Gus Alfieri, who played basketball for St. John’s University and coached at St. Anthony’s High School, passed away on Monday at the age of 87, as announced by the school.
Gus was from Long Island and played for three seasons at St. John’s under Coach Joe Lapchick. He scored an average of 10.8 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of 43.6, in 72 games.
In 1959, Gus helped St. John’s win the NIT championship by scoring 15 points in a game against Bradley at Madison Square Garden.
After retiring as a player, Gus became a coach. He ran the All-American Basketball Camp for over 50 years and coached the boys’ basketball team at St. Anthony’s High School from 1968 to 1985.
Gus Alfieri, passed away on Monday at the age of 87
During his time at St. Anthony’s, Gus led the team to a record of 328 wins and 106 losses. They won two New York State championships and four NSCHSAA crowns. The basketball court at the school was named after him in 2016 when he was inducted into the St. Anthony’s Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the St. John’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
Gus wrote several books, including “Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Player and Coach in the Glory Days of Basketball” and “The Heart of a Champion: A Basketball Coach’s Memoir of a Championship Team,” which talked about his time coaching the Friars in the 1973-74 season.
Visitation for Gus will be held on Thursday from 7-9 p.m. and Friday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Branch Funeral Home in Smithtown, N.Y. His funeral Mass will take place on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Christ the King Church in Commack, N.Y.
