1939-40 Willimantic Lounsbury Aces (CSL)

1939-40 WILLIMANTIC LOUNSBURY ACES
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 1-7, .125, t-8th place
2nd Half: 2-6, .250, t-8th place

The city of Willimantic, Connecticut, was a small municipality of about 12,000 people. The smallest hometown of the league, they managed a single win (over New London) in the first half, finishing 1-7. The fared slightly better in the second half, including a big upset win over Bridgeport, but still finished tied for last place. 

Head Coach:

• uncertain

PLAYERS:

Clovis Beausoleil (April 5, 1917 - August 19, 1985)

Andy Carey (April 23, 1916 - May 26, 1984)

Ralph Crostwaite (February 11, 1916 - April 12, 1993)

Jean Hall (June 16, 1911 - January 14, 1976)

Jimmy Hoffman (May 9, 1917 - October 24, 2001)

Iggy Lombardo (November 29, 1921 - November 9, 2008)

Willie Monroe (December 8, 1914 - January 11, 1993) 

Stan Morrill (June 13, 1916 - March 29, 1944)

Harold Oates (May 2, 1918 - July 5, 2003)

Chick Rowan (January 10, 1916 - May 1996)

Ben Sagal (May 9, 1919 - July 2, 2001)

Joe Syzdek (September 17, 1918 - December 8, 2007)

Ray Truska (September 1, 1920 - January 18, 2002)

1939-40 West Haven Red Devils (CSL)

Larry Fair

1939-40 WEST HAVEN RED DEVILS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 3-5, .375, 7th place
2nd Half: 3-5, .375, t-6th place

Last year's runners-up to the title, to say this year was a disappointment for the famed Red Devils is a huge understatement. They finished both halves with a 3-5 record and a long way from the championship. Coach Herky Rubenstein's club started 1-4 and failed to score 40 points in four of those games. Ferrie and Collins were the high scorers, but the lack of depth spelled disaster for the Devils.

Head Coach:

• Herky Rubenstein (October 16, 1902 - October 4, 1975)
  

PLAYERS:

Steve Collins

John Blasczyk (April 8, 1919 - January 21, 1984)

Ernie Collins (January 17, 1916 - January 3, 2001)

Steve Collins (May 2, 1915 - September 30, 1990)

Aurelio Damiani (July 24, 1916 - January 7, 1957)

Larry Fair (February 19, 1912 - December 20, 1991)

Freddie Ferrie (April 2, 1917 - April 14, 1995)

Dick Ferriter (October 21, 1916 - April 23, 1993)

John McHugh

Milt Northrop (June 14, 1912 - January 18, 2004)

Rocky Petrafessa (February 22, 1917 - February 6, 2003)

Herky Rubenstein (October 16, 1902 - October 4, 1975)

Skip Woerner (February 22, 1912 - March 18, 2000)

Fred Ferrie

1939-40 Stamford Holy Names (CSL)

1939-40 STAMFORD HOLY NAMES
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place
2nd Half: 2-6, .250, t-8th place

Lost to Meriden in First Half tiebreaker, 2-0

Stanford got off to a cold start, dropping their first two games by a total of four points, before catching fire and winning the last six games of the first half. Lead by Al Mansi and Irish Sheehy, the Holy Names finished in a tie for first place but lost the tiebreaking series to Meriden. The second half was a complete reversal; Stamford would only win twice and finished tied for last place.

Head Coach:

• Bob Noonan (January 17, 1915 - September 4, 1969) 

PLAYERS:

George Petrovick

John Cybul (January 9, 1920 - January 14, 2006)

Frank Fonk (March 11, 1920 - July 10, 2006)

Mike Gorelick (July 24, 1918 - May 28, 1983)

Walter Gurlasky (March 17, 1921 - October 21, 1960)

Joe Hoha (January 9, 1915 - August 27, 1986)

John Kvancz (May 19, 1919 - September 24, 1989)

Al Mansi (July 14, 1921 - January 3, 2013)

John Olsavsky (November 9, 1920 - May 16, 2004)

George Petrovick (August 23, 1921 - February 10, 2016)

Tony Santone (May 30, 1919 - November 15, 1986)

Irish Sheehy (December 26, 1915 - June 19, 1985)

Tom Wood (June 27, 1915 - January 26, 2013)

1939-40 New London Electric Boats (CSL)

1939-40 NEW LONDON ELECTRIC BOATS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 1-7, .125, t-8th place
2nd Half: 4-4, .500, t-4th place

Joe Murphy

The Electric Boats were a local semi-pro team that joined the CSL for the 1939-40 season after a few years of barnstorming around New England. Despite a decent enough history, the Electric Boats faltered and finished the first half in a tie for last place. After dumping Jim Butler, George Chihowski and John LaCastro, they picked up Mike Severin, Eddie Sullivan and Bill Tuneski for the second half.The addition of these players, especially Sullivan who would average a team-best 10 points per game, bolstered the team in the second half but not enough to overcome the top teams. They finished the second have 4-4 and tied for 4th place.

