The most recent discovery of the 1948 Don's football squad was made in the person of Mario Ghilottii, diminutive guard from San Rafael. He has been a two-ply contribution. Considering his modest proportions, the lad plays a remarkable amount of guard, spotting the opposition anywhere from forty to fifty pounds and asking no quarter. Off the field he has also proved his worth In the role of team comedian. His antics came as quite a surprise to most, as he was generally thought of as a sober, bashful retiring lad from the hill country. All doubt was dispelled on the Detroit trip, during which he repeatedly instructed the TWA pilot how to fly and land the Constellation, and alluded to the hostesses on the inferior quality of the service in comparison with that offered by various branches of the armed forces. On the practice field he frequently broadcasts scrimmages play by play to any and all within earshot, coloring the description with liberal use of the various bones and muscles discussed in anatomy class that week . . . Quite a character this Ghilotti (TheFoghorn).
Mario Ghilotti was born to Italian immigrant parents, James and Amelia Ghilotti, on December 4, 1922, the fourth of six children. He graduated from San Rafael High School in 1943, lettering in football. He then enlisted in the Navy for the duration of World War II. He was extremely proud of the fact that the James Ghilotti house on Fourth Street displayed a banner showing that all four living brothers had enlisted in the military. He became a rear turret machine gunner on a TBF-Avenger, which was a torpedo dive-bomber. He flew numerous missions off his jeep carrier, the Nehenta Bay. He saw action in the invasion and support of the Marinanas including the Saipan invasion while with Admiral Hulsey’s third fleet. He also survived the Pacific war’s deadliest typhoon that resulted in the sinking of several ships and severely damaged his carrier.
Ghilotti led the effort for many of the war memorials in Marin County, usually as a major financial donor and builder of the projects, most notably the Lone Sailor memorial overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge from Sausalito and most of the memorials in front of the Marin Veteran’s Auditorium. When he heard that the Marin Jr. ROTC program at Novato High School was going to be canceled because of budget cuts, he found out the shortfall for the year and donated the difference, saving the Program.
After his Navy service, he first attended College of Marin. When he tried out for football there were 150 players and he started out sixth string. By the time they played their first game, he was starting on the line and eventually made the All-Northern California Team. He always said that no matter what the odds, you had to keep showing up and working as hard as you can and good things will happen. He ended being among the first round of inductees to the College of Marin Athletic Hall of Fame. He went on to play college football for The University of San Francisco. Even though he was only 5' 9" and weighed 170 pounds, he played with some of the greatest football players ever at the linemen position.
In 1954, he talked his brother into buying a concrete plant in Cloverdale and moving it to San Rafael and naming it Shamrock. Mario and Dino’s business endeavors were not limited to construction, becoming partners in many businesses from cemeteries to golf courses, radio stations, hotels and restaurants. He was a founding member, alongside his beloved friend, John Govi, of the Marin Athletic Foundation, and served on the board. He was a founding member of the Marin History Museum, and served on the board. He was a founder of the Associated of Engineering Contractors Employers (AECE) and of the Golden Gate Arabian Horse Association. He was a driving force in the early years of the Marin Builders Exchange. He was one of the longest serving Rotarians, and attended every Monday for close to a half-century. He achieved their highest charitable honor, the Paul Harris Fellow. He was a longtime ardent supporter of Catholic causes, especially Marin Catholic.
