State & Union: SBU football hero, FBI special agent passed this week
When we read or hear about “The Greatest Generation,” men like Christopher J. Scaturo, who passed away earlier this week at age 94, lived as a prime example.
A native of Elizabeth, N.J., he served as a gunner in a B-24 Liberator bomber during World War II.
In 1950, Scaturo earned a bachelor of science in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University, where he was quarterback of the football team. He is remembered for engineering a 1949 upset over Boston University when — in his final season — he threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third touchdown himself.
After that season he was presented with a wristwatch recognizing his athletic achievement. The inscription on the watch read “St. Bonaventure Gridiron Club Award to Chris Scaturo 1949.”
Following graduation, Scaturo played for the Jersey Giants. An injury in his third game ended his professional football career. He taught mathematics at Lafayette Junior High School in Elizabeth and was an assistant football coach at Thomas Jefferson High School, his alma mater.
In February of 1951, Scaturo was appointed a special agent of the FBI. During his 25 years of service, he was stationed in Seattle/Spokane, San Francisco, Cleveland and New York City. He retired as a unit supervisor, from the New York office, on June 26, 1976. During his tenure with the FBI, he received many commendations from both J. Edgar Hoover and his successor, Clarence Kelly.
After his FBI retirement, he spent three years as director of corporate security for American Standard Company, in New York City. In 1979, he became vice president and director of corporate security, for Continental Corporation in New York City, retiring in 1992.
While at Continental, Scaturo conceived and implemented “Operation Killjoy,” an undercover sting operation with New Jersey police, and was commended for assistance and support by the Repeat Offender Unit of Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, D.C. He also received commendations from Union and Essex counties in New Jersey for commitment to the investigation and prosecution of automobile theft and insurance theft, and was interviewed by Dan Rather on the CBS news show “60 Minutes.”
In 1992, he moved to Lewisville, N.C., and attended Forsyth Technical Community College, majoring in residential carpentry, and graduated in 1995. During that time, he volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
In 1996, Scaturo returned to Olean. He was active in Varsity B Club at St. Bonaventure and acted as a volunteer teacher’s aide in the carpentry and woodworking department at BOCES. He was a member and past-president of the Olean Exchange Club; a member of Bartlett Country Club and St. Mary of the Angels Church; and a life member of the Allegany Knights of Columbus.
In 2014, he moved to Watchung, N.J., to be closer to his children. On Monday, in Scotch Plains, N.J., and surrounded by his loving family, he passed away.
It is the wishes of the family that contributions in his memory may be made to alz.org.