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MERIDEN — The Meriden Public Library Community Room was packed on Sunday with residents and new inductees’ friends and family to celebrate the 47th annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Four Meriden locals — Marvin Beloff, Enrico Buccilli, Jay Dennis Murphy and Maria Louise Sanford — were honored and awarded plaques for their hard work and dedication to the community.
Before the start of the awards, there was a musical performance by Denise Jones and Inner Groove.
State Rep. Michael Quinn, D-Meriden, was the master of ceremonies for the Meriden Hall of Fame Association Inc.
“Everything the Hall of Fame goes through throughout the year to prepare for this day would not be possible without our dedicated board members,” Quinn said.
Rep. Hilda Santiago attended the ceremony to give citations from the state to the four Meriden individuals for their dedication.
“It was nice to pause and recognize people who have given their lives back to the City,” Mayor Kevin Scarpati said. “It’s just awesome to see everyone coming together and be in a space that will serve generations of families to come. It’s really cool to be here and honor and thank those families.”
Marvin Beloff was born in Meriden on July 11, 1928, and graduated from Meriden High School in 1946. In 1973, Beloff opened Beloff’s Woman’s World, a specialty clothing store. Around the holidays, Beloff was known for wrapping his store with a red ribbon and bow, which drew attention around the state. Realizing brick-and-mortar stores were limited, Beloff created a catalog business that sold nationwide.
Beloff served as a board member for the Meriden Chamber of Commerce, where he chaired the Meriden Silver Museum Development Committee. He was also on the boards for Meriden Symphony and Chorale Connecticut, chaired the WWII Memorial Hospital board, and was president of the Meriden Kiwanis Club.
As a sculptor, Beloff found he needed a better hand sander and worked to invent the SandDevil. His creation was sold nationwide and can be found in stores like Home Depot today.
As a fan of bow ties, he began another venture carving wooden neck-ware and sold them worldwide. He founded The Humble Bees ukulele band and toured for almost 20 years for charity. He also organized “Citizens for Election Reform,” which helped pass Connecticut’s Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2005.
Enrico Buccilli was born on January 27, 1951, and immigrated to Meriden with his family in 1955 from Pratola Peligna, Italy. Buccilli graduated from Platt High School in 1969.
For over 30 years, Buccilli was a Boy’s Club Alumni Association member, serving as president from 1981 to 1982. He coached a variety of youth sports both at the elementary and high school levels.
He was a 25-year member of the Meriden Planning Commission while serving as chairman for 18 years, and he chaired the 10-year Plan of Conservation and Development. As a leader in the community, Buccilli was a part of the Midstate Medical Center redevelopment of downtown Meriden, Meriden Green, and Stop & Shop.
In addition, he is a Meriden Golf Commission member, a nine-year member of the Bradley Home Board of Directors, and is currently treasurer of the Meriden Sports Reunion Committee. He was the principal at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School in Wallingford. In 2001, he was named Wallingford’s Administrator of the Year, and in 2007, he was awarded Principal of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools, receiving national recognition.
Jay Dennis Murphy was born in Meriden on June 26, 1962. He grew up on Bee Street with his parents, sister Sally and brother Billy.
Murphy was known for his distinguished basketball career at Maloney High School, leading the Spartans in 1980 to a 20-0 record. He averaged 28 points per game his senior year.
Murphy, a 6-foot-11 power forward at Boston College, was a four-year starter, averaging 14.6 points. He led the Eagles to two Sweet 16s and one Elite 8, graduating as a three-time all-Big East honoree and ranking sixth on Boston College’s all-time scoring list with 1,795 career points. He was seventh on the all-time rebounding list with 763 rebounds. Murphy was inducted into Boston College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
In 1984, Murphy was named to the first team all-Big East, and received an invitation to the Olympic Trials. He was selected as the 31st pick in the NBA draft and played professionally for four years in the NBA and then seven years in France and Italy.
Maria Louise Sanford was born on December 19, 1836, in Saybrook. Her family moved to Meriden shortly after her birth. She spent most of her childhood and adolescence in Meriden, studying until she was 14 and finishing with three terms at the privately funded Meriden Academy. After graduating from New Britain Normal School (now Central Connecticut State University) in 1855, she taught in Connecticut schools until 1868.
In 1870, officials from Swarthmore College appointed Sanford as the first woman to teach at an American university. In 1880, she began teaching rhetoric and elocution at the University of Minnesota and helped the school establish its cooperative education program.
When she retired in 1909, Sanford used her statewide prominence to advocate for social reforms. In addition to influencing the creation of a Minnesota national forest, she advocated for improved education for Blacks and Native Americans and promoted women’s suffrage.
Sanford died on April 21, 1920, in Washington, D.C., just two days after speaking to the Daughters of the American Revolution.
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