Gabelli’s gift, made by the Gabelli Foundation, supersedes his 2010 donation as the largest single gift in Fordham’s history and will help set the pace of Fordham’s maturing philanthropic culture.

“Words are inadequate to express our gratitude to Mario Gabelli and Regina Pitaro for this second transformative gift, and for their longtime philanthropy and service to Fordham,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University. “It is impossible to overstate the importance of this gift—it will allow us to better prepare more deserving students for positions of leadership in business and finance around the globe. That by itself is deeply impressive but is just a part of the gift’s significance. There is no greater endorsement of the Gabelli School and of Fordham’s mission than a gift of this magnitude coming from two alumni who are ideally situated to understand the University’s strengths and its potential. This generous gift—and Mario and Regina’s previous donations—are a tangible manifestation of the power of a Fordham education. It is a gift not just to an institution, but to the ages. On behalf of the Fordham family and its many generations to come, I thank Mario Gabelli and Regina Pitaro from the bottom of our hearts.”

Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School, agreed.

“Mario’s incredible gift comes at the perfect time in our history. As we celebrate 100 years of our past, his generosity will allow us to continue to position the Gabelli School as a leader in ethical, innovative, global business education,” she said.

Fordham’s Board of Trustees also extended its gratitude to Gabelli and Pitaro in a Dec. 14 resolution that extolled their “extremely generous support” and “philanthropic leadership.”

This transformative gift will be used in a multitude of ways. It will go toward scholarships for MBA and Ph.D. students as well as enhancement of the MBA program and the Ph.D. program—including faculty support in recognition of outstanding research and industry-relevant innovative teaching. For example, it will be used to expand the Gabelli School’s Student Managed Investment Fund program, which currently has junior and senior finance students working together to invest more than $1 million of Fordham University’s actual endowment. The result—in addition to a proud track record of above-the­-benchmark performance—is a hands-on learning experience like no other. The gift will allow for additional portfolios, including an ESG fund for the school’s graduate and undergraduate students to manage.

“A portion of Mario’s gift is being used as a challenge to inspire and motivate other alumni and friends to stand with him as an investor and believer in Dean Rapaccioli’s vision for the Gabelli School of Business,” said Roger A. Milici Jr., vice president for development and University relations at Fordham.

Gabelli and Pitaro will match dollar-for-dollar scholarship gifts for the Gabelli School’s MBA and Ph.D. students, up to $7 million.

Gabelli is a philanthropist, investor, and Chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors, Inc. A native of the Bronx, his mother was born in Italy, as was his sister. His father returned to Italy from Western Pennsylvania at the age of 2, following his own father’s death in a coal mining accident. In addition to his Fordham degree, he earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in 1967. His wife, Regina M. Pitaro, is a 1976 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill and a trustee fellow of Fordham University. Pitaro also holds a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and earned her M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School in 1982.

“The underpinning of meritocracy is education. Education requires faculty, facilities, financing, and great students,” Gabelli said. “We are privileged to support our Fordham alma mater.”

This month, the Cunniffes have taken their philanthropy to an even higher level, with a transformative $20 million gift that will be devoted to funding student financial aid.

The newly titled Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe Presidential Scholars Program will encompass one of the largest merit scholarships available to Fordham students, and will pave the way for a new generation of women and men to receive a comprehensive Jesuit education.

Presidential scholars are generally ranked in the top 1–2 percent in their high school class, excel in academics and extracurricular activities, and exhibit leadership in their academic and personal lives.

With the new funding, the program will challenge the scholars and enrich their undergraduate experience through partnerships among key academic units across the University, including undergraduate dean’s offices and the Office of Prestigious Fellowships. The gift will also support summer programs focusing on service learning, experiential learning through international immersion, professional internships, research opportunities, and close mentoring by faculty.

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, called the gift—the second largest in the University’s history—a monumental display of generosity, one that puts Fordham’s current campaign for financial aid at $82 million towards a $175 million goal.

“We renamed the administration building Cunniffe House to acknowledge Mo and Carolyn’s great generosity and service to Fordham, as well as their integrity and steadfastness,” Father McShane said. “Having known Mo for more than two decades, I can say with authority that his accomplishments and humility are unparalleled. It is very much Fordham’s honor to have their names associated with our most prestigious scholars.”

Mo Cunniffe has been a part of the Fordham family for almost seven decades. A child of Irish immigrants in the Bronx, he lived within walking distance of the Fordham Rose Hill campus. He graduated from Fordham Preparatory School in 1950 and enrolled in the University, where he earned a degree in physics. After graduating, he went on to become a successful engineer, businessman, and entrepreneur. He served on Fordham Prep’s board of trustees from 1983-1995 and the University’s board of trustees from 1995-2003.

Carolyn Cunniffe received her bachelor’s degree from Fordham College at Rose Hill, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She was a vice president at Revlon and Chanel before joining Cablevision systems, where she was a senior vice president. She currently serves on the board of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, and Fordham’s Board of Trustees.

In 2010, Mo Cunniffe received the Fordham Founder’s Award, recognizing the ways in which his life reflects the University’s defining traditions, and at Fordham’s 171st Commencement ceremony in May, the University bestowed upon him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, for his role as one of the University community’s most vital and longstanding supporters.

He said that his latest gift not only recognizes and supports the place that has been like a home for nearly his entire life, but also makes it possible for more generations to follow in his steps.

“We believe in Fordham and its mission,” Mo Cunniffe said. “Fordham has educated people of all social strata, including immigrants and students without funds. It makes all kinds of sense to us to continue to support this mission, which is also in the interest of society.”

