area, Earnie Shavers.

He also met some other local tough guys like Mike Boswell, John Giroski, James Kitchen, Bill Maroney and Phil Rogers. Bernie was a crowd pleaser with a good punch.He started his career under Johnny Marino and later with Mike Birskovich and Tony Maiorana.

Profato became a solid and respectable referee. That career lasted for eighteen years. As the third man in the ring he presided over fights that featured Ray " Boom Boom " Mancini, Harry Arroyo, Greg Page, Azumah Nelson, Hector Camacho, Sugar Ray Leonard, Charlie " White Lightning " Brown and Bonecrusher Smith.

One of the highlights of Bernie's career was being asked to be the first American to referee a bout in the Republic Of China. Bernie said " That had to be one of the biggest honors I've ever received ". The astute Teddy Atlas described Bernie as one of the best " no nonsense " referees.

Bernie Profato has also refereed football and umpired baseball at the high school and college levels. He's done it all. He is also a member of the Trumbull County Legends Of Leather Hall Of Fame and the Curbstone Coaches Hall Of Fame.

Now as the Director for the Ohio Athletic Commission, Profato has again dedicated himself to the best interest of the fight game in Ohio.

NOTE: The author Sal Marino is the President and co-founder of the Trumbull County (Ohio) Legends of Leather. Sal is an accomplished writer with his own newspaper column and radio talk show. He received three awards at the recent Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates banquet for his contributions to boxing.