EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Mark Marzullo, Class Of 1975

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Few people can claim to have more of an “Evergreen Park lifer” status than Mark Marzullo, the longtime village trustee who graduated from Evergreen Park Community High School in 1975.

Outside of four years of college at Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Marzullo has spent every year of his life living in Evergreen Park. He’s the third-generation business owner of the Evergreen Park-based Marzullo Supply company and a mainstay in the development of Evergreen Park youth sports programs.

“I love Evergreen Park,” Marzullo said. “It’s the greatest place to live and raise a family.”

Marzullo’s Evergreen Park story starts on the corner of 99th and Millard, where he grew up and attended a fairly new Southwest Elementary School at the end of the block.

“I was the only Catholic kid on the block walking south (to Southwest School) on the block back then,” he said. “All the other kids went the other way to Most Holy Redeemer.”

“My mom told me there’s a new school, it's down the block and it’s free. You’re going there.”

Marzullo stayed in the public school system throughout high school, attending Central Junior High School and EPCHS.

His Mustang years were highlighted by his role on successful football teams and qualifying for state as an individual in track.

But it’s “the friends that I made who I still hang around with today,” is what Marzullo values most about EPCHS.

His football skills were good enough to earn him a scholarship to play at Lakeland University, but he doesn’t refer to himself as a star on the 1973 and 1974 football teams that went 8-2 and 7-2, respectively.

“I was OK,” Marzullo said. “Everyone was just so good that I was just considered OK.”

But one thing was missing from Marzullo’s high school football career: Friday Night Lights.

Evergreen Park was one of the many South Suburban schools that had to schedule 1 p.m. Saturday home games because they didn’t have lights on the field.

Marzullo remembers that in Evergreen Park’s conference, “no one had lights but Reavis.”

“Our coaches would schedule us at Reavis every year, regardless of whose turn it was to have a home game,” he said. “We did well under the lights.”

Some 30 years later, Marzullo and fellow local business owner Tom Ollenberger chaired a group that raised enough money to bring Friday Night Lights to Evergreen Park.

“I always thought high school football should be played under the lights,” Marzullo said.

The school’s first night game, in 2005, was “a great experience,” Marzullo said.

Marzullo was encouraged to run for village trustee for years before finally agreeing to it in 1996, he said.

“A party got in opposing Mayor (Anthony) Vacco and they were very anti-business,” Marzullo said. “That’s when I decided as a business person I need to get more involved.”

He’s been an elected official ever since, having been challenged only one time in his nearly 30 years on the village board.

“It’s good to know the citizens recognize we are doing a decent job,” Marzullo said. “The village is financially in really good shape.”

Prior to running for office, Marzullo decided to keep in the family business with Marzullo Supply, an HVAC wholesaler that’s done business in Evergreen Park since 1953 and from its current location at 88th and Kedzie since 1971.

Having grown up wanting to become a teacher, Marzullo said he changed his mind when his father “made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Today, Marzullo says he tries to stay as connected with EPCHS as possible. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame on May 2, 2022.

“The schools in Evergreen Park continue to be excellent,” he said. “I’m especially impressed with the high school.

EPCHS’ facilities are “outstanding,” he added.

“I think our students are given the best opportunity to learn with all the resources the school provides.”