Roger A. Milici Jr., vice president for development and University relations at Fordham, called the gift a bold investment in humanity and in the promise that future Cunniffe Presidential Scholars offer our global society, their families and their workplaces. He noted that with cumulative giving approaching $35 million, the Cunniffes are setting the pace for philanthropy at Fordham.

“First and foremost, I thank our generous donors,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “Their generosity, and their devotion to Fordham and its mission, have been nothing short of spectacular.

“I must also thank the campaign co-chairs, Jim Buckman, Darlene Jordan and Jack Kehoe, for their remarkable and energetic leadership,” Likewise the University owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the entire Board of Trustees, chaired by John Tognino, and all of the campaign volunteers. Their wise counsel and tireless efforts have achieved more than we could possibly have hoped for this year,” Father McShane said.

The campaign total for scholarship support is now at 115 percent, and academic support at 101 percent of their respective goals. Alumni participation in the Annual Fund—a key indicator of support for University priorities—continued to increase, reaching 28 percent this year. The campaign total does not include a $1 million gift for scholarships from the Bloomberg Foundation, received on July 1. Before the campaign ends, the University will have to raise another $85 million for unmet needs in endowed professorships and several crucial building projects.

“I think the year we’ve had speaks to tremendous support Fordham’s mission enjoys from its alumni and friends,” said Roger A. Milici Jr., vice president for development and University relations. “We’re gratified at the amount we’ve raised this year, but its impact is more important than the number itself. Our donors care deeply about what we do here, about the students we educate—like Abraham Mercado, Fordham’s eighth Truman Scholar, and Cristina Vignone Fordham’s first Beinecke Scholar. What these numbers mean is that we can educate more students—many of whom could not otherwise afford a Fordham education—in greater depth and with cutting-edge tools and facilities.”

As the campaign total climbs, the University is seeing its tangible results: this year Fordham opened Campbell-Conley-Salice Halls; broke ground on the most ambitious capital project in its history, the first stage of which is a new Law School and undergraduate residence hall; and began the renovation of the future home of the Gabelli School of Business.

“I know the Board of Trustees joins me in congratulating Roger Milici and the entire Development and University Relations team for a year of impressive achievements—our annus mirabilis, if you will,” said Father McShane. “At the same time, we now focus on the year to come, and the work still to be done to achieve the ambitious goals that we have set for ourselves. I have every confidence that the Fordham family is up to the challenge.”

Milici currently serves as senior director of development and alumni relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, a post he has held since June 2001.

“Roger has over 17 years of development and alumni relations experience in senior executive positions,” said Al Checcio, Fordham’s vice president for development and University relations. “I have no doubt Roger will have an immediate positive impact on our development and alumni relations programs.”

During his tenure at Tufts, Milici designed and executed a $100 million fundraising effort at Fletcher as part of the university’s billion-dollar Beyond Boundaries campaign. He also supervised a dramatic rise in Fletcher’s annual-fund revenue and strengthened the university’s global philanthropic culture.

Milici’s career in advancement and nonprofit management began in the United Way system in Connecticut, where he was one of the country’s youngest presidents/chief professional officers of a United Way chapter, in Greater Waterbury, Conn.

Prior to working at Tufts, Milici also served as chief development officer for the Congregation of Holy Cross at Stonehill College. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in international relations and a master of arts degree in social and public policy, both from Duquesne University, and serves as a trustee on the Cardinal Tardini Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh.

“I am impressed with and inspired by Fordham’s mission and visionary leadership led by Father McShane,” said Milici, who will begin his duties effective May 1. “I look forward to serving the Fordham community.”

“It is not an accident that Fordham received the largest gift in its history on Roger’s watch,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “In his role as the interim vice president Roger has earned the trust and respect of the Board of Trustees, our generous benefactors, our alumni, and of course myself. I am, therefore, delighted that he has accepted the permanent position.”

During Milici’s tenure as interim vice president, the University passed the $400 million mark inExcelsior | Ever Upward | The Campaign for Fordham, the University’s capital campaign officially launched in March 2009. Fordham reached the milestone in March 2011, and as of April 28, the University has raised $406 million toward the $500 million campaign goal, and $76 million this fiscal year. Since his arrival at Fordham, Milici has helped reorganize school-based fundraising, sought greater collaboration with academic leaders and undertaken a reorientation of the alumni relations program. In the last year he has also hired top-level advancement professionals in key areas, and initiated an overhaul of the University’s Web presence.

Before coming to Fordham, Milici was the senior director of development and alumni relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, a post he held since June 2001. Prior to Tufts, Milici created a development and public relations program for the Congregation of Holy Cross at Stonehill College to promote and support educational, social service and missionary projects underway in the eastern United States and Peru.

Milici was born and raised in New Haven, Conn. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a master’s degree in social and public policy at Duquesne University. He studied in the divinity program at Notre Dame, and at one point was preparing to become a Roman Catholic priest with the Congregation of Holy Cross. He had considered a career with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps, and toward that end spent time in Rome under the sponsorship of Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, the former Vatican undersecretary of state for public affairs.

Milici is fluent in Italian and speaks some Spanish, and serves as a trustee on the Cardinal Tardini Charitable Trust. Since 2009, he has served on the executive committee of the Jesuit Advancement Administrators Council, and last year served as co-chair of the development track at its annual conference. He and his wife, Frances Fleming Milici, live in Connecticut with their two daughters, Finula Frances and Annabella Rose.

“In my job one has to be focused on the numbers, of course,” Milici said. “But I am only doing my job well when I help create and sustain long-term relationships that marry donors and their investments with the University’s mission and its priority projects. The end result is tangible impact and societal good.”