While he was student-teaching in Auburn, N.Y., Marc Martone ’49 — a 1975 C-Club Hall of Fame member — and three classmates pooled $150 to buy the vintage Model A Ford they used to make the weekly, 72-mile round trip to spend weekends back in Cortland.

“It was the most wonderful experience of my life and, not knowing about cars, this one was a piece of work!” Marc said.

After they finished their semester of student teaching at Auburn East High School, Marc and his classmates sold their vintage wheels for $150 to the next group of student teachers.

“I wonder what the car would be worth today,” he said of the antique, first produced in 1927 to replace the Model T.

At 99 and about the same vintage as that fabled early automobile, Marc is running pretty good under the hood. He’s tied with one other SUNY Cortland classmate for oldest living C-Club Hall of Fame member.

Recently, he moved to an assisted living facility, The Bristal at Mount
Sinai (N.Y.), bringing the same “can do” spirit to his changed living situation.

A few years ago, Marc designed a portable bocce ball court that now gets set up in the senior residence’s lounge each Saturday morning. Currently he officiates as quite a few of his fellow residents abandon their bingo, bridge and mahjong to enthusiastically take up the wholesome sport.

Bocce, pronounced “BOT-CHEE,” is rooted in the Roman Empire and belongs to the boules family of games. Developed into its present form in Italy, the game is popular among the Italian diaspora and has slowly gained a more general American following.

Currently, The Bristal’s little melting pot is all in for their fellow resident’s novel activity. Only a limited number of people can join in a game, so Marc often sees all available seats for prospective players filled a half hour before the 10 a.m. game.

“I’ve been here only nine months, and of all the activities, I have never heard anybody applauding or clapping for each other, but now they are,” Marc said in late 2025. “You’ve got to see it to believe it. ‘Wow, but he made a good shot,’ they implore each other. They’re thrilled.”

Like many bowling type games, classic bocce ball is played on a permanent court.

“Mine is collapsible, portable, very easy to move, to store, very easy to use,” he said of his kit of border markers.

Modified softer and lighter balls are used by players of this portable game.

Although he’s putting his sport to use in a senior living setting, anyone can set one up anywhere to play.

“It’s ideal for any level of physical education class, from kindergarten to 12th grade. It’s also good for special education kids, rehab centers, veterans administration hospitals. It’s a good activity for all levels and all ages.

“You could put that in the trunk of your car and take it on vacation,” he said. “You can set up these courts any place: on grass, in your living room, in your basement.”

He previously had checked for other portable bocce ball sets and found nobody else has designed anything like it. Marc is exploring the possibility of getting a trademark for his invention, which is of somewhat smaller dimensions than a regulation bocce court. To bring his portable bocce set to market, Marc is looking to partner with an enterprising SUNY Cortland Kinesiology Department or Physical Education Department student or faculty member.

Just before he introduced bocce to its residents’ activities programming, staff at The Bristal named him “Resident of the Month for July 2025.”

“To this day, Marc is an avid sports fans, incredibly outgoing and kind to others,” the retirement home’s administration wrote in its newsletter. “This month, Marc will be starting a Bocce Ball Club here. The equipment and court designs that we will be using are created by Marc himself and we so excited to debut this program!”

“I’m getting such a big kick to watch these other old people. It’s really going over very, very big,” Marc said.

Marc played varsity football at Cortland, where he was awarded the Red Letter.

“My wife, Stephanie, was the secretary for the Women’s Physical Education Department while I was at Cortland,” he said of his late wife. It’s because of her that he created a perpetual scholarship in their names, the Stephanie and Marcus J. Martone ’49 Scholarship.

“Without the woman in my life, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

He also played football at Glen Cove (N.Y.) High, where he graduated in 1944, the same year he enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. He also competed in varsity baseball and varsity wrestling for one year there.

Marc was inducted into C-Club for his leadership roles in high school baseball, football and wrestling at schools in Nassau County on Long Island including his hometown of Glen Cove. Marc taught, coached and served as an athletic administrator for many organizations, including the New York State Public High School Athletic Association from 1973 until 1992. He was inducted into the latter organization’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and also made the halls of fame for the city of Glen Cove, Sewanhaka High School and Carey High School. Carey High even named their football field in his honor as well as the Hall of Fame wing in the school.

—

Inside images:

(top) A Saturday morning bocce ball game at The Bristal at Mt. Sinai, N.Y. Marc keeps score, seated third from the left.

(middle) Marc spells out the game rules before play begins on the portable bocce court he designed and created.

(bottom) Marc gets welcome visit from his extended family.