Tony Morabito

Lore & Background

Morabito's path to founding the 49ers started with rejection. In 1944, after years of the NFL turning down his expansion bids, he led a visit to the league's Chicago offices. NFL commissioner Elmer Layden, one of the legendary Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, was dismissive of Morabito's requests. So Morabito and his partners walked across the street to see Arch Ward, the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, who was organizing a rival league, the All-America Football Conference.

On June 4, 1944, the AAFC held its first meeting in St. Louis, and Morabito agreed to form a San Francisco franchise. His partners included his brother Victor P. Morabito, Allen E. Sorrell, and Ernest J. Turre. Al Ruffo handled legal work while serving as assistant coach to head coach Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, the University of Santa Clara's famous "Silver Fox," who was paid $25,000. The 49ers' first exhibition game was a 17–7 win over the Los Angeles Dons on August 24, 1946.

Their first regular-season home game at Kezar Stadium on September 8, 1946, drew 34,867 fans for a 34–14 win over the Chicago Rockets. Morabito was seen as controversial by some, but throughout his tenure, the players supported him.

Reader's Guide

The Morabito Era (1944–1957) covers the founding and early years of the San Francisco 49ers. Key events: In 1944, after NFL rejections, Morabito joined the AAFC and secured a San Francisco franchise. The 49ers played their first game on August 24, 1946, a 17–7 exhibition win over the Los Angeles Dons at Balboa Park in San Diego. Their first home game at Kezar Stadium was September 1, 1946, a 34–14 exhibition win over the Chicago Rockets in front of 45,000 fans.

Morabito died of a heart attack at Kezar Stadium on October 27, 1957, while the 49ers were playing the Chicago Bears. The team was losing 17–7 when a note reading "Tony's gone" was passed to the coach; they rallied to win 21–17. After his death, his widow Josephine and brother Victor took majority control. Josephine Morabito-Fox held majority ownership until 1977, making her one of the first women to hold majority ownership in a professional sports team.