Joseph DeGregorio (“Joe D.”),a native of “The Hill” in St. Louis, Missouri, is the the son of first generation Italian-Americans. He is a member of The Hill Business Association, NCMS, The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and The Veteran of Foreign Wars. In 2006 Joe began pursuing a lifelong passion (as his father before him did) of providing Guided Tours of the fascinating and unique St. Louis Italian-American neighborhood affectionately called “The Hill”.
Bocce Ball Thrives On The Hill By Pam Droog Jone, a freelance writer based in Jefferson City, Mo.
The Hill is well known for its colorful Italian heritage, top-rated restaurants, enticing grocery stores...and, of course, bocce ball. In fact, the region’s headquarters for the traditional Italian sport is the St. Louis Bocce Club at 2210 Marconi Ave.
Formerly offices for a piston ring manufacturer, the building was purchased and renovated by club members in 1990. The club features five bocce courts, plus a kitchen and banquet facility, dance floor, bar and other amenities.
“Our previous location on Manchester at Sublette was like a men’s club, or a neighborhood tavern,” says Dan Drago, club president and general manager. “We have a beautiful building here now, and the central location makes it easy for neighborhood people to come here.”
Like bowling, bocce ball involves throwing a hard ball down a narrow space. After that, the similarities end. Drago says the game is not complicated, but does involve strategy and lagging skills. “It’s like [hitting] a moving horseshoes stick, trying to outlag your opponents,” he says.
A bocce team consists of two to eight players, each receiving two boccia (balls). Players take turns rolling the ball toward the pallino (the smallest ball), which has already been thrown onto the field. Points are earned for balls thrown closest to the pallino. In addition to rolling, players also may throw volo style (on the fly), and may displace the pallino or other players’ boccia.
Like bowling, bocce ball is enjoying an upswing in popularity. Currently the club has 560 members, including two men in their late 90s and several women, Drago says. That’s nearly a 300 percent jump in membership since the club opened. Dues are $330 per family and every member gets a key.
“It’s a private club but occasionally we open it up to the neighborhood,” Drago says.
When the club does open its doors to outsiders, it’s often to help disadvantaged children have fun. Special Olympics participants, as well as students from the St. Louis School for the Blind, have enjoyed the clubs’ hospitality. “For the blind kids we use a ball with a beeper, and they lag to that,” Drago says. “For the kids in wheelchairs, we invented a chute they can roll the ball down to lag.”
At the moment St. Louis Bocce Club members are working on attracting the World Bocce Championship to St. Louis in 2008. Previously the competition has been held in China, Russia, France, Poland, Canada and the U.S.
“Bocce ball is played all over the world,” Drago says. “It’s expanded way beyond Italy.”
