Dan Marino
Marino in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Daniel Constantine Marino, Jr.
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 15, 1961
Ethnicity:
*25% Italian
*25% Slovak
*50% Polish
Dan Marino is an American professional football player. A quarterback, he played seventeen seasons for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He is in the NFL Hall of Fame. He is also a special advisor for the Miami Dolphins. He is 6′4″.
Dan is the son of Veronica and Daniel Marino, who delivered newspapers. His father’s ancestry was half Italian and half Slovak. His mother is of Polish descent. He is married to Claire D. Veazey. He has six children with Claire; and a daughter with CBS employee Donna Savattere.
Dan’s paternal grandfather was Constantine Marino (the son of Carmine Marino and Elizabeth Quaglietti). Constantine was born in Pianella, Provincia di Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy.
Dan’s paternal grandmother was Julia Batko (the daughter of George Batko and Anna Kotik). Julia was born in Pennsylvania, to Slovak parents.
Dan’s maternal grandfather was Stanley Kolczynski (the son of Charles Kolczynski and Marcella Lapinski). Stanley was of Polish descent.
Dan’s maternal grandmother was Helen Rudzka (the daughter of Frank Rudzka/Rudzki and Laura Borkowski/Bonikowski). Helen was born in Pennsylvania, to Polish parents.
Sources: Genealogy of Dan Marino (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Dan’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Dan’s paternal grandmother, Julia Batko, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Julia Batko on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Dan’s paternal grandmother, Julia (Batko) Marino – http://www.legacy.com
Dan’s maternal grandmother, Helen Rudzka, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
George Batko and Anna Kotik were Slovak, not Polish.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6TV-SV9
Even without the census records it should’ve been obvious that their surnames were Slovak.
I find interesting the sizeable number of notable Americans with roots in Slovakia, and Norway too, if you consider the small population they have.
His paternal Polish ancestry wasn’t publicly known. Good find.
I found previously unknown ancestry for Joe Montana, as well.
Cool
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQWH-4F7
https://www.geni.com/people/Dan-Marino/6000000041688684843