Coach Gus began the All American Basketball in 1969 and every summer from that year until 2023, he took tremendous pride in teaching the young kids of Long Island about basketball, and life. He taught the Jump Shot Lecture for 50 years and everyone looked forward to his Attitude Lecture on Friday mornings where he put the basketball aside for a short while and taught the life lessons he had learned. His life was a well-lived life and he loved teaching most of all.
Coach Gus died on January 1st, 2024 but his camp, and his spirit will live on every summer when kids lace up their sneakers and attend his camp to continue the tradition of playing basketball and having fun doing it. This camp is now and will forever be named, the Gus Alfieri All American Basketball Camp.
His basketball career began at St. Francis Prep HS, continued at St. John’s University where he was a key player in SJU’s NIT Championship in 1959. He then transitioned to the sidelines, coaching St. Anthony’s HS to two NY State Championships (1974 & 1979), four NSCHSAA titles and over 300 wins. The court at St. Anthony’s has been re-named the Gus Alfieri Court. He is a basketball legend in New York. He has been named to the St. John’s University Hall of Fame, the New York City basketball Hall of Fame and the St. Anthony’s HS Hall of Fame. His two books, Lapchick and Heart of a Champion have been widely published and has received excellent reviews.