John Parisella

Last updated
John Parisella
OccupationTrainer
Born (1944-09-01) September 1, 1944 (age 80)
Brooklyn, New York, US
Career wins1,241
Major racing wins
Racing awards
Aqueduct Champion trainer
(1980 & 1994 Spring, 1993-94 inner track) [1]
Significant horses
  • Jones Time Machine
  • Simply Majestic
  • Chapel of Dreams
  • Kamikaze Rick

John Parisella is an American horse trainer [2] known for training the racehorses Fight Over [3] and Simply Majestic. [4] He last raced during 2016 and by year's end had 1,241 career wins. [5]

Contents

Early life and career

Parisella was born in Brooklyn [6] to an Italian Catholic family. [7] [8] Parisella started his career as an assistant to Tommy Gullo, a legendary betting trainer. [6] His mentor was horse trainer John P. Campo. [9] Later he became a full-fledge horse trainer training horses for his uncle Joe Scandore who managed horses for James Caan, Don Adams, Telly Savalas and Don Rickles. [6] [10]

Parisella pioneered the use of foreign horses, mostly from Canada and turning them into stakes winners. [6]

Personal life

Parisella has been married twice. In 1975, he married Bernadette Birk, the former wife of horse trainer Robert J. Frankel. [11] [12] Parisella and Frankel were originally friends as well as competitors. [6] Parisella raised his step-daughter Bethenny Frankel (Birk's daughter with Frankel) as his own child from the time she was five years old. [11] Bethenny went on to become a reality TV star and entrepreneur. [11] He was also married to Melissa Parisella, with whom he has a daughter, Gabrielle (b. 1989). [10] [13] They divorced and Melissa has since re-married twice: first to American football player Mike Keller, with whom she had two children. [14]

Parisella appeared twice on The Johnny Carson Show . [6]

References

  1. ↑ 2011 NYRA Media Guide, p. 93 - Trainers John Parisella profile]
  2. ↑ Equibase: Stats Central - Trainer Profile Page: John Parisella February 8, 2013
  3. ↑ BILL CHRISTINE (February 11, 1985). "It's a Slow Track for Racing : Sport of Kings Is Beset With Problems, Weak Management". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ↑ California Thoroughbred Association: "A Glorious Time: Simple Majestic" by ROBERT KNOLHOFF JR. Archived 2015-11-25 at the Wayback Machine retrieved February 9, 2013
  5. ↑ http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=People&searchType=T&eID=1401 Equibase records for John Parisella
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Horse Race Insider: "A Brooklyn Tale" Archived 2013-01-28 at the Wayback Machine November 18, 2009
  7. ↑ A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life By Bethenny Frankel p.28
  8. ↑ Bethenny Ever After Season 2 Episode 4 - It's My Baptism and I'll Cry if I Want To 1/4. 6:45: YouTube. I went to Catholic school because my stepfather was Catholic{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  9. ↑ John Pricci (November 18, 2005). "Campo Was A Diamond In the Rough". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.
  10. 1 2 BILL CHRISTINE (June 7, 1990). "HORSE RACING BELMONT STAKES : Outspoken New York Trainer Has Some Unbridled Opinions". Los Angeles Times.
  11. 1 2 3 People: "Bethenny Frankel: Love Saved My Life" By LIZ MCNEIL July 19, 2010
  12. ↑ New York Daily News: "'Real Housewives of New York City' star Bethenny Frankel and husband Jason Hoppy separating" By Bill Hutchinson December 23, 2012
  13. ↑ LMU Lions website retrieved February 9, 2013
  14. ↑ Brian VanOchten (October 4, 2009). "Mike Keller's short stint with Cowboys on the field led to long career in sports marketing". The Grand Rapids Press.
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