Head Coach:

• Joe Murphy (December 10, 1913 - August 2, 1986) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

John LaCastro

Henry Apanaschik (August 9, 1919 - November 30, 1993)

Charlie Brown (April 24, 1913 - June 14, 1974)

Mike Butchka (February 25, 1915 - April 2, 2008)

Jim Butler (April 16, 1915 - April 3, 2004)

George Chihowski (August 18, 1917 - December 20, 1987)

John LaCastro (July 29, 1917 - March 24, 1944)

Abe Lariviere (February 15, 1920 - May 1, 1997)

Francis Murphy (May 12, 1907 - December 6, 1997)

Joe Murphy (December 10, 1913 - August 2, 1986)

Tony Osinski (January 6, 1918 - May 8, 1991)

Billy Rose (June 18, 1917 - October 7, 1951)

Mike Severin (November 20, 1919 - September 9, 1989)

Eddie Sullivan (February 3, 1919 - May 3, 1987)

Bill Tuneski (April 23, 1919 - December 17, 2000)

Charlie Brown

Tony Osinski

Billy Rose

Eddie Sullivan

Henry Apanschik

1939-40 New Britain Cremos (CSL)

Henry Ferony

1939-40 NEW BRITAIN CREMOS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 5-3, .625, t-3rd place
2nd Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place

Won in Round Robin 2nd Half Tie-breaker

Won Finals over Meriden, 3-2

New Britain was a streaky team, winning three straight then losing three straight. At 3-3, they would win the last two of the half and enter the second half with five wins. In the final game against Danbury, a win would give them the second half title outright but Danbury routed them to force a three-way tie. New Britain would win the round robin tie breaker and move on to face Meriden, who they would clip in five games for the President's Cup.

Head Coach:

• Jimmy Murphy ( - ) 

PLAYERS:

Joe Joyce

Vic Baylock (January 18, 1913 - March 22, 1990)

Joe Boley (August 27, 1915 - January 1, 2000)

Lindy Dobek (January 29, 1917 - February 23, 2015)

Henry Ferony (April 29, 1915 - September 13, 2002)

Bob Gair (April 13, 1910 - August 10, 1992)

Joe Glownia (December 20, 1915 - July 2, 1962)

Joe Gurnicki (March 22, 1920 - June 27, 1983)

Pete Gut (January 12, 1916 - March 8, 2006)

Gene Hayes (July 24, 1920 - June 21, 2009)

Chick Jacobi (June 29, 1920 - July 11, 2014)

Joe Joyce (March 19, 1915 - March 26, 2013)

Henry Parsons (February 23, 1917 - April 29, 2010)

Matty Sheehan (November 15, 1908 - August 31, 1998)

King Zaleski (February 1, 1915 - December 4, 1977)

1939-40 Meriden Insilco Silverworkers (CSL)

1939-40 MERIDEN INSILCO SILVERWORKERS
CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 6-2, .750, t-1st place
2nd Half: 4-4, .500, t-4th place

Defeated Stamford in First Half tiebreaker, 2-0

Ed Gormely

Lost Finals to New Britain, 3-2

The Silverworkers started on a hot streak, winning their first 4 games and finishing in a tie for the first place title. In a best-of-three playoff, they swept Stamford to claim the first have title.

After winning their first two in the second half, they hit a three-game skid and lost 4 of 5 to fall out of contention. They would finish 4-4, but their first record title got them into the President's Cup finals against second-half champion New Britain. They lost the first game of the best-of-five series in New Britain, 42-21, but stormed back to win the next two to get within a win of the Cup. Seemed like an easy shot, given they hosted the remaining games, but lost them both to lose the crown to New Britain.

Head Coach:

• Tony Tomkievicz (May 8, 1910 - April 23, 1975) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Pete Golanski (June 29, 1917 - November 25, 1980)

Ed Gormley (April 1, 1916 - September 29, 2006)

Joe Nessing (March 16, 1920 - June 3, 1977)

Bobby Orentlicherman (March 30, 1919 - March 6, 1998)

Charlie Paddock (April 28, 1915 - June 16, 1982)

Ray Parmentier (September 18, 1919 - September 18, 2016)

Lloyd Slavin (May 30, 1918 - August 12, 2006)

Stan Sokol (February 27, 1919 - August 16, 2003)

Tony Tomkievicz (May 8, 1910 - April 23, 1975)

Walt Urban (June 27, 1915 - December 8, 1994)

Steve Wesnefski (November 11, 1914 - July 26, 1994)

Charlie Paddock

Joe Nessing

Walt Urban

1939-40 Hartford Super 5 / Dovers (CSL)

1939-40 HARTFORD SUPER 5 / DOVERS

Frank Klimas

CONNECTICUT STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE
1st Half: 4-4, .500, 6th place
2nd Half: 3-5, .375, T-6th place

New to the league, the Hartford Super 5 were a local semi-pro team that played various opponents around New England before joining the Connecticut State League. Things looked bright as they won three of their first four games, but lost four of their next five to finish the first half in sixth place.

They changed coaches and management in the second half, becoming the Dovers, but the change didn't change their luck as they finished in sixth place again.

Head Coach:

• Pete DeCatiff (June 29, 1907 - October 27, 1980) 4-5
• Abe Silverman (April 5, 1906 - September 2, 1997) 3-4

PLAYERS:

Larry Bernabeo (November 7, 1916 - January 25, 1984)

Al Howard (March 11, 1915 - January 10, 1984)

Bill Hutt (September 28, 1918 - May 18, 2005)

Frank Klimas (July 28, 1918 - March 21, 1997)

Mitch Magora (December 9, 1915 - July 31, 1963)

Jiggs Mandell (July 5, 1918 - November 17, 1996)

Red Meade (March 28, 1920 - February 11, 2004)

Iggy Miller aka Iggy Murawski (December 17, 1916 - December 27, 2009) 

Joe Noce (August 30, 1920 - November 3, 2002)

Pete Sevetz (September 8, 1919 - November 9, 2004)

Jigger Sitarz (November 24, 1919 - September 21, 2005)

Freddie Ware (March 15, 1915 - October 31, 1996)

Larry Bernabeo

Jigger Sitarz

Joe Noce