John Vernacchio

[Steve Angell]

John Vernacchio

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Thanks for that info Steve. Good to know some more of the background.
ET

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Al Myers]

John V is one of the founding fathers of the USAWA & IAWA for sure. It has been a couple of years since I have seen him though. Al

[Chad Ullom]

I hope someone will pass these comments along to John, I’m sure he would appreciate it greatly! What a tribute Steve! I’ve only been able to meet him a couple of times, but have heard nothing but great things about him! Wasn’t he the one who got Rob Van Dam to do his lift? I know he was in the video they showed.

[Al Myers]

I would like to say this about John. He is one of the VERY FEW lifters that I know who has not only competed in All Round Lifting, but competed in Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting as well. He is a true all-round weightlifter!!Al

[Denny Habecker]

John is living in Voorhees,New Jersey now. He had a stroke about a year and a half ago. The last I talked to him he said he was doing better but he still was not able to drive. He is also having some trouble with his eyes since the stroke. I tried to call him several times the last few weeks and all I got was his voice mail. I let a message but he hasn’t returned my calls. He hasn’t been able to train since he moved to Jersey.
If it wasn’t for John I would probably not ever have gotten involved with the USAWA. He is the one that got me started in the allrounds. I lifted in many meets at his gym in Collegeville and became a member of his club in 1987. I agree with Steve about John’s involvement with all 3 strength sports. I know one year when John was in 24 meets, inclulding powerlifting, Olympic lifting and allrounds. I really miss not seeing John on the lifting platform. He was one on the best lifters and greatest guys I know.

[Tom Ryan]

Thanks for the update, Denny, sad though it is. I also knew John very well during the early years of the USAWA and trained with him a few times at his (company) gym in Collegeville, and also competed in a meet or two there during the 1989-90 academic year that I spent in the Philadelphia area.

John was indeed very giving of his time and energies during that era and was one of the movers and shakers in the USAWA.

Right before I left the area, my mother wanted to go with me to visit one of my aunts on my father’s side of the family, whom neither of us had seen in many years. So my mother flew up from Atlanta and then rode back with me as I drove back through Atlanta on my way to Texas. Unfortunately, my mother and I discovered that my aunt, who lived just outside Philadelphia, was having Alzheimer’s symptoms, but we still had a nice visit with her.

I gave John two 100-pound plates that I had for use in his gym as I couldn’t get much use out of them since I didn’t have a 2-inch bar. So I guess as more a less a going away present, he took my mother and I along with his wife Jean to an all-you-can-eat place in or just outside Collegeville. It was the most impressive eating establishment of that type I have ever seen! It was named Hog’s Breath Inn, which I think may be a chain. The food was in barrels, believe it or not, and there was a huge amount of it as that was a very popular place. I don’t know if the place still exists (maybe Denny knows), but if it does exist, look for it if you are ever in that area as I am sure you would be as impressed as I was.

Tom

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